Special Sub-Topic: Medieval Gossip Columnists Authored by: bracklaman Sub-topic of: UK History

This writer recorded events in the life of St Hugh of Lincoln and is therefore used by historians researching the reign of Henry II of England. Who was he?

Adam of Eynsham. Adam was a monk in an establishment endowed by Hugh and his family. His account was very laudatory of Hugh and circumspect about Henry II, who was the benfactor of both Adam and his master Hugh.

This writer is thought to have produced his account of the reign of King John in some secrecy and his anonymity has been preserved over the centuries.

Monk of Barnwell. His account was lively, relatively objective and is regarded by many as an elegant chronicle of the troubled reign of King John.

This author had a measure of personal independence through his own noble family connections. His writings cover the period from c. 1000 AD to c. 1154 AD. He also produced the first major source for the legends about King Arthur. Who was it?

Geoffrey of Monmouth. Probably of Breton or Norman origin Geoffrey became Archdeacon of Monmouth about 1140 AD and later about 1152 AD he became Bishop of St Asaph. His (fictitious) work "History of the Kings of Britain" was accepted as historical fact for many years.

This author (c. 1141 AD - c. 1210 AD) was a monk of Christ Church Priory of Canterbury Cathedral. His observations are understandably coloured by his admiration for the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket.

Gervase of Canterbury. He wrote a chronicle of the deeds of the kings of his times and also a history of the Archbishops of Canterbury from St Augustine to Hubert Walter. It is generally accepted the they largely uncritical but include much useful contextual information about the period.

The youngest son of William de Barri, a Norman knight from Pembrokeshire and Nesta, a Welsh princess, he was a prolific and popular writer of his time.

Gerald of Wales. He was widely travelled and his accounts include contemporary geographical notes on Wales, Ireland and England. He also wrote an autobiography. His works relected his own partiality to his homeland of Wales and his family links to the Normans. He did not much care for the Anglo-Saxons.

This author translated from French into Latin an account of the "Itinerary of Richard I" including his many wars, battles and campaigns as well as his Crusade.

Richard, Prior of Holy Trinity, Aldgate. The original author said he had written things down "amidst the din of war". Much of this work was adapted and disseminated by the troubadours from Aquitaine where this cultural tradition was fostered by the long timne patronage of Queen Eleanor (Richard I's mother).

This writer who died in c. 1201 AD was at the time of his death Archdeacon of Middlesex and Canon and Archivist of St Paul's Cathedral. His writings contain extensive transcripts from government documents of the day.

Ralph of Diceto. His "Images of History" was a chronological record of the events of his time. He was a conscientious recorder of history who seemed to take care to check his facts. Curiously, although appalled by the murder of Thomas Becket he remained an admirer of Henry II.

He was both a civil servant and a King's Justice until his death in about 1201 AD. He accompanied Henry II to France in 1174 AD and was also present at the siege of Acre in 1191. He produced an extensive account of the reigns and lives of both Henry II and Richard I.

Roger of Hoveden. His works were once attributed to his patron the Abbot Benedict of Peterborough. His accounts contained transcripts of original documents which are invaluable sources to the modern historian.

As a preamble to his life of Thomas Becket this author wrote a much valued description of life in contemporary London.

William Fitzstephen. He was a member of the Becket household and an eyewitness both to the murder and the earlier confrontation between Becket and Henry II at Northampton. Although fulsome in his praise of his late master he was careful not to criticise Henry II.

This writer was born in Jersey, studied in Paris and Caen before being appointed Canon of Bayeux by Henry II in about 1160 AD. He wrote a Norman-French verse history of England from the time of Brutus, the legendary first ancient King of Britain.

Robert Wallace. This verse history appeared to be based on the earlier chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth. It is in his history that the legend of Arthur and of the Round Table first appears in written form.