Geoffrey the Baker
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey the Baker English
chronicler, is also called Walter of Swinbroke, and was probably a secular clerk at Swinbrook
in Oxfordshire
.
He wrote a Chronicon Angliae temporibus Edwardi II et Edwardi III, which deals with the history of England from 1303 to 1356. From the beginning until about 1324 this work is based upon Adam Murimuth
's Continuatio chronicarum, but after this date it is valuable and interesting, containing information not found elsewhere, and closing with a good account of the battle of Poitiers
. The author obtained his knowledge about the last days of Edward II
from William Bisschop, a companion of the king's murderers, Thomas Gurney and John Maltravers.
Geoffrey also wrote a Chroniculum from the creation of the world until 1336, the value of which is very slight. His writings have been edited with notes by Sir Edward Maunde Thompson
as the Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke (Oxford, 1889). Some doubt exists concerning Geoffrey's share in the compilation of the Vita et mors Edwardi II, usually attributed to Sir Thomas de la More, or Moor
, and printed by William Camden
in his Anglica scripta.
It has been maintained by Camden and others that More wrote an account of Edward's reign in French, and that this was translated into Latin by Geoffrey and used by him in compiling his Chronicon. Nineteenth century scholarship, however, asserts that More was no writer, and that the Vita et mors is an extract from Geoffrey's Chronicon, and was attributed to More, who was the author's patron. In the main this conclusion substantiates the verdict of William Stubbs
, who has published the Vita et mors in his Chronicles of the reigns of Edward I and Edward II (London, 1883). The manuscripts of Geoffrey's works are in the Bodleian library
at Oxford.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
chronicler, is also called Walter of Swinbroke, and was probably a secular clerk at Swinbrook
Swinbrook
Swinbrook is a village on the River Windrush, east of Burford in Oxfordshire, England. The village is in the civil parish of Swinbrook and Widford.-History:...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
.
He wrote a Chronicon Angliae temporibus Edwardi II et Edwardi III, which deals with the history of England from 1303 to 1356. From the beginning until about 1324 this work is based upon Adam Murimuth
Adam Murimuth
Adam Murimuth was an English ecclesiastic and chronicler.-Life:He was born in 1274 or 1275 and studied civil law at the University of Oxford. Between 1312 and 1318 he practised in the papal curia at Avignon...
's Continuatio chronicarum, but after this date it is valuable and interesting, containing information not found elsewhere, and closing with a good account of the battle of Poitiers
Battle of Poitiers (1356)
The Battle of Poitiers was fought between the Kingdoms of England and France on 19 September 1356 near Poitiers, resulting in the second of the three great English victories of the Hundred Years' War: Crécy, Poitiers, and Agincourt....
. The author obtained his knowledge about the last days of Edward II
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
from William Bisschop, a companion of the king's murderers, Thomas Gurney and John Maltravers.
Geoffrey also wrote a Chroniculum from the creation of the world until 1336, the value of which is very slight. His writings have been edited with notes by Sir Edward Maunde Thompson
Edward Maunde Thompson
Sir Edward Maunde Thompson, GCB was a British palaeographer and Principal Librarian and first Director of the British Museum. He is also noted for his study of William Shakespeare's handwriting in the manuscript of the play Sir Thomas More.-Biography:Thompson's father was Edward Thompson, Custos...
as the Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke (Oxford, 1889). Some doubt exists concerning Geoffrey's share in the compilation of the Vita et mors Edwardi II, usually attributed to Sir Thomas de la More, or Moor
Thomas de la Moore
Sir Thomas de la Moore or More of Northmoor, Oxfordshire was an English knight and member of parliament. He was a follower of Edward II of England, and was present at the king's enforced abdication on January 20, 1327. He was later a patron of Geoffrey le Baker, who wrote a royalist chronicle...
, and printed by William Camden
William Camden
William Camden was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and officer of arms. He wrote the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and the first detailed historical account of the reign of Elizabeth I of England.- Early years :Camden was born in London...
in his Anglica scripta.
It has been maintained by Camden and others that More wrote an account of Edward's reign in French, and that this was translated into Latin by Geoffrey and used by him in compiling his Chronicon. Nineteenth century scholarship, however, asserts that More was no writer, and that the Vita et mors is an extract from Geoffrey's Chronicon, and was attributed to More, who was the author's patron. In the main this conclusion substantiates the verdict of William Stubbs
William Stubbs
William Stubbs was an English historian and Bishop of Oxford.The son of William Morley Stubbs, a solicitor, he was born at Knaresborough, Yorkshire, and was educated at Ripon Grammar School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated in 1848, obtaining a first-class in classics and a third in...
, who has published the Vita et mors in his Chronicles of the reigns of Edward I and Edward II (London, 1883). The manuscripts of Geoffrey's works are in the Bodleian library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
at Oxford.
Further reading
- Roy Martin HainesRoy Martin HainesRoy Martin Haines is a British historian.Haines is the son of Evan George Martin Haines, who served in the Welsh Guards during World War I and died in 1929 from an illness attributable to his military service...
, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/1114‘Baker, Geoffrey le (fl.FloruitFloruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1326–1358)’], Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 4 Aug 2008.