John of Trokelowe facts for kids
John of Trokelowe was an English monk and writer who lived in the 1300s. He was known for writing historical records, which are called chronicles. He was a member of the Benedictine order of monks at St Albans Abbey.
In 1294, John of Trokelowe was living at a smaller monastery called Tynemouth Priory in Northumberland. For a long time, people thought he was a very important writer of history. However, some historians now believe he might have been a scribe, meaning he mostly copied the writings of another person named William Rishanger.
A Monk's Journey
The monks at Tynemouth Priory wanted their monastery to be independent from St Albans Abbey. They tried to give control of their church to the king. However, the head of St Albans Abbey, Abbot John of Berkamsted, did not agree with this plan.
Abbot John visited Tynemouth and sent John of Trokelowe and other monks back to St Albans. It was there, at St Albans, that John of Trokelowe began writing his historical records.
What He Wrote
John of Trokelowe's writings are known as his Annales, which means "Annals" or "Yearly Records." His work covered events from 1259 to 1296. He also wrote a very helpful account of the time when King Edward II ruled, from 1307 to 1323.
After 1323, another monk named Henry de Blaneford continued the chronicle. John of Trokelowe mentioned an event involving Roger Mortimer in his writings. This mention tells us that John of Trokelowe was still writing after the year 1330.
