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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St Pancras Old Church
2A Melbury Road, Kensington
Stanley Chapel, St Cybi's Church, Holyhead
Tonbridge, Kent
18 Wynnstay Gardens, Kensington
Carlisle Cathedral
Wolvercote Cemetery Oxford
William Hamo Thornycroft is in Sculptors.
In 1840 [his father] Thomas Thornycroft (age 24) and [his mother] Mary Francis (age 31) were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] John Francis (age 59) and [his grandmother] Mary Evetts (age 60).
On 9th March 1850 William Hamo Thornycroft was born to [his father] Thomas Thornycroft (age 34) and [his mother] Mary Francis (age 41). He was baptised on 9th June 1850 at St Pancras Old Church [Map].
On 21st February 1862 Sarah Cave 3rd Baroness Braye (age 93) died. Baron Braye abeyant. Monument at St Nicholas' Church, Stanford-on-Avon [Map] sculpted by [his mother] Mary Francis (age 53) and commissioned by her daughter Catherine Otway (age 53), widow of John Lygon 3rd Earl Beauchamp.
Catherine Otway: Before 1809 she was born to Henry Otway of Castle Otway in Tipperary and Sarah Cave 3rd Baroness Braye. On 19th October 1826 Henry Murray and she were married. He the son of Bishop George Murray. On 11th February 1850 John Lygon 3rd Earl Beauchamp and she were married. The difference in their ages was 24 years. He the son of William Lygon 1st Earl Beauchamp and Catherine Denn Countess Beauchamp. On 4th November 1875 she died without issue.
In 1881 William Hamo Thornycroft (age 30) was living at his father's home 2A Melbury Road, Kensington [Map].
1884. Theodore Blake Wirgman (age 35). Portrait of William Hamo Thornycroft (age 33).
Around 1884. Joseph Parkin Mayall (age 45). Portrait of William Hamo Thornycroft (age 33).
On 24th February 1884 William Owen Stanley (age 81) died. Monument in the Stanley Chapel, St Cybi's Church, Holyhead [Map] sculpted by William Hamo Thornycroft (age 33).
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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Around May 1884 William Hamo Thornycroft (age 34) and Agatha Cox (age 19) were married at Tonbridge, Kent [Map]. He the son of Thomas Thornycroft (age 68) and Mary Francis (age 75).
On 30th August 1885 [his father] Thomas Thornycroft (age 70) died.
Around 1889 John Tweed (age 19) studied with William Hamo Thornycroft (age 38).
In 1891 William Hamo Thornycroft (age 40) was living at 18 Wynnstay Gardens, Kensington [Map] with his wife [his wife] Agatha Cox (age 26) with two children Oliver and Joan.
In 1891 [his daughter] Rosalind Thornycroft was born to William Hamo Thornycroft (age 40) and [his wife] Agatha Cox (age 26). She married 1926 Arthur E Hugh Popham.
After 25th November 1891. Carlisle Cathedral [Map]. Monument to Bishop Harvey Goodwin (deceased) sculpted by William Hamo Thornycroft (age 41).
Bishop Harvey Goodwin: On 9th October 1818 he was born in King's Lynn, Norfolk [Map]. In October 1869 Bishop Harvey Goodwin was elected Bishop of Carlisle. On 25th November 1891 he died in Bishopthorpe York whilst on a visit to William Maclagan, Archbishop of York.
On 1st February 1895 [his mother] Mary Francis (age 86) died.
In 1901 William Hamo Thornycroft (age 50) was living at The Chalet, Redington Road, Hampstead with his wife [his wife] Agatha Cox (age 36) with two children Joan (12) and Rosalind (9).
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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Academy Architecture 1905. 1905. Brotherhood, Part of the Gladstone Memorial, Hamp Thornycroft (age 54), R. A., Sculptor.
In 1911 William Hamo Thornycroft (age 60) was living at The Chalet, Redington Road, Hampstead with his wife [his wife] Agatha Cox (age 46) with four children Oliver (25), Joan (25), Rosalind (22) and Elfrida (9).
On 18th December 1925 William Hamo Thornycroft (age 75) died. He was buried at Wolvercote Cemetery Oxford [Map].
In 1958 [his former wife] Agatha Cox (age 93) died.
GrandFather: John Thornycroft
Father: Thomas Thornycroft