A Chronicle of London from 1089 to 1483 / Written in the Fifteenth Century, and for the First Time Printed from MSS. in the British Museum Papyras Classics

← A Chronicle of London from 1089 to 1483 / Written in the Fifteenth Century, and for the First Time Printed from MSS. in the British Museum

Chapter 1

Preface

About this book. Although the title indicates that the Chronicle begins in 1089, it actually begins in 1189 with the reign of Richard I, and ends in 1483 with the death of Edward IV. It is based on two manuscripts, now in the British Library, written by anonymous scribes in the 15th Century. It recounts events not only in the City of London—such as the elections of Mayors and Sheriffs—but also in the British Isles and France, covering battles, coronations, births and deaths of prominent people, tempests, earthquakes, plagues, and other noteworthy occurrences.

The Chronicle was first published in 1827, in a limited edition of 250 copies, with copious notes and an extensive section of illustrative documents. Although the editors of the 1827 edition are not named, the British Library catalogue identifies them as Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas, G.C.M.G., and Edward Tyrrell (whose signature appears at the end of the dedication).

Numbers and dates in lowercase Roman numerals often end in a “j,” signifying “i.”

Blank spaces in the text are represented by long dashes (——).

The original contains numerous sidenotes. In the Chronicle section, sidenotes marked with an asterisk were added by the editors and are here treated as footnotes.