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: Tufton
Cecily Tufton Countess Rutland was born to [her father] John Tufton 1st Baronet.
After 1574 [her future husband] Edward Hungerford and Jane Hungerford were married. They were fourth cousin once removed.
Before 10th December 1575 [her father] John Tufton 1st Baronet (age 31) and Olympia Blore were married.
On 10th December 1575 [her father] John Tufton 1st Baronet (age 31) and Christian Browne (age 21) were married.
On 6th May 1602 [her future husband] Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland (age 24) and Frances Knyvet Lady Bevill (age 36) were married. He the son of John Manners 4th Earl of Rutland and Elizabeth Charlton Countess Rutland.
Before 3rd September 1602 [her half-brother] Nicholas Tufton 1st Earl of Thanet (age 24) and [her sister-in-law] Frances Cecil Countess Isle Thanet (age 21) were married. She the daughter of Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter (age 60) and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter (age 54). They were fourth cousin once removed.
In or before 1607 Edward Hungerford and Cecily Tufton Countess Rutland were married.
On 5th December 1607 [her husband] Edward Hungerford died.
After 26th October 1608 Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland (age 30) and Cecily Tufton Countess Rutland were married. He the son of John Manners 4th Earl of Rutland and Elizabeth Charlton Countess Rutland.
On 26th June 1612 [her brother-in-law] Roger Manners 5th Earl of Rutland (age 35) died. He was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map]. His brother [her husband] Francis (age 34) succeeded 6th Earl of Rutland. Cecily Tufton Countess Rutland by marriage Countess of Rutland.
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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On 15th July 1612 [her husband] Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland (age 34) was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire.
In October 1612 [her husband] Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland (age 34) was appointed Constable of Nottingham Castle.
In 1613 [her son] Henry Manners died.
On 6th April 1617 [her husband] Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland (age 39) was appointed Privy Council.
On 27th June 1618 William Cecil 16th Baron Ros Helmsley (age 28) died. His first cousin once removed [her husband] Francis (age 40) succeeded 17th Baron Ros Helmsley. Cecily Tufton Countess Rutland by marriage Baroness Ros Helmsley.
On 5th March 1620 [her son] Francis Manners died.
On 16th May 1620 George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham (age 27) and [her step-daughter] Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham (age 18) were married. She by marriage Countess Buckingham. She the daughter of [her husband] Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland (age 42) and Frances Knyvet Lady Bevill. He the son of George Villiers of Brokesby and Mary Beaumont 1st Countess Buckingham (age 50).
On 18th May 1623 George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham (age 30) was created 1st Duke of Buckingham by King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland (age 56) for being his favourite; what favourite means is open to debate. [her step-daughter] Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham (age 21) by marriage Duchess of Buckingham.
On 2nd April 1624 [her father] John Tufton 1st Baronet (age 80) died. His son [her half-brother] Nicholas (age 46) succeeded 2nd Baronet Tufton of Hothfield. [her sister-in-law] Frances Cecil Countess Isle Thanet (age 43) by marriage Lady Tufton of Hothfield.
On 1st November 1626 [her half-brother] Nicholas Tufton 1st Earl of Thanet (age 48) was created 1st Baron Tufton. [her sister-in-law] Frances Cecil Countess Isle Thanet (age 45) by marriage Baroness Tufton.
Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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On 5th August 1628 [her half-brother] Nicholas Tufton 1st Earl of Thanet (age 50) was created 1st Earl of Thanet. [her sister-in-law] Frances Cecil Countess Isle Thanet (age 47) by marriage Countess of Thanet.
On 1st July 1631 [her half-brother] Nicholas Tufton 1st Earl of Thanet (age 53) died at Sapcote, Leicestershire [Map]. His son [her nephew] John (age 22) succeeded 2nd Earl of Thanet, 2nd Baron Tufton, 3rd Baronet Tufton of Hothfield. Margaret Sackville Countess Isle Thanet (age 16) by marriage Countess of Thanet.
On 17th December 1632 [her husband] Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland (age 54) died at Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire [Map]. On 20th February 1633 he was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map]. His daughter [her step-daughter] Katherine (age 30) succeeded 18th Baroness Ros Helmsley. His brother [her brother-in-law] George (age 52) succeeded 7th Earl of Rutland. Frances Carey Countess Rutland (age 61) by marriage Countess of Rutland.
After 17th December 1642 Monument to [her former husband] Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland, Frances Knyvet Lady Bevill and Cecily Tufton Countess Rutland at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
Detail of his Leg Garter.
Detail of the Manner's family Peacock in Pride.
In 1653 Cecily Tufton Countess Rutland died.
[her son] Henry Manners was born to Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland and Cecily Tufton Countess Rutland.
[her son] Francis Manners was born to Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland and Cecily Tufton Countess Rutland.