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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Biography of William Cope 2nd Baronet 1577-1637

Paternal Family Tree: Cope

Around 1577 William Cope 2nd Baronet was born to [his father] Anthony Cope 1st Baronet [aged 29] and [his mother] Frances Lytton.

In 1600 [his mother] Frances Lytton died.

On 7th April 1600 [his father] Anthony Cope 1st Baronet [aged 52] and [his step-mother] Anne Paston Lady Hanwell [aged 47] were married.

On 8th April 1602 William Cope 2nd Baronet [aged 25] and Elizabeth Chaworth Lady Cope were married at Hanwell, Oxfordshire.

In 1604 William Cope 2nd Baronet [aged 27] was elected MP Banbury.

Around 28th August 1608 [his son] John Cope 3rd Baronet was born to William Cope 2nd Baronet [aged 31] and [his wife] Elizabeth Chaworth Lady Cope. He married 14th February 1631 his fourth cousin Elizabeth Fane, daughter of Francis Fane 1st Earl of Westmoreland and Mary Mildmay Countess of Westmoreland, and had issue.

In 1614 William Cope 2nd Baronet [aged 37] was elected MP Banbury.

On 6th July 1614 [his father] Anthony Cope 1st Baronet [aged 66] died. His son William [aged 37] succeeded 2nd Baronet Cope of Hanwell in Oxfordshire. [his wife] Elizabeth Chaworth Lady Cope by marriage Lady Cope of Hanwell in Oxfordshire.

On 11th May 1615 William Cope 2nd Baronet [aged 38] was knighted by King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland [aged 48] at Charterhouse [Map].

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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On 8th August 1615 William Cope 2nd Baronet [aged 38] admitted at Lincoln's Inn.

In 1619 William Cope 2nd Baronet [aged 42] was appointed High Sheriff of Oxfordshire.

In 1621 William Cope 2nd Baronet [aged 44] was elected MP Oxfordshire.

In 1621 William Cope 2nd Baronet [aged 44] was elected MP Banbury.

In 1624 William Cope 2nd Baronet [aged 47] was elected MP Oxfordshire.

In 1625 William Cope 2nd Baronet [aged 48] was elected MP Banbury.

On 14th February 1631 [his son] John Cope 3rd Baronet [aged 22] and [his daughter-in-law] Elizabeth Fane [aged 23] were married. She the daughter of Francis Fane 1st Earl of Westmoreland and Mary Mildmay Countess of Westmoreland [aged 49]. They were fourth cousins.

Before 22nd August 1637 William Cope 2nd Baronet [aged 60] died. On 22nd August 1637 he was buried at Hanwell, Oxfordshire. His son John [aged 28] succeeded 3rd Baronet Cope of Hanwell in Oxfordshire.

[his son] Johnathan Cope was born to William Cope 2nd Baronet and Elizabeth Chaworth Lady Cope.

[his father] Anthony Cope 1st Baronet and [his mother] Frances Lytton were married.

Royal Ancestors of William Cope 2nd Baronet 1577-1637

Kings Wessex: Great x 20 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England

Kings Gwynedd: Great x 16 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd

Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 20 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth

Kings Powys: Great x 17 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys

Kings England: Great x 13 Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Kings Scotland: Great x 19 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland

Kings Franks: Great x 24 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor

Kings France: Great x 17 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks

Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 21 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine

Ancestors of William Cope 2nd Baronet 1577-1637

Great x 2 Grandfather: William Cope

Great x 1 Grandfather: Anthony Cope

GrandFather: Edward Cope

Father: Anthony Cope 1st Baronet 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Mohun 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Mohun 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Mohun 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Great x 1 Grandfather: Walter Mohun 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

GrandMother: Elizabeth Mohun 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

William Cope 2nd Baronet 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

GrandFather: Rowland Lytton of Knebworth in Hertfordshire

Mother: Frances Lytton 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: John Carleton of Walton-on-Thames in Surrey

Great x 1 Grandfather: Anthony Carleton 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Welbeck

Great x 3 Grandfather: John Welbeck of Oxon Hoath in Kent 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Culpepper 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Joyce Welbeck 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

GrandMother: Anne Carleton 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England