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: Wotton
Maternal Family Tree: Anne Belknap 1464-1537
In or before 1487 [her father] Robert Wotton of Boughton Malherbe [aged 31] and [her mother] Anne Belknap [aged 22] were married.
In 1499 Mary Wotton was born to [her father] Robert Wotton of Boughton Malherbe [aged 44] and [her mother] Anne Belknap [aged 34].
In 1509 [her brother-in-law] Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset [aged 31] and [her sister] Margaret Wotton Marchioness Dorset [aged 22] were married. She by marriage Marchioness Dorset. He the son of Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset [aged 48].
In May 1512 [her future husband] Henry Guildford [aged 23] and Margaret Bryan were married.
On 9th October 1514 Louis XII King France [aged 52] and Mary Tudor Queen Consort France [aged 18] were married at Abbeville [Map], Somme. She by marriage Queen Consort France. [her brother-in-law] Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset [aged 37], Thomas West 8th Baron De La Warr 5th Baron West [aged 57], Thomas Brooke 8th Baron Cobham [aged 44] and his son George Brooke 9th Baron Cobham [aged 17], Bishop Thomas Ruthall [aged 42] and [her sister] Margaret Wotton Marchioness Dorset [aged 27] attended. The difference in their ages was 33 years. She the daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland and Elizabeth York Queen Consort England. He the son of Charles Valois Duke Orléans and Mary de la Marck Duchess Orléans. They were second cousin twice removed.
In 1524 [her father] Robert Wotton of Boughton Malherbe [aged 69] died.
Around 1527 Henry Guildford [aged 38] and Mary Wotton [aged 28] were married.
In 1527 Hans Holbein The Younger [aged 30]. Portrait of Mary Wotton [aged 28] when she was twenty-seven commissioned with that of her husband Henry Guildford [aged 38] possibly to celebrate their marriage. Hung with gold chains and embellished with pearls, Baroness Guildford embodies worldly prosperity, and with her prayer book she is also the very image of propriety.
After 28th January 1531 [her future husband] Gawen Carew [aged 47] and Anne Brandon were married.
In May 1532 [her husband] Henry Guildford [aged 43] died.
Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1535. 27th February 1535. R. O. 275. Sir Edward Wotton [aged 45] to Cromwell [aged 50].
Remonstrates against Cromwell's urging him by his letters to resign his patent of the stewardship of the abbey of Malling, the King having written to the abbess in favour of master Thomas Wyatt. Cromwell may be as much assured of his heart as Mr. Wyatt, and since the death of his brother-in-law, Sir Henry Guildford, he has always depended on Cromwell's friendship. The grant he obtained under the convent seal was in fulfilment of a promise of the abbess many years past. Would have waited on the King before, but has been lately with his sister Guldeford [aged 36] and others, who have been with his cousin, Edward Brown, son of Sir Matthew Brown [aged 59], who has died of the common plague. Asks Cromwell to relate the matter to the King. Supposes that when the abbess made the grant to Cromwell she had forgotten her promise to him, for, though he knew from the first of the death of Mr. Fisher, he waited for five or six days before writing to the abbess, thinking that few then would apply for so small an office. On first reading his letter she had forgotten the promise which he claimed as having been made within two years and less after her being made abbess. She was not dissembling in her answers either to the King or Cromwell. No effect can grow in law or conscience of her promise to Cromwell, so long after her promise to him. Begs Cromwell to be good master to her and her poor house. Bocton Malherbe [Map], Saturday, 27 Feb.
Hol., pp. 3. Add.: Secretary. Endd.
On 6th October 1535 [her sister] Margaret Wotton Marchioness Dorset [aged 48] died.
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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In 1537 [her mother] Anne Belknap [aged 72] died.
Before 1540 Gawen Carew [aged 55] and Mary Wotton [aged 40] were married.
In September 1558 Mary Wotton [aged 59] died.
Between 11th October 1582 and 20th June 1585 [her former husband] Gawen Carew [aged 98] died.
Great x 1 Grandfather: Nicholas Wotton 
GrandFather: Nicholas Wotton
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Corbie
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Corbie
Great x 1 Grandmother: Joan Corbie
GrandFather: Henry Belknap
Mother: Anne Belknap