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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England Royalty

England Royalty is in Armorials.

Plantagenet Arms

England Edward III Arms

England Henry IV Arms

After 20th May 1475. St Mary's Church, Ewelme [Map]. Monument to Alice Chaucer Duchess Suffolk (deceased). Wrist Garter. The effigy was, apparently, viewed to determine how a lady should wear the garter at the re-commencement of Lady of the Garter appointments in 1901 after a gap of several hundred years. A particularly fine Cadaver Underneath the chest on which Alice's effigy lies. Full-length in a shroud. Chest with Angels with Rounded Wings holding Shields.

Detail of the South Side of the Monument to Alice Chaucer Duchess Suffolk.

1 Roet Arms impaled Chaucer Modern Arms. Alice's paternal grandparents.

2 De La Pole Arms impaled Stafford Arms. Her third husbands parents Michael de la Pole 2nd Earl Suffolk and Katherine Stafford Countess Suffolk.

3 Montacute and Monthermer Arms impaled Francis? Possibly Alice's second husband's parents John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury and Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury.

4 De La Pole Arms quartered Chaucer Modern Arms.

5 Roet Arms quartered Chaucer Modern Arms.

6 Chaucer Modern Arms.

7 De La Pole Arms.

8 De La Pole Arms impaled England Henry IV Arms signifying Alice's son John's marriage to Elizabeth of York sister of King Edward IV of England.

Detail of the North Side of the monument to Alice Chaucer Duchess Suffolk. Arms from left to right ...

1 De La Pole Arms quartered Chaucer Modern Arms impaled Unknown.

2 De La Pole Arms impaled Chaucer Modern Arms. Her third husband William "Jackanapes" de la Pole 1st Duke of Suffolk.

3 De La Pole Arms quarted Chaucer Modern Arms. Alice's son John de la Pole 2nd Duke of Suffolk by her second husband William "Jackanapes" de la Pole 1st Duke of Suffolk.

4 Chaucer Modern Arms.

5 Montacute and Monthermer Arms quartering impaled Chaucer. Alice's second husband Thomas Montagu 1st Count Perche 4th Earl Salisbury.

6 Roet Arms. Alice's paternal grandmother Philippa Roet.

7 England Henry IV Arms impaling Roet Arms probably signifying John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster and Katherine Swynford aka Roet Duchess Lancaster, Katherine being the sister of Alice's paternal grandmother Philippa Roet who married Geoffrey Chaucer.

8 Roet Arms impaling Chaucer Modern Arms. Her paternal grandparents Geoffrey Chaucer and Philippa Roet.

Philippa Roet: Around 1346 she was born to Giles "Payne" Roet. Before 1367 Geoffrey Chaucer and she were married at St Mary de Castro Leicester, Leicestershire [Map]. Excerpta Historica Page 152. Philippa, his eldest daughter, is stated to have been the maid of honour to Philippa Queen of Edward the Third who by the name of "Philippa Pycard" obtained a grant of one hundred shillings per annum on the 20th January 1370, and married Geoffrey Chaucer, to whom, in consequence, it is supposed, of this connexion, the Duke of Lancaster granted the Castle of Dodington. Of John of Gaunt's connexion with Chaucer, however, no proof has been found; and the circumstance of the lady assigned to him for his wife being styled "Philippa Pycard," instead of Roelt, renders the assertion, that she was the sister of the Duchess of Lancaster, extremely doubtful. Around 1387 Philippa Roet died.

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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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Manners Augmented Arms. Manners Arms in chief England Henry IV Arms. The augmentation was granted by King Henry VIII of England and Ireland at the time of his creation as Earl of Rutland in recognition of his descent in the maternal line from Richard Plantagenet 3rd Duke of York.

York Arms

After 18th November 1434. St Mary's Church, Ewelme [Map]. Monument to Thomas Chaucer (deceased) and Maud Burghesh (age 55).

The Arms in two rows left to right ...

Top Row:

1 Beaufort Arms

2 York Arms. Possibly Cecily "Rose of Raby" Neville Duchess York impaled Neville Arms

3 Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter 1377 1426 Arms

4 Thomas of Brotherton 1st Earl Norfolk 1300 1338 Arms impaled Neville Arms

5 Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter 1377 1426 Arms (again?)

6 Stafford Arms impaled Neville Arms

7 Montacute and Monthermer Arms impaled Chaucer Modern Arms.

Bottom Row:

1 Beauchamp Arms quartered with Beaumont Arms; Earl Warwick reflecting the Beauchamp family having inherited the Earldom of Warwick through marriage to Isabel Maudit who was the sister of William Maudit 8th Earl Warwick who died without issue. Isabel Maudit and William Maudit 8th Earl Warwick were the children of William Maudit and Alice Beaumont. Alice Beaumont inherited the Earldom of Warwick when her half-niece Margaret Beaumont 7th Countess Warwick died.

2 Courtenay Arms impaled Beaufort Arms

3 Montacute and Monthermer Arms impaled Mohun Arms

4 Montacute and Monthermer Arms quartered Neville Arms

5 De La Pole Arms quartered Chaucer Modern Arms

6 Despencer Arms impaled Chaucer Modern Arms

7 Mohun Arms impaled Chaucer Modern Arms. John Mohun 2nd Baron Mohun of Dunster and Joan Burghesh Baroness Dunster.

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1698. Hasting's Chapel, St Helen's Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch [Map]. Part of the monument to Francis Hastings 2nd Earl Huntingdon and Catherine Pole Countess Huntingdon constructed at the request of Theophilus Hastings 7th Earl Huntingdon (age 47) in 1698 to repair damage caused during the Civil War at which time the monument was moved to the side of the chapel. The inscription of the Urn reads "Theophilus, Earl of Huntingdon, as a last service, caused this chapel to be decorated, and this tomb to be restored, in glorious memory of his most illustrious forefathers whose remains are buried here. Done in faith, 1698"."

The top armorial is of Francis Hastings 2nd Earl Huntingdon.

The bottom armorial is Catherine Pole Countess Huntingdon. Hers possibly bigger, and more prominent as a consequence of her royal ancestry. Quarters, some of which are also quartered. From top to bottom, left to right, somewhat speculatively:

Top Left Quarter: Left Side: Hastings Arms, Unknown Arms, Hungerford Arms, Unknown Arms. Right Side: Unknown Arms, Unknows Arms with frogs which may be a mis-represented version of De La Pole Arms.

Top Right Quarter: York Arms, Unknown Arms, Neville Arms differenced with a label three points argent, Beauchamp Arms, Beaumont Arms.

Bottom Left Quarter: Possible St John Arms, Unknown Arms, Hungerford Arms, Montagu Arms [Note. The or (gold) colour should be argent (white)?].

Bottom Right Corner. Holland Arms, Unknown Arms, Unknown Arms, Quartered: Clare Arms and Despencer Arms.

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Henry Plantagenet 3rd Earl of Leicester 3rd Earl Lancaster 1281 1345 Arms

Around 1400. Window in the Chicheley Chapel at St Andrew's Church, Wimpole [Map] from the late 14th early 15th Century depicting alliances of the Ufford family (who are thought to have owned the manor of Wimpole before the Chicheleys) and the Plantagenets through the marriage of Ralph Ufford and Maud Plantagenet Countess Ulster, daughter of Henry Plantagenet 3rd Earl of Leicester 3rd Earl Lancaster .

From top to bottom, left to right:

Tiptoft Arms. The Tiptoft family owned the nearby manor of Harleston.

Bardolf Arms.

Avenell Arms. The Avenell family once held a manor in Wimpole.

Telemache Arms.

Ufford Arms. Believed to be the arms of William Ufford 2nd Earl Suffolk. Note the difference of an annulet argent (white) in the top left corner.

Bohun Arms. Possibly William Bohun 1st Earl of Northampton.

Henry Plantagenet 3rd Earl of Leicester 3rd Earl Lancaster 1281 1345 Arms. Possibly Henry Plantagenet 3rd Earl of Leicester 3rd Earl Lancaster although the label doesn't appear to have the fleur de lys of France.

Bassingbourne Arms.

Engaine Arms. John de Engaine lived in Huntingdonshire.

Lisle Arms. Possibly Robert Lisle 1st Baron Lisle. Robert settled at nearby Rampton.

Robert Ufford 1st Earl Suffolk who married Margaret Norwich Countess Suffolk whose father Walter Norwich owned the manor of Cobbs in Wimpole.

Ufford Arms with a label three points. Believed to be Robert Ufford who predeceased his father Robert Ufford 1st Earl Suffolk.

Bassingbourne Arms.

The figure in the middle is believed to represent William Ufford 2nd Earl Suffolk.

From an original description by James C Powell 1903.

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John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster 1340 1399 Arms

Beaufort Arms

After 18th November 1434. St Mary's Church, Ewelme [Map]. Monument to Thomas Chaucer (deceased) and Maud Burghesh (age 55).

The Arms in two rows left to right ...

Top Row:

1 Beaufort Arms

2 York Arms. Possibly Cecily "Rose of Raby" Neville Duchess York impaled Neville Arms

3 Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter 1377 1426 Arms

4 Thomas of Brotherton 1st Earl Norfolk 1300 1338 Arms impaled Neville Arms

5 Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter 1377 1426 Arms (again?)

6 Stafford Arms impaled Neville Arms

7 Montacute and Monthermer Arms impaled Chaucer Modern Arms.

Bottom Row:

1 Beauchamp Arms quartered with Beaumont Arms; Earl Warwick reflecting the Beauchamp family having inherited the Earldom of Warwick through marriage to Isabel Maudit who was the sister of William Maudit 8th Earl Warwick who died without issue. Isabel Maudit and William Maudit 8th Earl Warwick were the children of William Maudit and Alice Beaumont. Alice Beaumont inherited the Earldom of Warwick when her half-niece Margaret Beaumont 7th Countess Warwick died.

2 Courtenay Arms impaled Beaufort Arms

3 Montacute and Monthermer Arms impaled Mohun Arms

4 Montacute and Monthermer Arms quartered Neville Arms

5 De La Pole Arms quartered Chaucer Modern Arms

6 Despencer Arms impaled Chaucer Modern Arms

7 Mohun Arms impaled Chaucer Modern Arms. John Mohun 2nd Baron Mohun of Dunster and Joan Burghesh Baroness Dunster.

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The History of William Marshal, Earl of Chepstow and Pembroke, Regent of England. Book 1 of 2, Lines 1-10152.

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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Around 1574 George Gower (age 34). Portrait of Charles Somerset. Armorial top left quarterly 1&4 Beaufort Arms with a yellow band top and bottom 2 Herbert Arms 3 Woodville Arms. The attribution here possibly incorrect since Charles Somerset was born in 1587 ie before the 1574 date when painted. A possible subject is William Somerset 3rd Earl of Worcester (age 48) who has the same armoiral in another

Charles Somerset: he was appointed Knight of the Bath. In 1587 he was born to Edward Somerset 4th Earl of Worcester and Elizabeth Hastings Countess of Worcester. In 1665 Charles Somerset died.

Somerset Arms

Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter 1377 1426 Arms

After 18th November 1434. St Mary's Church, Ewelme [Map]. Monument to Thomas Chaucer (deceased) and Maud Burghesh (age 55).

The Arms in two rows left to right ...

Top Row:

1 Beaufort Arms

2 York Arms. Possibly Cecily "Rose of Raby" Neville Duchess York impaled Neville Arms

3 Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter 1377 1426 Arms

4 Thomas of Brotherton 1st Earl Norfolk 1300 1338 Arms impaled Neville Arms

5 Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter 1377 1426 Arms (again?)

6 Stafford Arms impaled Neville Arms

7 Montacute and Monthermer Arms impaled Chaucer Modern Arms.

Bottom Row:

1 Beauchamp Arms quartered with Beaumont Arms; Earl Warwick reflecting the Beauchamp family having inherited the Earldom of Warwick through marriage to Isabel Maudit who was the sister of William Maudit 8th Earl Warwick who died without issue. Isabel Maudit and William Maudit 8th Earl Warwick were the children of William Maudit and Alice Beaumont. Alice Beaumont inherited the Earldom of Warwick when her half-niece Margaret Beaumont 7th Countess Warwick died.

2 Courtenay Arms impaled Beaufort Arms

3 Montacute and Monthermer Arms impaled Mohun Arms

4 Montacute and Monthermer Arms quartered Neville Arms

5 De La Pole Arms quartered Chaucer Modern Arms

6 Despencer Arms impaled Chaucer Modern Arms

7 Mohun Arms impaled Chaucer Modern Arms. John Mohun 2nd Baron Mohun of Dunster and Joan Burghesh Baroness Dunster.

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Lionel Plantagenet 1st Duke of Clarence Arms

Thomas of Brotherton 1st Earl Norfolk 1300 1338 Arms

After 18th November 1434. St Mary's Church, Ewelme [Map]. Monument to Thomas Chaucer (deceased) and Maud Burghesh (age 55).

The Arms in two rows left to right ...

Top Row:

1 Beaufort Arms

2 York Arms. Possibly Cecily "Rose of Raby" Neville Duchess York impaled Neville Arms

3 Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter 1377 1426 Arms

4 Thomas of Brotherton 1st Earl Norfolk 1300 1338 Arms impaled Neville Arms

5 Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter 1377 1426 Arms (again?)

6 Stafford Arms impaled Neville Arms

7 Montacute and Monthermer Arms impaled Chaucer Modern Arms.

Bottom Row:

1 Beauchamp Arms quartered with Beaumont Arms; Earl Warwick reflecting the Beauchamp family having inherited the Earldom of Warwick through marriage to Isabel Maudit who was the sister of William Maudit 8th Earl Warwick who died without issue. Isabel Maudit and William Maudit 8th Earl Warwick were the children of William Maudit and Alice Beaumont. Alice Beaumont inherited the Earldom of Warwick when her half-niece Margaret Beaumont 7th Countess Warwick died.

2 Courtenay Arms impaled Beaufort Arms

3 Montacute and Monthermer Arms impaled Mohun Arms

4 Montacute and Monthermer Arms quartered Neville Arms

5 De La Pole Arms quartered Chaucer Modern Arms

6 Despencer Arms impaled Chaucer Modern Arms

7 Mohun Arms impaled Chaucer Modern Arms. John Mohun 2nd Baron Mohun of Dunster and Joan Burghesh Baroness Dunster.

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Thomas of Woodstock 1st Duke of Gloucester Arms

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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King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland 1566 1625 Arms

Henry Fitzroy 1st Duke Grafton 1663 1690 Arms

James Scott 1st Duke Monmouth 1st Duke Buccleuch 1649 1685 Arms

King George I 1660 1727 Arms

NO IMAGE. Quartered 1 Plantagenet Arms impaled Dunkeld Arms 2. Capet Arms 3. Ireland Arms 4. 1&2 Brunswick Luneburg Arms, 3 Hanover Arms, an inescutcheon over all three, gules the Crown of Charlemagne Proper (As Archtreasurer of the Holy Roman Empire).

Alastair Windsor 2nd Duke Connaught and Strathearn 1914 1943 Arms

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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