Gairdner, James, ed., The Historical Collections of a Citizen of London in the fifteenth century (Camden Society New Series 17) Read this source online
Text name(s): Gregory's Chronicle of London
Number of pages of primary source text: 239
Author(s):
Dates: 1189 - 1469
Archival Reference: BL Egerton 1995
Original Language(s):
- English - Middle English
Translation:
- Original language included.
Translation Comments:
Geopolitical Region(s):
- England
County/Region: London
Record Types:
- Chronicle, Annals
- Literature - Verse
- Will
Subject Headings:
- Diplomacy
- Government
- Heresy
- Historiography
- Material Culture: Food, Clothing, Household
- Piety
- Revolt
- Royalty / Monarchs
- Towns / Cities
- War - Military History
Apparatus:
- Index
- Introduction
Comments:
The main work in this edition is a chronicle of London’s history, apparently written by William “the Skinner” Gregory, who was mayor of London, although it was apparently continued by someone else, since William died a few years before the chronicle’s end. The book also includes William Gregory’s will, a poem describing the Siege of Rouen, and poetry on the Kings of England attributed to Lydgate. The book includes an appendix of mayors and shefiffs of London, and the treaty that negotiated the surrender of Falaise Castle. All of these documents are given in the original Middle English. The entire book is available on British History Online.
The book can also be downloaded in pdf format through the internet archive at http://www.archive.org/details/citizenlondon00camduoft
Introduction Summary:
The introduction ( pp.) describes the manuscript in which these texts are found. Gairdner discusses the evidence for William Gregory’s authorship of the chronicle. He then discusses the other texts in the manuscript, all of which survive in other manuscripts as well. He provides an overview of the events of the Siege of Rouen, the apex of Henry V’s second invasion of France. Gairdner then discusses what is known of William Gregory’s life, and points out some curious features of his will. He discusses some of the important features of Gregory’s chronicle, such as his account of the Jack Cade rebellion, some of the battles he describes, and his depictions of religious culture. Gairdner ends with a brief discussion of his editorial method.
Cataloger: MK
