Biography of Cassandra Willoughby Duchess Chandos 1670-1735

Paternal Family Tree: Willoughby

In 1667 [her father] Francis Willoughby (age 31) and [her mother] Emma Barnard (age 21) were married.

On 23rd April 1670 Cassandra Willoughby Duchess Chandos was born to [her father] Francis Willoughby (age 34) and [her mother] Emma Barnard (age 24).

On 3rd July 1672 [her father] Francis Willoughby (age 36) died.

On 8th August 1676 [her step-father] Josiah Child (age 45) and [her mother] Emma Barnard (age 30) were married.

In 1688 [her brother] Francis Willoughby 1st Baronet (age 20) died unmarried. His brother [her brother] Thomas (age 15) succeeded 2nd Baronet Willoughby of Wollaton.

On 9th April 1691 [her brother] Thomas Willoughby 1st Baron Middleton (age 19) and [her sister-in-law] Elizabeth Rothwell Baroness Willoughby and Middleton were married. She by marriage Baroness Willoughby Broke.

In 1693 [her brother] Thomas Willoughby 1st Baron Middleton (age 20) was elected Fellow of the Royal Society.

In 1694 [her future husband] James Brydges 1st Duke Chandos (age 20) was elected Fellow of the Royal Society.

On 2nd February 1695 [her future husband] James Brydges 1st Duke Chandos (age 22) and Mary Lake (age 26) were married.

In 1703 [her half-brother] Richard Child aka Tylney 1st Earl Tylney (age 22) and [her sister-in-law] Dorothy Glynne Countess Castlemaine were married.

The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy

The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.

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On 4th August 1713 James Brydges 1st Duke Chandos (age 40) and Cassandra Willoughby Duchess Chandos (age 43) were married. They were half first cousins.

On 16th October 1714 [her father-in-law] James Brydges 8th Baron Chandos (age 72) died at Aconbury, Herefordshire. His son [her husband] James (age 41) succeeded 9th Baron Chandos of Sudeley, 4th Baronet Brydges of Wilton in Herefordshire. Cassandra Willoughby Duchess Chandos (age 44) by marriage Baroness Chandos of Sudeley.

On 19th October 1714 [her husband] James Brydges 1st Duke Chandos (age 41) was created 1st Earl Carnarvon, 1st Viscount Wilton. Cassandra Willoughby Duchess Chandos (age 44) by marriage Countess Carnarvon.

In 1719 [her husband] James Brydges 1st Duke Chandos (age 45) was created 1st Duke Chandos, 1st Marquess Carnarvon. Cassandra Willoughby Duchess Chandos (age 48) by marriage Duchess Chandos.

On 1st September 1724 [her step-son] John Brydges (age 21) and Catherine Tollemache were married. She the daughter of Lionel Tollemache 3rd Earl Dysart (age 75) and Grace Wilbraham Countess Dysart (age 63). He the son of [her husband] James Brydges 1st Duke Chandos (age 51) and Mary Lake.

On 16th October 1725 [her mother] Emma Barnard (age 79) died.

On 8th April 1727 [her step-son] John Brydges (age 24) died.

On 21st December 1728 [her step-son] Henry Brydges 2nd Duke Chandos (age 20) and Mary Bruce (age 18) were married. She the daughter of Charles Bruce 4th Earl Elgin 3rd Earl Ailesbury (age 46) and Anne Savile. He the son of [her husband] James Brydges 1st Duke Chandos (age 55) and Mary Lake. They were fifth cousins.

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 1729 [her brother] Thomas Willoughby 1st Baron Middleton (age 56) died. His son [her nephew] Francis (age 36) succeeded 2nd Baron Middleton, 3rd Baronet Willoughby of Wollaton. Mary Edwards Baroness Middleton by marriage Baroness Middleton.

On 11th June 1731 [her half-brother] Richard Child aka Tylney 1st Earl Tylney (age 51) was created 1st Earl Tylney of Castlemaine in County Kerry, 1st Viscount Castlemaine in County Kerry, 1st Baron Newtown in County Donegal. [her sister-in-law] Dorothy Glynne Countess Castlemaine by marriage Countess Tylney of Castlemaine in County Kerry.

On 16th July 1735 Cassandra Willoughby Duchess Chandos (age 65) died. She was buried at Chandos Mausoleum Church of St Lawrence Whitchurch Lane Little Stanmore.

On 18th April 1736 [her former husband] James Brydges 1st Duke Chandos (age 63) and Lydia Catherine Van Hatten Duchess Chandos were married. She by marriage Duchess Chandos.

On 9th August 1744 [her former husband] James Brydges 1st Duke Chandos (age 71) died at Cannons House Little Stanmore. He was buried at Chandos Mausoleum Church of St Lawrence Whitchurch Lane Little Stanmore. His son [her former step-son] Henry (age 36) succeeded 2nd Duke Chandos, 2nd Marquess Carnarvon, 2nd Earl Carnarvon, 2nd Viscount Wilton, 10th Baron Chandos of Sudeley, 5th Baronet Brydges of Wilton in Herefordshire.