William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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Chronicle of Gregory 1438 is in Chronicle of Gregory.
14th May 1438. And the same year on Estyr day there was on John Gardyner take at Synt Mary at the Axe in London, for he was an herytyke; for whenne shulde have benne houselyd he wypyd his mouthe whithe a foule clothe and layde the oste there yn; and so he was takyn by the person of the chyrche, and the xiiij day of May he was i-breht in Smethefylde [Map].
1438. Ande the same year the Erle of Mortayne (age 32) was made Erle of Dorsette, and he was sentte unto Anjoye and Mayne [Map].
1438. And the same year there was a grete conselle at Calys [Map], there beynge in our party the Cardynalle Arche-byschoppe of Yorke (age 58) and many moo spirytualle and temporalle lordys. And on that othyr party the Duchyes of Burgone (age 40) and many moo lordys, bothe spyrytualle and temporalle.
4th June 1438. Ande the same year the iiij day of June certayne men of Kentte were a-reste at Maydestone [Map] for rysynge, and v. of them were drawe, hanggyde, and quarteryde, and be-heddyde, and her heddys were sette on Londyn Brygge [Map]; and some of her heddys at Cauntyrbury [Map] and in othyr certayne townys in Kente a boute in the schyre, for to cause men to be ware. And that year was grete dyrthe of corne, for a buschclle of whete was worthe ij s vj d. And that year was grete pestylaunce, and namely in the northe contraye.
1438. And the same year deyde the Countasse of Stafforde (age 55), and the Clerke of the Rollys, Mayster Jon Franke; and he was holde one of the rycchyste men that deyde many dayes be-fore.