Thomas Grey (chronicler)

Sir Thomas Grey (d. ca. 1369) was an English chronicler. He was a son of the Sir Thomas Gray of Heton who was taken prisoner by the Scots at Bannockburn and who died about 1344, by his wife Agnes (possibly Agnes de Beyle). He married Margaret de Pressene (dau of William de Pressene of Presson) in about 1353.

Thomas is known to have been present at the battle of Neville's Cross in 1346. In 1355, whilst acting as warden of Norham Castle, he was made a prisoner, and during his captivity in Edinburgh Castle he devoted his time to studying the English chroniclers, Gildas, Bede, Ranulf Higdon and others. He was released from Scotland in 1357, and was appointed Warden of the East March 1367. He died some time before 22 October 1369. His work is called the Scalacronica, and was possibly so called from the scaling-ladder in the crest of the Greys. It is a chronicle of English history from the earliest times to about the year 1362, however it's main valuae for the reigns of Edward I and Edward II and part of that of Edward III when Grey was alive. It is especially noted for the account of the wars between England and Scotland, in which he and his father took part. The book was written in Norman-French. Among the notable events and people covered, Grey includes William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Bannockburn, Byland and Dupplin. He also makes some mentions of the troubles in England during the reign of Edward II. It is possible that Grey was present during some of these campaigns in the Hundred Years War with France, which his narration covers between 1355 and 1361.

Editions of The Scalacronica

Summarized by John Leland in the 16th century1066 to the end, together with the prologue - edited for the Maitland Club by J . Stevenson (1836)1274 to 1362 - translated into English by Sir Herbert Maxwell (Glasgow, 1907) [ [http://www.archive.org/details/scalacronicareig01grayuoft Internet Archive: Details: Scalacronica : the reigns of Edward I, Edward II and Edward III, as recorded by Sir Thomas Gray, and now translated by Sir Herbert Maxwell ] ]

The only extant manuscript is in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and has a gap extending from about 1340 to 1355. Grey's account of this period is only known from Leland's summary.

References