All About History Books on Amazon

The Chronicle of the Abbey of Evesham is a remarkable medieval history of one of England’s great Benedictine monasteries. Beginning with the abbey’s legendary and royal foundations, it traces the fortunes of Evesham through centuries of religious devotion, political conflict, legal struggle, rebuilding, reform, and royal patronage. At the heart of the chronicle is the abbey’s determination to defend its ancient liberties. Its monks record disputes with bishops, appeals to popes and papal legates, contested elections of abbots, lawsuits over lands and privileges, and the long struggle to preserve Evesham’s exemption from episcopal control. Alongside these institutional battles are vivid accounts of saints and miracles, including St Ecgwine, St Odulf and the royal martyr St Wistan, whose relics and cult formed an important part of the abbey’s identity. The chronicle also preserves a wealth of detail about everyday monastic life. It describes the building and repair of churches, cloisters, chapels, halls, mills, granges and fishponds; the acquisition of estates and revenues; the making of vestments, shrines, bells and liturgical books; and the provision of food, clothing, recreation and medical care for the monks. Successive abbots emerge not merely as religious superiors but as administrators, builders, patrons, diplomats and defenders of the community. Extending into the later Middle Ages, the narrative reflects the changing political world around Evesham, from the Norman Conquest and the Angevin kings to the Wars of the Roses and the reign of Henry VIII. The result is both a history of a single monastery and a richly detailed record of medieval English religious, legal, economic and political life. This edition offers modern readers direct access to one of the most important monastic chronicles of medieval England, revealing how the monks of Evesham understood their saints, their privileges, their rulers and their place in history.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

Life of Henry Pelham

Life of Henry Pelham is in Modern Era.

Henry Pelham Fiennes Pelham-Clinton, twelfth Earl of Lincoln and fifth¹ Duke of Newcastle, was born in Charles Street, Berkeley Square, on May 22, 1811.

The Clintons were first heard of in Henry I.'s reign. In Edward HI.'s time one of them was created Lord Clinton for distinguished service in France. The ninth Lord Clinton was Lord High Admiral under Henry VHL and Elizabeth, and by the latter Sovereign was created Earl of Lincoln for his services in the navy. One of his descendants was a staunch supporter of the royal cause during the Civil Wars of the next century.

Six weeks later [21st March 1829] Lord Winchelsea [aged 37] again called on the Duke of Newcastle [aged 44] on precisely the same errand. The latter, however, was away at Clumber, and was not available, which was a great relief to him, for he would have felt bound not to refuse, and Lord Falmouth [aged 41] acted as second instead of him. There was no mistake this time. The duel took place on Wimbledon Common. Lord Winchelsea, after receiving the Duke of Wellington's [aged 59] fire, fired his own pistol in the air, and then tendered an apology. The Duke of Newcastle writes in his journal:

'Lord Falmouth gave me an account of the duel. He says the Duke of Wellington behaved in a very churlish, overbearing manner, and when the affair was over did not shake hands, and departed sulkily. One is almost tempted to wish that a life so dangerous had been taken away, but one must not indulge in such unchristian feelings .... The Duke of Wellington's time may not yet be come, but it may, and that shortly, for assuredly he is a villain and a [word illegible].'