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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Tonbridge, Kent is in Kent.
Tonbridge, Kent [Map] is on the River Medway.
Around 1044 Avice de Clare was born to Richard de Clare [aged 20] and Rohese Giffard [aged 9] at Tonbridge, Kent [Map]. She married Robert Stafford, son of Roger "The Spaniard" Tosny and Adelaide aka Godehildis Ramon, and had issue.
In 1064 Robert de Clare was born to Richard de Clare [aged 40] and Rohese Giffard [aged 29] at Tonbridge, Kent [Map]. He married 1114 his half third cousin twice removed Maud Senlis, daughter of Simon Senlis 1st Earl of Northampton, Earl of Huntingdon and Maud Queen Consort Scotland, and had issue.
Around 1066 Roger de Clare was born to Richard de Clare [aged 42] and Rohese Giffard [aged 31] at Tonbridge, Kent [Map].
In 1088 Gilbert de Clare [aged 22] was wounded at Tonbridge, Kent [Map].
Around 1100 Gilbert de Clare 1st Earl Pembroke was born to Gilbert de Clare [aged 34] and Adeliza Clermont [aged 42] at Tonbridge, Kent [Map]. He married in or before 1130 his half fourth cousin Isabel Beaumont Countess Pembroke, daughter of Robert Beaumont 1st Earl of Leicester Count Meulan and Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey, and had issue.
In 1130 Richard "Strongbow" Clare 2nd Earl Pembroke was born to Gilbert de Clare 1st Earl Pembroke [aged 30] and Isabel Beaumont Countess Pembroke at Tonbridge, Kent [Map]. He married 26th August 1171 Aoife ni Diarmait Macmurrough Countess Pembroke and Buckingham and had issue.
In 1154 Elena de Clare was born to Roger Clare 2nd Earl Hertford [aged 38] and Maud St Hilary Countess Hertford at Tonbridge, Kent [Map]. She married John Grey and had issue.
Around 1245 Thomas de Clare was born to Richard de Clare 6th Earl Gloucester 5th Earl Hertford [aged 22] and Maud Lacy Countess Gloucester and Hertford [aged 21] at Tonbridge, Kent [Map]. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England. He married February 1275 his fourth cousin once removed Juliana Fitzgerald and had issue.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 10th November 1347 Hugh Audley 1st Earl Gloucester [aged 56] died at Tonbridge, Kent [Map]. He was buried at Tonbridge Priory, Kent [Map]. Earl Gloucester extinct. Baron Audley of Stratton Audley in Oxfordshire 1317dormant.
On 6th April 1395 William Stafford 4th Earl Stafford [aged 19] died at Pleshey Castle [Map]. He was buried at Tonbridge, Kent [Map]. His brother Edmund [aged 17] succeeded 5th Earl Stafford, 6th Baron Stafford.
On 5th September 1492 Andrew Judde was born to John Judde and Margaret Chichele at Tonbridge, Kent [Map]. He married (1) before 1523 Mary Murfyn (2) 1542 Agnes m Judde (3) 1552 Mary Mathews.
On 18th April 1527 Isabel Worsley [aged 67] died at Tonbridge, Kent [Map].
Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1530. August 1530. Vesp. F. III. 15 b. B. M. Fiddes' Coll. 255. 197. Anne Boleyn [aged 29] to [Wolsey [aged 57]].
Thanks him for the gift of "this benefice for Mr. Barlow." However, it is not Tonbridge, Kent [Map] but Sonridge that she desires. The former is in her father's gift, and is not vacant. Will do all she can for those who have taken pains in the King's matter.
P.S.-Begs that for her sake he will remember the parson of Honey Lane [Farman].
Around May 1884 William Hamo Thornycroft [aged 34] and Agatha Cox [aged 19] were married at Tonbridge, Kent [Map]. He the son of Thomas Thornycroft [aged 68] and Mary Francis [aged 75].
Richard Clare was born to Richard de Clare and Rohese Giffard at Tonbridge, Kent [Map].
Parliament Rolls Richard II. 27. Be it remembered that the venerable father Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England, earnestly prayed to the lord king in the present parliament that whereas his church of Canterbury, by the gift and grant of his noble and holy progenitors, which the same king graciously confirmed, had such prerogative over the other churches of England that whatsoever archbishop of Canterbury for the time being had custody of all lordships, manors, tenements, and rents with appurtenances which were held of the same church in chief during the minority of the heirs of their tenants, even though the same tenants elsewhere held in chief of the lord king; and now concerning the castle and manor of Tonbridge, Kent [Map], which by virtue of this prerogative were in the custody of William de Courtenay, late archbishop of Canterbury now deceased, predecessor of the present archbishop, on the day on which he died, by reason of the minority of the heir of the earl of Stafford deceased, who held the aforesaid castle and manor from the aforesaid former archbishop in chief, dispute and controversy between the present archbishop and the executors of the will of the aforesaid late archbishop are pending at present. And whereas a certain composition was drawn up a short while ago between the archbishop of Canterbury and the prior and chapter of the church of Canterbury on the matter, it pleased the lord king, having inspected and examined that composition, to order a view and settlement of the matter for the peace and right of his said church of Canterbury, as should seem best to his royal majesty, to whose ordinance and decree on the foregoing the same archbishop proclaimed himself to be firmly obedient in all things, whereupon the same lord king immediately appointed the venerable fathers Robert archbishop of York, Robert Bishop of London and John Bishop of Ely, and John duke of Aquitaine and Lancaster, and John Earl of Huntingdon, and Thomas the earl marshal, to inspect and examine that composition, and further to discuss and settle the matter at their discretion, and fully to inform the lord king of what their deed and action should be. And later on Monday, the last day of the aforesaid parliament [10 February 1397], the archbishop of York, and the bishops, and the aforesaid duke and earls thus appointed by order of the lord king in the same parliament returned their decree and ordinance on the aforesaid matter by Walter Clopton, the lord king's justice, in this form - namely, that the third part of all manors, lands, and tenements of the inheritance of the aforesaid heir, and the issues, profits, and revenues of the same from the time of the death of the aforesaid late archbishop, should, according to the form of the aforesaid composition, remain and be in the hands of the aforesaid prior and chapter, to be used for their own purposes; and that two parts of the aforesaid lands and tenements, with the issues, profits, and revenues of the same two parts, should remain likewise in the hands of that prior and chapter, safely and securely to keep until the lord king shall have ordained to whom those said two parts of the issues, profits, and revenues shall be delivered and has declared his will thereon. And the castle of Tonbridge [Map] will be delivered to the aforesaid present archbishop of Canterbury without delay, to remain in his hands and keeping until the the coming of age of the aforesaid heir. The which ordinance and decree thus rendered by the archbishop of York, bishops, duke and earls, the aforesaid lord king, approving thereof, ordered to be placed on record on the roll of parliament at the request of the aforesaid present archbishop of Canterbury.
Rohese de Clare was born to Richard de Clare and Rohese Giffard at Tonbridge, Kent [Map]. She married Ralph Tillières.
Alice or Adeliza de Clare was born to Richard de Clare and Rohese Giffard at Tonbridge, Kent [Map].
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Walter Fitzrichard aka de Clare was born to Richard de Clare and Rohese Giffard at Tonbridge, Kent [Map].
The River Medway rises near Turners Hill [Map] from where it flows through Wood Weir Reservoir [Map], past Forest Row [Map], between Hartwell [Map] and Hartfield [Map], after which it is joined by the River Grom, past Ashurst, Kent [Map], Hedge Barton, Kent [Map], Penshurst, Kent [Map], under Ensfield Bridge, Kent [Map], through Tonbridge, Kent [Map], past East Peckham, Surrey [Map], Nettlestead, Kent [Map], under Teston Bridge, Kent [Map], under Kettle Bridge, Kent [Map] and East Farleigh Bridge, Kent [Map], through Maidstone, Kent [Map].
After Maidstone the river flows past Aylesford, Kent [Map], Burnham Causewayed Enclosure [Map] and Wouldham, Kent [Map] to Rochester, Kent [Map].
Isabel de Clare was born to Richard de Clare and Rohese Giffard at Tonbridge, Kent [Map].
Tonbridge Castle is also in Castles in Kent.
On 2nd August 1274 King Edward I of England [aged 35] and Eleanor of Castile Queen Consort England [aged 33] arrived at Dover, Kent [Map] after an absence of four years. They travelled to London via Tonbridge Castle [Map], home of Gilbert "Red Earl" Clare 7th Earl Gloucester 6th Earl Hertford [aged 30] and Reigate Castle, Surrey [Map], home of John Warenne 6th Earl of Surrey [aged 43].
In 1324 Henry Cobham 1st Baron Cobham [aged 64] was appointed Constable of Tonbridge Castle.
Parliament Rolls Richard II. 27. Be it remembered that the venerable father Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England, earnestly prayed to the lord king in the present parliament that whereas his church of Canterbury, by the gift and grant of his noble and holy progenitors, which the same king graciously confirmed, had such prerogative over the other churches of England that whatsoever archbishop of Canterbury for the time being had custody of all lordships, manors, tenements, and rents with appurtenances which were held of the same church in chief during the minority of the heirs of their tenants, even though the same tenants elsewhere held in chief of the lord king; and now concerning the castle and manor of Tonbridge, Kent [Map], which by virtue of this prerogative were in the custody of William de Courtenay, late archbishop of Canterbury now deceased, predecessor of the present archbishop, on the day on which he died, by reason of the minority of the heir of the earl of Stafford deceased, who held the aforesaid castle and manor from the aforesaid former archbishop in chief, dispute and controversy between the present archbishop and the executors of the will of the aforesaid late archbishop are pending at present. And whereas a certain composition was drawn up a short while ago between the archbishop of Canterbury and the prior and chapter of the church of Canterbury on the matter, it pleased the lord king, having inspected and examined that composition, to order a view and settlement of the matter for the peace and right of his said church of Canterbury, as should seem best to his royal majesty, to whose ordinance and decree on the foregoing the same archbishop proclaimed himself to be firmly obedient in all things, whereupon the same lord king immediately appointed the venerable fathers Robert archbishop of York, Robert Bishop of London and John Bishop of Ely, and John duke of Aquitaine and Lancaster, and John Earl of Huntingdon, and Thomas the earl marshal, to inspect and examine that composition, and further to discuss and settle the matter at their discretion, and fully to inform the lord king of what their deed and action should be. And later on Monday, the last day of the aforesaid parliament [10 February 1397], the archbishop of York, and the bishops, and the aforesaid duke and earls thus appointed by order of the lord king in the same parliament returned their decree and ordinance on the aforesaid matter by Walter Clopton, the lord king's justice, in this form - namely, that the third part of all manors, lands, and tenements of the inheritance of the aforesaid heir, and the issues, profits, and revenues of the same from the time of the death of the aforesaid late archbishop, should, according to the form of the aforesaid composition, remain and be in the hands of the aforesaid prior and chapter, to be used for their own purposes; and that two parts of the aforesaid lands and tenements, with the issues, profits, and revenues of the same two parts, should remain likewise in the hands of that prior and chapter, safely and securely to keep until the lord king shall have ordained to whom those said two parts of the issues, profits, and revenues shall be delivered and has declared his will thereon. And the castle of Tonbridge [Map] will be delivered to the aforesaid present archbishop of Canterbury without delay, to remain in his hands and keeping until the the coming of age of the aforesaid heir. The which ordinance and decree thus rendered by the archbishop of York, bishops, duke and earls, the aforesaid lord king, approving thereof, ordered to be placed on record on the roll of parliament at the request of the aforesaid present archbishop of Canterbury.
Tonbridge Priory, Kent is also in Priories in England.
On 10th November 1347 Hugh Audley 1st Earl Gloucester [aged 56] died at Tonbridge, Kent [Map]. He was buried at Tonbridge Priory, Kent [Map]. Earl Gloucester extinct. Baron Audley of Stratton Audley in Oxfordshire 1317dormant.
Around 1566 Francis Thynne [aged 22] attended at Tonbridge School, Kent.
Around 1668 Thomas Herbert 8th Earl Pembroke 5th Earl Montgomery [aged 12] educated at Tonbridge School, Kent.
Around 1825 Reginald Courtenay Bishop [aged 12] educated at Tonbridge School, Kent.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Around 1949 Murray Beauclerk 14th Duke St Albans [aged 9] educated at Tonbridge School, Kent.