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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St Mary's Church, Wirksworth is in Derbyshire Dales, Churches in Derbyshire.
St Mary's Church, Wirksworth [Map]. General Photos of the Interior and Saxon Carving.
In 1555 Anthony Lowe (age 73) died. St Mary's Church, Wirksworth [Map]. Monument to Anthony Lowe. Elizabethan Period.
Anthony Lowe: In 1482 he was born.
On 7th June 1564 Ralph Gell (age 73) died. He was buried in St Mary's Church, Wirksworth [Map]. Elizabethan Period. Chest with Weepers.
The inscription reads: Here lyeth RAFF GELL of Hopton sun of John Gell of Hopton and Godythe and Emme (age 54) his wyffes, which Raff deceased ye VIIth day of June Anno Dmi MVLXIIII. THis body whych of kynde we have ... to earth it must. A gostly bodye shall at length be raised out of dust. What harm at all recyveth man by yeldyne uppe his brethe. Synce he unto a dyryng lyffe hath passage throughe dethe. God of His mercy meer us those in a lyves booke us writ. Dy must thou onced then yelde thyselfe and dred not deathe a wyt.
Ralph Gell: In 1491 he was born. Before 1522 Ralph Gell and Godeth Ashby were married. After 1535 Ralph Gell and Emma Beresford were married.
Godeth Ashby: Around 1500 she was born to Nicholas Ashby of Willoughby on the Wolds in Nottinghamshire. Around 1535 she died.
Emma Beresford: Around 1510 she was born to Hugh Beresford.
On 29th June 1583 Anthony Gell (age 61) died. He was buried in St Mary's Church, Wirksworth [Map]. Elizabethan Period.
Anthony Gell: In 1522 he was born to Ralph Gell and Godeth Ashby.
On 26th January 1671 John Gell 1st Baronet (age 77) died. He was buried in St Mary's Church, Wirksworth [Map]. His son John (age 58) succeeded 2nd Baronet Gell of Hopton in Derbyshire.
John Gell 2nd Baronet: In 1613 he was born to John Gell 1st Baronet and Elizabeth Willoughby Lady Gell. Before 8th February 1688 John Gell 2nd Baronet and Katherine Packer of Shelingford were married. On 8th February 1688 John Gell 2nd Baronet died. His son Philip succeeded 3rd Baronet Gell of Hopton in Derbyshire. Elizabeth Fagge Lady Gell by marriage Lady Gell of Hopton in Derbyshire.
On 19th October 1704 Elizabeth Gell died. St Mary's Church, Wirksworth [Map]. Monument to Elizabeth Gell.
Elizabeth Gell: she was born to John Gell 2nd Baronet and Katherine Packer of Shelingford.
On 16th July 1719 Philip Gell 3rd Baronet (age 68) died without issue. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Wirksworth [Map]. Monument to Philip Gell 3rd Baronet. Baronet Gell of Hopton in Derbyshire extinct. His esates were inherited by his nephew John Gell son of William Eyre and Philip's sister Katherine Gell who adopted the name Gell.
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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On or before 22nd April 1892 Thomas Goodwin (age 82) died. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Wirksworth [Map].