The itinerary of John Dee's and Edward Kelley's pilgrimage to Poland and Bohemia
compiled by Rafał T. Prinke (rafalp@amu.edu.pl)
The table below shows the known information from Dee's diaries. The place names in brackets are modern spellings (some have not been identified yet).
See the accompanying map [50KB] and portraits.
| place | transport | departed | arrived | comment | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| _ | _ | day of week | date | style | time of day | day of week | date | style | time of day | _ |
| Mortlake [now part of Richmond, Surrey] | - | Saturday | 21-09-1583 | - | 3:00 PM | - | - | - | - | with Albert Łaski |
| London | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | night | |
| Greenwich | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | dead of the night | rested at the house of Goodman Fern, a potter |
| 2 ships 8 miles beyond Graves End [Gravesend] | boat | - | - | - | - | Sunday | - | - | morning, by sunrise | began voyage |
| - | - | - | 22-09-1583 | - | - | - | - | - | - | danger of hitting the sands because of the wind |
| mouth and entrance of Quinborrough Creek or Haven | 2 ships | - | 23-09-1583 | |||||||
| Quinborrough Town, the side up the crooked Creek [Queenborough] | 2 fisherboats | - | 23-09-1583 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1st boat: Albrecht Łaski, John Dee, his wife and children; 2nd b oat: Edward Kelley, Marie, Elizabeth and John Crokar |
| ship | - | Thursday | 26-09-1583 | - | - | - | - | - | - | lay in the ship all night at anchor |
| Quinborrough [Queenborough] | - | Friday | 27-09-1583 | - | - | - | - | - | - | sailed to the main sea North-East |
| coast of Holland | - | - | - | - | - | Saturday | 28-09-1583 | - | - | the coast was unknown to mariners so returned to sea |
| Briel-haven | - | - | - | - | - | Sunday | 29-09-1583 | - | - | lay all night on anchor |
| Briel | - | - | - | - | - | Monday | 30-09-1583 | - | - | landed and went into the Briel |
| Roterdam [Rotterdam], in a Hoy of Amsterdam | - | - | - | - | - | Thursday | 3-10-1583 | - | - | lay all night, waiting to go within land |
| Tergowd [?] | - | Friday | 4-10-1583 | - | 3 a meridie | - | - | - | - | lay within the town in the ship |
| Harlem [Haarlem] -> Amsterdam | - | - | - | - | - | Saturday | 5-10-1583 | - | - | lay before the town all night in the ship |
| Encusen [Enkhuizen] | - | - | - | - | - | Tuesday | 8-10-1583 | - | - | Edmund Hilton went with JD's goods by sea toward Dansk |
| Encusen [Enkhuizen] | - | Wednesday | 9-10-1583 | - | early | - | - | - | - | contrary wind |
| Herlinghem [Harlingen] | - | - | - | - | - | Wednesday | 9-10-1583 | - | late | |
| Frainker [Franeker] -> Lewarden [Leeuwarden] | little scutes | Friday | 11-10-1583 | - | - | - | - | - | - | within land |
| Dockum [Dokkum] , in Frisia Occidentali | small boats | - | - | - | - | Saturday | 12-10-1583 | - | about 3 pm | |
| Angem [?] | - | - | - | - | - | Tuesday | 15-10-1583 | - | by sunset | made hard shift to get there |
| Embden [Emden] | - | - | - | - | - | Thursday | 17-10-1583 | - | by fix of the clock after noon | went without the Isles and came in at Wester Emb; could not get in at the Gates and lay a ll night on the shipboard but Albrecht Łaski went over to the lodging on the other shore |
| Embden | - | - | - | - | - | Friday | 18-10-1583 | - | - | came into town, AL lay at the White Swan toward the waterside, JD, EK with JD's children and Many lay at the Three Golden Keys b y the English house |
| Embden [Emden] | little Hoy | Sunday | 20-10-1583 | - | about 8 in the morning | - | - | - | - | AL tarried at Embden |
| Lyre [Leer] | - | - | - | - | - | Sunday | 20-10-1583 | - | late | |
| Lyre [Leer] | lesse Scute | Sunday | 20-10-1583 | - | at night | |||||
| Styk-husen [?] -> Oppen [Apen] | - | - | - | - | - | Monday | 21-10-1583 | - | by 9 in the morning | a very simple village |
| Oldenburgh [Oldenburg] | - | - | - | - | - | Monday | 21-10-1583 | |||
| Delmenhurst [Delmenhorst] -> Breame [Bremen] | - | - | - | - | - | Tuesday | 22-10-1583 | - | - | lodged at an old Widow's house at the sign of the Crown |
| Ostarhold [Osterholz] , a nunnery | rode | - | - | - | - | Saturday | 2-11-1583 | - | - | two great miles |
| Fure or Fureden [?] | - | - | - | - | - | Sunday | 3-11-1583 | |||
| Harburgh [Harburg, but more probably Horneburg] | - | - | - | - | - | Monday | 4-11-1583 | - | - | came to bed there |
| Buxtenhaden [Buxtenhude] | - | - | - | - | - | Tuesday | 5-11-1583 | |||
| Buxtenhaden [Buxtenhude] | 2 great Skutes or boats | Tuesday | 5-11-1583 | - | by 9 in the morning | - | - | - | - | by a little river |
| the Elb -> Blanken nasen [Blankenese, Hamburg] | - | - | - | - | - | Tuesday | 5-11-1584 | - | - | dined there |
| Hamburgh [Hamburg] | coaches | - | - | - | - | Tuesday | 5-11-1585 | - | after dinner | AL lay at the English house, others at another lodging, a Widow's house |
| Tritiow [Trittau] | rode | - | - | - | - | Wednesday | 6-11-1583 | - | - | a little village 4 miles from Hamburgh; AL stayed behind, children and servants went before them another way; JD , his wife, Rowland, Nurse and Myrcopskie (AL's man) |
| Lubek [Lübeck] | - | - | - | - | - | Thursday | 7-11-1583 | - | - | inn at the figure of the Angel or rather St. Michael, at a Widow's house |
| Lubek [Lübeck] | - | Tuesday | 10-12-1583 | - | after dinner | - | - | - | - | AL went by coach to Lord Christopher Duke of Meckelburgh |
| Wismar | - | - | - | - | - | Thursday | 12-12-1583 | - | - | night lay there |
| Rostoch [Rostock] | - | - | - | - | - | Saturday | 14-12-1583 | - | morning | |
| Rostoch [Rostock] | - | Sunday | 22-12-1583 | - | morning | - | - | - | - | toward Stetin |
| Stetin [Szczecin] | - | - | - | - | - | Wednesday | 25-12-1583 | - | by 10 | Christmas Day |
| Stargard | - | - | - | - | - | Wednesday | 15-01-1584 | Old | ||
| Posen [Poznań] | - | - | - | - | - | Sunday | 19-01-1584 | - | - | problems with EK |
| Posen [Poznań] | - | - | - | - | - | Sunday | 26-01-1584 | - | - | Invisebam Bibliothecam Ecclesiae Cathedralis |
| Posen [Poznań] | - | Tuesday | 28-01-1584 | |||||||
| Konin | - | Thursday | 30-01-1584 | - | - | - | - | - | - | came over the long and dangerous bridge |
| near Vinew [Uniejów] | - | - | - | - | - | Saturday | 1-02-1584 | - | night | passed the dangerous way of Ice, having 25 men to cut the Ice for their coaches to come through above 2 Engli sh miles long, but could not come to Vinew City that night |
| Vinew [Uniejów] | - | - | - | - | - | Sunday | 2-02-1584 | - | - | came over the great water, the Ice was driven away by strong wind that night |
| Shadek [Szadek] -> Lasko [Łask] | - | - | - | - | - | Monday | 3-02-1584 | - | - | were lodged in the Provost his house by the Church |
| Lasko [Łask] | - | Monday | 9-03-1584 | Old | 9 in the morning | |||||
| Petr... [Piotrków Trybunalski] | - | - | - | - | - | Monday | 9-03-1584 | - | - | spent night |
| Michow [Miechów] | - | - | - | - | - | Thursday | 12-03-1584 | - | - | lodged at night |
| Cracovia [Kraków] | - | - | - | - | - | Friday | 13-03-1584 | - | about 3 a meridie | were lodged in the suburbs by the Church at...* where remained a few nights |
| Cracovia [Kraków] | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | JD and his wife removed to the house in St. Stephen's street, which he hired for a year |
| Cracovia [Kraków] | - | - | - | - | - | Friday | 27-03-1584 | Old | - | EK came to them on Friday in the Easter week (by the new Gregorian Kalendar), being the 27 day of March by the old Kalendar, but the sixth day of April by the new Kalendar, Easter Day being the first day of April in Poland by the new Gregorian institution |
| Cracovia [Kraków] | - | Wednesday | 1-08-1584 | - | hora 3 afternoon | - | - | - | - | entered on journey toward Prague |
| Prage [Praha] | - | - | - | - | - | Tuesday | 9-08-1584 | New | 3 of the clock | sevenight after, exactly in 8 days, July 30 Old Style |
| Prage [Praha] | - | - | - | - | - | Wednesday | 15-08-1584 | - | - | settled in a study, in the house of Dr. Hageck [Hajek] by Bethlem in the old Prage |
| Prage [Praha] | - | ? | after 8-10-1584 | - | - | - | - | - | - | came to Cracow for some time but that part of diaries is missing |
| Cracovia [Kraków] | a coach with horse | - | 20-12-1584 | New | - | - | - | - | - | set forth toward Prage in a coach with horse bought from Master Frizer; JD, EK, Rowland Dee, his nurse and John Crokar |
| Prage [Praha] | - | - | - | - | - | - | 30-12-1584 | - | afternoon | |
| Prage [Praha] | - | - | - | - | - | Friday | 4-01-1585 | - | - | hired the house in the Salt street from two sisters: Anne, wife of Christopher Christian, Chancellor or Registrar of Old P rague, and Dorothe, wife of..., not far from the Marketplace |
| Prage [Praha] | - | Saturday | 12-01-1585 | - | afternoon | - | - | - | - | removed from Dr. Hageck's [Hajek's] house by Bedlem and came with all household to the hired house |
| Prage [Praha] | rode | Wednesday | 27-02-1585 | - | - | - | - | - | - | JD, EK, Thomas Kelley as servant |
| Limburg or Nimburge, 6 miles from Prague | - | - | - | - | - | Friday | 28-02-1585 | - | mane circa 6 hours | |
| Bressel or Wratislavia [Wrocław] | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | [it is not quite clear if they went there or returned to Prague from Limburg] |
| Prage [Praha] | - | - | - | - | - | Thursday | 14-03-1585 | - | - | in Prague, christening of Michael Dee |
| Prage [Praha] | - | Friday | 5-04-1585 | - | - | - | - | - | - | took journey from Prague toward Cracow, JD, EK, Thomas Kelley and Hugh Brycket, servants |
| Niso [Nysa] | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | JD sent a letter to AL in Łask |
| Cracovia [Kraków] | - | - | - | - | - | Friday | 12-04-1585 | - | a meridie | came to Cracow; the house was let to one Bonar [Boner] (his arms were set upon the door) by the landlords Mr. John Long, the Judge, and Martin Plutner |
| Rithian or Rithwyan [Rytwiany] | - | - | between 6-05-1585 and 20-05-1585 | - | - | - | - | - | - | JD alone went to AL [this is not quite certain] |
| Nyepolonicze [Niepołomice] | - | - | - | - | - | Wednesday | 22-05-1585 | - | - | lodged in the College [?], meeting with king Stephen Bathori in Aula Regis |
| Cracovia [Kraków] | - | - | - | - | - | Wednesday | 5-06-1585 | - | - | [date interpolated - there is a note of June 4th in Niepołomice and next one of June 6th in Cracow] |
| Prage [Praha] | - | - | - | - | - | - | before 6-08-1585 | - | - | [on that day, Tuesday, already in Prague] |
| Prage [Praha] -> Valkenaw [Volkanau] | - | Tuesday | 6-05-1586 | - | - | - | - | - | - | entered journey toward Valkenaw Glasse-house and Leipsig Mart |
| Leipsig [Leipzig] | - | - | - | - | - | Sunday | 11-05-1586 | - | - | came to Leipsig, lodged at the house of Peter Hans Swartz |
| Leipsig [Leipzig] | - | - | after 14-05-1586 | |||||||
| Prage [Praha] | - | - | - | - | - | - | 21-05-1586 [?] | - | - | returned from Valkenaw |
| Prage [Praha] | - | - | after 29-05-1586 | - | - | - | - | - | - | a decree against them bannished JD and EK from Prague and all Rudolph's lands |
| Erphurdia, Thuringiae [Erfurt, Thuringia] | - | - | - | - | - | - | 18-06-1586 | - | - | not allowed to hire a house |
| Erphurd -> Saalfield | rode | Friday | 11-07-1586 | - | after 10 of the clock | - | - | - | - | JD rode alone to look at a house to hire |
| Erphurdia, Thuringiae [Erfurt, Thuringia] | - | - | - | - | - | - | 13-07-1586 | - | hora 5 a meridie | returned to Erfurt |
| Gotha | rode 3 miles | - | - | - | - | Thursday | 17-07-1586 | - | - | went toward Kassel but horses were ill |
| Cassel [Kassel] | coach | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | all went there from Erfurt; William Rosenberg obtained a revocation of the decree against them on 8-08-1586 and they went to his castle in Třeboň |
| Trebona [Třeboň] | - | - | - | - | - | end of August 1586 | - | - | - | arrived at Třeboň [maybe earlier?] |
| Trebona [Třeboň] | - | - | - | - | - | 14-09-1586 | - | - | - | settled at Count Rosenberg's castle and stayed there for 2 years; JD started his Private Diary again |
| Prage [Praha] and Cracovia [Kraków] | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | EK went there several times (to Prague on 25-01-1587], also to Germany [?] |
| Platz -> New-house [Neuhaus] | rode | - | - | - | - | - | after 25-01-1587 | - | - | JD went to meet Rosembeg returning from Viena |
| Cromlaw [Česky Krumlov] | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1587 | - | - | JD probably went there |
| Trebona [Třeboň] | - | - | - | - | - | - | 23-05-1587 | - | - | last action with spirits of JD and EK |
| Trebona [Třeboň] | rode | - | 16-02-1588 | - | afternoon | - | - | - | - | EK rode to Prague - last time JD and EK saw each other |
| Trebona [Třeboň] | 3 new coaches | - | 11-03-1588 | - | - | - | - | - | - | JD with family left Třeboň |
| Diepholz -> Oldenburg -> Bremen | ||||||||||
| Nuremburg | - | - | - | - | - | - | 18-03-1588 | |||
| Frankfurt-am-Main | - | - | - | - | - | - | 26-03-1588 | |||
| Bremen | - | - | - | - | - | - | 19-04-1588 | - | - | hired a house |
| Bremen | - | - | - | - | - | - | 13-05-1588 | - | - | moved to the hired house |
| Bremen | ship | - | 19-11-1588 | - | - | - | - | - | - | took ship to England by the Vineyard |
| Gravesend | ship | - | - | - | - | - | 2-12-1588 | |||
| Stratford | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | the house of Mr. Justice Thomas Young |
| Richmond | - | - | - | - | - | - | 19-12-1588 | - | - | received by the Queen |
| Mortlake | - | - | - | - | - | - | 25-12-1588 | - | - | first slept in his house at Mortlake |
| Mortlake [?] | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | JD noted "the news that Sir Edward Kelley was slayne" |
* Clay Holden has kindly checked this lacuna in the original manuscript and reported that Dee left empty place there to be filled in later. Presumably he had not remembered a presumably strange sounding Polish name and intended to ask someone for exact spelling but never did that.