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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Cross Crosslet Fitchy

Cross Crosslet Fitchy is in Cross Crosslet.

Cross Crosslet Fitchy. A crosslet with the foot extended into a point. "fitché" means fixed in French.

                    Around 1577 George Gower (age 37). Portrait of Richard Drake (age 42). The heraldic escutcheon shows seven quarters as follows:
                
                    1: Drake of Ash Arms. Drake of Ash in the parish of Musbury, Devon.
                
                    2: Argent, on a chief gules three cinquefoils of the first; Billet of Ash.
                
                    3: Gules, on a fess argent two mullets sable; Hamton of Rockbere and Ash.
                
                    4: Ermine, on a chief indented sable three crosslets fitchee or; Orwey of Orwey and Ash.
                
                    5: Barry of seven argent and sable.
                
                    6: Azure, six lions rampant argent crowned Gules, 3, 2, 1; Forde of Forde.
                
                    7: Argent, two chevrons sable (Esse/Ash of Ash); Esse or Ash of Ash.

Howard Augmented Arms. Gules bend argent six crosslets fitchy augmented after the Battle of Flodden with an inescutcheon bearing the lion of Scotland pierced through the mouth with an arrow. Source.

Denison Arms. Ermine, a bend azure cotised sable between a unicorn's head erased in chief and a cross crosslet fitchy in base gules. Source.

Howard Arms. Gules bend argent six crosslets fitchy. Source.

Craven Arms. Argent, a fesse between six cross crosslets fitchée gules. Source.

Lake Arms. Sable, a bend argent six crosslets fitchy.

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.

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Strutt Arms. Per Pale sable and azure, two chevronels engrailed, between three cross crosslets fitchy or. Source.

Clinton Arms. Argent, six cross crosslets fitchée sable three two and one on a chief azure two mullets or pierced gules. Source.

Camden Arms. Or, a fess engrailed between six crosses crosslet fitchy sable. Source.