The history of Great Britain and occasionally Ireland. Whether Geoffrey of Monmouth’s work and some of the other books here can fairly be called “history” is a question on which academic careers are built; but there is no question that they claim to be history, and were believed to be history for centuries.
☛See also our collection of Chronicles. We admit that there is not much logic behind which items appear there and which here.
☛A collection of pamphlets and occasional works illustrative of British history is on a separate page.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, translated from the Latin of Venerable Bede. A new edition, revised and corrected. By J. A. Giles. London: James Bohn. 1843.
The Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation. The Venerable Bede. Translation by John Stevens, revised by Lionel C. Jane. London: J. M. Dent & Sons; New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1910 (reprinted 1939).
Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People. A revised translation with introduction, life, and notes by A. M. Sellar. London: G. Bell and Sons, 1917.
Rerum Anglicarum scriptores post Bedam praecipui, ex vetustissimis codicibus manuscriptis nunc primum in lucem editi.
Willielmi monachi Malmesburiensis De gestis regum Anglorum lib. V.
Eiusdem Historiae Nouellae lib. II.
Eiusdem de gestis Pontificum Angl. lib. IIII.
Henrici archidiaconi Huntindoniensis Historiarum lib. VIII.
Rogeri Houedeni Annalium pars prior & posterior.
Chronicorum Ethelwerdi lib. IIII.
Ingulphi Abbatis Croylandensis historiarum lib. I.
Andiecta ad finem Chronologia.
Londini, Excudebat G. Bishop, R. Nuberie, & R. Barker, 1596.
Giraldus Cambrensis (Gerald of Wales).
The Historical Works of Giraldus Cambrensis. Containing the Topography of Ireland, and the History of the Conquest of Ireland, translated by Thomas Forester. The Itinerary through Wales and the Description of Wales, translated by Sir Richard Colt Hoare. London: George Bell and Sons, 1881.
Caradoc of Llancarvan
The historie of Cambria, now called Wales: a part of the most famous Yland of Brytaine, written in the Brytish language above two hundreth yeares past: translated into English by H. Lhoyd Gentleman: Corrected, augmented, and continued out of Records and best approoved Authors, by david Powel Doctor in divinitie. Imprinted at London by Rafe Newberie and Henrie Denham. 1584.
The Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon. Comprising the history of England, from the invasion of Julius Caesar to the accession of Henry II. Also, The Acts of Stephen, King of England and Duke of Normandy. Translated and edited by Thomas Forester, A.M. London, 1853.
Roger of Wendover's Flowers of History. Comprising the history of England from the descent of the Saxons to A.D. 1235. Formerly ascribed to Matthew Paris. Translated from the Latin by J. A. Giles, D.C.L. London, 1849.
Volume I.
Volume II.
Polydore Vergil's English History, from an early translation preserved among the mss. of the old Royal Library in the British Museum. Edited by Sir Henry Ellis, K.H. London: Printed for the Camden Society, 1846.
Volume I.Three Books of Polydore Vergil’s English History, comprising the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III. From an early translation preserved among the mss. of the old Royal Library in the British Museum. Edited by Sir Henry Ellis, K.H. London: Printed for the Camden Society, 1844.
(Another copy.)
(Another copy.)
(At archive.org; a very good scan.)
(At archive.org; another very good scan.)
(We have not yet found the two succeeding volumes projected in the preface. A cryptic note on one of the archive.org listings says “No more published.” However, see the volume below for the last three reigns in the manuscript.)
The University of Birmingham’s Philological Museum has a splendid on-line hypertext critical edition of the Anglica Historia.
Thomas Lanquet and Thomas Cooper.
An
Epitome of Cronicles conteining the
whole discourse of the histories as well of this
realme of England, as all other countreis, with
the succession of their kynges, the tyme of their
reigne, & what notable actes thei did: much
profitable to be redde namely of magistrates and
such as haue auctoritee in common weales: gathered
out of most probable auctors, fyrst, by Thomas
Lanquet, from the beginnyng of the world to the
incarnacion of Christ, and now finished and
continued to the reigne of our sovereigne lorde
kynge Edward the sixt by Thomas Cooper. Anno M. D.
LXIX. [The LX is crossed out and corrected by hand
to XL.] —A handwritten note in a
seventeenth-century script: “Thos: Lanquet who
died at London in the 24th year of his age A. D.
1545 began an abbreviation of our Chronicles, but
brought it no lower than the Birth [of[ Jesus
Christ, its third part which chiefly relates to
this Kingdom, was written by the Learned Thos:
Cowper afterwards Bishop of Winchester, & by
him publish’d, he call’d it, as he justly may, an
Epitome of Our Chronicles, & ’tis a meagre one
too, far short of the Performances of the same
Author on other Subjects.—Printed by Berthelet
1549.”
Holinshed’s Chronicles
The chronicles of England, from William the Conquerour (who began his reigne over this land, in the yeare after Christes nativitie 1066.) untill the yeare 1577. Faithfullie gathered and compiled by Raphaell Holinshed. And continued from the yeare 1577, untill this present yeare of Grace 1585. Newlie amended and inlarged. [1585.] —More than 1600 pages in double-column blackletter.
Annals of England to 1603. By John Stow. —This edition is missing the title page and perhaps more front matter, but otherwise a legible, well-scanned blackletter edition in single columns.
The Annales, or Generall Chronicle of England, begun first by maister Iohn Stow, and after him continued and augmented with matters forreyne, and domestique, ancient and moderne, unto the ende of this present yeere 1614, by Edmond Howes, gentleman. Londini: Impensis Thoma Adams. 1615.
Annales, or, A Generall Chronicle of England. Begun by Iohn Stow: Continued and Augmented with matters Forraigne and Domestique, Ancient and Moderne, unto the ende of this present yeere, 1631. By Edmund Howes, Gent. London: Impensis Richardi Meighen, 1631. —This uses the same engraved title page as the 1615 edition, suggesting that Meighen was the successor of Adams.
Ancient Funerall Monuments with in the united Monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the Ilands adiacent, with the dissolved Monasteries therein contained; their Founders, and what eminent persons have beene in the same interred. As also the Death and buriall of certaine of the Bloud Roiall, the Nobilitie. and Gentrie of these Kingdomes entombed in forraine Nations with other matters mentioned in the insuing Title. Composed by the Travels and Studie of John Weever. London: Printed by Tho: Harper. 1631. —The frontispiece is an engraved portrait of the author, aged 55 in the year 1631, with a little verse below:
Lancashire gave him
breath,
And Cambridge education.
His studies are of Death.
Of Heaven his meditation.
This is a sprawling book full of entertaining anecdotes, epitaphs, descriptions, and snatches of history.
A
Compleat History of the Life and Raigne of
King Charles from His Cradle to His Grave.
Collected and Written by William Sanderson, Esq.
London, Printed for Humphrey Moseley, Richard
Tomlins, and George Sawbridge, 1658. —About 1200
pages, written by one who was witness to many of
the events. However, the Dictionary
of National Biography says, “This is a
compilation quoting freely from newspapers,
speeches, manifestos, and the ‘Eikon Basilike;’ it
is frequently inaccurate and of little original
value.”