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The 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. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.
Escape of Roger Mortimer is in 1320-1329 Despencer War.
Chronicles of Trokelowe and Blaneforde. [1st August 1323] For in the stillness of the night during that same feast (of Saint Peter in Chains), when both the guards of the Tower and many others had fallen into deep sleep and rest — having been given a certain harmful drink — Roger [Mortimer] (age 36) did not escape through the door of his chamber, which had been secured with many locks and bars, but rather through another way. By breaking through a wall, he entered the royal palace kitchen attached to the Tower. From the top of this building, he climbed down into one of the Tower's guard posts. Then, using ropes ingeniously fashioned like a ladder, which had been procured for him by a certain friend and secretly brought to him beforehand, he descended with considerable fear to another guard post. And, just as Saint Peter, imprisoned under Nero, passed the first and second guards with the help of an angel, so too did he—though with great difficulty—finally reach the Thames. There, he found a small, fragile boat, into which he entered with his helper and two other members of his inner circle. With God's help, they swiftly crossed the river. They then hurried with all speed toward the sea, carefully avoiding public roads throughout their journey, and did not rest until, united in purpose, they reached a certain port. In that place, where they were known to no one, they found a ship—prepared for them and waiting for some time near the port. With all haste, they boarded the vessel and, aided by a favorable wind granted by God, they swiftly arrived in the realms of France.
Nam intempestæ noctis silentio dictæ festivitatis, tarn custodibus castri quam cæteris multis, per quendam pestiferum potum eis ministratum, nocturno quieti ac sopori deditis, repentine, noii per ostium cameræ suæ, quod multis seris et repagulis fuerat obseratum, sed aliunde, per ruptionem muri, venit in coquina palatio Regis annexa; per cujus sunimitatem exiens, ad unam oastri devenit eustodiam; deinde per cordas, ad modum scalæ ingeniose compositas, per quenidam amicum suum pro visas, et sibi secrete prius allatas, ad aliam castri eustodiam cum non modico timore per venit. Et, sicut Beatus Petrus, in vinculis Neronis detentus, Angelo ducente, primam et secundam transivit custodiam, cum maxima difficultate tandem venit ad aquam Tamisiæ; ibi quamdam fragilem cymbam reperiens, quam, cum adjutore suo, et aliis duobus de consilio suo, intravit, et dictam aquam, Deo volente, concito transmearunt. Et cum omni festinatione ad mare properantes, publicas stratas semper in itinere devitarunt; nec cessare voluerunt, donec ad quemdam portum unanimes pervenirent. Quo vero in loco, ab omnibus ignoti, navem, aliquandiu eos ibidem expectantem, prope portum promptam ibidem reperientes; quam cum omni festinatione intraverunt, et, prosperam auram eis Deo ministrante, ad Gallicana regna concito pervenerunt.
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Annales Paulini. And in the same year, on the night following the feast of Saint Peter in Chains (1st August 1323), Lord Roger de Mortimer (age 36) escaped from the Tower of London and crossed the Thames to the mills of John de Gisors. Nearby, at the abbot's houses, seven horses had been prepared, and Lord Roger, with seven others, began his journey toward the sea. There, he found a boat arranged in advance by certain individuals, as will be made clear below.
An inquest held at Portsmouth before John de Weston and others on Tuesday, the feast of Saint Lawrence (August 10th), in the 17th year of the king's reign, by the oath of John Bacun and others, who stated that on the day after the feast of Saint Peter in Chains, Thomas Lessorte, a boatman from the Isle of Wight, took his boat to Barelorde, as Alice of Southampton had told him to do, having herself been directed by Ralph de Boktone, a London merchant. At that place, he was to find men whom he would carry in the said boat. When he arrived with the boat, he found seven men, who entered his vessel. When they reached the open sea near Noteleshere, they saw a ship which Ralph de Boktone had arranged for them from Normandy. Immediately, they forced the boatman by threat to take them to the Norman ship, and they boarded it. From this, it was suspected that they were felons of the king who had escaped from the Tower of London. The seven men had left their horses in the yard at Baselehorde, which Alice then left to graze in pasture until the return of the said Ralph.
Et eodem anno, nocte sequenti festun Sancti Petri ad Vincula, dominus Rogerus de Mortuomari evasit de twrri Londoniensi et transivit ultra Tamissiam usque ad molendinas J. de Gisors, et deprope in domibus abbatis fuerunt vii. equi parati, in quibus dominus Rogerus um vii persona iter suum arripuit versus mare, et ibi invenit batellum ex prælocutione quorundam, prout inferius patebit.
Inquisitio facta apud Portesmuth coram J. de West' et ceteris, die Martis in festo Sancti Laurentii anno regni regis xvii, per sacramentum J. Bacun et aliorum, et qui dicunt quod in crastino Sancti Petri ad Vincula, Thomas Lessorte batellarius de insula Vecta duxit batellum suum apud Barelorde, sicut Alicia de Borhamtone ei dixit quod faceret, sicut ipsa ducts fuit per Radulfum de Boktone mercatorem Londoniensem, et apud prædictum locum deberet invenire homines quos duceret in prædictam inenlam. Qui cum ibi venisset cum batello, invenit ibi vii homines qui intraverunt batellum suum, et, cum venisset super mare versus Noteleshere, viderunt quandam navem quan Radulfus de Bohtone eis prædictus providit de Normannia; et statim coegerunt batellariom vi ad ducendum eos ad dictam navem de Normannia, et intraverunt eam; per quod æstimavit quod fuerunt felones domini regis qui evaserunt de turri Londoniarum. Qui vii equos dimiserunt super aream apud Baselehorde, quos equos dicta Alicia dimisit in pastura usque ad adventum dicti Radulfi.
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Chronicle of Henry Knighton. [1st August 1323] In the year of grace 1323, Lord Roger de Mortimer escaped from the Tower of London with the help of a certain Gerard de Alspaye, who was under the authority of Lord Stephen de Segrave, Mortimer's jailer, as mentioned above. He fled to France, where he remained with many others who had also fled from the face of King Edward, out of fear of the king and the Despensers, who were ravenous to be filled with the lands and possessions of others.
Anno gratiæ MCCCXXIII dominus Rogerus de Mortuo mari evasit de turri Londoniensi per auxilium ecujus- dam Girardi de Alspaye qui sub domino Stephano de Segrave custodiam ejus habuit ut supra, et fugit in Franciam, ibique moram traxit cum multis aliis qui fugerant a facie regis Edwardi præ timore regis et Dispensatorum qui esuriebant alienis terris et possessionibus saturari.
Chronicles of Trokelowe and Blaneforde. [1st August 1323] In the year of our Lord 1323, on the feast of Saint Peter in Chains (ad Vincula), the noble lord, Sir Roger de Mortimer, Lord of Wigmore, confined in the highest and most secure part of the Tower of London—along with his uncle, Sir Roger, and other nobles of the realm, who, having returned from the conflict between the King and the Barons mentioned above, had submitted themselves to the King's mercy—was held in a manner less civil than befitted their station. From the depths of his heart and by the utmost ingenuity of his mind, he devised a clandestine escape, one unheard of and unimaginable for ages past.
Anno Domini millesimo trecentesimo vicesimo quarto, in festo Sancti Petri quod dicitur "Ad Vincula," nobilis vir, Dominus Rogerus de Mortuo Mari, Dominus de Wigemor, in eminentiori et arctiori loco Turris Londoniarum, cum Domino Rogero, avunculo suo, et cum ceteris regni nobilibus, qui a conflictu inter Regem et Barones supra memorato redeuntes gratie Regis se submiserant, minus civiliter quam decuit, detentus et detrusus, a sæculis inaudibilem et inexcogitabilem, ex profundissimo cordis ingenio, suam ordinavit clandestinam liberationem.
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke [-1360]. In the year 1323, Roger de Mortimer,1 who had formerly been imprisoned in the Tower of London, as was said above, escaped with the help of traitors and through the bribery of corrupted guards. He fled to France and attached himself to the aforesaid Charles of Valois, the enemy of the English and supporter of their exile. He was thus preserved for a new discord and miserable civil war, as a sower of strife.
Anno MCCCXXIIJ, Rogerus de Mortuo mari, quondam in turri Londoniensi, ut superius dicebatur, incarceratus, auxilio proditorum, custodibus corruptis muneribus, evasit et, in Franciam dilapsus, predicto Karolo de Valoys exul Anglorum ipsorum inimico inclinatus adesit, in novum discidium atque miserabilem guerram intestinam reservatus per seminatorem zizanniorum.
Note 1. Annals Paulinus 305.
The Brute chronicle has the following: "And anone after, sir Roger Mortymer of Wygmour brake oute of the toure of Londone, and in this maner. Sir Roger the forsaide herde that he shulde ben drawe and hongede at Londone in the morue after seint Laurence day; and on the day before he helde a faire feste in the toure of Londone, and fio was sir Stephin Segrave, constabil of London, and meny grete men with him. And when thei shulde sopen, the forsaide Stephin sente for alle the officers of the toure; and thei come and sopede with him. And when thei shulde take here leve of him, a squyer that men callede Stephin, that was ful pryve with the forsaide Roger, thurgh hire counsel yaf hem all suche a drinke that the leste of hem slepte ii dayes and ii nyjtes. And in the mene tyme he skapede awaye by water, that is to sein, by the Thamyse, and wente over the see and helde him in Fraunce. The kyng was sore annoyede, and tho putte the same Stephene oute of his constabelrie."