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.
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Paternal Family Tree: Beaton
Before 14th January 1904 [his father] Ernest Beaton [aged 37] and [his mother] Esther "Etty" Sisson [aged 32] were married.
On 14th January 1904 Cecil Beaton was born to Ernest Beaton [aged 37] and Esther "Etty" Sisson [aged 32].
Around 1927. Cecil Beaton [aged 22]. Photograph of Loelia Mary Ponsonby Duchess Westminster [aged 24] wearing the Westminster Halo tiara.
Around 1930. Unknown Photographer. Photograph of Cecil Beaton [aged 25] and his sisters Barbara "Baba" Beaton [aged 17] and Nancy Beaton [aged 20] arriving at an Eton.
Nancy Beaton: On 30th September 1909 she was born to Ernest Beaton and Esther "Etty" Sisson. In January 1933 Hugh Houston Smiley 3rd Baronet and she were married. The eight bridesmaids included the bride's sister Barbara "Baba" Beaton, Margaret Whigham, Lady Bridget Poulett, and Lady Anne Wellesley On 6th June 1999 Nancy Beaton died.
1930. Cecil Beaton [aged 25]. The Silver Soap Suds. Left to Right: Baba Beaton, the Hon. Mrs Charles Baillie-Hamilton and Bridget Poulet [aged 17].
Bridget Poulet: On 29th January 1912 she was born to William John Lydston Poulett 7th Earl Poulett and Sylvia Storey Countess Poulett. In 1975 Bridget Poulet died.
January 1933. Cecil Beaton [aged 28]. Photograph of Margaret Whigham Duchess of Argyll [aged 20].
In 1936 [his father] Ernest Beaton [aged 69] died.
1940. John "Rex" Whistler [aged 34]. Portrait of Cecil Beaton [aged 35].
1946. Cecil Beaton [aged 41]. Photograph of siblings Osbert [aged 53], Sacheverell [aged 48] and Edith [aged 58] Sitwell.
1946. Cecil Beaton [aged 41]. Photograph of Frances Elizabeth Anne Hay [aged 20].
Frances Elizabeth Anne Hay: In 1926 she was born to William Hay 11th Marquess of Tweeddale. In 1956 Nigel Arthur Pearson and she were married. She the daughter of William Hay 11th Marquess of Tweeddale. In 2023 Frances Elizabeth Anne Hay died.
1953. Cecil Beaton [aged 48]. Photograph of Anne Bairstow Cumming Bell Duchess of Rutland.
This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
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In 1962 [his mother] Esther "Etty" Sisson [aged 90] died.
On 18th January 1980 Cecil Beaton [aged 76] died.