John Hardyng was a fifteenth-century historian who, for several years during the Wars of the Roses, issued this rhyming chronicle of English history. Hardyng was closely associated with the major figures of the period, having served under Sir Henry 'Hotspur' Percy, the eldest son of the Earl of Northumberland, at the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403 and later under Sir Robert Umfraville at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Following these military positions, he came under the employ of Henry V, for whom he was commissioned to explore the relationship between England and Scotland.

In 1437, Hardyng wrote the first version of his chronicle of English history. This was heavily biased towards the ruling House of Lancaster and was dedicated to Henry VI. He also wrote another version, in favour of the House of York, that he dedicated to Richard, Duke of York, the father of Edward IV. This second chronicle was continually worked on for the remainder of Hardyng’s life, with a later version being dedicated to Edward IV.

In 1543, the printer Richard Grafton published two imprints of this chronicle. This is the second, although mid-20th-century librarians believed it to be the first.