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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Around 1404 William Lucy was born.
Before 1424 William Lucy (age 19) and Margaret Neville (age 15) were married.
On 21st October 1425 Ralph Neville 1st Earl of Westmoreland (age 61) died. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Staindrop [Map]. His grandson [his brother-in-law] Ralph (age 19) succeeded 2nd Earl of Westmoreland. Elizabeth Percy Countess of Westmoreland (age 30) by marriage Countess of Westmoreland.
Monument to Ralph Neville 1st Earl of Westmoreland and his wives Margaret Stafford Baroness Neville Raby and Joan Beaufort Countess of Westmoreland (age 46). Early Plate Bascinet Period. Orle. Man with Two Wives.
Elizabeth Percy Countess of Westmoreland: Around 1395 she was born to Henry "Hotspur" Percy and Elizabeth Mortimer Baroness Camoys at Alnwick Castle, Northumberland [Map]. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. Around 1404 John Clifford 7th Baron Clifford and she were married. She by marriage Baroness de Clifford. They were third cousin once removed. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward I of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. In 1426 Ralph Neville 2nd Earl of Westmoreland and she were married. They were second cousin once removed. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward I of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. On 26th October 1436 Elizabeth Percy Countess of Westmoreland died.
In 1426 [his brother-in-law] Ralph Neville 2nd Earl of Westmoreland (age 19) and Elizabeth Percy Countess of Westmoreland (age 31) were married. They were second cousin once removed. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward I of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
After 5th May 1426 [his former wife] Margaret Neville (deceased) died.
In or before 1431 Thomas Burgh (age 25) and [his future wife] Elizabeth Percy (age 25) were married.
Before 5th May 1434 William Lucy (age 30) and Elizabeth Percy (age 29) were married.
In 1455 William Lucy (age 51) and Margaret Fitzlewis (age 16) were married. The difference in their ages was 35 years.
On 28th September 1455 [his wife] Elizabeth Percy (age 50) died.
On 10th July 1460 the Yorkist army led by the future King Edward IV of England (age 18) and including Richard "Kingmaker" Neville Earl Warwick, 6th Earl Salisbury (age 31), Archbishop George Neville (age 28), William Neville 1st Earl Kent (age 55), Edward Brooke 6th Baron Cobham (age 45) and John Scrope 5th Baron Scrope of Bolton (age 22) defeated the Lancastrian army at the 1460 Battle of Northampton.
Edmund Grey 1st Earl Kent (age 43) had started the day as part of the Lancastrian army but did nothing to prevent the Yorkist army attacking.
King Henry VI of England and II of France (age 38) was captured.
Humphrey Stafford 1st Duke of Buckingham (age 57) was killed. His grandson Henry (age 5) succeeded 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 7th Earl Stafford, 8th Baron Stafford.
John Talbot 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury (age 42) was killed. His son John (age 11) succeeded 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury, 3rd Earl Waterford, 8th Baron Furnivall, 12th Baron Strange Blackmere, 9th Baron Talbot.
Thomas Percy 1st Baron Egremont (age 37) was killed. [Baron Egremont of Egremont Castle in Cumberland extinct. Some authoirities state, however, that he left a son, Sir John Percy, who never assumed the title.]
John Beaumont 1st Viscount Beaumont (age 50) was killed. His son William (age 22) succeeded 2nd Viscount Beaumont, 7th Baron Beaumont.
William Lucy (age 56) was killed apparently by servants of a member of the Stafford family who wanted his wife [his wife] Margaret Fitzlewis (age 21).
Thomas Tresham (age 40) fought.
William Beaumont 2nd Viscount Beaumont and William Norreys (age 19) were knighted.
Thomas "Bastard of Exeter" Holland was executed following the battle.
The battle was fought south of the River Nene [Map] in the grounds of Delapré Abbey.
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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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Chronicle of Gregory. 10th July 1460 And there they mete with the King and foughte manly with the kyngys lordys and mayny, but there was moche favyr in that fylde unto the Erle of Warwycke (age 31). And there they toke the King (age 38), and made newe offycers of the londe, as the chaunceler and tresyrar and othyr, but they occupy de not fo[r]thewith, but abode a seson of the comyng of Duke of York (age 48) out of Irlonde. And in that fylde was slayne the Duke of Bokyngham (age 57), stondyng stylle at his tente, the Erle of Schrovysbury (age 42), the Lord Bemond (age 50), and the Lord Egremond (age 37), with many othyr men. Ande many men were drownyd by syde the fylde in the revyr at a mylle. And that goode knyght Syr Wylliam Lucy (age 56) that dwellyd besyde Northehampton hyrde the gonne schotte, and come unto the fylde to have holpyn the King, but the fylde was done or that he come; an one of the Staffordys was ware of his comynge, and lovyd that knyght is [his wife] wyffe (age 21) and hatyd hym, and a-non causyd his dethe.
On 4th August 1466 [his former wife] Margaret Fitzlewis (age 27) died.