The London Chronicles

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paul bulkley

The London Chronicles

Legg inn av paul bulkley » 03 des 2006 22:05:03

There are at least forty four independent Chronicles
dating between 1430 and 1566 that record London events
during the period 1189-1560. Mayors, sheriffs, and
other dignitaries are listed.

Also State happenings, celebrations, wars, rebellions,
and the constant grimness of life recording the
numerous beheadings, hangings, drawn, and quartered,
the unfortunate heretics burnt at the stake, and the
suffering from constant plagues, food shortages, and
inclement weather.

Despite the grimness, individuals did survive, their
names are mentioned, and it is possible that
subscribers with London ancestors may find some data
of interest.

What is curious is the claim of author Mary Rose
McLaren "The London Chronicles of the Fifteenth
Century" that the chronicle writers represented lay,
vernacular, and self conscious recordings of how the
world was perceived to work, of the orchestration of
images, and of the perceived structure of power. She
continues by stating that it provides a picture of how
15th Century lay, urban people saw themselves, and
attempted to express an image of themselves in
relation to their past, and their present. She
persists in her theory throughout her book suggesting
that the writers collectively differed from the modern
20th Century man.

I think one should take care not to accept her
argument without careful thought. Her work is
excellent in analysing and comparing the various
Chronicles, but the evidence supporting her claim is
not there. Certainly the presentation of the
Chronicles tends to be similar in layout and format,
but what is missing is any evidence of the writer's
thinking. They simply recorded facts, and refrained
from any comment for or against the subject matter.

I wonder how did McLaren arrive at her conclusion that
the Chronicle writers perceived the world differently?
Her theory seems questionable that people of the 15th
Century perceived the world differently from the
current generations. They seem very similar to very
cautious writers of the 20th Century. Just consider.
In the 1500s an enormous number of people were
beheaded, hung, drawn, quartered, burnt at the stake;
the food shortages, pestilence, plagues, and general
treachery of people of that time.

I am certain a Chronicle that expressed an unpopular
opinion was considered "dynamite" - that Chronicle
with adverse comments in the wrong hands would
guarantee a one way trip to Heaven. The writer
prudently remained non commital.

Times have not changed. The modern writer with
unpopular thoughts is just as liable to suffer.
Consider the wisdom of expressing sympathy for those
condemned by our modern politicians, and the millions
that have died through foreign aggression over the
years.

Paul Bulkley



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