Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Marlay
On 7th April 1828 [her father] Colonel George Marlay (age 37) and [her mother] Catherine Louisa Augusta Tisdall (age 32) were married.
On 8th June 1830 [her father] Colonel George Marlay (age 39) died.
On 28th January 1831 Catherine Louise Georgina Marlay was born to [her father] Colonel George Marlay and [her mother] Catherine Louisa Augusta Tisdall (age 35). She was baptised at All Souls, Marylebone [Map] where she would marry twenty years later.
Before 10th June 1851 Catherine Louise Georgina Marlay (age 20) was living at 14 Cavendish Square Marylebone with her [her mother] mother (age 55) and brother (age 22).
On 10th June 1851 John Manners (age 32) and Catherine Louise Georgina Marlay (age 20) were married at All Souls, Marylebone [Map]. He the son of John Henry Manners 5th Duke Rutland (age 73) and Elizabeth Howard Duchess Rutland.
On 16th April 1852 [her son] Henry John Brinsley Manners 8th Duke Rutland was born to [her husband] John Manners (age 33) and Catherine Louise Georgina Marlay (age 21). He married 1882 Violet Lindsay Duchess Rutland and had issue.
Before 1854. Richard Buckner (age 41). Portrait of Catherine Louise Georgina Marlay (age 22).
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 12th March 1854 [her daughter] Edith Katherine Manners was born to [her husband] John Manners (age 35) and Catherine Louise Georgina Marlay (age 23). Her mother died three weeks later. On 24th March 1854 Edith Katherine Manners died.
On 7th April 1854 Catherine Louise Georgina Marlay (age 23) died from childbirth three weeks after giving birth to her daughter Edith Katherine Manners (deceased) who had died at twelve days old. She was buried at Highgate Cemetery on 15th April 1854. Monument by William Calder Marshall (age 41) erected in 1862 in a chapel at St Katherine's Church, Rowsley [Map] built for the purpose commissioned by her husband John Manners (age 35), the future 7th Duke of Rutland.
Exterior and interior of St Katherine's Church, Rowsley [Map]. The building of the church was commenced on 29th May 1854 by the [her former husband] 7th Duke Rutland (age 35) who laid coins of every value, from a sovereign to half a farthing in the foundations. The church was built to the designs of the architect Anthony Salvin. It was dedicated to St Catherine, after the name and in honour of the late Lady Manners. It was consecrated on 18th July 1855.
In 1862 [her former husband] John Manners (age 43) and Janetta Hughan (age 25) were married. He the son of [her former father-in-law] John Henry Manners 5th Duke Rutland and Elizabeth Howard Duchess Rutland. They were fifth cousin once removed. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland.
On 5th August 1906 [her former husband] John Manners 7th Duke Rutland (age 87) died at Belvoir Castle [Map]. His son Henry (age 54) succeeded 8th Duke Rutland, 8th Marquess Grandby, 16th Earl of Rutland, 2nd Baron Roos of Belvoir in Leicestershire. Violet Lindsay Duchess Rutland (age 50) by marriage Duchess Rutland.
Kings Wessex: Great x 24 Grand Daughter of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 21 Grand Daughter of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 27 Grand Daughter of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 22 Grand Daughter of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 25 Grand Daughter of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 15 Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 23 Grand Daughter of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 31 Grand Daughter of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 25 Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 29 Grand Daughter of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Marlay
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Marlay
Great x 2 Grandfather: Captain Anthony Marlay
Great x 1 Grandfather: Bishop George Marlay
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Morgan
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Morgan
GrandFather: Captain George Marlay
Father: Colonel George Marlay 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Brinsley Butler 1st Viscount Lanesborough 
Great x 2 Grandfather: Humphrey Butler 1st Earl Lanesborough
Great x 1 Grandfather: Brinsley Butler 2nd Earl Lanesborough
GrandMother: Catherine Butler 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Rochfort 
Great x 3 Grandfather: George Rochfort
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Rochfort 1st Earl of Belvedere 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Hamilton Moore 3rd Earl of Drogheda 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Moore 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Cole Countess of Drogheda 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Jane Rochfort Countess Lanesborough 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Mary Molesworth
Catherine Louise Georgina Marlay 15 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Mother: Catherine Louisa Augusta Tisdall