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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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Savoy Chapel Royal is in Savoy.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 26th July 1556. The xxvj day of July was bered at the Sayvoy [Map] a whyt monke of the Charterhowsse, and bered in ys monke('s) wede with grett lyght.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 10th December 1556. The x day of Desember was bered at the Sawvoy [Map] master Clarenshus' syster, with a herse mayd with ij stores [stories], and a c. whytt candyllstykes, and in evere candyllstyke a grett qwarell of alff a lb. of wax, and her armes apon the herse, and a dosen of torchys and her armes apon.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 3rd February 1661. Lord's Day. This day I first begun to go forth in my coat and sword, as the manner now among gentlemen is. To Whitehall. In my way heard Mr. Thomas Fuller (age 52) preach at the Savoy [Map] upon our forgiving of other men's trespasses, shewing among other things that we are to go to law never to revenge, but only to repayre, which I think a good distinction.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 12th May 1661. At noon went with my Baroness Montagu at the Wardrobe, but I found it so late that I came back again, and so dined with my wife in her chamber. After dinner I went awhile to my chamber to set my papers right. Then I walked forth towards Westminster and at the Savoy [Map] heard Dr. Fuller (age 53) preach upon David's words, "I will wait with patience all the days of my appointed time until my change comes;" but methought it was a poor dry sermon. And I am afeard my former high esteem of his preaching was more out of opinion than judgment.
John Evelyn's Diary. 4th November 1662. I was invited to the wedding of the daughter of Sir George Carteret (age 52) (The Treasurer of the Navy and King's Vice-Chamberlain), married to Sir Nicholas Slaning (age 19), Knight of the Bath, by the Bishop of London (age 64), in the Savoy chapel [Map]; after which was an extraordinary feast.
John Evelyn's Diary. 18th March 1683. I went to hear Dr. Horneck (age 42) preach at the Savoy Church [Map], on Phil. II 5. He was a German born, a most pathetic preacher, a person of a saint-like life, and hath written an excellent treatise on Consideration.
On 2nd September 1684 Lancelot Blackburne (age 25) and Catherine Talbot were married at the Savoy Chapel Royal [Map].
In 1685 Anne Killigrew (age 25) died of smallpox. She was buried at Savoy Chapel Royal [Map].
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 7th April 1877 Thomas Lister 4th Baron Ribblesdale (age 22) and Charlotte Monckton "Charty" Tennant (age 19) were married at Savoy Chapel Royal [Map].
On 18th October 1881 Henry Cornwallis Eliot 5th Earl St Germans (age 46) and Emily Harriet Labouchere Countess St Germans (age 37) were married at Savoy Chapel Royal [Map]. She by marriage Countess St Germans. He the son of Edward Granville Eliot 3rd Earl St Germans and Jemima Cornwallis Countess St Germans.
On 11th November 1928 John Charles Peniston Milbanke 11th Baronet (age 26) and Margaret Sheila MacKellar Chisholm (age 30) were married at the Savoy Chapel Royal [Map]. Their wedding 1928 caused chaos in central London with people climbing on to parked cars to get a glimpse of the couple.
