Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
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Around 1829 Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry was born to [her father] John Edwards 1st Baronet (age 58).
On 23rd July 1838 [her father] John Edwards 1st Baronet (age 68) was created 1st Baronet Edwards of Garth in Montgomeryshire.
On 3rd August 1846 George Henry Vane-Tempest 5th Marquess Londonderry (age 25) and Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry (age 17) were married. He the son of Charles William Vane 3rd Marquess Londonderry (age 68) and Frances Vane Tempest Marchioness Londonderry (age 46).
On 3rd September 1847 Henry John Reuben Dawson-Damer 3rd Earl of Portarlington (age 24) and [her sister-in-law] Alexandrina Octavia Maria Vane Countess Portarlington (age 24) were married. She by marriage Countess Portarlington. She the daughter of [her father-in-law] Charles William Vane 3rd Marquess Londonderry (age 69) and [her mother-in-law] Frances Vane Tempest Marchioness Londonderry (age 47).
On 15th April 1850 [her father] John Edwards 1st Baronet (age 80) died. He had no male heirs so Baronet Edwards of Garth in Montgomeryshire extinct.
On 19th September 1850 [her daughter] Frances Vane-Tempest was born to [her husband] George Henry Vane-Tempest 5th Marquess Londonderry (age 29) and Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry (age 21).
Around 1851 [her daughter] Frances Cornelia Harriet Vane-Tempest was born to [her husband] George Henry Vane-Tempest 5th Marquess Londonderry (age 29) and Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry (age 22).
Adeline Horsey Recollections. 13th July 1851Fate then threw Constance (age 21) across Lord Dupplin's (age 23) path, with the result that the tragedy began.
I knew Blanche Dupplin (age 23) very well, and often when I was lunching with her she would tell me sorrowfully about her husband's infatuation. "It is useless to expostulate", said Blanche; "Dupplin will not abandon the affair, and I don't know how it will end if William Ward (age 34) finds out his wife's infidelity".
Matters came to a crisis at a fancy dress ball given by Lady Londonderry (age 22) at Holderness House, the chief feature being a quadrille danced by ladies representing famous European queens. I met the Wards there; Constance looked delicate, and early in the evening she said she felt ill and must go home. She came over to where her husband and I were standing, and asked him whether he intended to accompany her.
"No, I shall stay", said Lord Ward, "I mean to have several dances with Miss de Horsey. Go home by all means if you are tired".
Constance was enceinte [pregnant], so her absence excited no comment as she was far from strong. Her husband remained until nearly 3 a.m., when he departed for his house in Park Lane - it was daylight, and, as he approached the house, he suddenly noticed a man leaving it. Their eyes met; it was Lord Dupplin, who turned and ran for his life down the street.
Lord Ward entered, and startled the sleepy footman by telling him to rouse the servants and bid them assemble in the hall. He then went upstairs to his wife's bedroom.
What passed between them was told by Constance to a friend; her husband came to her bedside and accused her of committing adultery with Lord Dupplin. "Get up, madame", he continued, "my house is yours no longer; arrangements shall be made for your future, but henceforth you are no wife of mine".
Tears and entreaties were useless, and Constance was obliged to dress; William Ward then led her past the scandalised servants who were waiting downstairs, and - turned her out of doors.
The poor frightened girl managed to reach her parents' house in Grosvenor Crescent, and implored them to give her shelter, but they were as heartless as her husband, and told her they could not take her in. More dead than alive, she turned her steps to Conduit Street, where her singing-master lived, and this gentleman, full of compassion for his unfortunate pupil, allowed her to remain there until the next day, when she went to Ostend.
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On 16th July 1852 [her son] Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest-Stewart 6th Marquess Londonderry was born to [her husband] George Henry Vane-Tempest 5th Marquess Londonderry (age 31) and Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry (age 23). He married 2nd October 1875 Theresa Susey Helen Chetwynd-Talbot Marchioness Londonderry, daughter of Charles Chetwynd-Talbot 19th Earl of Shrewsbury 4th Earl Talbot and Anna Theresa Cockerell Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford, and had issue.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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On 6th March 1854 [her father-in-law] Charles William Vane 3rd Marquess Londonderry (age 76) died at Londonderry House Park Lane. His son [her brother-in-law] Frederick (age 48) succeeded 4th Marquess Londonderry.
Monument at St Mary's Church, Long Newton [Map].
Frederick William Robert Stewart 4th Marquess Londonderry: On 7th July 1805 he was born to Charles William Vane 3rd Marquess Londonderry and Catherine Bligh. On 25th November 1872 Frederick William Robert Stewart 4th Marquess Londonderry died. His half brother George succeeded 5th Marquess Londonderry. Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry by marriage Marchioness Londonderry.
On 1st July 1854 [her son] Henry John Vane-Tempest was born to [her husband] George Henry Vane-Tempest 5th Marquess Londonderry (age 33) and Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry (age 25).
On 1st July 1857 George Spencer-Churchill 6th Duke of Marlborough (age 63) died. His son John (age 35) succeeded 7th Duke Marlborough, 7th Marquess of Blandford, 7th Earl of Marlborough, 7th Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire, 9th Earl of Sunderland, 11th Baron Spencer Wormleighton. [her sister-in-law] Frances Anne Emily Vane Duchess of Marlborough (age 35) by marriage Duchess Marlborough.
On 15th July 1857 [her daughter] Avarina Mary Vane-Tempest was born to [her husband] George Henry Vane-Tempest 5th Marquess Londonderry (age 36) and Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry (age 28).
On 6th July 1862 [her son] Herbert Lionel Henry Vane-Tempest was born to [her husband] George Henry Vane-Tempest 5th Marquess Londonderry (age 41) and Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry (age 33).
On 8th November 1863 [her daughter] Alexandrina Louise Maud Vane-Tempest Viscountess Allendale was born to [her husband] George Henry Vane-Tempest 5th Marquess Londonderry (age 42) and Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry (age 34). She married 12th November 1889 Wentworth Canning Blackett Beaumont 1st Viscount Allendale, son of Wentworth Beaumont 1st Baron Allendale and Margaret Anne Burgh, and had issue.
On 2nd March 1872 [her daughter] Frances Cornelia Harriet Vane-Tempest (age 21) died.
On 3rd March 1872 [her daughter] Frances Vane-Tempest (age 21) died. She was buried at St Peter's Church [Map]. Memorial at St Mary's Church, Long Newton [Map].
Frances Vane-Tempest: On 19th September 1850 she was born to George Henry Vane-Tempest 5th Marquess Londonderry and Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry.
On 25th November 1872 [her brother-in-law] Frederick William Robert Stewart 4th Marquess Londonderry (age 67) died. His half brother [her husband] George (age 51) succeeded 5th Marquess Londonderry. Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry (age 43) by marriage Marchioness Londonderry.
On 26th June 1873 [her daughter] Avarina Mary Vane-Tempest (age 15) died. She was buried at St Peter's Church [Map]. Memorial at St Mary's Church, Long Newton [Map].
Avarina Mary Vane-Tempest: On 15th July 1857 she was born to George Henry Vane-Tempest 5th Marquess Londonderry and Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry.
On 15th January 1874 [her sister-in-law] Alexandrina Octavia Maria Vane Countess Portarlington (age 50) died.
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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On 2nd October 1875 [her son] Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest-Stewart 6th Marquess Londonderry (age 23) and [her daughter-in-law] Theresa Susey Helen Chetwynd-Talbot Marchioness Londonderry (age 19) were married at Alton, Cheadle, Staffordshire. She the daughter of Charles Chetwynd-Talbot 19th Earl of Shrewsbury 4th Earl Talbot (age 45) and Anna Theresa Cockerell Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford (age 39). He the son of [her husband] George Henry Vane-Tempest 5th Marquess Londonderry (age 54) and Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry (age 46).
On 6th November 1884 [her husband] George Henry Vane-Tempest 5th Marquess Londonderry (age 63) died. His son [her son] Charles (age 32) succeeded 6th Marquess Londonderry. [her daughter-in-law] Theresa Susey Helen Chetwynd-Talbot Marchioness Londonderry (age 28) by marriage Marchioness Londonderry.
On 12th November 1889 [her son-in-law] Wentworth Canning Blackett Beaumont 1st Viscount Allendale (age 28) and [her daughter] Alexandrina Louise Maud Vane-Tempest Viscountess Allendale (age 26) were married. She the daughter of [her former husband] George Henry Vane-Tempest 5th Marquess Londonderry and Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry (age 60).
1901. Ellis William Roberts (age 40). Portrait Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry (age 72).
On 28th January 1905 [her son] Henry John Vane-Tempest (age 50) died.
In 1906 Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry (age 77) died.
GrandFather: John Edwards
Father: John Edwards 1st Baronet