Historia rerum Anglicarum

work by William of Newburgh

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June 29, 2026

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Historia rerum Anglicarum is a historical work by William of Newburgh, an English chronicler born around 1136. Written between 1196 and 1198, it covers English history from 1066 to 1198.1

While William of Newburgh drew from various sources, including oral traditions, his work is particularly valuable for its original treatment of the period between 1154 and 1173. It offers insightful commentary on the chaotic reign of King Stephen.1

It is important not to confuse this with Historia regum Britanniae, a fictional history of Britain written by Geoffrey of Monmouth.2

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William Of Newburgh
…Ernald, abbot of Rievaux, William’s Historia rerum Anglicarum (1196–98; “History of English Affairs”) covers the period from 1066 to 1198. William’s erudition included knowledge of the classical writers Virgil, Horace, Cicero, and Livy; the early church historians Eusebius, Gregory, and Augustine; and the English chroniclers Bede, Henry of Huntingdon, Simeon…
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…Ernald, abbot of Rievaux, William’s Historia rerum Anglicarum (1196–98; “History of English Affairs”) covers the period from 1066 to 1198. William’s erudition included knowledge of the classical writers Virgil, Horace, Cicero, and Livy; the early church historians Eusebius, Gregory, and Augustine; and the English chroniclers Bede, Henry of Huntingdon, Simeon…
Read More