Matthew of Westminster, long regarded as the author of the ''

Flores Historiarum The ''Flores Historiarum'' (Flowers of History) is the name of two different (though related) Latin chronicles by medieval English historians that were created in the 13th century, associated originally with the Abbey of St Albans. Wendover's '' ...

'', is now thought never to have existed. The error was first discovered in 1826 by

Francis Turner Palgrave Francis Turner Palgrave (; 28 September 1824 – 24 October 1897) was a British critic, anthologist and poet. Life He was born at Great Yarmouth, the eldest son of Sir Francis Palgrave, the (born Jewish) historian to his wife Elizabeth, daught ...

, who said that Matthew was "a phantom who never existed," and later the truth of this statement was completely proved by

Henry Richards Luard Henry Richards Luard (25 August 1825 – 1 May 1891) was a British medieval historian and antiquary. Biography Luard was born on 25 August 1825 in London, the son of Henry Luard. He received his early education at Cheam School, Surrey. He gradua ...

. The name appears to have been taken from that of

Matthew Paris Matthew Paris, also known as Matthew of Paris ( la, Matthæus Parisiensis, lit=Matthew the Parisian; c. 1200 – 1259), was an English Benedictine monk, chronicler, artist in illuminated manuscripts and cartographer, based at St Albans Abbey ...

, from whose ''Chronica majora'' the earlier part of the work was mainly copied, and from

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

, where the work was partially written. He is sometimes surnamed Florilegus (literally "flower-gatherer"), in reference to the title of his supposed work.

References

;Attribution {{Authority control Medieval English writers