An. Reg. 38.
The ladie Katherin the kings daughter borne.
Moreouer there died in Gascoigne, William de Vescie a baron of great fame in the north parts. Also in the spring and summer of this yeare was a great drought, and in the haruest season fell such wet, that great floods by the rising of the riuers, and ouerflowing their banks, did much hurt in sundrie places of the realme. Againe in the later end of haruest about Michaelmasse, there was eftsoones such a drought, that men could get no grinding at the milles, but were constreined to go in some places a daies iournie off, to haue their corne groond. In the eight and thirtith yeare of king Henries reigne, the quéene was deliuered of a daughter which was called Katherin, bicause the same was borne on saint Katherins daie.
Winter thunder.
1254.
The quéenes liberalitie towards the K. A strang sight in the aire.
Redborne.
A death of shéepe.
On S. Lucies daie, there fell a great snowe, and withall a winters thunder, for a token of some euill to follow. The king to settle the state of the countrie of Gascoigne in better order, tarried there all the winter, and repared certeine decaied townes and castels. The quéene kept hir Christmasse at London, where she laie in child-bed, and was purified on the euen of the Epiphanie, making a roiall feast, at the which manie great lords were present, as the archbishop of Canturburie, the bishop of Elie, the earls of Cornewall and Glocester, and manie other. She sent ouer at the same time to hir husband for a new yéers gift the summe of fiue hundred marks of hir owne reuenues, towards the maintenance of his warres. On the euen of the Circumcision of our Lord, in the night season, whilest the aire was most cleare and bright with shining starres, the moone being eight daies old, there appeared in the element the perfect forme and likenesse of a mightie great ship, which was first séene of certeine moonks of saint Albons, who remaining at saint Amphibalus, were got vp to behold by the starres, if it were time for them to go to mattens; but perceiuing that strange sight, they called vp such of their acquaintance as lodged néere at hand, to view the same. At length it séemed as the bourds and ioints thereof had gone in sunder, and so it vanished awaie. There followed a maruellous sore later end of a winter, through cold and ouersharpe weather, which continued till the feast of S. Gregorie in March next insuing. Also there chanced the same yeare a great murren and death of shéepe and déere, so that of whole flocks and heards scarse the one halfe escaped.