On 25 May 1259 Bishop Fulk Basset (deceased) was buried.

Inquisitions Post Mortem 118. 118. Henry duke of Lancaster.

Writ, Wyndesore, 25 March, 35 Edward III [1361].

Chronicle of Gregory 1442. 25 May 1442. Ande the xxv day of May my Lord Talbot (age 59) toke his way towarde the see, for to passe yn to Fraunce whythe his retenowe.

Hall's Chronicle 1522. 25 May 1522. On Sunday the twenty-fifth day of May, the Lord Marques of Dorset (age 44), the Bishop of Chichester (age 69), and the Lord de la Warr (age 65), with other noble men, at the water of Graveling, received the Emperor (age 22) in the name of the King of England, and so the Emperor embraced them, and he having in his company many noble men, came toward Calice, where at the Turnpike in the lordship of Marke, he was received of Sir Edward Guildford (age 48) Marshall of Calais, with fifty men of arms richly be seen, and also a hundred archers on horseback, then in passing forward toward Calais, the ordnance shot terribly, and into Calais he was received with procession, and then by the lord Barne deputy there, and the counsel of the town then was he received by the Mayor and Aldermen of the town, and then of the Mayor and Merchants of the Staple, and so conveyed to the Exchequer, and there lodged.

On 25 May 1523 Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall (age 49) was appointed Keeper of the Privy Seal.

Wriothesley's Chronicle 25 May 1554. 25 May 1544. Frydaye 25 Maii Sir Edward Courtney, Earle of Devonshire (age 17), was had out of the Tower [Map] at 3 of the clock in the morninge, Mr. Chamberlayne of Suffolke and Sir Tho. Tresham, knights, ridinge with him, with certeyne of the Queens garde and others, to Fodringay Castle [Map] in Northamptonshire, and he there to remayne under theyr custodie at the Queens pleasure.

This moneth allso divers persons both men and weomen were sett on the pillorie in Cheape for slaunderouse and seditiouse wordes speakinge against the Queene (age 28) and her Councell and had their eares nayled to the pillorie [Map].

Diary of Edward VI. 25 May 1550. One that, by way have mariage¹, had thought to assemble the peple, and so to make an insurrection in Kent, was taken by the gentlemene of the shier, and afterward punished.

Note 1. So in the MS. Burnet printed it "of marriage," but without elucidating the sense. — "Maye xxiij. Letters were receaved from mr. Culpepper, sheriff of Kent, declaring that a conspiracj was wrought amonge the commons as well of that shire as of Sussex, to assemble at Hethfield upon Whitson mondaye next. Wherefore severall lettres were addressed to the same mr. Culpepper, to the lord le Warre, and to mr. Pelham sherriff of Sussex, to assemble the gentlemen and to prevent the insurrection." (Council Book.)

Henry Machyn's Diary. 25 May 1554. The xxv day of May, wyche was the sam day, whent owt of the Towre [Map] northwarde the yerle of Devonshyre (age 27), and cared into Northhamtunshyre to a castyll called Fotheringay [Map] with serten of the gard, and dyvers knyghtes, by iij and iiij of the cloke in the mornyng.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 25 May 1555. The xxv day of May was slayne by my lord Dacre's (age 58) son master West sqwyre [Lewis West son of William West of Aughton]; ther wher xl men a-ganst master West and ys viij men, be-syd Roderam in Yorke-shyre. The lord Dacre (age 58) dwellys at Aston in the sam contrey.

Note. P. 107. Master West esquire slain by my lord Dacre's (Darcy's) son. Our journalist here, and at p. 121, has miswritten Dacre for Darcy. The murdered man was Lewis West, of Wales near Doncaster, esquire, son and heir apparent of sir William West, of Aughton in the same county, whose death followed before the end of the year, and his funeral occurs at p. 161. The lord Darcy's son was George Darcy, whose name is not mentioned in the peerages, but has been traced in some other documents by Mr. Hunter, who, in his History of South Yorkshire, vol. ii. pp. 173–176, has printed a curious contemporary ballad relative to this event, accompanied by some other particulars connected with it. It arose from one of those family feuds which were still prevalent in the sixteenth century; and the two sons of lord Darcy, John and George, were implicated in it, as well as the two sons of sir William West, Lewis and Edmund. The ballad is headed "The murder of the two brothers, Lewis and Edmund, by the sons of lord Darcy;" but this is an error, for only Lewis was killed and one of his men, as the ballad itself states. The brothers West were returning from Rotherham fair, held on Whitmonday, to their cousin's house at Aughton, when they were assaulted by the Darcys, who were much more numerously attended, "with men three score," and after a desperate fight the result was as already stated. George Darcy, the younger brother, who appears to have been the actual murderer, took sanctuary at Westminster, and an account of the penance he performed is recorded by our chronicler, p. 121, as is his subsequent trial in p. 165.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 25 May 1559. The thursday the xxv day of May master John Whyt altherman and grocer ys chyld was cristened in lytyll sant Barthelmuw be-syd sant Antonys; thes wher the god-fathers' names, my lord marques of Wynchester (age 76) now lord tresorer of England, and my lord byshope of Wynchester docthur Whytt (age 49), and the god-moder my lade Laxtun, lat the wyffe of ser Wylliam Laxtun latt mare of London and grocer; and after ther was waferers [wafers] and epocras grett plente; and after they whent home to the plasse, with the chyld nam(ed) John Whytt; the wyche wyff was master Raff Grenway altherman and grocer of London wyff.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 25 May 1559. The xxv day they wher browt to the cowrt with musyke to dener, for ther was gret cher; and after dener to b[ear] and bull baytyng, and the Quen('s) (age 25) grace and the embassadurs stod in the galere lokyng of the pastym tyll vj at nyght; and after they whent by water unto Powll wharff, and landyd, and contenent unto ther logyng to the byshope of London('s) to soper, for ther wher gorgyus aparell as has bene sen in thes days.

Note. P. 197. Arrival of French ambassadors. These were, Charles cardinal of Lorraine, Anne due de Montmorenci, Jacques Marquis de Fronsac, Jehan de Morvillier bishop of Orleans, and the chevalier Claude de l'Aubespiere (see Rymer, xv. 503.)

Henry Machyn's Diary. 25 May 1562. The xxv day of May was bered master Godderyke (age 56) sqwyer, the wyche he ded at ys place with-in Whyt-freres, and cared unto sant Andrew's in Holborne [Map] to be bered; and ther was the compene of the Clarkes syngyng pryke-song, and then cam a morner careng ys pennon of armes, and then cam master Yorke beyryng ys cott armur, and after master Clarenshus (age 52); and then cam the corse with a ryche palle of tynsell and ryche cloth of sylver with armes of bokeram; and then the morners, and after the byshope of Canturbere (age 57) and the byshope of Ely (age 69) and the byshope of London (age 43), and next my lord keper (age 51) and my lord cheyffe justus of England and mony worshephull men, and after ij C [200] of the ines of the cowrt folowd; and the dene of Powlles (age 45) dyd pryche for hym.

Note. P. 283. Funeral of master Godderyke. It seems not improbable, from the attendance at this funeral, that this was a brother or near relative of the late bishop of Ely and lord chancellor. In the register of St. Andrew's he is styled sir Richard Goodricke. (Malcolm.)

Henry Machyn's Diary. After 25 May 1562. [The .. day of May was the funeral of lady Cheyne, late wife of ser Thomas Cheyne councillor to] kyng Edward the vj and unto quen Mary and queen Elesabett (age 28) tyll he ded, and she was beried at Toddington [Map] with mony mornars; master Garter (age 52) and master Norrey (age 64) [were] the haroldes, and (the) dene of Powlles (age 45) dyd pryc[h the sermon,] for ther was grett chere, and a grett dole [as ever] in that contrey sene-iij mylles from Donstabull.

Note. P. 282. Funeral of lady Cheney. See the note on sir Thomas Cheney in p. 369. There is an effigy of the lady at Toddington; see the Topographer, 1846, vol. i. p. 156.

Diary of Anne Clifford 1616. 25 May 1616. Upon the 25th my Lord of Somerset (age 29) was arraigned and condemned in the same place and stood much upon his innocency.

Diary of Anne Clifford 1617. 25 May 1617. The 25th my Lord St. John’s tailor came to me hither to take measure of me and to make me a new gown. In the afternoon my Coz. Russell (age 24) wrote me a letter to let me know how my Lord (age 28) had cancelled my jointure he made upon me last June when I went into the North, and by these proceedings I may see how much my Lord (age 28) is offended with me and that my enemies have the upper hand of me. I am resolved to take all patiently, casting all my care upon Gop. His footman told me that my Coz. Russell (age 24) and my Lady Bedford (age 37) were agreed, and my Lord Herbert and his Lady, and that the next week they were to seal the writings and the agreement, which I little expected.

On 25 May 1660 King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland (age 29) arrived at Dover, Kent [Map].

Pepy's Diary. 25 May 1663. So by and by to dinner, and then carried my wife and Ashwell to St. James's, and there they sat in the coach while I went in, and finding nobody there likely to meet with the Duke, but only Sir J. Minnes (age 64) with my Lord Barkely (age 61) (who speaks very kindly, and invites me with great compliments to come now and then and eat with him, which I am glad to hear, though I value not the thing, but it implies that my esteem do increase rather than fall), and so I staid not, but into the coach again, and taking up my wife's taylor, it raining hard, they set me down, and who should our coachman be but Carleton the Vintner, that should have had Mrs. Sarah, at Westminster, my Chancellor's (age 54), and then to Paternoster Row [Map]. I staid there to speak with my Lord Sandwich (age 37), and in my staying, meeting Mr. Lewis Phillips of Brampton, he and afterwards others tell me that news came last night to Court, that the King of France (age 24) is sick of the spotted fever, and that they are struck in again; and this afternoon my Lord Mandeville (age 29) is gone from the King (age 32) to make him a visit; which will be great news, and of great import through Europe.

Pepy's Diary. 25 May 1663. By and by, out comes my Lord Sandwich (age 37), and he and I talked a great while about his business, of his accounts for his pay, and among other things he told me that this day a vote hath passed that the King's grants of land to my Lord Monk (age 54) and him should be made good; which pleases him very well. He also tells me that things don't go right in the House with Mr. Coventry (age 35); I suppose he means in the business of selling of places; but I am sorry for it.

Pepy's Diary. 25 May 1666. Thence to Sir G. Carteret (age 56), who is at the pay of the tickets with Sir J. Minnes (age 67) this day, and here I sat with them a while, the first time I ever was there, and thence to dinner with him, a good dinner. Here come a gentleman over from France arrived here this day, Mr. Browne of St. Mellos, who, among other things, tells me the meaning of the setting out of doggs every night out of the towne walls, which are said to secure the city; but it is not so, but only to secure the anchors, cables, and ships that lie dry, which might otherwise in the night be liable to be robbed. And these doggs are set out every night, and called together in every morning by a man with a home, and they go in very orderly.

Pepy's Diary. 25 May 1667. Up, and to the office, where all the morning. At noon dined at home, and there come Mr. Pierce, the surgeon, and dined with me, telling me that the Duke of Cambridge (age 3) continues very ill, so as they do despair of his living.

Evelyn's Diary. 25 May 1671. I dined at a feast made for me and my wife (age 36) by the Trinity House, for our passing a fine of the land which Sir R. Browne (age 66), my wife's (age 36) father, freely gave to found and build their college, or almshouses on, at Deptford, Kent [Map], it being my wife's (age 36) after her father's decease. It was a good and charitable work and gift, but would have been better bestowed on the poor of that parish, than on the seamen's widows, the Trinity House being very rich, and the rest of the poor of the parish exceedingly indigent.

Evelyn's Diary. 25 May 1673. My son (age 18) was made a younger brother of the Trinity House. The new master was Sir J. Smith, one of the Commissioners of the Navy, a stout seaman, who had interposed and saved the Duke (age 39) from perishing by a fire ship in the late war.

Evelyn's Diary. 25 May 1681. There came to visit me Sir William Walter and Sir John Elowes: and the next day, the Earl of Kildare, a young gentleman related to my wife (age 46), and other company. There had scarce fallen any rain since Christmas.

Evelyn's Diary. 25 May 1682. I was desired by Sir Stephen Fox (age 55) and Sir Christopher Wren (age 58) to accompany them to Lambeth, Surrey [Map], with the plot and design of the college to be built at Chelsea, to have the Archbishop's approbation. It was a quadrangle of 200 feet square, after the dimensions of the larger quadrangle at Christ church, Oxford, for the accommodation of 440 persons, with Governor of and officers. This was agreed on.

Evelyn's Diary. 25 May 1688. The Queen Dowager (age 49), hitherto bent on her return into Portugal, now on the sudden, on allegation of a great debt owing her by his Majesty (age 54) disabling her, declares her resolution to stay.

Roger Whitley's Diary. 25 May 1690. Sonday, I was not at church: Morgan & Huson came to Peele at night; I discoursed Harry Syddall about Clares removing to Moldsworth & his going in the morning with Huson to buy a fat oxe at Aston.

After 25 May 1770. St John Lee Church, Hexham [Map]. Monument to Reverend Leonard Bentham.

Ecton Hill. On the 25th of May we examined a barrow upon Morridge, opposite the village of Winkhill, 13 yards diameter and 18 inches high of the so-called "Druid Barrow" shape, flat in the middle, with an elevated ring surrounding it. We turned over the greater part without finding any thing but a small arrow, and another instrument of burnt flint; a little charred wood was seen on the natural surface.

On 25 May 1864 George William Frederick Brudenell 2nd Marquess Ailesbury (age 59) was appointed 739th Knight of the Garter by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (age 45).