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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Earl Derby is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically.
There have been three creations of Earl Derby:
1st. 22nd August 1138. Robert Ferrers 1st Earl of Derby. Extinct. 27th April 1279.
2nd. 1349. Henry of Grosmont 1st Duke Lancaster. Merged with the Crown. 30th September 1399. Abdication of Richard II.
3rd. 28th October 1485. Thomas Stanley 1st Earl of Derby. Extant.
Earl Derby is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extinct Earldoms of England.
Summary
22nd August 1138. Robert Ferrers 1st Earl of Derby [aged 76] created.
1st June 1139. Son Robert Ferrers 2nd Earl of Derby succeeded.
1162. Son William Ferrers 3rd Earl of Derby [aged 26] succeeded.
1190. Son William Ferrers 4th Earl of Derby [aged 22] succeeded. See Siege of Acre.
1247. Son William Ferrers 5th Earl of Derby [aged 54] succeeded.
28th March 1254. Son Robert Ferrers 6th Earl of Derby [aged 15] succeeded.
27th April 1279. Robert Ferrers 6th Earl of Derby extinct.
Before 1136 Robert Ferrers 2nd Earl of Derby and Margaret Peverell Countess Derby [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. He the son of Robert Ferrers 1st Earl of Derby [aged 73] and Hawise de Vitre Countess Derby [aged 66].
After 22nd August 1138 Robert Ferrers 1st Earl of Derby [aged 76] was created 1st Earl Derby for his role at the Battle of the Standard; see Chronicle of John Prior of Hexham. Hawise de Vitre Countess Derby [aged 69] by marriage Countess Derby.
On 1st June 1139 Robert Ferrers 1st Earl of Derby [aged 76] died at Chartley Stowe, Staffordshire. His son Robert succeeded 2nd Earl Derby.
Before 1161 William Ferrers 3rd Earl of Derby [aged 24] and Sybil de Braose Countess Derby [aged 3] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. The difference in their ages was 21 years. He the son of Robert Ferrers 2nd Earl of Derby and Margaret Peverell Countess Derby.
In 1162 Robert Ferrers 2nd Earl of Derby died. His son William [aged 26] succeeded 3rd Earl Derby.
In 1190 at the Siege of Acre Routrou Chateaudun IV Count Perche [aged 55] and Raoul Coucy [aged 55] were killed.
William Ferrers 3rd Earl of Derby [aged 54] was killed. His son William [aged 22] succeeded 4th Earl Derby. Agnes Gernon Countess Derby by marriage Countess Derby.
In 1247 William Ferrers 4th Earl of Derby [aged 79] died. His son William [aged 54] succeeded 5th Earl Derby. Margaret Quincy Countess Derby by marriage Countess Derby.
On 28th March 1254 William Ferrers 5th Earl of Derby [aged 61] died. He was buried at Merevale Abbey, Warwickshire [Map]. His son Robert [aged 15] succeeded 6th Earl Derby. Mary or Marie Lusignan Countess Derby [aged 12] by marriage Countess Derby.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 26th June 1269 Robert Ferrers 6th Earl of Derby [aged 30] and Eleanor Bohun Countess Derby [aged 26] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. He the son of William Ferrers 5th Earl of Derby and Margaret Quincy Countess Derby. They were third cousin once removed. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.
Before 27th April 1279 Robert Ferrers 6th Earl of Derby [aged 40] died. Earl Derby extinct. He was buried at St Thomas' Priory, Stafford [Map].
Earl Derby is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Succeeded Countesses of England, Merged with the Crown Earldoms of England.
Summary
1349. Henry of Grosmont 1st Duke Lancaster [aged 39] created.
23rd March 1361. Daughter Blanche Duchess of Lancaster [aged 18] succeeded. See Death of Henry of Grosmont.
12th September 1368. Son King Henry IV of England [aged 1] succeeded.
30th September 1399. Edmund Mortimer 5th Earl March 7th Earl of Ulster [aged 7] merged with the crown. See Abdication of Richard II.
In 1349 Henry of Grosmont 1st Duke Lancaster [aged 39] was created 1st Earl Derby. Isabel Beaumont Duchess Lancaster [aged 29] by marriage Countess Derby.
On 23rd March 1361 Henry of Grosmont 1st Duke Lancaster [aged 51] died at Leicester Castle [Map]. He was buried at Church of the Annunciation of our Lady of the Newark [Map]. Duke Lancaster, Earl Lincoln extinct.
Blanche Duchess of Lancaster [aged 18] succeeded 5th Countess Lancaster and 2nd Countess Derby. John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster [aged 21] by marriage Earl Lancaster, Earl Derby.
Maud Plantagenet Duchess Lower Bavaria [aged 20] succeeded 5th Countess of Leicester.
On 12th September 1368 Blanche Duchess of Lancaster [aged 26] died at Tutbury Castle, Staffordshire [Map]. Her last words were said to be "Souveyne vous de moi" ("Don't forget me") the 'S' of which was possibly subsequently represented on the Lancastrian Esses Collar. She was buried at St Paul's Cathedral [Map]. Her son Henry of Grosmont [aged 1] succeeded 3rd Earl Derby, 6th Earl Lancaster.
On 30th September 1399 King Henry IV of England [aged 32] became King of England usurping the throne of his cousin Richard II [aged 32] and Richard's heir, the seven year old Edmund Mortimer 5th Earl of March [aged 7] who was descended from Edward III's second son Lionel of Antwerp Duke of Clarence. This second usurption was to have far reaching consequences since it subsequently became the descent by which the House of York claimed precedence over the House of Lancaster being one of the causes of the Wars of the Roses. Duke Lancaster, Duke of Hereford, Earl Derby, Earl Lancaster and Earl of Leicester merged with the Crown.
Ralph Neville 1st Earl of Westmoreland [aged 35] was appointed Earl Marshal.
Earl Derby is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extant Earldoms of England.
Summary
28th October 1485. Thomas Stanley 1st Earl of Derby [aged 50] created. See Coronation of Henry VII.
29th July 1504. Grandson Thomas Stanley 2nd Earl of Derby [aged 19] succeeded.
23rd May 1521. Son Edward Stanley 3rd Earl of Derby [aged 12] succeeded.
24th October 1572. Son Henry Stanley 4th Earl of Derby [aged 41] succeeded.
25th September 1593. Son Ferdinando Stanley 5th Earl of Derby [aged 34] succeeded.
16th April 1594. Brother William Stanley 6th Earl of Derby [aged 33] succeeded.
29th September 1642. Son James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby [aged 35] succeeded.
15th October 1651. Son Charles Stanley 8th Earl of Derby [aged 23] succeeded.
21st December 1672. Son William Stanley 9th Earl of Derby [aged 17] succeeded.
5th November 1702. Brother James Stanley 10th Earl of Derby [aged 38] succeeded.
1st February 1736. Sixth Cousin Edward Stanley 11th Earl of Derby [aged 46] succeeded.
22nd February 1776. Grandson Edward Smith-Stanley 12th Earl of Derby [aged 23] succeeded.
21st October 1834. Son Edward Smith-Stanley 13th Earl of Derby [aged 59] succeeded.
30th June 1851. Son Edward Smith-Stanley 14th Earl of Derby [aged 52] succeeded.
23rd October 1869. Son Edward Henry Stanley 15th Earl of Derby [aged 43] succeeded.
21st April 1893. Brother Frederick Arthur Stanley 16th Earl of Derby [aged 52] succeeded.
14th June 1908. Son Edward George Villiers Stanley 17th Earl of Derby [aged 43] succeeded.
4th February 1948. Grandson Edward John Stanley 18th Earl of Derby [aged 29] succeeded.
28th November 1984. Nephew Hugh Stanley 19th Earl of Derby [aged 22] succeeded.
On 28th October 1485 Jasper Tudor 1st Duke Bedford [aged 53] was created 1st Duke Bedford by Henry VII [aged 28] for having supported Henry's claim to the throne. Catherine Woodville Duchess Buckingham and Bedford [aged 27] by marriage Duchess Bedford.
Thomas Stanley 1st Earl of Derby [aged 50] was created 1st Earl Derby.
Edward Courtenay 1st Earl Devon [aged 26] was created 1st Earl Devon. It is believed he was restored as 11th Baron Okehampton at the same time?
Reginald Bray [aged 45], John Fitzwalter, Thomas Cokesge, Roger Lewknor, Henry Haydon and John Verney were appointed Knight of the Bath.
On 29th July 1504 Thomas Stanley 1st Earl of Derby [aged 69] died. He was buried at Burscough Priory [Map]. His grandson Thomas [aged 19] succeeded 2nd Earl Derby, 10th Baron Strange Knockin, 6th Baron Mohun of Dunster, 3rd Baron Stanley.
On 17th December 1505 Thomas Stanley 2nd Earl of Derby [aged 20] and Anne Hastings Countess Derby [aged 20] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. They were second cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
On 23rd May 1521 Thomas Stanley 2nd Earl of Derby [aged 36] died. His son Edward [aged 12] succeeded 3rd Earl Derby, 11th Baron Strange Knockin, 7th Baron Mohun of Dunster, 4th Baron Stanley. Katherine Howard Countess Derby [aged 6] by marriage Countess Derby.
Before September 1531 Edward Stanley 3rd Earl of Derby [aged 22] and Dorothy Howard Countess Derby [aged 20] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. She the daughter of Thomas Howard 2nd Duke of Norfolk and Agnes Tilney Duchess Norfolk [aged 54]. He the son of Thomas Stanley 2nd Earl of Derby and Anne Hastings Countess Derby [aged 46]. They were half third cousin once removed. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England.
This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 24th October 1572 Edward Stanley 3rd Earl of Derby [aged 63] died at Lathom, Lancashire. His son Henry [aged 41] succeeded 4th Earl Derby, 12th Baron Strange Knockin, 8th Baron Mohun of Dunster, 5th Baron Stanley. Margaret Clifford Countess Derby [aged 32] by marriage Countess Derby.
Richard Shireburn [aged 50] was an executor in his will.
On 25th September 1593 Henry Stanley 4th Earl of Derby [aged 62] died at Lathom, Lancashire. His son Ferdinando [aged 34] succeeded 5th Earl Derby, 13th Baron Strange Knockin, 9th Baron Mohun of Dunster, 6th Baron Stanley. Alice Spencer Countess Derby [aged 44] by marriage Countess Derby.
On 16th April 1594 Ferdinando Stanley 5th Earl of Derby [aged 35] died from poisoning. His brother William [aged 33] succeeded 6th Earl Derby. Baron Mohun of Dunster and Baron Stanley abeyant.
On 26th January 1595 William Stanley 6th Earl of Derby [aged 34] and Elizabeth Vere Countess Derby [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. She the daughter of Edward de Vere 17th Earl of Oxford [aged 44] and Anne Cecil Countess of Oxford. He the son of Henry Stanley 4th Earl of Derby and Margaret Clifford Countess Derby [aged 55]. They were fifth cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
On 29th September 1642 William Stanley 6th Earl of Derby [aged 81] died. His son James [aged 35] succeeded 7th Earl Derby. Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 42] by marriage Countess Derby.
On 15th October 1651 James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby [aged 44] died. His son Charles [aged 23] succeeded 8th Earl Derby, 2nd Baron Strange Knockin.
Before 1655 Charles Stanley 8th Earl of Derby [aged 26] and Dorothea Helena Kirkoven Countess Derby [aged 24] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. She the daughter of Jehan Lord of Heenvliet [aged 60] and Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield [aged 45]. He the son of James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 55].
On 21st December 1672 Charles Stanley 8th Earl of Derby [aged 44] died. His son William [aged 17] succeeded 9th Earl Derby, 3rd Baron Strange Knockin.
In 1673 William Stanley 9th Earl of Derby [aged 18] and Elizabeth Butler Countess Derby [aged 13] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. She the daughter of Thomas Butler 6th Earl Ossory [aged 38] and Emilia Nassau Beverweert Countess Ossory [aged 37]. He the son of Charles Stanley 8th Earl of Derby and Dorothea Helena Kirkoven Countess Derby [aged 43]. They were half third cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
On 5th November 1702 William Stanley 9th Earl of Derby [aged 47] died. On His brother James [aged 38] succeeded 10th Earl Derby. Baron Strange Knockin abeyant between his two daughters Henrietta Stanley Countess Anglesey [aged 15] and Elizabeth Stanley. On the death of Elizabeth Stanley in 1714 the abeyance was terminated in favour of Henrietta Stanley Countess Anglesey.
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.
In February 1705 James Stanley 10th Earl of Derby [aged 40] and Mary Morley Countess Derby [aged 38] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. He the son of Charles Stanley 8th Earl of Derby and Dorothea Helena Kirkoven Countess Derby.
In 1714 Edward Stanley 11th Earl of Derby [aged 24] and Elizabeth Hesketh Countess Derby [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. They were fifth cousin once removed.
On 1st February 1736 James Stanley 10th Earl of Derby [aged 71] died. His sixth cousin Edward [aged 46] succeeded 11th Earl Derby. A rare succession; they shared a great great great great grand-parent. His first cousin once removed James [aged 45] succeeded 7th Baron Strange Knockin.
On 22nd February 1776 Edward Stanley 11th Earl of Derby [aged 86] died. His grandson Edward [aged 23] succeeded 12th Earl Derby, 6th Baronet Stanley of Bickerstaffe. Elizabeth Hamilton Countess Derby [aged 23] by marriage Countess Derby.
On 1st May 1797 Edward Smith-Stanley 12th Earl of Derby [aged 44] and Elizabeth Farren Countess Derby [aged 38] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. The marriage taking place six weeks after the death of his estranged wife Elizabeth Hamilton Countess Derby.
On 31st May 1825 Edward Smith-Stanley 14th Earl of Derby [aged 26] and Emma Caroline Bootle-Wilbraham Countess Derby [aged 20] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. He the son of Edward Smith-Stanley 13th Earl of Derby [aged 50] and Charlotte Margaret Hornby Countess Derby.
On 21st October 1834 Edward Smith-Stanley 12th Earl of Derby [aged 81] died. His son Edward [aged 59] succeeded 13th Earl Derby, 7th Baronet Stanley of Bickerstaffe. Charlotte Margaret Hornby Countess Derby by marriage Countess Derby.
On 30th June 1851 Edward Smith-Stanley 13th Earl of Derby [aged 76] died. His son Edward [aged 52] succeeded 14th Earl Derby, 8th Baronet Stanley of Bickerstaffe.
On 23rd October 1869 Edward Smith-Stanley 14th Earl of Derby [aged 70] died. His son Edward [aged 43] succeeded 15th Earl Derby, 9th Baronet Stanley of Bickerstaffe.
In 1870 Edward Henry Stanley 15th Earl of Derby [aged 43] and Mary Catherine Sackville-West Marchioness Salisbury [aged 45] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. She the daughter of George Sackville-West 5th Earl De La Warr and Elizabeth Sackville Countess De La Warr [aged 74]. He the son of Edward Smith-Stanley 14th Earl of Derby and Emma Caroline Bootle-Wilbraham Countess Derby [aged 65].
Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 21st April 1893 Edward Henry Stanley 15th Earl of Derby [aged 66] died at Knowsley, Lancashire. His brother Frederick [aged 52] succeeded 16th Earl Derby, 10th Baronet Stanley of Bickerstaffe. Constance Villiers Countess Derby [aged 53] by marriage Countess Derby.
On 14th June 1908 Frederick Arthur Stanley 16th Earl of Derby [aged 67] died. His son Edward [aged 43] succeeded 17th Earl Derby, 11th Baronet Stanley of Bickerstaffe. Alice Maude Olivia Montagu Countess Derby [aged 45] by marriage Countess Derby.
On 4th February 1948 Edward George Villiers Stanley 17th Earl of Derby [aged 82] died at Knowsley Hall, Lancashire. His grandson Edward [aged 29] succeeded 18th Earl Derby, 12th Baronet Stanley of Bickerstaffe.
On 28th November 1984 Edward John Stanley 18th Earl of Derby [aged 66] died. His nephew Hugh [aged 22] succeeded 19th Earl Derby, 13th Baronet Stanley of Bickerstaffe.
On 21st October 1995 Hugh Stanley 19th Earl of Derby [aged 33] and Caroline Neville Countess of Derby [aged 31] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. They were sixth cousins.