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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Earl Strafford is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically.
Earl Strafford is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Forfeit Earldoms of England, Extinct Earldoms of England.
Summary
12th January 1640. Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford [aged 46] created.
12th May 1641. Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford forfeit. See Trial and Execution of the Earl of Strafford.
1662. Son William Wentworth 2nd Earl Strafford [aged 35] restored.
16th October 1695. William Wentworth 2nd Earl Strafford extinct.
On 12th January 1640 Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford [aged 46] was created 1st Earl Strafford. Elizabeth Rhodes Countess Strafford [aged 34] by marriage Countess Strafford.
On 12th May 1641 Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford [aged 48] was beheaded at Tower Hill [Map]. Earl Strafford, Viscount Wentworth, Baron Wentworth, Baronet Wentworth of Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire forfeit. His execution was attended by an enormous crowd.
Wenceslaus Hollar [aged 33]. Engraving of the execution of Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford marked as C with James Ussher [aged 60] marked as A.
In 1662 William Wentworth 2nd Earl Strafford [aged 35] was restored 2nd Earl Strafford, 2nd Viscount Wentworth, 2nd Baron Wentworth, 3rd Baronet Wentworth of Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire. Henriette Stanley Countess Strafford [aged 31] by marriage Countess Strafford.
On 16th October 1695 William Wentworth 2nd Earl Strafford [aged 69] died. He was buried at York Minster [Map]. Earl Strafford, Viscount Wentworth, Baron Wentworth, Baronet Wentworth of Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire extinct.
Earl Strafford is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extinct Earldoms of England.
Summary
29th June 1711. Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford [aged 38] created.
15th November 1739. Son William Wentworth 2nd Earl Strafford [aged 17] succeeded.
10th March 1791. First Cousin Frederick Wentworth 3rd Earl Strafford [aged 59] succeeded.
7th August 1799. Frederick Wentworth 3rd Earl Strafford extinct.
On 29th June 1711 Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford [aged 38] was created 1st Earl Strafford.
On 6th September 1711 Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford [aged 38] and Anne Johnson Countess Strafford were married. She by marriage Countess Strafford. The marriage was described as both advantageous and happy: while Anne brought him a dowry rumoured to be £60000, her letters show their deep mutual affection.
On 15th November 1739 Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford [aged 67] died. He had suffered poor health for a number of years. His son William [aged 17] succeeded 2nd Earl Strafford.
In 1741 William Wentworth 2nd Earl Strafford [aged 18] and Anne Campbell Countess Strafford [aged 26] were married. She by marriage Countess Strafford. She the daughter of John Campbell 2nd Duke Argyll [aged 60] and Jane Warburton Duchess of Argyll. He the son of Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford and Anne Johnson Countess Strafford.
On 10th March 1791 William Wentworth 2nd Earl Strafford [aged 68] died. His first cousin Frederick [aged 59] succeeded 3rd Earl Strafford.
On 7th August 1799 Frederick Wentworth 3rd Earl Strafford [aged 67] died. Earl Strafford extinct.
Earl Strafford is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extant Earldoms of England.
Summary
28th August 1847. John Byng 1st Earl Strafford [aged 75] created.
3rd June 1860. Son George Byng 2nd Earl Strafford [aged 53] succeeded.
29th October 1886. Son George Byng 3rd Earl Strafford [aged 56] succeeded.
28th March 1898. Brother Henry Byng 4th Earl Strafford [aged 66] succeeded.
16th May 1899. Brother Francis Edmund Cecil Byng 5th Earl Strafford [aged 64] succeeded.
18th January 1918. Son Edmund Byng 6th Earl Strafford [aged 55] succeeded.
24th December 1951. Nephew Robert Cecil Byng 7th Earl of Strafford [aged 47] succeeded.
4th May 1984. Son Thomas Edmund Byng 8th Earl of Strafford [aged 47] succeeded.
12th November 2016. Son William Robert Byng 9th Earl of Strafford [aged 52] succeeded.
On 28th August 1847 John Byng Viscount Enfield [aged 75] was created 1st Earl Strafford, 1st Viscount Enfield of Enfield in Middlesex.
On 3rd June 1860 John Byng 1st Earl Strafford [aged 88] died. His son George [aged 53] succeeded 2nd Earl Strafford, 2nd Viscount Enfield of Enfield in Middlesex, 2nd Baron Strafford of Harmondsworth in Middlesex. Harriet Cavendish Countess Strafford [aged 39] by marriage Countess Strafford.
On 29th October 1886 George Byng 2nd Earl Strafford [aged 80] died. His son George [aged 56] succeeded 3rd Earl Strafford, 3rd Viscount Enfield of Enfield in Middlesex, 3rd Baron Strafford of Harmondsworth in Middlesex. Alice Leveson-Gower aka Egerton Countess Strafford [aged 56] by marriage Countess Strafford.
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 28th March 1898 George Byng 3rd Earl Strafford [aged 68] died at St James' Square. His brother Henry [aged 66] succeeded 4th Earl Strafford, 4th Viscount Enfield of Enfield in Middlesex, 4th Baron Strafford of Harmondsworth in Middlesex.
On 6th December 1898 Henry Byng 4th Earl Strafford [aged 67] and Cora Smith Countess Strafford [aged 38] were married. She by marriage Countess Strafford. The difference in their ages was 28 years. He the son of George Byng 2nd Earl Strafford and Agnes Paget.
On 16th May 1899 Henry Byng 4th Earl Strafford [aged 67] died in a railway accident. He was hit by an express train; (possible suicide but the coroner returned misadventure) at the Railway Station in Potter's Bar. He was buried at Byng Family Vault St John's Church, Potter's Bar. His brother Francis [aged 64] succeeded 5th Earl Strafford, 5th Viscount Enfield of Enfield in Middlesex, 5th Baron Strafford of Harmondsworth in Middlesex. Emily Georgina Kerr Countess Strafford [aged 52] by marriage Countess Strafford.
On 18th January 1918 Francis Edmund Cecil Byng 5th Earl Strafford [aged 83] died. His son Edmund [aged 55] succeeded 6th Earl Strafford, 6th Viscount Enfield of Enfield in Middlesex, 6th Baron Strafford of Harmondsworth in Middlesex. Mary Elizabeth Colebrooke Countess Strafford [aged 54] by marriage Countess Strafford.
On 24th December 1951 Edmund Byng 6th Earl Strafford [aged 89] died. His nephew Robert [aged 47] succeeded 7th Earl Strafford, 7th Viscount Enfield of Enfield in Middlesex, 7th Baron Strafford of Harmondsworth in Middlesex.
On 4th May 1984 Robert Cecil Byng 7th Earl of Strafford [aged 79] died. His son Thomas [aged 47] succeeded 8th Earl Strafford, 8th Viscount Enfield of Enfield in Middlesex, 8th Baron Strafford of Harmondsworth in Middlesex.
On 12th November 2016 Thomas Edmund Byng 8th Earl of Strafford [aged 80] died. His son William [aged 52] succeeded 9th Earl Strafford, 9th Viscount Enfield of Enfield in Middlesex, 9th Baron Strafford of Harmondsworth in Middlesex.