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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Despencer
Before 1373 [his father] Edward Despencer 1st Baron Despencer, Baron Burghesh [aged 37] and [his mother] Elizabeth Burghesh 3rd Baron Burghesh [aged 30] were married. She by marriage Baroness Despencer. He by marriage Baron Burghesh. They were half fourth cousin once removed. He a great x 2 grandson of King Edward I of England. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King John of England.
On 22nd September 1373 Thomas Despencer 1st Earl Gloucester was born to Edward Despencer 1st Baron Despencer, Baron Burghesh [aged 38] and Elizabeth Burghesh 3rd Baron Burghesh [aged 31]. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward I of England.
On 11th November 1375 [his father] Edward Despencer 1st Baron Despencer, Baron Burghesh [aged 40] died at Llanblethian. He was buried at Tewkesbury Abbey [Map]. His son Thomas [aged 2] succeeded 2nd Baron Despencer.
In or before 1377 [his brother-in-law] Hugh Hastings 7th Baron Hastings [aged 26] and [his sister] Anne Despencer Baroness Hastings, Marshal and Morley [aged 18] were married. They were third cousins. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.
Before 7th November 1379 Thomas Despencer 1st Earl Gloucester [aged 6] and Constance York Countess Gloucester [aged 5] were married. She the daughter of Edmund of Langley 1st Duke of York [aged 38] and Isabella of Castile Duchess York [aged 24]. They were third cousin once removed. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward I of England. She a granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
In 1381 [his brother-in-law] Edward 2nd Duke of York 1st Duke Albemarle [aged 8] and Beatrice Burgundy Countess Rutland and Cork [aged 8] were married. She the daughter of Ferdinand I King Portugal [aged 35] and Leonor Teles Meneses Queen Consort Portugal. He the son of [his father-in-law] Edmund of Langley 1st Duke of York [aged 39] and [his mother-in-law] Isabella of Castile Duchess York [aged 26]. They were second cousin once removed. He a grandson of King Edward III of England.
Before 1st August 1385 [his brother-in-law] John Fitzalan Baron Maltravers 2nd Baron Arundel [aged 20] and [his sister] Elizabeth Despencer Baroness Zouche, Harringworth, Maltravers and Arundel were married. She by marriage Baroness Maltravers, Baroness Arundel. They were half third cousins. He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry III of England. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.
Around 1388 Thomas Despencer 1st Earl Gloucester [aged 14] was appointed 80th Knight of the Garter by King Richard II of England [aged 20].
Before 21st October 1390 [his brother-in-law] Thomas Morley 5th Baron Marshal 4th Baron Morley [aged 36] and [his sister] Anne Despencer Baroness Hastings, Marshal and Morley [aged 32] were married. She by marriage Baroness Marshal, Baroness Morley. They were fourth cousin once removed. He a great x 5 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.
On 23rd December 1392 [his mother-in-law] Isabella of Castile Duchess York [aged 37] died. She was buried at King's Langley Priory, Hertfordshire [Map]. She the wife of [his father-in-law] Edmund of Langley 1st Duke of York [aged 51]. Isabella had travelled to England with her sister Constance of Castile Duchess of Lancaster [aged 38] who had married Edmund's elder brother John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster [aged 52]. Isabella and Edmund's marriage was not, apparently, a happy one. She is known to have had an affair with John Holland 1st Duke Exeter [aged 40] who may have been the father of [his brother-in-law] Richard of Conisbrough 1st Earl Cambridge [aged 7] progenitor of the House of York.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 2nd November 1393 John Hastings 6th Baron Hastings [aged 65] died without issue. His nephew [his brother-in-law] Hugh [aged 43] de jure 7th Baron Hastings. [his sister] Anne Despencer Baroness Hastings, Marshal and Morley [aged 35] by marriage Baroness Hastings.
Before 4th May 1396 [his brother-in-law] William Zouche 3rd Baron Zouche Harringworth [aged 44] and [his sister] Elizabeth Despencer Baroness Zouche, Harringworth, Maltravers and Arundel were married. She by marriage Baroness Zouche Harringworth. They were third cousin once removed. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.
On 30th November 1396 [his son] Richard Despencer 4th Baron Burghesh was born to Thomas Despencer 1st Earl Gloucester [aged 23] and [his wife] Constance York Countess Gloucester [aged 22]. He a great grandson of King Edward III of England. He married before 1414 his second cousin Eleanor Neville Countess Northumberland, daughter of Ralph Neville 1st Earl of Westmoreland and Joan Beaufort Countess of Westmoreland.
On 29th September 1397 Thomas Despencer 1st Earl Gloucester [aged 24] was created 1st Earl Gloucester. [his wife] Constance York Countess Gloucester [aged 23] by marriage Countess Gloucester.
In 1398 Thomas Despencer 1st Earl Gloucester [aged 24] attainder reversed 2nd Baron Despencer, 2nd Baron Despencer.
In 1398 [his daughter] Elizabeth Despencer was born to Thomas Despencer 1st Earl Gloucester [aged 24] and [his wife] Constance York Countess Gloucester [aged 24]. She a great granddaughter of King Edward III of England. She died aged less than one years old.
In 1398 [his daughter] Elizabeth Despencer died.
Before 7th October 1398 [his brother-in-law] Edward 2nd Duke of York 1st Duke Albemarle [aged 25] and Philippa Mohun Duchess York [aged 31] were married. He the son of [his father-in-law] Edmund of Langley 1st Duke of York [aged 57] and [his mother-in-law] Isabella of Castile Duchess York.
In or before 1399 [his son] Edward Despencer died.
In or before 1399 [his son] Edward Despencer was born to Thomas Despencer 1st Earl Gloucester [aged 25] and [his wife] Constance York Countess Gloucester [aged 24]. He a great grandson of King Edward III of England. He died aged less than one years old.
On 17th December 1399 the conspirators met at Abbey House Westminster Abbey [Map] including Thomas Blount [aged 47], Thomas Despencer 1st Earl Gloucester [aged 26], Thomas Holland 1st Duke Surrey [aged 25], John Holland 1st Duke Exeter [aged 47], Ralph Lumley 1st Baron Lumley [aged 39], John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury [aged 49], [his brother-in-law] Edward 2nd Duke of York 1st Duke Albemarle [aged 26], Bernard Brocas [aged 45]. They plotted to capture King Henry IV of England [aged 32] at a Tournament in Windsor, Berkshire [Map] on the Feast of Epiphany hence the Epiphany Rising.
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 1 Chapters 1-60 1307-1342
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel offer one of the most vivid and immediate accounts of 14th-century Europe, written by a knight who lived through the events he describes, and experienced some of them first hand. Covering the early decades of the Hundred Years’ War, this remarkable chronicle follows the campaigns of Edward III of England, the politics of France and the Low Countries, and the shifting alliances that shaped medieval warfare. Unlike later historians, Jean le Bel writes with a strong sense of eyewitness authenticity, drawing on personal experience and the testimony of fellow soldiers. His narrative captures not only battles and sieges, but also the realities of military life, diplomacy, and the ideals of chivalry that governed noble society. A key source for Jean Froissart, Le Bel’s chronicle stands on its own as a compelling and insightful work, at once historical record and literary achievement. This translation builds on the 1905 edition published in French by Jules Viard, adding extensive translations from other sources Rymer's Fœdera, the Chronicles of Adam Murimuth, William Nangis, Walter of Guisborough, a Bourgeois of Valenciennes, Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke and Richard Lescot to enrich the original text and Viard's notes.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 13th January 1400 Thomas Despencer 1st Earl Gloucester [aged 26] was beheaded at Bristol, Gloucestershire [Map].
After 7th January 1400. Henry IV's [aged 32] Parliament. 2.30. Also, be it remembered that whereas Thomas Holland, formerly earl of Kent [deceased], John Holland, formerly earl of Huntingdon [aged 48], John Montague, formerly earl of Salisbury [deceased], Thomas, formerly Lord Despenser [aged 26], and Ralph Lumley [deceased], knight, recently rose up in various parts of England and rode in warlike manner, treacherously, against our lord the king, contrary to their allegiance, to destroy our said lord the king and other great men of the realm, and to populate the said realm with people of another tongue, they were seized and beheaded in their armed uprising by the loyal lieges of oursaid lord the king; and for that reason all the lords temporal present in parliament, by the assent of the king, declared and adjudged the said Thomas, John, John, Thomas, and Ralph to be traitors for their armed uprising against their aforesaid liege lord, and that they should forfeit as traitors all the lands and tenements that they held in fee simple on 5 January, the eve of the feast of the Epiphany of our lord Jesus Christ, in the first year of the reign of our aforesaid lord [1400], or after, as the law of the land requires, together with all their goods and chattels, notwithstanding the fact that they were killed during the said armed uprising without due process of law.
Chronicle of the Betrayal of Richard II. [13th January 1400] ... King Henry sent the [his brother-in-law] Earl of Rutland [aged 27] and Sir Thomas Erpingham [aged 45] to seize the Lord Despencer [aged 26] who was [formerly] Earl of Gloucester,1 who took him and beheaded him; and the Earl of Rutland sent his head also to London.
Note 1. Thomas Despencer, son of Edward Lord Despencer, although he excused himself for the part he had taken on the plea of compulsion (Rot. Pari. iii. 451), was yet degraded from his title of Earl of Gloucester by Henry in his first Parliament. He escaped over the roofs of some houses at Cirencester, and fled to his castle of Cardiff. Hearing that King Henry had despatched a party to bring him to London, willing or unwilling, he disposed his affairs in the best manner he could, and, taking with him his jewels, entered a boat in the Severn; but, when they had reached the middle of the river, the captain refused to carry him anywhere but to Bristol. An altercation then commenced; twenty armed men, concealed in the hold, rushed upon deck; he defended himself manfully, and wounded some of the sailors, but was overpowered, and carried to the mayor of Bristol. Henry wished to have had an interview with him before he was put to death; but the second day after his capture the people cried out, 'Bring forth the traitors!' and, the mayor having failed to appease them, he was beheaded before the market-cross. His body was buried in the choir at Tewkesbury. (Monk of Evesham, Cotton. MS. Tiberius C. ix.) Henry gave to William Flaxman the cloak of motley velvet and furred damask which Lord Despencer wore when he was captured. (Rot. Pat. 1 Hen. IV. p. 5. m. 8.)
Patent Rolls. 13th February 1400. Grant to the king's servant William Flaxman of a furred gown of 'motley Westminster. velvet' of 'damask' late of Thomas, lord le Despenser [deceased], in which he was seized without the house of the mayor of Bristol and which is in the hands of the burgesses. By p.s.
Around 1400 [his son] Hugh Despencer was born to Thomas Despencer 1st Earl Gloucester [aged 26] and [his wife] Constance York Countess Gloucester [aged 26]. He a great grandson of King Edward III of England. He died aged one in 1401.
Before 13th January 1400 Thomas Despencer 1st Earl Gloucester [aged 26] was attainted. Earl Gloucester, Baron Despencer, Baron Despencer, Baron Despencer forfeit. Some sources refer to this as 'degraded' although it isn't clear what the difference is?
On 26th July 1400 [his daughter] Isabel Despencer Countess Warwick and Worcester was born to Thomas Despencer 1st Earl Gloucester and [his former wife] Constance York Countess Gloucester [aged 26] some six months after her father had been beheaded during the Epiphany Rising. She a great granddaughter of King Edward III of England. She married (1) 27th July 1411 her half fourth cousin Richard Beauchamp 1st Earl of Worcester, son of William Beauchamp 1st Baron Abergavenny and Joan Fitzalan Baroness Bergavenny, and had issue (2) before 1425 her third cousin Richard Beauchamp 13th Earl Warwick, son of Thomas Beauchamp 12th Earl Warwick and Margaret Ferrers Countess Warwick, and had issue.
On 29th November 1416 [his former wife] Constance York Countess Gloucester [aged 42] died at Reading Abbey, Berkshire [Map].
Kings Wessex: Great x 11 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 7 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 13 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 8 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings England: Great x 3 Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 8 Grand Son of King David I of Scotland
Kings France: Great x 12 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 15 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Kings Spain: Great x 7 Grand Son of Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon
Great x 4 Grandfather: Hugh Despencer 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Hugh Despencer
Great x 2 Grandfather: Hugh "Elder" Despencer 1st Earl Winchester 4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Philip Basset 
2 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Aline Basset 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Hawise Reginar 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons
Great x 1 Grandfather: Hugh "Younger" Despencer 1st Baron Despencer 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Beauchamp 
8 x Great Grand Son of Maredudd ab Owain King Deheubarth King Powys King Gwynedd
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Beauchamp 9th Earl Warwick 7 x Great Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 4 Grandmother: Isabel Maudit 6 x Great Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 2 Grandmother: Isabella Beauchamp 8 x Great Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Fitzgeoffrey
Great x 3 Grandmother: Maud Fitzjohn Countess Warwick 8 x Great Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 4 Grandmother: Isabel Bigod 
7 x Great Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
GrandFather: Edward Despencer Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Gilbert Clare 5th Earl Gloucester 4th Earl Hertford 
2 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard de Clare 6th Earl Gloucester 5th Earl Hertford 3 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Isabel Marshal Countess Cornwall, Gloucester and Hertford 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 2 Grandfather: Gilbert "Red Earl" Clare 7th Earl Gloucester 6th Earl Hertford 4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Lacy Earl Lincoln 
10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons
Great x 3 Grandmother: Maud Lacy Countess Gloucester and Hertford 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Quincy 3rd Countess Lincoln and Pembroke 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Eleanor Clare Baroness Zouche Mortimer Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: King Henry III of England 
Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: King Edward I of England Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor of Provence Queen Consort England 
Great Grand Daughter of Alfonso II King Aragon
Great x 2 Grandmother: Joan of Acre Countess Gloucester and Hertford Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ferdinand III King Castile III King Leon 
Great Grand Son of Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon
Great x 3 Grandmother: Eleanor of Castile Queen Consort England 2 x Great Grand Daughter of Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Dammartin Queen Consort Castile and Leon 2 x Great Grand Daughter of Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon
Father: Edward Despencer 1st Baron Despencer, Baron Burghesh 2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Ferrers 4th Earl of Derby 
6 x Great Grand Son of Maredudd ab Owain King Deheubarth King Powys King Gwynedd
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Ferrers 5th Earl of Derby 3 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Agnes Gernon Countess Derby 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Ferrers 4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Roger de Quincy 2nd Earl Winchester 6 x Great Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Quincy Countess Derby 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King David I of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Helen Galloway Countess Winchester 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King David I of Scotland
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Ferrers 1st Baron Ferrers of Groby 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Hugh Despencer
Great x 3 Grandfather: Hugh Despencer
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Despencer 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Philip Basset 2 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Aline Basset 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Hawise Reginar 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons
GrandMother: Anne Ferrers 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Gilbert Segrave 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Nicholas Segrave 1st Baron Segrave
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Segrave 2nd Baron Segrave
Great x 4 Grandfather: Geoffrey de Lucy of Newington in Kent 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Maud de Lucy
Great x 4 Grandmother: Nichole Cantilupe 
Great x 1 Grandmother: Ellen or Margaret Segrave Baroness Ferrers Groby
Great x 2 Grandmother: Christiana Plessey Baroness Segrave
Thomas Despencer 1st Earl Gloucester 3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Burghesh 1st Baron Burghesh 
Great x 1 Grandfather: Bartholomew "The Elder" Burghesh 1st Baron Burghesh
Great x 3 Grandfather: Gunselin Badlesmere 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Maud Badlesmere Baroness Burghesh
Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Fitzbernard
GrandFather: Bartholomew "The Younger" Burghesh 2nd Baron Burghesh 5 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John "The Botiller" Verdun 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Theobald Verdun 1st Lord Verdun 9 x Great Grand Son of Maredudd ab Owain King Deheubarth King Powys King Gwynedd
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret "Lady of Dulek" Lacy 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of Maredudd ab Owain King Deheubarth King Powys King Gwynedd
Great x 2 Grandfather: Theobald Verdun 2nd Lord Verdun 5 x Great Grand Son of King David I of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Humphrey Bohun 
3 x Great Grand Son of King David I of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margery Bohun Lady Verdun 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King David I of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor de Braose 
7 x Great Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Verdun Baroness Burghesh 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Roger Mortimer 1st Baron Mortimer of Wigmore 
Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edmund Mortimer 2nd Baron Mortimer of Wigmore 2 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Maud de Braose 7 x Great Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 2 Grandmother: Maud Mortimer Lady Verdun 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Fiennes 
10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Fiennes 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Blanche Beaumont 
3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Mother: Elizabeth Burghesh 3rd Baron Burghesh 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John de Weyland
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard de Weyland 3 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John "Tadody aka Fatherless" Braose 8th Baron Bramber 3 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard de de Braose Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margred verch Llewellyn Baroness Clifford Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Mary de de Braose 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Le Rus
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alice Le Rus
GrandMother: Cecily Weyland 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England