Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
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Paternal Family Tree: Fox of Farley
Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester was appointed Paymaster of the Forces.
On 8th December 1651 [his father] Stephen Fox [aged 24] and Elizabeth Whittle were married.
On 11th July 1703 [his father] Stephen Fox [aged 76] and [his mother] Christiana Hope were married.
On 12th September 1704 Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester was born to Stephen Fox [aged 77] and Christiana Hope.
Around 1714 Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 9] educated at Eton College [Map].
On 28th October 1716 [his father] Stephen Fox [aged 89] died. He was buried in the Ilchester Chapel of All Saints' Church, Farley which church he had commissioned. His mural monument being Carrara marble aedicule with composite columns carrying segmental pediment. Coloured arms with suspended garlands and lamps over. Gadrooned base on consoles, all on limestone brackets. Inscription in antique French.
On 17th February 1718 [his mother] Christiana Hope died
Around 1719 Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 14] educated at Christ Church College, Oxford University.
In 1726 Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 21] was elected MP Shaftesbury.
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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In 1735 Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 30] and Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester [aged 13] were married.
In 1744 [his brother] Henry Fox 1st Baron Holland [aged 38] and [his sister-in-law] Caroline Lennox 1st Baroness Holland [aged 20] were married. She the daughter of Charles Lennox 2nd Duke Richmond [aged 42] and Sarah Cadogan Duchess Richmond [aged 38].
On 9th August 1747 [his son] Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester was born to Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 42] and [his wife] Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester [aged 25]. He married (1) 20th August 1772 Mary Theresa O'Grady Countess of Ilchester and had issue (2) 20th August 1794 his first cousin once removed Maria Digby Countess Ilchester, daughter of William Digby and Charlotte Cox, and had issue.
On 15th December 1748 [his daughter] Lucy Fox-Strangways was born to Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 44] and [his wife] Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester [aged 26]. She married 1st October 1771 her first cousin Colonel Stephen Digby and had issue.
On 3rd January 1750 [his daughter] Christian Harriet Fox-Strangways was born to Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 45] and [his wife] Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester [aged 28]. She married before 13th December 1772 John Dyke Acland, son of John Dyke Acland 7th Baronet and Elizabeth Dyke Lady Acland, and had issue.
In 1756 Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 51] was created 1st Earl Ilchester, 1st Baron Ilchester and Stavordale of Redlynch in Somerset, 1st Baron Strangways of Woodford in Dorset, 1st Baron Ilchester of Ilchester in Somerset. [his wife] Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester [aged 34] by marriage Countess Ilchester.
On 27th April 1761 [his son] Charles Fox-Strangways was born to Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 56] and [his wife] Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester [aged 39].
In 1763 Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 58] was appointed Privy Council.
In 1765 Francis Cotes [aged 38]. Portrait of Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 60].
On 1st October 1771 [his son-in-law] Colonel Stephen Digby [aged 29] and Lucy Fox-Strangways [aged 22] were married. She the daughter of Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 67] and Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester [aged 49]. They were first cousins.
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 20th August 1772 Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester [aged 25] and Mary Theresa O'Grady Countess of Ilchester [aged 17] were married. He the son of Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 67] and Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester [aged 50].
Before 13th December 1772 [his son-in-law] John Dyke Acland [aged 26] and Christian Harriet Fox-Strangways [aged 22] were married. She the daughter of Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 68] and Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester [aged 50].
On 1st July 1774 [his brother] Henry Fox 1st Baron Holland [aged 68] died. His son [his nephew] Stephen [aged 29] succeeded 2nd Baron Holland of Foxley in Wiltshire.
On 26th September 1776 Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 72] died. His son Henry [aged 29] succeeded 2nd Earl Ilchester, 2nd Baron Ilchester and Stavordale of Redlynch in Somerset, 2nd Baron Strangways of Woodford in Dorset, 2nd Baron Ilchester of Ilchester in Somerset. Mary Theresa O'Grady Countess of Ilchester [aged 21] by marriage Countess Ilchester.
On 24th August 1777 [his daughter] Frances Fox-Strangways was born to Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester and [his former wife] Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester [aged 55].
Before 24th November 1792 [his former wife] Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester [aged 70] died.
[his daughter] Frances Muriel Fox-Strangways Baroness Adare was born to Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester and Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester. She married 24th August 1777 Valentine Richard Wyndham-Quin 1st Earl Dunraven and Mount-Earl and had issue.
Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester 
Mother: Christiana Hope