Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1057. This year died Earl Ralph, on the twelfth before the calends of January [21 Dec 1057]; and lies at Peterborough [Map].

Calendars. 21 Dec 1382. Commission to Nicholus, Abbot of Westminster, William Walleworth, Nicholas Brembre, John Philipot, Adam Fraunceys, William Cheyne, Henry Frowyk, Thomas Charleton, Nicholas Exton, John Durham, Godfrey atte Pyrye, John Shordissh, John Samford, and William Barnevyll, reciting the treasonable insurrection of divers evil-doers in congregations and conventicles, and their perpetration of treasons, homicides, arsons, &c., and appointing the aforesaid commissioners, with the advice of the nobles and magnates of the late Parliament, for the establishment of quiet, to keep the peace in the county of Middlesex, empowering them to arrest, imprison and punish such rebels, and any who incite to rebellion, to suppress their meetings, arrest their goods, or take security as they think fit. If the meetings are suspicious or in excessive number they are to take the posse comitatus, both knights and esquires, lead them against the rebels, seize any found committing the offences aforesaid and do justice upon them without delay. They are also appointed commissioners of oyer and terminer in respect of the premises, with power to arrest, imprison, and punish any who refuse to assist them. By K. and C.

Calendars. 21 Dec 1461. Westminster Palace [Map]. The like to Robert Ingleton of the reversion of the office of chancellor of Westminster, the Exchequer, with the accustomed fees, immediately after the decease, resignation or dismissal of Thomas Witham (age 41), to whom the same has been granted for life.

After 21 Dec 1536. All Saints Church, Maiden Bradley [Map]. Monument to John Seymour (deceased). Seymour Arms differenced with a Crescent impaled with unknown arms quartered 1 Argent a fess between 3 martlets Gules in chief three fox heads erased 2 per pale Azure three fleur de lys Or 3 Or three talbots courant 4 Or a chevrom Limine between 3 stags heads caboshed. The note below states... The above tablet (a copy of the original in Great Bedwyn [Map]) is placed here by Algernon 15th Duke of Somerset (age 53) Sep 1899.

Diary of Edward VI. 21 Dec 1550. Removing to Grenewich.

Wriothesley's Chronicle 1551. 21 Dec 1551. The 21 of December, beinge St. Thomas th' Apostles day. Lord Riche (age 54) beinge Lord Channcellor of England, the Kinges Maiesties great seale was taken from him by the Duke of Northumberland (age 47) and the Earl of Pembroke (age 50) in the afternoone. And the morrowe after Doctor Goodricke, Bishop of Elye, had the keepinge of the great seale, as custos, by the counselles commandement, which bishop was one of the Privie Counsell to the Kinges Maiestie.

After 21 Dec 1614. St Mary's Church, Nantwich [Map]. Monument to Thomas Smith of Hough in Cheshire commissioned by his wife Anne Brereton. The monument, carved by Hugh Hall, was originally in St Chad's Church, Wybunbury [Map] but moved to Nantwich in 1982. Jacobean Period.

Thomas Smith of Hough in Cheshire: Around 1545 he was born to Lawrence Smith and Anne Fouleshurst. On 21 Jan 1561 he and Anne Brereton were married. On 21 Jun 1614 he died.

Anne Brereton: In Dec 1546 she was born to William Brereton and Jane Warburton. After 1614 Anne Brereton died.

Autobiography Simon D'Ewes. 21 Dec 1621. After I had awhile in the morning beheld the fire with exceeding grief, I despatcbed letters to my father by a foot messenger to inform him of it, before whose coming near unto my brother Elliot's home in Surrey, where he lay, another messenger that went from London on horseback, carried him the news of it the same day it happened. He was lying upon a bed not very well when the said news of it was first told him, upon which he suddenly rose up and, casting off the clothes, said, he must be gone. But being afterwards otherwise persuaded by my brother and sister Elliot, in respect of his indisposition of body, he awhile deferred the journey, and the same night despatched two of his servants towards London, who as they came along met the footman I had sent with the letter and stopped his further progress. By their early coming to my chamber whilst it was yet dark, being awakened again out of my sleep, as I had been in the morning foregoing, I was not a little afirighted, fearing some new danger; but baring let them in, we all rested till about six of the o'clock, the 21st of December, being Friday, and then rising, hastened to the rains of the fire, where amongst the rubbish we found above three hundred pounds in gold, in twenty-shilling pieces, just in the place, as near as we could guess, over which my fether's study, where his money lay, had been situated.

Evelyn's Diary. 21 Dec 1651. Came to visit my wife (age 16), Mrs. Lane, the lady who conveyed the King (age 21) to the seaside at his escape from Worcester. Mr. John Cosin, son of the Dean (age 57), debauched by the priests, wrote a letter to me to mediate for him with his father. I prepared for my last journey, being now resolved to leave France altogether.

Pepy's Diary. 21 Dec 1661. To White Hall to the Privy Seal, where my Lord Privy Seal (age 55) did tell us he could seal no more this month, for that he goes thirty miles out of town to keep his Christmas. At which I was glad, but only afeard lest any thing of the King's (age 31) should force us to go after him to get a seal in the country.

Pepy's Diary. 21 Dec 1662. Thence walked to White Hall, and there to chappell, and from thence up stairs, and up and down the house and gallerys on the King's and Queen's (age 24) side, and so through the garden to my Lord's lodgings, where there was Mr. Gibbons (age 47), Madge, and Mallard, and Pagett; and by and by comes in my Lord Sandwich (age 37), and so we had great store of good musique.

Pepy's Diary. 21 Dec 1662. By and by comes in my simple Lord Chandois (age 41), who (my Lord Sandwich (age 37) being gone out to Court) began to sing psalms, but so dully that I was weary of it. At last we broke up; and by and by comes in my Lord Sandwich (age 37) again, and he and I to talk together about his businesses, and so he to bed and I and Mr. Creed and Captain Ferrers fell to a cold goose pye of Mrs. Sarah's, heartily, and so spent our time till past twelve o'clock, and then with Creed to his lodgings, and so with him to bed, and slept till

Pepy's Diary. 21 Dec 1663. Thence, having enough of it, by coach to my Lord Sandwich's (age 38), where I find him within with Captain Cooke (age 47) and his boys, Dr. Childe (age 57), Mr. Madge, and Mallard, playing and singing over my Lord's anthem which he hath made to sing in the King's Chappell: my Lord saluted me kindly and took me into the withdrawing-room, to hear it at a distance, and indeed it sounds very finely, and is a good thing, I believe, to be made by him, and they all commend it. And after that was done Captain Cooke (age 47) and his two boys did sing some Italian songs, which I must in a word say I think was fully the best musique that I ever yet heard in all my life, and it was to me a very great pleasure to hear them.

Pepy's Diary. 21 Dec 1663. At home to put on my gowne and to my office, and there set down this day's Journall, and by and by comes Mrs. Owen, Captain Allen's (age 51) daughter, and causes me to stay while the papers relating to her husband's place, bought of his father, be copied out because of her going by this morning's tide home to Chatham, Kent [Map]. Which vexes me, but there is no help for it. I home to supper while a young [man] that she brought with her did copy out the things, and then I to the office again and dispatched her, and so home to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 21 Dec 1663. Up betimes, my wife having a mind to have gone abroad with me, but I had not because of troubling me, and so left her, though against my will, to go and see her father and mother by herself, and I straight to my Lord Sandwich's (age 38), and there I had a pretty kind salute from my Lord, and went on to the Duke's (age 30), where my fellow officers by and by came, and so in with him to his closet, and did our business, and so broke up, and I with Sir W. Batten (age 62) by coach to Salisbury Court, Fleet Street, and there spoke with Clerk our Solicitor about Field's business, and so parted, and I to Mrs. Turner's (age 40), and there saw the achievement pretty well set up, and it is well done.

Pepy's Diary. 21 Dec 1665. At the office all the morning. At noon all of us dined at Captain Cocke's (age 48) at a good chine of beef, and other good meat; but, being all frost-bitten, was most of it unroast; but very merry, and a good dish of fowle we dressed ourselves. Mr. Evelyn (age 45) there, in very good humour.

Pepy's Diary. 21 Dec 1666. So home to dinner, and spent all the afternoon in putting some things, pictures especially, in order, and pasting my Baroness Castlemayne's (age 26) print on a frame, which I have made handsome, and is a fine piece.

Pepy's Diary. 21 Dec 1667. At the office all the morning, and at noon home to dinner with my Clerks and Creed, who among other things all alone, after dinner, talking of the times, he tells me that the Nonconformists are mighty high, and their meetings frequented and connived at; and they do expect to have their day now soon; for my Lord of Buckingham (age 39) is a declared friend to them, and even to the Quakers, who had very good words the other day from the King (age 37) himself: and, what is more, the Archbishop of Canterbury (age 69) is called no more to the Cabal, nor, by the way, Sir W. Coventry (age 39); which I am sorry for, the Cabal at present being, as he says, the King (age 37), and Duke of Buckingham (age 39), and Lord Keeper (age 61), the Duke of Albemarle (age 59), and Privy Seale (age 61). The Bishops, differing from the King (age 37) in the late business in the House of Lords, having caused this and what is like to follow, for every body is encouraged nowadays to speak, and even to preach, as I have heard one of them, as bad things against them as ever in the year 1640; which is a strange change. He gone, I to the office, where busy till late at night, and then home to sit with my wife, who is a little better, and her cheek asswaged. I read to her out of "The History of Algiers", which is mighty pretty reading, and did discourse alone about my sister Pall's (age 27) match, which is now on foot with one Jackson (age 27), another nephew of Mr. Phillips's, to whom he hath left his estate.

Pepy's Diary. 21 Dec 1668. Thence to the Duke's playhouse, and saw "Macbeth". the King (age 38) and Court there; and we sat just under them and my Baroness Castlemayne (age 28), and close to the woman that comes into the pit, a kind of a loose gossip, that pretends to be like her, and is so, something. And my wife, by my troth, appeared, I think, as pretty as any of them; I never thought so much before; and so did Talbot and W. Hewer (age 26), as they said, I heard, to one another. The King (age 38) and Duke of York (age 35) minded me, and smiled upon me, at the handsome woman near me but it vexed me to see Moll Davis (age 20), in the box over the King's and my Baroness Castlemayne's (age 28) head, look down upon the King (age 38), and he up to her; and so did my Baroness Castlemayne (age 28) once, to see who it was; but when she saw her, she looked like fire; which troubled me. The play done, took leave of Talbot, who goes into the country this Christmas, and so we home, and there I to work at the office late, and so home to supper and to bed.

On 21 Dec 1670, owing to a jest made by Coventry (age 34) in the House of Commons on the subject of the King's amours, Sir Thomas Sandys, an officer of the guards, with other accomplices, by the order of Monmouth (age 21), and (it was said) with the approval of the king himself, waylaid him as he was returning home to Suffolk Street and slit his nose to the bone. The outrage created an extraordinary sensation in the Commons, and in consequence Parliament debated a bill 'to prevent malicious maiming and wounding' (22 & 23 Chas. II, c.1), a measure known as the "Coventry Act" was passed, declaring assaults accompanied by personal mutilation a felony without benefit of clergy, an Act not repealed until 1828.

Evelyn's Diary. 21 Dec 1675. Visited her Ladyship (age 43) again, where I found the Bishop of Winchester (age 77), whom I had long known in France; he invited me to his house at Chelsea.

Roger Whitley's Diary. 21 Dec 1690. Sonday, G.Mainwaring (age 48) & Knevet dined with us; went before 3; then came my sonne (age 39), & daughter, went about 5; Mrs Wood came about 3; went at 6; Bellot & his kinsman came about 9 & stayd till neare 10.

On 21 Dec 1718 Bishop Joseph Butler (age 26) was ordained a Priest by William Talbot (age 60), Bishop of Salisbury, at St James' Church, Piccadilly.

After 21 Dec 1853. Monuments at St Mary the Virgin Church, Overton to Francis Richard Price and his wife Susan Towneley, her monument sculpted by Edwards of Wrexham.

The Diary of George Price Boyce 1855-1857. 21 Dec 1857. Ruskin (age 38) came and stayed an hour. He seemed a good deal taken with several of my Giornico drawings and one of the Venice tomb drawings, and said I should apply myself earnestly to drawing with the point, should put more detail in my drawings; give distinction to distant parts by quantity of mysterious detail. He said he should come again.

The London Gazette 27389. The undermentioned Gentlemen to be Second Lieutenants (Supernumerary):—

Frederick Eden Robeson. Dated 21st December, 1901.

John Egerton Warburton (age 18). Dated 21st December, 1901.

After 21 Dec 1914. St Mary's Church, Chirk [Map]. Medals and memorial to Hillyar George Edwin Hill-Trevor (age 18) killed in action.

Hillyar George Edwin Hill-Trevor: On 31 Dec 1895 he was born to George Edwyn Hill-Trevor at the Hotel Paoli, Florence in Florence. On 21 Dec 1914 Hillyar George Edwin Hill-Trevor was killed in action at Givenchy in France where he has a memorial on which are inscribed 'FOR GOD AND COUNTRY', 'THINE O GOD HE WAS AND THINE HE IS IN PERFECT WE LEAVE HIM TILL WE MEET AGAIN' and 'CLOSE TO THIS SPOT SLEEPS IN ETERNAL PEACE HILLYAR GEORGE EDWIN HILL-TREVOR LT SCOTS GUARDS BELOVED ONLY CHILD OF THE HONBLE GEORGE EDWYN & ETHEL HILL-TREVOR OF BRYNKINALT CHIRK ENGLAND KILLED WHILE GALLANTLY LEADING HIS MEN DEC 21 1914 AGED 18 YEARS'.

21 Dec 1928. Philip de László (age 59). Portrait of María Dolores "Lala" Piñeiro (age 36). De László's appointment book for 1928 indicates that he painted María Dolores Piñeiro de Wesley over two days, morning and afternoon, on 21 and 22 December. She told her children that de László talked continuously as he painted and that she greatly enjoyed their conversation, whereas her husband recalled that when he was shown the finished portrait in the artist's studio, he bluntly said: "I don't like it. László must have hated me for that".

María Dolores "Lala" Piñeiro: On 09 Jul 1892 she was born to Andrés Piñeiro and Dolores 'Lola' García Láinez at Tandil. In Jul 1908 María Dolores "Lala" Piñeiro celebrated her sixteenth birthday in Paris. On 17 Jun 1911 Alfredo Enrique Wellesley Wesley and she were married. On 19 Mar 1983 she died.

After 21 Dec 1985. Church of St Hychan Llanychan [Map]. Grave of Violet Kathleen Brinkley (deceased), second wife of Joseph Crosland Graham.

Violet Kathleen Brinkley: On 17 Feb 1895 she was born to Charles Michael Edgeworth Brinkley and Evelyn Everard Hutton at Tongham, Surrey. On 1929 Joseph Crosland Graham and she were married at St Asaph. His son Alan Crosland Graham and her mother Evelyn Everard Hutton were witnesses, and possibly her sister Maud Agatha Brinkley. Her father was deceased before the 1901 Census. The difference in their ages was 28 years. On 21 Dec 1985 she died.