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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Paternal Family Tree: Thorold
In or before 1520 [his father] William Thorold and [his mother] Dorothy Leke were married.
In or before 1520 Anthony Thorold was born to William Thorold and Dorothy Leke.
After 1520 Anthony Thorold and Margaret Sutton [aged 6] were married.
In 1558 Anthony Thorold [aged 38] was elected MP Grantham with the support of Henry Manners 2nd Earl of Rutland [aged 31]
Around 1568 [his daughter] Winifred Thorold was born to Anthony Thorold [aged 48] and [his wife] Margaret Sutton [aged 54]. She married 1581 George Clifton and had issue.
In 1569 [his father] William Thorold died.
In 1571 [his son] William Thorold was born to Anthony Thorold [aged 51] and [his wife] Margaret Sutton [aged 57]. He married in or before 1587 Frances Tyrwhitt and had issue.
In 1577 [his wife] Margaret Sutton [aged 63] died.
In 1581 [his son-in-law] George Clifton [aged 14] and [his daughter] Winifred Thorold [aged 13] were married.
Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
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In or before 1587 [his son] William Thorold [aged 15] and [his daughter-in-law] Frances Tyrwhitt were married.
Around January 1591 [his daughter] Winifred Thorold [aged 23] died.
Before 26th June 1594 Anthony Thorold [aged 74] and Anne Constable were married.
On 26th June 1594 Anthony Thorold [aged 74] died. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Marston, South Kesteven [Map].
George Babington and Anne Constable were married.
St Mary's Church, Marston, South Kesteven [Map]. Open every day. Churchwarden Mrs Barbara Barrodale telephone: 01522 826381
In south chapel, a large dresser tomb of pink and white marble with alabaster recumbent figure flanked by corinthian columns, of Sir Anthony Thorold, died June 1594. Backing onto it at east end of south aisle, another dresser tomb of stone and marble with 3 shields in medillions below and quatrefoil frieze above, of [his father] William Thorold, died 1569. Alabaster monument on south wall to Anne, Lady Hodgson (nee Thorold), died 1719, with ornate crown and apron, flanking corinthianesque pilasters and draperies.
Father: William Thorold
GrandFather: Thomas Leke of Halloughton in Nottinghamshire
Mother: Dorothy Leke