1174 Henry scourged for the supposed murder of Becket. The bishops and abbots of Scotland swore fealty to England and its church. The earls and barons of Scotland swore allegiance to Henry and his son.
1176 London bridge begun by Peter Colmar, a priest. It was thirty-three years in building.
1177 Glass windows in private houses first used. Debasers of coin first severely punished. A new coinage.
1185 A total eclipse of the sun; and, at the same time, an earthquake, which destroyed Lincoln and other churches.
1186 Near Oxford in Suffolk, was a sort of wild-man caught in a fisherman’s net. Trial by jury established, or the verdict of twelve men, to punish offenders with the loss of a leg or banishment. Henry secreted his concubine (Rosamond, daughter of Walter, lord Clifford) in a labyrinth at his palace at Woodstock, who being discovered by his queen Eleanor, was poisoned by her, and buried at Godstow nunnery near Oxford.
1189 The castles of Berwick and Roxburgh delivered up to William, king of Scotland, who was, at the same time relieved from subjection to England. Richard began, with Philip of France, his expedition to the Holy Land. About this time were those famous robbers and outlaws, Robin Hood, and Little John. Upon Richard’s coronation-day, (3rd September,) was a great slaughter of the Jews in London, who coming to offer their presents to the new king, were set upon by the mob, to the loss of their lives and estates; and the example of London was followed by other towns, as Norwich, St. Edmunds-Bury, Lincoln, Stamford and Lynn.
1190 King Richard marries the Lady Berengaria, daughter to the king of Navarre, and goes to the Holy Land, having sold some of the crown lands to raise the money for that expedition. In which voyage he took the Island of Sicily and Cyprus.
1191 Richard obtained a great victory over Saladin, at Jerusalem, September 3. He soon after defeated a Turkish troop of 10,000, who were guarding a caravan to Jerusalem. He took, on this occasion, 3,000 loaded camels, 4,000 mules, and an inestimable booty which he gave to his troops.
1192 Multitudes destroyed by a raging fever, which lasted five months. Two suns appeared on Whitsunday, so resembling each other, that astronomers could scarcely distinguish which was the centre of our system, according to Copernicus.