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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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Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell is in Whitwell, Derbyshire, Churches in Derbyshire.
Font at the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map] carved from a single block of stone. Probably early Norman or Anglo-Saxon.
The greater part of the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map] dates from the 12th Century when the Normans built the nave with round arches and massive columns, the clerestory, the tower (except for the 15th Century belfry), the great chancel arch and most of the chancel.
The transepts of the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map] were added between 1300 and 1350 to give the church the shape of a cross.
The North Transept of the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map] with the "Monkey Window". The border glass included seated figures of apes holding urine flasks, probably early 14th Century. Apes were kept as pets by the wealthy. In medieval symbolism apes represented fraud and indecortum, and were used by carvers and glass painters to satirise.
Two 14th Century piscinas in the Sanctuary of the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map].
Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map]. Unknown tomb.
1623. Memorial to various members of the Waterhouse family at the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map]
On 17th July 1632 Roger Manners (age 57) died from wounds after, so it is said, a skirmish between two groups of armed retainers on Whitwell Common. He was unmarried. He was buried at the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map]. The estate passed through the Manner's cousins to the Dukes of Rutland.
Sir Roger asked to be buried in Whitwell church with as "small funeral pomp as may be, having respect to my birth and calling". The Manners tomb on the west wall of the North Transept, composed of Chellaston marble, is notable for Sir Roger's recumbent effigy in armour. The visor on the helmet is known to be very unusual, even rare for the 1630s when the figure was carved. The carvings on the plinths at the base of the columns refer to military matters and those on the sides would appear to be places connected with his life, such as parliament, a temple (eastern) for the Inner Temple, a church with a spire (Lichfield or Bakewell?) and a fortified dwelling (Haddon or Belvoir?).
The cryptic verse on his monument suggests a Renaissance man; a eulogy to a military knight with a love of learning and study:
A living academic was this knight
Divinity, the arts, the tongs, what might
In learned schooles exactly be profest
Tooke up theire lodgings in his noble brest
Till death, like church despoilers, did pull down
Manners true fabrique and the arts renowne
Roger Manners: Around 1575 he was born to John Manners and Dorothy Vernon In 1594 Roger Manners studied law at Middle Temple. In 1601 Roger Manners was elected MP East Retford. In 1619 he was appointed High Sheriff of Derbyshire.
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The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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Memorial at the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map] to William Clayton, died 29th June 1666.
Memorial at the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map] to Richard Bacon of Sheffield who married Mary, daughter of William Clayton, died 28th May 1701.
In 1785 Charles Manners-Sutton (age 29) was appointed Rector of the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map]. He would later
The Boothby Memorial Window in the Sancuary of the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map] in memory of Reverend Evelyn Boothby, 1851-1874, placed in June 1876.
Tower Screen at the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map] in memory George Edward Mason, Canon of Southwell Minster [Map], Rector of Whitwell 1874-1908.
Memorial to George Edward Mason, Rector of the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map] 1874-1908, Conon of Southwell Minster [Map] 1888-1908, Principal of St Bede's College, Umtata Kaffraria, 1908-1919. Died at Rondebosch near Cape Town, 30th March 1928.
After 1945. War Memorial at the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map].
1950. Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map]. Commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Whitwell Company of the Church Lad's Brigade.
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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Gribble Memorial Window at the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map]. The window was originally at the church of St James, Derby, and given to Whitwell by the Maryam Trust in 1993.
Turner Memorial Window at the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map]. The window was originally at the church of St James, Derby. Marjorie and John Turner of Whitwell lost their lives in a fire at Littlewood Stores in Chesterfield on 7th May 1993. The window was donated by Littlewoods Stores Ltd. The fire was started deliberately by a young arsonist who had a history for lighting fires and enjoyed watching fire engines and firefighters arrive. He was sentenced after admitting two charges of manslaughter and three of damaging property. Following his sentencing he attempted to commit suicide by setting fire to a room in a secure unit.
2014. List of the Rectors of the Church of St Lawrence, Whitwell [Map].