John of Worcester


John of Worcester was an English monk and chronicler who worked at Worcester Priory. He is now usually held to be the author of the Chronicon ex Chronicis.

Works

John of Worcester's principal work was the Chronicon ex Chronicis or Chronicle of Chronicles, also known as John of Worcester's Chronicle or Florence of Worcester's Chronicle. The Chronicon ex Chronicis is a world history which begins with the Creation and ends in 1140. The chronological framework of the Chronicon was presented by the chronicle of Marianus Scotus. A great deal of additional material, particularly relating to English history, was grafted onto it. These include a rendition of the Genealogia Lindisfarorum, a putative genealogical list found in this and some other medieval manuscripts.

Authorship

The greater part of the work, up to 1117 or 1118, was formerly attributed to Florence of Worcester on the basis of the entry for his death under the year 1118, which credits his skill and industry for making the chronicle such a prominent work. In this view, the other Worcester monk, John, merely wrote the final part of the work. However, there are two main objections against the ascription to Florence. First, there is no change of style in the Chronicon after Florence's death, and second, certain sections before 1118 rely to some extent on the Historia Novorum of Eadmer of Canterbury, which was completed sometime in the period 1121–1124.
The prevalent view today is that John of Worcester was the principal author and compiler. He is explicitly named as the author of two entries for 1128 and 1138, and two manuscripts were written in his hand. He was seen working on it at the behest of Wulfstan, bishop of Worcester, when the Anglo-Norman chronicler Orderic Vitalis visited Worcester:

Manuscripts

The Chronicon survives in five manuscripts :
Image:John of Worcester sunspot drawing 1128.png|thumb|upright=1.2|1128 sunspot drawing by John of Worcester. This is the earliest known drawing of a sunspot from anywhere in the world.
In addition, there is the Chronicula, a minor chronicle based on the Chronicon proper: , written by John up to 1123.

Editions and translations

  • Darlington, Reginald R. and P. McGurk, eds. P. McGurk and Jennifer Bray. The Chronicle of John of Worcester: The Annals from 450–1066. Vol II. Oxford Medieval Texts. Oxford: 1995.
  • McGurk, P. ed. and tr., The Chronicle of John of Worcester: The Annals from 1067 to 1140 with the Gloucester Interpolations and the Continuation to 1141. Vol III. OMT. Oxford, 1998.
  • McGurk, P. and Woodman, D. A., ed. and trans.,, The Chronicle of John of Worcester: Volume IV, Chronicula, Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 978-0198916147
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  • Stevenson, J.. Church Historians of England. 8 vols: vol. 2.1. London, 1855. 171–372.
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  • Weaver, J. R. H., ed. The Chronicle of John of Worcester, 1118–1140: being the continuation of the Chronicon ex Chronicis of Florence of Worcester. Oxford: Clarendon Press