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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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St Donats is in Glamorganshire.
See: St Donat's Castle [Map].
Around 1375 William Stradling was born at St Donats. He married before 1398 Isabel St Barbe and had issue.
Around 1377 Isabel St Barbe was born to John St Barbe (age 57) in St Donats. She married before 1398 William Stradling and had issue.
In 1404 John St Barbe (age 84) died at St Donats.
Around 1412 William Stradling (age 37) died at St Donats.
In 1429 Isabel St Barbe (age 52) died at St Donats.
In 1442 Gwenllian Stradling was born to William Stradling (age 30) at St Donats.
In 1600 Edward Stradling 2nd Baronet was born to John Stradling 1st Baronet (age 37) and Elizabeth Gage (age 20) at St Donats.
St Donat's Castle is also in Castles in Glamorganshire.
St Donat's Castle [Map] is positioned on cliffs overlooking the Bristol Channel, the site has been occupied since the Iron Age, and was by tradition the home of the Celtic chieftain Caradog. The present castle's origins date from the 12th century when the de Haweys and later Peter de Stradling began its development. The Stradlings held the castle for four hundred years, until the death of Sir Thomas Stradling in a duel in 1738.
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.
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On 15th May 1609 Edward Stradling (age 80) died. His second cousin John Stradling 1st Baronet (age 46) inherited St Donat's Castle [Map].
Calendar of State Papers Charles II 27 Oct 1666. 27th October 1666. Whitehall. 62. H. Muddiman to Sir Edward Stradling, St. Donat's Castle [Map], Glamorganshire. The sickness is abating, 8 only have died of it at Plymouth, 8 at Sarum, decrease 17, one or two at Ips- wich, and 8 at Norwich. The English are said to have been forced from the Canaries, leaving their estates in the hands of Spaniards. The Commissioners for payment of seamen daily pay off great numbers who are discharged from winter service, and bring their tickets with them, and the rest are ordered by beat of drum to repair aboard. The planting of hemp is much enconraged. The Commons have answered the Lords' reasons about importing French commodities, and are settling supplies. Sir Jeremy Smith has got as much credit by his late examination as his enemies wished him disgrace, the King (age 36) and Duke of York (age 33) being fully satisfied of his valour in the engagement. It appears that he had 147 men killed and wounded, while the most eminent of his accusers had but two or three. Peter Ceely of Cornwall, secured on suspicion of fanaticism, refused the liberty offered him if he would give security to the deputy lieutenants. The King has ordered a proclamation in Scotland for a convocation, which differs from a parliament in that it can levy money, but makes no laws. News from Germany, Brandenburg, Holland, and Munster. Sir Rich. Browne has brought into the House of Commons knives broad and sharp, able to pierce armour, of which 300 were found in the rubbish of a house where two Frenchmen lived; they can be guessed of no use but to massacre. A proclamation and other measures are proposed, for repressing the insolencies of the Papists. [8 pages.]
On 27th September 1738 Thomas Stradling 6th Baronet (age 28) died in a duel in Montpellier, France, unmarried. His body was returned to St. Donat's Castle and buried locally in the Lady Chapel. Baronet Stradling of St Donats in Glamorganshire extinct.
"The estate of St. Donats Castle [Map] was bequeathed to the Drakes of Shardeloes, and is now [1838] possessed by Thomas Tyrwhitt Drake, Esq.; Merthymawr and Monknash passed to Hugh Bowen, Esq., and Penlline Lampey and Cwm Hawey to Bussey Mansel, Esq." [Burke's Extinct Baronetcies.] Jane, the great aunt of the last Baronet (da. of the 3d Bart.), had m. George Bowen, of Kettlehill, co. Glamorgan, and Dame Catharine Mansel, widow of the 3d Bart., had m. Bussey Mansel. The disposition of the property in the will gave rise to a Chancery suit, which lasted sixty years from 1738, at the close of which, the valuable library, furniture, etc., of St. Donats Castle were sold. [N. & Q., 3d S., xi, 153.]