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: Shirley
On 23rd July 1844 [his father] Washington Sewallis Shirley 9th Earl Ferrers (age 22) and [his mother] Annabella Augusta Chichester Countess Ferrers were married. She by marriage Countess Ferrers. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Edward Chichester 4th Marquess Donegal (age 45) and [his grandmother] Amelia Ogrady Marchioness County Donegal.
On 24th January 1847 Sewallis Edward Shirley 10th Earl Ferrers was born to [his father] Washington Sewallis Shirley 9th Earl Ferrers (age 25) and [his mother] Annabella Augusta Chichester Countess Ferrers.
On 10th February 1852 [his father] Washington Sewallis Shirley 9th Earl Ferrers (age 30) was appointed Deputy Lieutenant Leicestershire.
On 10th January 1857 [his father] Washington Sewallis Shirley 9th Earl Ferrers (age 35) was appointed Deputy Lieutenant Staffordshire.
On 13th March 1859 [his father] Washington Sewallis Shirley 9th Earl Ferrers (age 37) died at Staunton Harold, Leicestershire [Map]. He was buried at Holy Trinity Church Staunton Harold, Leicestershire [Map]. His son Sewallis (age 12) succeeded 10th Earl Ferrers, 16th Baronet Shirley of Staunton Harold in Leicestershire.
Around 1863 Sewallis Edward Shirley 10th Earl Ferrers (age 15) educated at Trinity College, Cambridge University [Map].
In 1867 Sewallis Edward Shirley 10th Earl Ferrers (age 19) was awarded Bachelor of Arts at Trinity College, Cambridge University [Map].
Before 8th February 1869 Sewallis Edward Shirley 10th Earl Ferrers (age 22) was appointed Deputy Lieutenant Derbyshire.
On 8th February 1869 Sewallis Edward Shirley 10th Earl Ferrers (age 22) was appointed Deputy Lieutenant Staffordshire.
In 1871 Sewallis Edward Shirley 10th Earl Ferrers (age 23) was awarded Master of Arts at Trinity College, Cambridge University [Map].
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.
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On 24th October 1885 Sewallis Edward Shirley 10th Earl Ferrers (age 38) and Ina Maude Hedges-White Countess Ferrers were married. She by marriage Countess Ferrers. She the daughter of William Henry Hare Hedges-White 3rd Earl Bantry. He the son of Washington Sewallis Shirley 9th Earl Ferrers and Annabella Augusta Chichester Countess Ferrers.
On 26th July 1912 Sewallis Edward Shirley 10th Earl Ferrers (age 65) died. On His fourth cousin Walter (age 48) succeeded 11th Earl Ferrers, 17th Baronet Shirley of Staunton Harold in Leicestershire. Mary Jane Moon Countess Ferrers by marriage Countess Ferrers.
Kings Wessex: Great x 24 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 21 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 27 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 22 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 24 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 11 Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Kings Scotland: Great x 23 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 30 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 14 Grand Son of Charles "Beloved Mad" VI King France
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 28 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Shirley 1st Earl Ferrers 
10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Laurence Shirley 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Washington Baroness Ferrers Chartley
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Shirley 6th Earl Ferrers 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Walter Clarges 1st Baronet
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Clarges
Great x 1 Grandfather: Washington Shirley 8th Earl Ferrers 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ralph Cotton of Bellaport
Great x 3 Grandfather: Rowland Cotton
Great x 2 Grandmother: Catherine Cotton Countess Ferrers
Great x 4 Grandfather: Samuel Sleigh of Ash and Etwall
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Sleigh
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Harpur 
GrandFather: Robert William Shirley 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Ward 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Ward 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 2 Grandfather: Reverend William aka Henry Ward 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Grey 
8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Grey 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Ward 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 1 Grandmother: Frances Ward 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Father: Washington Sewallis Shirley 9th Earl Ferrers 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Weston 
GrandMother: Anne Weston
Sewallis Edward Shirley 10th Earl Ferrers 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Arthur Chichester 3rd Earl Donegal 
9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Chichester 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Forbes
Great x 2 Grandfather: Arthur Chichester 1st Marquess Donegal 
11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Newdigate
Great x 1 Grandfather: George Chichester 2nd Marquess Donegal 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Hamilton Duke Hamilton, 1st Duke Brandon 
9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: James Hamilton 5th Duke Hamilton 2nd Duke Brandon 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Gerard Duchess Brandon 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Hamilton Countess Donegal 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Spencer 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Spencer Duchess Hamilton Duchess Brandon
GrandFather: Edward Chichester 4th Marquess Donegal 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Mother: Annabella Augusta Chichester Countess Ferrers 14 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Henry Deane Ogrady
GrandMother: Amelia Ogrady Marchioness County Donegal