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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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Before 26th June 1707 [his father] Bishop Welbore Ellis (age 56) and [his mother] Diana Briscoe were married.
On 15th December 1713 Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip was born to [his father] Bishop Welbore Ellis (age 62) and [his mother] Diana Briscoe.
In 1734 [his uncle] John Ellis (age 91) and [his future wife] Elizabeth Stanhope were married.
On 1st January 1734 [his father] Bishop Welbore Ellis (age 83) died. He was buried at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin [Map].
In 1738 [his uncle] John Ellis (age 95) died. His nephew Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip (age 24) inherited his considerable fortune.
In 1741 Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip (age 27) was elected MP Cricklade.
In 1747 Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip (age 33) was elected MP Weymouth and Melcombe Regis which seat he held until 1761.
Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
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In November 1747 Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip (age 33) and Elizabeth Stanhope were married.
In 1761 Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip (age 47) was elected MP Aylesbury which seat he held until 1768.
In 1761 Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip (age 47) was appointed Secretary at War.
In August 1761 [his wife] Elizabeth Stanhope died.
In 1765 Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip (age 51) and Anne Stanley were married.
In 1768 Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip (age 54) was elected MP Petersfield which seat he held until 1774.
In 1774 Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip (age 60) was elected MP Weymouth and Melcombe Regis which seat he held until 1790.
In 1777 Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip (age 63) was appointed Treasurer of the Navy.
In 1791 Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip (age 77) was elected MP Petersfield which seat he held until 1794.
In 1794 Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip (age 80) was created 1st Baron Mendip of Mendip in Somerset with remainder to the three eldest sons of his sister [his sister] Anne by her husband Henry Agar, of Gowran and Gowran Castle.
On 2nd February 1802 Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip (age 88) died. His great nephew Henry (age 41) succeeded 2nd Baron Mendip of Mendip in Somerset.
GrandFather: Reverend John Ellis
Father: Bishop Welbore Ellis
Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip
GrandFather: John Briscoe of Boughton in Northamptonshire
Mother: Diana Briscoe