Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
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Paternal Family Tree: Reade
Around 1575 Thomas Reade was born.
In March 1598 Thomas Reade (age 23) and Mary Brocket were married.
On 2nd October 1598 [his father-in-law] John Brocket (age 58) died. He was buried at St Etheldreda's Church, Hatfield [Map]. His daughter [his wife] Mary Brocket and her husband Thomas Reade (age 23) inherited Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire [Map].
Mary Brocket: she was born to John Brocket and Helen Lytton. In March 1598 Thomas Reade and she were married.
In 1607 [his son] Thomas Reade of Appleton was born to Thomas Reade (age 32) and [his wife] Mary Brocket. He married in or before 1625 Mary Cornwall, daughter of Thomas Cornwall 12th Baron Burford, and had issue.
Around 1614 [his daughter] Frances Reade Lady Russell was born to Thomas Reade (age 39) and [his wife] Mary Brocket. She married 1st December 1624 William Russell 1st Baronet and had issue.
Around 1616 [his son] John Reade 1st Baronet was born to Thomas Reade (age 41) and [his wife] Mary Brocket. He married 2nd January 1640 Susanna Style Lady Reade, daughter of Thomas Style 1st Baronet, and had issue.
On 1st December 1624 [his son-in-law] William Russell 1st Baronet (age 26) and [his daughter] Frances Reade Lady Russell (age 10) were married.
In or before 1625 [his son] Thomas Reade of Appleton (age 17) and [his daughter-in-law] Mary Cornwall (age 18) were married.
In 1634 [his son] Thomas Reade of Appleton (age 27) died.
On 2nd January 1640 [his son] John Reade 1st Baronet (age 24) and [his daughter-in-law] Susanna Style Lady Reade were married.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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After 1649 [his son-in-law] Robert Dormer of Ascot and [his daughter] Mary Reade were married.
Before 14th December 1650 Anne Greene (age 22) worked as a servant for Thomas Reade (age 75).
On 14th December 1650 Anne Greene (age 22) was hanged for having committed infanticide at Oxford Castle. She was cut down and given to University of Oxford physicians William Petty (age 27) and Thomas Willis for dissection. She revived the following day, given a reprieve, believing that the hand of God had saved her. That Thomas Reade (age 75), her employer, died six days after the attempted execution was also considered a sign of her innocence.
Before 20th December 1650 Thomas Reade (age 75) died.
[his daughter] Elizabeth Reade Baroness Burford was born to Thomas Reade and Mary Brocket. She married before 1671 Gilbert Cornwall 13th Baron Burford, son of Thomas Cornwall 12th Baron Burford and Anne Lyttelton Baroness Burford, and had issue.
[his daughter] Mary Reade was born to Thomas Reade and Mary Brocket. She married after 1649 Robert Dormer of Ascot and had issue.