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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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Short Parliament is in 1640-1649 Civil War and Regicide.
On 20th February 1640 Henry Berkeley of Bruton (age 61) was elected MP Ilchester
John Glanville (age 54) was elected Speaker of the House of Commons.
In April 1640 Samuel Sandes (age 24) was elected MP Droitwich.
Thomas Jermyn (age 67) was elected MP Cambridge University.
Thomas Jermyn (age 23) was elected MP Corfe Castle, Dorset.
Henry Jermyn 1st Earl St Albans (age 35) was elected MP Corfe Castle, Dorset.
John Jennings was elected MP St Albans.
Ambrose Browne 1st Baronet was elected MP Surrey.
John Curzon 1st Baronet (age 41) was elected MP Derbyshire.
George Fane of Burston (age 59) was elected MP Maidstone.
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On 5th May 1640 King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland (age 39) dissolved the Short Parliament.
In 1640 Thomas Lyttelton 1st Baronet (age 47) was elected MP Worcestershire in the Short Parliament.
In 1640 Edward Phelips (age 27) was elected MP Ilchester during the Short Parliament.
In 1640 Charles Berkeley 2nd Viscount Fitzhardinge (age 40) was elected MP Bath during the Short Parliament.
In 1640 Thomas Salusbury 2nd Baronet (age 27) was elected MP Denbighshire during the Short Parliament.
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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In February 1640 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford (age 19) was elected MP Shrewsbury during the Short Parliament.
In March 1640 Sidney Godolphin (age 30) was elected MP Helston during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Edward Hussey 1st Baronet (age 54) was elected MP Lincolnshire in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Anthony Hungerford (age 32) was elected MP Malmesbury during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Gervase Holles (age 33) was elected MP Grimsby in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 William Glynne was elected MP Caernarfonshire during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Dudley North 4th Baron North (age 38) was elected MP Cambridgeshire in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 William Pierrepont of Thoresby (age 32) was elected MP Shropshire during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Francis Pierrepont (age 27) was elected MP East Retford during the Short Parliament.
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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In April 1640 Edward Rodney (age 49) was elected MP Wells during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Philip Musgrave 2nd Baronet (age 32) was elected MP Westmoreland in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 John Melbury Sampford Strangeways (age 54) was elected MP Dorset during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Giles Strangeways (age 24) was elected MP Weymouth and Melcombe Regis during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 John Wray 2nd Baronet (age 53) was elected MP Lincolnshire during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Christopher Wray (age 39) was elected MP Grimsby during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Charles Cecil (age 21) was elected MP Hertford during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Simon Archer (age 58) was elected MP Tamworth during the Short Parliament.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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In April 1640 William Fitzwilliam 2nd Baron Fitzwilliam (age 31) was elected MP Peterborough during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Henry Mildmay (age 47) was elected MP Maldon during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 William Waller (age 43) was elected MP Andover during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Edmund Waller (age 34) was elected MP Amersham in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Thomas Tomkins (age 35) was elected MP Weobley in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Henry Poole (age 48) was elected MP Chichester during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 James Fiennes 2nd Viscount Saye and Sele (age 38) was elected MP Oxfordshire in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 William Heveningham (age 36) was elected MP Stockbridge during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Philip Sidney 3rd Earl of Leicester (age 21) was elected MP Yarmouth Isle of Wight during the Short Parliament.
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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In April 1640 Thomas Littleton 2nd Baronet (age 19) was elected MP Much Wenlock in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Roger Twysden 2nd Baronet (age 42) was elected MP Kent in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Framlingham Gawdy of West Harling (age 50) was elected MP Thetford in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Thomas Godfrey (age 54) was elected MP New Romney in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Thomas Liddell 1st Baronet (age 62) was elected MP Newcastle upon Tyne in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Isaac Penington (age 56) was elected MP City of London in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 John Glynne (age 38) was elected MP Westminster during the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Robert Bernard 1st Baronet (age 39) was elected MP Huntingdon in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 Robert Crane 1st Baronet (age 54) was elected MP Sudbury in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 William Jephson (age 32) was elected MP Stockbridge in the Short Parliament.
In April 1640 John Borlase 1st Baronet (age 20) was elected MP Great Marlow in the Short Parliament.
John Evelyn's Diary. 11th April 1640. I went to London to see the solemnity of his Majesty's (age 39) riding through the city in state to the Short Parliament, which began the 13th following,-a very glorious and magnificent sight, the King circled with his royal diadem and the affections of his people: but the day after I returned to Wotton, Surrey [Map] again, where I stayed, my father's (age 53) indisposition suffering great intervals, till April 27th, when I was sent to London to be first resident at the Middle Temple: so as my being at the University, in regard of these avocations, was of very small benefit to me. Upon May the 5th following, was the Parliament unhappily dissolved; and, on the 20th I returned with my brother George to Wotton, Surrey [Map], who, on the 28th of the same month, was married at Albury to Mrs. Caldwell (an heiress of an ancient Leicestershire family1, where part of the nuptials were celebrated.
Note 1. A daughter of Daniel Caldwell, Esq., by Mary, daughter of George Duncomb, Esq., of Albury. She died 15th May, 1644, and he afterwards married the widow of Sir John Cotton.