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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Argent is in Field.
Yorke Arms. Argent on a saltire azure a bezant. Source.
Knyvet Arms. Argent, a bend sable a bordure engrailed of the last. Source.
Acheson Arms. Argent, a double-headed eagle displayed sable, beaked and membered or, on a chief vert, two mullets or. Source.
Lawson of Brough Hall Arms. Argent a chevron sable three martlets sable. Source.
Avenell Arms. Argent, a fess between five annulets gules. Modified from source.
Lennox Arms. Argent, a saltire between four roses gules. Source.
Badlesmere Arms. Argent, a fess between two gemelles gules. Source.
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.
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Littleton Arms. Argent, a chevron between three escallops sable. Source.
Beresford Arms. Argent, crusilly fitchée sable, three fleurs-de-lis within a bordure engrailed of the second. Source.
Lucas Arms. Argent, a fess between six annulets gules.
Lumley Arms. Argent a fess gules between three parrots vert, collared of the second. Source.
Boleyn Arms. Argent, a chevron gules between three bull's heads afrontée. Source.
Roger Lupton Arms. Argent, on a chevron between three wolf's heads and necks erased sable three lilies of the field on a chief gules between two escallops a Tau cross or. Arms granted to Roger Lupton by King Henry VII. The Tau cross was a symbol of Saint Anthony of Egypt and thus probably referred to his mastership of St Anthony's Hospital. The escallops were possibly bells, another symbol of Saint Anthony, of which two were often shown suspended from the cross member of a Tau cross. The wolves were canting references to his surname from the Latin Lupus, "a wolf", and Sable, three lilies argent, is the base part of the arms of Eton College [Map].
Bourchier Arms. Argent, argent a cross engrailed gules between four water bougets sable. Source.
Luxemburg Arms. Argent a lion rampant gules, armed and langued or. Source.
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.
Braye Arms. Argent, a chevron between three eagle's legs erased sable. Source.
Lygon Arms. Argent, two lions passant double queued gules.
Lyttleton Arms. Argent, a chevron between three escallops sable. Source.
Burnell Arms. Argent, a lion rampant sable, a bordure azure. Source.
Mansel Arms. Argent, a chevron between three maunches. Source.
Carey Arms. Argent, a bend sable, three roses of the first. Source.
Maxwell Arms. Argent, a two headed eagle displayed sable beaked and membered gules on an inescutcheon argent a saltire sable charged with a hedgehog or. Source.
Chaucer Modern Arms. Argent, a chief gules overall a lion rampant double queued or.
Mildmay Arms. Argent, three lions rampant azure. Source.
Montagu Arms. Argent, three fusils conjoined in fess gules. Source.
Cockayne Arms. Argent, three cocks gules with legs, beaks, etc. sable. Source.
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.
Mordaunt Arms. Argent, a chevron between three estoiles sable. Source.
Cookes Arms. Argent, two chevronels between six martlets 3, 2 and 1 gules. Source.
Multon Arms. Argent, three bars. Source.
Craven Arms. Argent, a fesse between six cross crosslets fitchée gules. Source.
Newport Arms. Argent, a chevron gules between three leopard's faces sable. Source.
Culpepper Arms. Argent, a bend engrailed gules. Source.
Onslow Arms. Argent, a fess gules, between six Cornish Choughs proper. Source.
Davers Arms. Argent, a bend gules three martlets or. Source.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Decker Arms. Argent, a demi-buck gules between his forelegs an arrow erected in pale or. Source.
Paston Arms. Argent six fleurs de lis three two and one azure a chief indented or. Source.
Despencer Arms. Quarterly 1&4: Argent, 2&3: Gules, a fret or, over all a bend sable. Source.
Perceval Arms. Argent, a chief indented gules three crosses pattee of the field. Source.
Dillon Arms. Argent, a lion passant gules. Source.
Pierrepoint Arms. Argent, semée of cinquefoils gules, a lion rampant sable. Source.
Drake of Ash Arms. Argent, a wyvern wings displayed and tail nowed gules. Source.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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Pollard Arms. Argent, a chevron sable between three escallops gules.
Egerton Arms. Argent, a lion rampant gules between three pheons sable. Source.
Portugal Arms. Argent, in Cross azure each charged with ten plates. Source.
Feilding Arms. Argent, on a fess azure three lozenges or. Source.
Portugal 1385 Arms. Argent, in Cross azure each charged with five plates in saltire charged with ten golden triple-towered castles and four fleur de lys in cross vert, Source.
Finch Arms. Argent, a chevron between three griffins passant sable. Source.
Pulteney Arms. Argent, a fess dancetté gules in chief three leopard's faces sable. Source.
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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Furnival Arms. Argent, a bend gules six martlets gules. Source.
Radclyffe Arms. Argent, a bend engrailed sable. Source.
Gresham Arms. Argent, a chevron ermine between three mullets pierced sable.
Russell Arms. Argent, lion rampant gules.
Harrington Arms. Argent, fret sable.
Saluzzo Arms. Argent, a chief azure. Source.
Hay Arms. Argent three inescutcheons gules. Source.
Savage Arms. Argent, six lions rampant sable. Source.
Joicey Arms. Argent three lozenges Sable within two bendlets invected gules between two miners' picks in bend proper. Source.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Savile Arms. Argent, a bend sable three owls of the same. Source.
Leslie Arms. Argent, on a bend azure three buckles or. Source.
Babington Arms. Argent, ten torteau in chief a label three points azure. Source.
Slanning Arms. Argent, two pales engrailed gules over all on a bend azure three griffin's heads or.
Bertie Arms. Argent, three battering rams, barwise in pale proper, armed and garnished azure. Source.
Southwell Arms. Argent, three cinquefoils gules each charged with six annulets or. Source.
Booth Arms. Argent, three boar's heads erect sable. Source.
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.
León Arms. Argent, a lion rampant purpure.
Brosse Arms. Argent, three garbs or. Source.
Spencer Arms. Quarterly 1&4: Argent, 2&3: Gules, a fret or, over all a bend sable.
Byron Arms. Argent, bendlets enhanced gules. Source.
Spring of Lavenham Arms. Argent, a chevron engrailed between three mascles gules. Source.
Clement Arms. Argent, two bendlets wavy sable on a chief gules three leopard's faces or a bordure compony or and azure. Source.
St John Arms. Argent, a chief gules two estoiles or. Source.
Conyngham Arms. Argent, a shake-fork between three mullets, sable. Source.
St John Mildmay Arms. Argent, three lions rampant azure. Source.
Cranfield Arms. Argent, in pale three fleur de lys argent. Source.
St Lo Arms. Argent, a bend sable. Source.
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Dawnay Arms. Argent on a bend cotised sable three annulets of the field. Source.
Stanley Arms. Argent, a bend azure three buck's heads caboshed or. Source.
Devereux Arms. Argent, a fess gules three torteaux in chief. Source.
Stapleton Arms. Argent, a lion rampant sable. Source.
Dundas Arms. Argent, a lion rampant gules. Source.
Strange Arms. Argent, two lions passant in pale gules. Source.
Fermor Arms. Argent, a fess sable between three lion's heads erased gules. Source.
Tailboys Arms. Argent, a saltire gules in chief gules three escallops argent. Source.
Tempest Arms. Argent, a bend engrailed between six martlets sable. Source.
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Temple Arms. Argent two bars sable each charged with three martlets or.
Jerningham Arms. Argent, three buckles lozengy gules. Source.
Tennant Arms. Argent, two crescents in fess sable on a chief gules a boar's head couped of the first. Source.
Ashley Arms. Argent three bulls passant sable, armed and unguled or.
Tiptoft Arms. Argent, a saltire engrailed gules.
Blackett Arms. Argent a chevron sable three escallops argent between three mullets sable. Source.
Tollemache Arms. Argent, a fret sable.
Brudenell Arms. Argent, a chevron gules between three morion caps azure pointed to the sinister. Source.
Tosny Arms. Argent, a maunch. Source.
Clinton Arms. Argent, six cross crosslets fitchée sable three two and one on a chief azure two mullets or pierced gules. Source.
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.
Trefusis Arms. Argent, a chevron between three spindles sable. Source.
Dashwood Arms. Argent, a fess gules.
Trelawney Arms. Argent, a chevron sable.
NO IMAGE. Argent, on a chief azure three mullets of the first.
Vernon Arms. Argent, fretty sable. Source.
Fitzgerald Arms. Argent, a #saltire gules. Source.
Villiers Arms. Argent, on a cross gules five escallops. Source.
Hastings Arms. Argent, a maunch gules. Source.
Wallop Arms. Argent a bend wavy sable. Source
Belasyse Arms. Argent a chevron gules between three fleur de lys azure. Source.
Watson Arms. Argent, on a chevron engrailed azure between three martlets sable as many crescents or. Source.
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.
Catesby Arms. Argent, two lions passant sable crowned or. Source.
West Arms. Argent, a fess dancetté sable. Source.
Delves Arms. Argent, a chevron gules fretty or between three delves sable. Source.
Baron Annaly Arms. Argent, on a chevron engrailed gules, between three roses of the last, a cross crosslet or. Source.
Duke Montrose Arms. Quarterly, 1&4 
Graham Arms 2&3 Argent three roses gules barbed and seeded proper (Montrose).
Wingfield Arms. Argent, a bend gules three wings conjoined in lure of the field. Source.
Eyre Arms. Argent, a chevron gules.
Keilway Arms. Argent, two grozing irons in saltire sable between four Kelway pears proper. An example of Canting arms Kelway Pear = Keilway. Source
NO IMAGE. Argent, a cross moline sable.
Woodville Arms. Argent, a fess and a canton conjoined gules. Source.
Worsley Arms. Argent, a chief gules. Source.
Wotton Arms. Argent, a saltire engrailed sable. Source.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Bowes Lyon Arms. Quarterly 1&4 Argent a lion rampant azure, armed and langued gules within a double tressure flory counter-flory of the second (for Lyon); 2&3 ermine three bows stringed palewise in fess proper (for Bowes).
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