John de Trokelowe

(THROWLOW, or THORLOW)

A monastic chronicler still living in 1330, but the dates of whose birth and death are unknown. He was a Benedictine monk of St. Albans who in 1294 was living in the dependent priory of Tynemouth, Northumberland. The prior and monks endeavoured to sever connection with St. Albans and to obtain independence by presenting the advowson to the king; but abbot John of Berkamsted resisted this arrangement, visited Tynemouth, and sent Trokelow with other monks as prisoners back to St. Alban’s. There Trokelowe wrote his “Annales” including the period 1259 to 1296 and a useful account of the reign of Edward II, from 1307 to 1323, after which date his chronicle was continued by Henry de Blaneford. A reference made by Trokelowe to the execution of Mortimer shows that he was writing after 1330.