Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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Bristol Cathedral is in Bristol, Gloucestershire [Map], Cathedrals in England.
See: Nave, Bristol Cathedral.
Before 3rd December 1184 William de Saltmarsh was Prior of St Augustine's, Bristol [Map].
On 29th November 1243 Thomas Berkeley 4th Baron Berkeley [aged 73] died at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He was buried at St Augustine's Abbey, Bristol [Map]. His son Maurice [aged 25] succeeded 5th Baron Berkeley Feudal. Isabella Plantagenet Baroness Berkeley by marriage Baroness Berkeley Feudal.
On 22nd May 1276 Joan Somery Baroness Berkeley [aged 81] died at St Augustine's Abbey, Bristol [Map].
On 4th April 1281 Maurice Berkeley 5th Baron Berkeley [aged 63] died at Thornbury, Gloucestershire. He was buried at St Augustine's Abbey, Bristol [Map]. His son Thomas [aged 35] succeeded 6th Baron Berkeley Feudal. Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley by marriage Baroness Berkeley Feudal.
On 23rd July 1321 Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 76] died at St Augustine's Abbey, Bristol [Map]. His son Maurice [aged 50] succeeded 7th Baron Berkeley Feudal, 2nd Baron Berkeley. Isabella Clare Baroness Berkeley [aged 59] by marriage Baroness Berkeley Feudal, Baroness Berkeley.
On 31st May 1326 Maurice Berkeley 7th and 2nd Baron Berkeley [aged 55] died at Wallingford Castle [Map]. He was buried at St Augustine's Abbey, Bristol [Map]. His son Thomas [aged 30] succeeded 8th Baron Berkeley Feudal, 3rd Baron Berkeley. Margaret Mortimer Baroness Berkeley [aged 22] by marriage Baroness Berkeley Feudal.
On 3rd August 1336 Roger Mortimer 1st Baron Mortimer of Chirk [aged 80] died at the Tower of London [Map] after four and a half years imprisonment. He was buried at either Wigmore Abbey [Map] or St Augustine's Priory, Bristol [Map]. His son Roger succeeded 2nd Baron Mortimer of Chirk although he was never summoned to Parliament.
On 22nd October 1463 James Berkeley 11th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 69] died at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He was buried at St Augustine's Abbey, Bristol [Map]. His son William [aged 37] succeeded 12th Baron Berkeley Feudal, 2nd Baron Berkeley.
In September 1506 Maurice Berkeley 3rd Baron Berkeley [aged 71] died at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He was buried at St Augustine's Abbey, Bristol [Map]. His son Maurice [aged 39] succeeded 4th Baron Berkeley.
On 5th November 1552 George Carew [aged 54] was appointed Dean of Bristol Cathedral.
On 18th November 1554 Bishop John Holyman [aged 59] was consecrated Bishop of Bristol.
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
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In 1558 George Carew [aged 60] was appointed Dean of Bristol Cathedral.
On 13th November 1589 Bishop Richard Fletcher [aged 44] was elected Bishop of Bristol.
On 14th December 1589 Bishop Richard Fletcher [aged 44] was consecrated Bishop of Bristol.
In 1623 Bishop Robert Wright [aged 63] was appointed Bishop of Bristol.
On 10th February 1633 Bishop George Coke [aged 62] was consecrated Bishop of Bristol.
On 12th August 1684 Bishop John Lake [aged 60] was translated to Bishop of Bristol.
In 1685 Bishop Jonathan Trelawny 3rd Baronet [aged 34] was appointed Bishop of Bristol.
In 1708 Dean Robert Booth [aged 46] was appointed Dean of Bristol Cathedral.
Before 1734 Bishop Charles Cecil [aged 38] was appointed Bishop of Bristol.
On 19th October 1738 Bishop Joseph Butler [aged 46] was elected Bishop of Bristol.
On 3rd December 1738 Bishop Joseph Butler [aged 46] was consecrated Bishop of Bristol at Lambeth Palace [Map].
Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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On 16th June 1752 Bishop Joseph Butler [aged 60] died unmarried at Rosemead House Kingsmead Square Bath, Somerset. He was buried at Bristol Cathedral [Map].
In 1782 Bishop Lewis Bagot [aged 41] was appointed Bishop of Bristol.
In 1783 Bishop Christopher Wilson [aged 69] was appointed Bishop of Bristol which position he held until his death in 1792.
On 3rd June 1793 Bishop Spencer Madan [aged 64] was consecrated Bishop of Bristol.
On 11th May 1794 Bishop Reginald Courtenay [aged 52] was consecrated as Bishop of Bristol.
In 1803 Bishop George Pelham [aged 36] was consecrated Bishop of Bristol.
In May 1803 Bishop Bowyer Sparke [aged 44] was appointed Dean of Bristol Cathedral.
In 1820 Bishop John Kaye [aged 36] was appointed Bishop of Bristol.
In 1834 Bishop Joseph Allen [aged 64] was appointed Bishop of Bristol.
1835. William James Müller [aged 22]. View of Bristol Cathedral [Map].
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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1837. William James Müller [aged 24]. View of Bristol Cathedral [Map].
In 1892 Hemming Robeson was appointed Archdeacon Bristol which post he held until 1904.
On 7th September 1875 Poulett George Henry Somerset [aged 53] died. He was buried at Nave, Bristol Cathedral.