Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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Berkeley Castle is in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, Castles in Gloucestershire.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1121. And the king [aged 53] was at Easter at Berkley [Map]; and after that at Pentecost he held a full court at Westminster; and afterwards in the summer went with an army into Wales. And the Welsh came against him; and after the king's will they accorded with him.
On 29th September 1131 Roger II de Berkeley [aged 62] died at Berkeley Castle [Map].
Around 1170 Thomas Berkeley 4th Baron Berkeley was born to Maurice Fitzharding aka Berkeley 2nd Baron Berkeley [aged 50] and Alice Berkeley Baroness Berkeley [aged 35] at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He married before 1218 Joan Somery Baroness Berkeley, daughter of Ralph Somery 1st Baron Dudley and Margaret Gras Baroness Dudley, and had issue.
On 16th June 1190 Maurice Fitzharding aka Berkeley 2nd Baron Berkeley [aged 70] died at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He was buried at Berkeley Castle [Map]. His son Robert [aged 25] succeeded 3rd Baron Berkeley Feudal.
In 1218 Maurice Berkeley 5th Baron Berkeley was born to Thomas Berkeley 4th Baron Berkeley [aged 48] and Joan Somery Baroness Berkeley [aged 23] at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He married 1247 Isabella Plantagenet Baroness Berkeley and had issue.
On 29th November 1243 Thomas Berkeley 4th Baron Berkeley [aged 73] died at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He was buried at St Augustine's Abbey, Bristol [Map]. His son Maurice [aged 25] succeeded 5th Baron Berkeley Feudal. Isabella Plantagenet Baroness Berkeley by marriage Baroness Berkeley Feudal.
On 23rd July 1245 Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley was born to Maurice Berkeley 5th Baron Berkeley [aged 27] and Isabella Plantagenet Baroness Berkeley at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He a great grandson of King John of England. He married in or before 1268 his half fifth cousin Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley, daughter of William Ferrers 5th Earl of Derby and Margaret Quincy Countess Derby, and had issue.
Around 1268 Alice Berkeley was born to Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 22] and Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley at Berkeley Castle [Map]. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King John of England. She married Ralph Stourton and had issue.
In April 1271 Maurice Berkeley 7th and 2nd Baron Berkeley was born to Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 25] and Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He a great x 2 grandson of King John of England. He married (1) 1289 his fourth cousin once removed Eva Zouche and had issue (2) 1316 his third cousin once removed Isabella Clare Baroness Berkeley, daughter of Gilbert "Red Earl" Clare 7th Earl Gloucester 6th Earl Hertford and Alice or Alix Lusignan Countess Gloucester and Hertford.
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.
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In 1320 Maurice Berkeley 9th and 4th Baron Berkeley was born to Thomas Berkeley 8th and 3rd Baron Berkeley [aged 24] and Margaret Mortimer Baroness Berkeley [aged 16] at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He a great x 4 grandson of King John of England. He married August 1338 his half third cousin once removed Elizabeth Despencer Baroness Berkeley, daughter of Hugh "Younger" Despencer 1st Baron Despencer and Eleanor Clare Baroness Zouche Mortimer, and had issue.
On 16th November 1326 King Edward II of England [aged 42] was captured at Pant y Brâd, Llantrisant. He was imprisoned at Llantrisant Castle, Glamorganshire [Map]. Thereafter he was taken to Kenilworth Castle [Map], then Berkeley Castle [Map]. With him at the time of his capture were Hugh "Younger" Despencer 1st Baron Despencer [aged 40], Robert Holden, controller of his wardrobe; Robert Baldock, chancellor of England; two knights, one sergeant-at-arms, one valet and one clerk.
On 21st September 1327 King Edward II of England [aged 43] was murdered at Berkeley Castle [Map]. There is speculation as to the manner of his death, and as to whether he died at all. Some believe he may have lived the rest of his life in Europe - see Publications de la Société Archéologique de Montpellier 1877: Fieschi Letter.
On 5th January 1352 Thomas Berkeley 10th and 5th Baron Berkeley, Baron Lisle was born to Maurice Berkeley 9th and 4th Baron Berkeley [aged 32] and Elizabeth Despencer Baroness Berkeley [aged 27] at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He a great x 2 grandson of King Edward I of England. He married before 1386 his fourth cousin once removed Margaret Lisle Baroness Berkeley 3rd Baroness Lisle, daughter of Warin Lisle 2nd Baron Lisle and Margaret Pipard Baroness Lisle, and had issue.
On 27th October 1361 Thomas Berkeley 8th and 3rd Baron Berkeley [aged 65] died at Berkeley Castle [Map]. His son Maurice [aged 41] succeeded 9th Baron Berkeley Feudal, 4th Baron Berkeley.
In 1394 James Berkeley 11th and 1st Baron Berkeley was born to James Berkeley [aged 39] and Elizabeth Bluet at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward I of England. He married (1) 9th April 1410 Unamed St John (2) 1415 Daughter Stafford Baroness Berkeley (3) 1424 his half third cousin once removed Isabel Mowbray Baroness Berkeley, daughter of Thomas Mowbray 1st Duke of Norfolk and Elizabeth Fitzalan Duchess Norfolk, and had issue (4) before 25th July 1457 his fourth cousin once removed Joan Talbot Baroness Berkeley, daughter of John "Old Talbot" Talbot 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and Maud Neville 6th Baroness Furnivall.
In 1426 William Berkeley 1st Marquess Berkeley was born to James Berkeley 11th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 32] and Isabel Mowbray Baroness Berkeley [aged 26] at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward I of England. He married (1) 1466 his third cousin Elizabeth West 3rd Baroness Berkeley, daughter of Reginald West 6th Baron De La Warr 3rd Baron West and Margaret Thorley Baroness De La Warr Baroness West (2) November 1468 his fifth cousin Joan Strangeways 3rd Viscountess Berkeley, daughter of Thomas Strangeways and Katherine Neville Duchess Norfolk (3) 1486 his third cousin twice removed Anne Fiennes Marchioness Berkeley.
In 1435 Maurice Berkeley 3rd Baron Berkeley was born to James Berkeley 11th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 41] and Isabel Mowbray Baroness Berkeley [aged 35] at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward I of England. He married before 1467 Isabel Meade 3rd Baroness Berkeley and had issue.
In 1452 John Talbot 1st Viscount Lisle [aged 26] stormed and took James Berkeley 11th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 58] and his sons prisoner at Berkeley Castle [Map].
On 22nd October 1463 James Berkeley 11th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 69] died at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He was buried at St Augustine's Abbey, Bristol [Map]. His son William [aged 37] succeeded 12th Baron Berkeley Feudal, 2nd Baron Berkeley.
On 20th March 1470 the army of William Berkeley 1st Marquess Berkeley [aged 44] including Maurice Berkeley 3rd Baron Berkeley [aged 35] defeated the army of Thomas Talbot 2nd Viscount Lisle [aged 21] at Nibley Green, Berkeley.
Thomas Talbot 2nd Viscount Lisle was killed. Viscount Lisle extinct. Baron Lisle abeyant.
Ostensibly a battle of the Wars of the Roses it may also be considered a settling of the dispute over the ownership of Berkeley Castle [Map] which has passed with the Baron Berkeley Feudal to William Berkeley 1st Marquess Berkeley rather than with Baron Berkeley which was abeyant, and of which Thomas Talbot 2nd Viscount Lisle was a potential heir. Thomas Talbot 2nd Viscount Lisle was born to John Talbot 1st Viscount Lisle whose mother was Margaret Beauchamp Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford whose mother was Elizabeth Berkeley Countess Warwick who was a daughter of Thomas Berkeley 10th and 5th Baron Berkeley, Baron Lisle.
In 1487 William Berkeley 1st Marquess Berkeley [aged 61] settled the Berkeley Castle [Map] and Hhonour of Berkeley, the Barony of Bedford, the Barony of Gower, and the greater part of his manors and lands in England, Wales and Ireland, on himself in tail general, with remainder to the King in tail male failing which to his own right heirs effectively disinheriting his brothers and their descendants.
In September 1506 Maurice Berkeley 3rd Baron Berkeley [aged 71] died at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He was buried at St Augustine's Abbey, Bristol [Map]. His son Maurice [aged 39] succeeded 4th Baron Berkeley.
Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
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Around 1511 Mary Berkeley was born to James Berkeley of Thornbury [aged 38] and Susan Fitzalan at Berkeley Castle [Map]. She married before September 1531 Thomas Perrot and had issue.
In 1544 Maurice Berkeley [aged 38] was appointed Constable of Berkeley Castle.
Adeline Horsey Recollections. From Cowes we went to stay with the Ailesburys at Savernake, and then to Badminton, where the Beauforts had a large family party. The church was attached to the house, and one actually walked out of the library into the Parish Church, where the roomy Beaufort pew was well warmed by a fire. I remember going with the Duchess, my mother [aged 42], and Lord Cantelupe [aged 27] to see Berkeley Castle [Map], a most interesting but very uncomfortable draughty old place. I afterwards heard that Colonel Berkeley [aged 55], whose name figured in certain scandals of the Regency, had spent much of his time there with the numerous frail ladies who found him irresistible.
On 10th October 1857 Colonel William Berkeley 1st Earl Fitzhardinge [aged 70] died at Berkeley Castle [Map]. Earl Fitzhardinge and Baron Segrave extinct.
On 15th January 1942 Randal Mowbray Thomas Berkeley 8th Earl of Berkeley [aged 76] died without issue. Earl Berkeley and Viscount Dursley extinct. Berkeley Castle [Map] was inherited by his 13th cousin Robert George Wilmot Berkeley [aged 43].
On 2nd November 2017 Major Robert Berkeley [aged 86] died. Robert Berkeley [aged 49] inherited Berkeley Castle [Map].