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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St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire is in Bottesford, Leicestershire, Churches in Leicestershire.
Exterior of St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
Interior of St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
Around 1140 St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map] was commissioned by William Brito de Albini. The current Chancel formed that church.
Around 1209 Nicholas de Albini was appointed Rector of St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map]. He was succeeded in the same year by one William Capellanus. Yet it was the original rector Nicholas d’Albini who surrendered Belvoir Castle to King John during the wars of 1216, before being excommunicated and then imprisoned by King John.
Around 1280 Robert Ros [aged 44] commissioned the extension of St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map] adding the nave and aisles in the Decorated style.
Around 1345 the South Aisle at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map] was further developed albeit interrupted by the Black Death.
After 1st September 1414 William Ros 6th Baron Ros Helmsley [deceased] was buried at Belvoir Priory [Map]. At the dissolution of the monasteries his monument was moved to the Chancel of St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map] on the right side of the High Altar. Alabaster Monument of the Camail and Jupon Period. Possibly Sutton and Prentys.
Detail of the Ros Family Peacock Crest surmounting his Great Helm.
Detail of decorated Orle and Vervelle Cover.
Detail of Lancastrian Esses Collar and face. Note the twisted moustache that is frequently seen on Sutton and Prentys monuments. The fixing of the Esses Collar to the Camail using a small trefoil.
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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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In 1420 the tower and spire at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map] were constructed.
After 22nd March 1421 John Ros 7th Baron Ros Helmsley [deceased] was buried at Belvoir Priory [Map]. His remains and monument were subsequently relocated to the Chancel of St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map]. Early Plate Bascinet Period.
John Ros 7th Baron Ros Helmsley: Around 1397 he was born to William Ros 6th Baron Ros Helmsley and Margaret Fitzalan Baroness Ros of Helmsley. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry III of England. On 1st September 1414 William Ros 6th Baron Ros Helmsley died. His son John succeeded 7th Baron Ros Helmsley. Before 22nd March 1421 John Ros 7th Baron Ros Helmsley and Margery Despencer 3rd Baroness Despencer, Baroness Ros were married. She by marriage Baroness Ros Helmsley. They were third cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry III of England.
Detail of Lancastrian Esses Collar and the trefoil fixing holding the Lancastrian Esses Collar to the bottom of the Camail.
Detail of IHC NASARE Lettering and Decorated Orle and decorated Vervelle Cover. Bascinet with Gorget. Lancastrian Esses Collar.
Detail of the Ros Peacock Crest which surmounted his Great Helm; only the feet remain.
Detail of the Hourglass Gauntlets and graffiti.
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On 20th September 1543 Thomas Manners 1st Earl of Rutland [aged 51] died. He was buried in the Chancel of St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map]. His son Henry [aged 16] succeeded 2nd Earl of Rutland, 13th Baron Ros Helmsley. Margaret Neville Countess Rutland by marriage Countess of Rutland.
After 20th September 1543. Alabaster Monument to Thomas Manners 1st Earl of Rutland [deceased] and Eleanor Paston Countess Rutland [aged 48] in the Chancel of St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
Chest with Weepers. Monument sculpted by Richard Parker of Burton on Trent.
Detail of his head with a short haircut and beard. He wearing a circlet, possibly coronet. His head resting on a Great Helm with Peacock in Pride ie with its feathers displayed.
His Mitten Gauntlets with the cloven-hooved foot of the Unicorn visible.
Detail of his Great Helm with Cap of Maintenance and the Manners Peacock in Pride ie with its feathers displayed.
Detail of the panels of the chest.
Detail of her dress with fastenings, heart locket, hands crasped in prayer.
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On 17th September 1563 Henry Manners 2nd Earl of Rutland [aged 36] died. He was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map]. His son Edward [aged 14] succeeded 3rd Earl of Rutland, 14th Baron Ros Helmsley. Edward Manners 3rd Earl of Rutland became a ward of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland [aged 30] and was specially under the charge of William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley [aged 43].
After 17th September 1563. Alabaster Monument to Henry Manners 2nd Earl of Rutland [deceased] and Margaret Neville Countess Rutland at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
Monument an unusual Table Tomb with their effigies beneath surmounted by effigies of their children. The table may once have been raised in the same way as the one at St Lawrence's Church, Snarford [Map] to Thomas St Paul which may be by the same carver.
His arms showing quarterly: 1&4: 
Manners Augmented Arms. 2nd: Top Row: 
Ros Arms, 
Roet Arms, Trusbutt [or Belvoir], Bottom Row: Todeni [Albini ancient], 
Daubeney Arms, 
Badlesmere Arms. 3rd Quarterly: 1 
Thomas Holland 2nd Earl Kent 1350 1397 Arms, 2 
Tiptoft Arms, 3 
Vaux Arms 4. 
Powys Arms aka Charlton.
Her arms. Quartered 1&4 
Neville Arms, 2 Thomas Holland 2nd Earl Kent 1350 1397 Arms, 4 Neville Ancient Arms.
Peacock in Pride ie with its feathers displayed.
Detail of their children.
Detail of the corner of the pediment on which the arms are displayed decorated with fruit and detail of one of the legs of the table.
Detail of his armour, in his right hand a prayer-book, his left hand clutching his sword.
Detail of the Unicorn on which his feet rest and Lion on which her feet rest.
The Manners Peacock Crest.
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On 14th April 1587 Edward Manners 3rd Earl of Rutland [aged 37] died at his home Ivy Bridge on the Strand [Map] or at Puddle Wharf aka Dock [Map]. He was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map]. His daughter Elizabeth [aged 12] succeeded 15th Baroness Ros Helmsley. His brother John [aged 36] succeeded 4th Earl of Rutland. Elizabeth Charlton Countess Rutland [aged 34] by marriage Countess of Rutland. He would be Earl for ten months only dying on 24 Feb 1588.
Robert Constable [aged 65] was one of the principal mourners at his funeral.
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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After 14th April 1587. Elizabethan Period monument to Edward Manners 3rd Earl of Rutland [deceased] and Isabel Holcroft Countess Rutland [aged 37] sculpted by Gerard Johnson The Elder [aged 37] in the Chancel of St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
Isabel Holcroft Countess Rutland: In 1550 she was born to Thomas Holcroft. On 6th June 1573 Edward Manners 3rd Earl of Rutland and she were married. She by marriage Countess of Rutland, Baroness Ros Helmsley. He the son of Henry Manners 2nd Earl of Rutland and Margaret Neville Countess Rutland. Around 16th January 1606 she died.
Detail of the sculpture of their only child Elizabeth Manners 15th Baroness Ros of Helmsley [aged 12].
His feet resting on a Bulls Head with a chained coronet around its neck - a change from the Unicorn seen on earlier Manners effigies.
Detail of her Ermine lined mantle and hands clasped in prayer.
Her arms quarterd 1&4 Holcroft 2 Unknown? A squirrel, possibly fox, eating what may be a nut. 3 A black bird and an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes.
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1590. The Packhorse, or Dr. Samuel Fleming's, bridge over the River Devon, at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map]. Said ot have been commissioned by Samuel Fleming, Rector of Bottesford from 1581 to 1620, when he was unable to walk to the church as a consequence of a flooded River Devon.
After 1595. Elizabethan Period monument to John Manners 4th Earl of Rutland and Elizabeth Charlton Countess Rutland [aged 42] in the Chancel of St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map] sculpted by Gerard Johnson The Elder [aged 45].
Armorial above the monument showing top row: Manners Augmented Arms, Ros Arms, Roet Arms, Trusbutt [or Belvoir],
2nd Row: 
Beauchamp Arms, 
Beaumont Arms, 
Berkeley Arms, 
Lisle Arms
3rd Row: Unknown, Thomas Holland 2nd Earl Kent 1350 1397 Arms, Tiptoft Arms, Powys Arms aka Charlton
4th Row: Badlesmere Arms, Vaux Arms, Todeni [Albini ancient] Arms, Daubeney Arms.
Around 21st March 1595 Elizabeth Charlton Countess Rutland [aged 42] died. She was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
In 1612 Elizabeth Sidney Countess Rutland [aged 27] died. She was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
On 26th June 1612 Roger Manners 5th Earl of Rutland [aged 35] died. He was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map]. His brother Francis [aged 34] succeeded 6th Earl of Rutland. Cecily Tufton Countess Rutland by marriage Countess of Rutland.
After 26th June 1612. Elizabethan Period monument to Roger Manners 5th Earl of Rutland [deceased] and Elizabeth Sidney Countess Rutland at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map] sculpted by Nicholas Johnson. Cost £150 including carriage by sea from London to Boston [Map].
Elizabeth Sidney Countess Rutland: In 1585 she was born to Philip Sidney and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex. On 5th March 1599 Roger Manners 5th Earl of Rutland and she were married. She by marriage Countess of Rutland. Childless, unhappy and possibly not consummated. She the daughter of Philip Sidney and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex. He the son of John Manners 4th Earl of Rutland and Elizabeth Charlton Countess Rutland. In 1612 Elizabeth Sidney Countess Rutland died. She was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
On 17th December 1632 Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland [aged 54] died at Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire [Map]. On 20th February 1633 he was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map]. His daughter Katherine [aged 30] succeeded 18th Baroness Ros Helmsley. His brother George [aged 52] succeeded 7th Earl of Rutland. Frances Carey Countess Rutland [aged 61] by marriage Countess of Rutland.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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On 29th March 1641 George Manners 7th Earl of Rutland [aged 61] died. His second cousin John [aged 36] succeeded 8th Earl of Rutland. Frances Montagu Countess Rutland [aged 27] by marriage Countess of Rutland. Monument sculpted by Grinling Gibbons at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
After 17th December 1642 Monument to Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland, Frances Knyvet Lady Bevill and Cecily Tufton Countess Rutland at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
Detail of his Leg Garter.
Detail of the Manner's family Peacock in Pride.
On 29th September 1679 John Manners 8th Earl of Rutland [aged 75] died at Nether Haddon, Derbyshire [Map]. He was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map]. His son John [aged 41] succeeded 9th Earl of Rutland. Catherine Noel Duchess Rutland [aged 22] by marriage Countess of Rutland.
After 29th September 1679. St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map]. Monument to John Manners 8th Earl of Rutland [deceased] and Frances Montagu Countess Rutland. Monument sculpted by Grinling Gibbons [aged 31].
Archaeologia Volume V32 1847 Appendix. Sepulchral Memorials, commemorative of Robert de Roos of Hamlake, in the Church of Bottesford [Map], and of Lord Grey of Codnor, in Eton College Chapel.
Memorial in the churchyard at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map] to Rev Augustin Megginson of Bolam, Northumberland, 1823-1856.
After 1918. Memorial to those killed in the First World War at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
Commonwealth War Graves at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map] including one to Flight Sargeant William Dundas Fordwych who was killed aged twenty-one with the rest of his crew on 19th August 1942. Took off 0001 hrs to practicing overshoot procedures. The starboard outer engine was feathered by error, resulting in a stall and the crash that followed at 01.15hrs at Normanton [Map], 12 miles NE of Nottingham.
After 1945. Memorial to those killed in the Second World War at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
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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In January 1999 the funeral of the 10th Duke of Rutland [aged 79] was held at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
2015. A list of the Rectors of St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
On 21st June 2025 William Lindesay-Bethune [aged 34] and Violet Manners [aged 31] were married at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map] and, thereafter, Belvoir Castle [Map]. She the daughter of David Manners 11th Duke of Rutland [aged 66] and Emma Watkins Duchess Rutland [aged 61].
The best men were Archibald Cochrane [aged 34] and David Lindesay-Bethune [aged 32]. The two bridesmaids were her sisters Alice Manners [aged 30] and Eliza Manners [aged 27], and Princess Devisha Kumari Singh.
The guests included Lady Tatiana Mountbatten [aged 35]. Sabrina Catherine Percy [aged 35] and Timothy Vesterberg and Flora Ogilvy [aged 30], Prince Jaime Duke of Noto and Charlotte Lindesay-Bethune [aged 32],
