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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Around 1495 William Coffin was born to [his father] Richard Coffin (age 39) at Portledge Manor Alwington, Devon.
In or before 1508 Richard Vernon (age 30) and [his future wife] Margaret Dymoke aka Mistress Coffin (age 7) were married. The difference in their ages was 23 years. They were fourth cousin once removed.
In 1515 William Coffin (age 20) was appointed Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to King Henry VIII of England and Ireland (age 23).
After August 1517 William Coffin (age 22) and Margaret Dymoke aka Mistress Coffin (age 17) were married.
In June 1520 Henry VIII (age 28) hosted Field of the Cloth of Gold at Balinghem [Map].
Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset (age 42) carried the Sword of State.
Bishop John Stokesley (age 45) attended as Henry VIII's chaplain.
Edmund Braye 1st Baron Braye (age 36), Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas Deheubarth (age 42), Anthony Poyntz (age 40), William Coffin (age 25), William "Great" Courtenay (age 43), Robert Radclyffe 1st Earl of Sussex (age 37), William Paston (age 41), William Denys (age 50), Richard Cecil (age 25), William Parr 1st Baron Parr of Horton (age 37), Ralph Neville 4th Earl of Westmoreland (age 22), John Mordaunt 1st Baron Mordaunt (age 40), Henry Guildford (age 31), Marmaduke Constable (age 40), William Compton (age 38), William Blount 4th Baron Mountjoy (age 42), Thomas Cheney (age 35), Henry Willoughby (age 69), John Rodney (age 59), John Marney 2nd Baron Marney (age 36), William Sidney (age 38), John de Vere 14th Earl of Oxford (age 20), John de Vere 15th Earl of Oxford (age 49), Edmund Walsingham (age 40), William Skeffington (age 55) and Thomas West 8th Baron De La Warr 5th Baron West (age 63) attended.
William Carey (age 20) jousted.
William Sandys 1st Baron Sandys of the Vyne (age 50) organised.
Jane Parker Viscountess Rochford (age 15) attended.
Thomas Brooke 8th Baron Cobham (age 50), Robert Willoughby 2nd Baron Willoughby 10th Baron Latimer (age 48), Anthony Wingfield (age 33), William Scott (age 61), Thomas Wriothesley (age 32), Bishop Thomas Ruthall (age 48), [his wife] Margaret Dymoke aka Mistress Coffin (age 20) and Edward Chamberlayne (age 36) were present.
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In 1523 [his father] Richard Coffin (age 67) died.
In 1529 William Coffin (age 34) was elected MP Derbyshire.
In or before 1531 [his step-son] George Vernon "King of the Peak" (age 22) and Margaret Tailboys (age 2) were married. The difference in their ages was 20 years. They were fifth cousins. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
On 1st June 1533 the six months pregnant Queen Anne Boleyn of England (age 32) was crowned Queen Consort England by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer (age 43) at Westminster Abbey [Map]. See Coronation of Anne Boleyn.
John de Vere 15th Earl of Oxford (age 62) bore the Crown. Henry Grey 1st Duke of Suffolk (age 16) carried the Salt. Margaret Wotton Marchioness Dorset (age 46) rode in the procession. William Coffin (age 38) was appointed Master of the Horse. Robert Radclyffe 1st Earl of Sussex (age 50) served as Lord Sewer. Henry Parker (age 20) and William Coffin were knighted. Thomas Berkeley 6th Baron Berkeley (age 28), Thomas Stanley 2nd Baron Monteagle (age 26) and Henry Capell (age 27) were created Knight of the Bath. Margaret Wotton Marchioness Dorset rode in the procession. Arthur Hopton (age 44) attended.
Thomas More (age 55) refused to attend. Shortly thereafter, More was charged with accepting bribes, but the charges had to be dismissed for lack of any evidence.
Anne Braye Baroness Cobham (age 32) was the attendant horsewoman.
Charles Wriothesley (age 25) attended.
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 8th December 1538 William Coffin (age 43) died at Ware, Hertfordshire [Map]. He was buried at Church of St Mary the Virgin, Standon.
In 1539 Richard Manners (age 30) and [his former wife] Margaret Dymoke aka Mistress Coffin (age 39) were married. They were fifth cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England.
In 1545 [his former wife] Margaret Dymoke aka Mistress Coffin (age 45) died.