Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 788. This year Elwald, king of the Northumbrians, was slain by Siga, on the eleventh day before the calends of October; and a heavenly light was often seen on the spot where he was slain. He was buried in the church of Hexham [Map]; and Osred, the son of Alred, who was his nephew, succeeded him in the government. This year there was a synod assembled at Acley.

On 23 Sep 1607 Princess Mary Stewart (deceased) was buried in the Henry VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey [Map] opposite her sister Sophia's tomb in a private ceremony. Her effigy, created by Maximilian Colt (age 32), represented a young girl, clad in a mature dress, with the traditional ruff, carved in ivory.

John Reresby's Diary 05 Aug 1665. 05 Aug 1665. His royal highness (age 31) and his duchess (age 28) came down to York, where they stayed till September the 23rd, when the Duke (age 31) went for Oxford, where the King (age 35) was to meet the Parliament. The Duchess (age 28) went not till some time after. Most of the gentry attended at York whilst their liighnesses were there. The Duke passed his time in shooting and other exercises, the Duchess (age 28) in receiving the ladies, which she did very obligingly. One evening having a little snake (which I kept in bran in a box) in my hand as I was in the presence, one of the maids of honour seeing of it was frightened. The Duchess (age 28), hearing the noise, and what was the occasion, desired to see the snake, and took it into her hand without any fear. This Duchess (age 28) was Chancellor Hyde's (age 56) daughter, and she was a very handsome woman, and had a great deal of wit; therefore it was not without reason that Mr. Sydney (age 24), the handsomest youth of his time, of the Duke's bedchamber, was so much in love with her, as appeared to us all, and the Duchess (age 28) not unkind to him, but very innocently. He was afterwards banished the Court for another reason, as was reported.

Pepy's Diary. 23 Sep 1665. Thence by coach to Lambeth, Surrey [Map], his Lordship, and all our office, and Mr. Evelyn (age 44), to the Duke of Albemarle (age 56), where, after the compliment with my Lord very kind, we sat down to consult of the disposing and supporting of the fleete with victuals and money, and for the sicke men and prisoners; and I did propose the taking out some goods out of the prizes, to the value of £10,000, which was accorded to, and an order, drawn up and signed by the Duke (age 31) and my Lord, done in the best manner I can, and referred to my Lord Bruncker (age 45) and Sir J. Minnes (age 66), but what inconveniences may arise from it I do not yet see, but fear there may be many.

Pepy's Diary. 23 Sep 1668. At my office busy all the morning. At noon comes Mr. Evelyn (age 47) to me, about some business with the Office, and there in discourse tells me of his loss, to the value of £500, which he hath met with, in a late attempt of making of bricks¹ upon an adventure with others, by which he presumed to have got a great deal of money: so that I see the most ingenious men may sometimes be mistaken.

Note 1. At the end of the year 1666 a Dutchman of the Prince of Orange's party, named Kiviet (age 41), came over to England with proposals for embanking the river from the Temple [Map] to the Tower with brick, and was knighted by the King (age 38). He was introduced to Evelyn (age 47), whom he persuaded to join with him in a great undertaking for the making of bricks. On March 26th, 1667, the two went in search of brick-earth, and in September articles were drawn up between them for the purpose of proceeding in the manufacture. In April, 1668, Evelyn subscribed 50,000 bricks for the building of a college for the Royal Society, in addition to £50 given previously for the same purpose. No more information on the subject is given in Evelyn's "Diary".

Evelyn's Diary. 23 Sep 1680. Came to my house some German strangers and Signor Pietro, a famous musician, who had been long in Sweden in Queen Christina's (age 53) Court; he sung admirably to a guitar, and had a perfect good tenor and bass, and had set to Italian composure many of Abraham Cowley's pieces which showed extremely well. He told me that in Sweden the heat in some part of summer was as excessive as the cold in winter; so cold, he affirmed, that the streets of all the towns are desolate, no creatures stirring in them for many months, all the inhabitants retiring to their stoves. He spoke high things of that romantic Queen's learning and skill in languages, the Majesty (age 50) of her behavior, her exceeding wit, and that the histories she had read of other countries, especially of Italy and Rome, had made her despise her own. That the real occasion of her resigning her crown was the nobleman's importuning her to marry, and the promise which the Pope had made her of procuring her to be Queen of Naples, which also caused her to change her religion; but she was cheated by his crafty Holiness,43 working on her ambition; that the reason of her killing her secretary at Fontainebleau, was, his revealing that intrigue with the Pope. But, after all this, I rather believe it was her mad prodigality and extreme vanity, which had consumed those vast treasures the great Adolphus, her father, had brought out of Germany during his [campaigns] there and wonderful successes; and that, if she had not voluntarily resigned, as foreseeing the event, the Estates of her kingdom would have compelled her to do so.

Evelyn's Diary. 23 Sep 1700. I went to visit Mr. Pepys (age 67) at Clapham, Surrey, where he has a very noble and wonderfully well-furnished house, especially with Indian and Chinese curiosities. The offices and gardens well accommodated for pleasure and retirement.

After 23 Sep 1905. Durham Cathedral [Map]. Memorial to George Hans Hamilton (deceased).

George Hans Hamilton: On 21 Jan 1823 he was born. In 1865 he was appointed Archdeacon of Lindisfarne which office he held until 1882. In 1865 he was appointed Archdeacon of Northumberland. On 23 Sep 1905 he died.

Diary of WEV Young. 23 Sep 1930. Pages 129-131.

Mr Gray (age 58) called me into the hut at five o’clock and paid me off, remarking as he did so that funds this time were very short (I hope he will get enough for his own “honorarium”). Mrs Gray (age 55) also joined in with a few well chosen remarks, plainly intended for my edification, although addressed to her spouse – “Really dear: I cannot keep on making up the expenses of the excavations, my purse will not allow it. I had to make up five pounds for the Ham Hill work.” … In the presence of Sir Joseph and Lady Bowley, I listened meekly to all this … behaving myself with that gruelling humility one should do, in the presence of their superiors, then touching my ragged cap I backed away, and took my leave.