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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Biography of Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria 1120-1178

In 1096 Robert Beaumont 1st Earl of Leicester Count Meulan and [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey were married. She by marriage Countess of Leicester. The difference in their ages was 45 years. She the daughter of [her grandfather] Hugh "Great" Capet and [her grandmother] Adelaide I Countess Vermandois.

Before 1119 [her father] William Warenne 2nd Earl of Surrey and [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey were married. She by marriage Countess Surrey. She the daughter of [her grandfather] Hugh "Great" Capet and [her grandmother] Adelaide I Countess Vermandois. He the son of William Warenne 1st Earl of Surrey and Gundred Countess of Surrey.

Around 1120 Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria was born to [her father] William Warenne 2nd Earl of Surrey and [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey.

In 1121 [her half-brother] Robert Beaumont 2nd Earl of Leicester and [her sister-in-law] Amice Gael Countess Leicester were married. He the son of Robert Beaumont 1st Earl of Leicester Count Meulan and [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey.

In 1131 Maud Queen Consort Scotland died. [her future husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria succeeded 3rd Earl Huntingdon, 3rd Earl of Northampton. Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria by marriage Countess Huntingdon.

On 13th February 1131 [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey died.

Around March 1136 [her half-brother] Waleran Beaumont 1st Earl of Worcester Count Meulan and [her sister-in-law] Matilda Blois Countess of Worcester were married. She by marriage Countess Worcester. The difference in their ages was 29 years. She the daughter of King Stephen I England and Matilda Flanders. He the son of Robert Beaumont 1st Earl of Leicester Count Meulan and [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey.

Before 1137 [her brother] William Warenne 3rd Earl of Surrey and [her sister-in-law] Adela Montgomery Countess of Salisbury and Surrey were married. She the daughter of William "Talvas" Montgomery III Count Ponthieu and Helie Burgundy Countess Ponthieu. He the son of [her father] William Warenne 2nd Earl of Surrey and [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey.

In 1138 [her half-brother] Hugh Beaumont was created 1st Earl Bedford. There is some doubt as to whether this creation existed.

After 1138 [her half-brother] Hugh Beaumont died. Earl Bedford extinct.

On 11th May 1138 [her father] William Warenne 2nd Earl of Surrey died. [her brother] William Warenne 3rd Earl of Surrey succeeded 3rd Earl Surrey and inherited his estates including Conisbrough Castle. [her sister-in-law] Adela Montgomery Countess of Salisbury and Surrey by marriage Countess Surrey.

Before 1139 Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria were married. She the daughter of William Warenne 2nd Earl of Surrey and Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey. He the son of King David I of Scotland and Maud Queen Consort Scotland.

In 1139 [her daughter] Ada Dunkeld Countess Holland was born to [her husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria. She married 28th September 1162 Floris Gerulfing III Count Holland, son of Dirk Gerulfing VI Count Holland and Sophie Salm Countess Holland, and had issue.

In 1139 [her husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria was created 1st Earl of Northumbria. Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria by marriage Countess of Northumbria.

On 23rd April 1141 [her son] King Malcolm IV of Scotland was born to [her husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria at Jedburgh.

In 1142 [her half-brother] Waleran Beaumont 1st Earl of Worcester Count Meulan and [her sister-in-law] Agnes Elizabeth Montfort Countess Worcester were married. She by marriage Countess Worcester. She the daughter of Amaury Montfort Count Évreux. He the son of Robert Beaumont 1st Earl of Leicester Count Meulan and [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey.

Around 1143 [her son] King William I of Scotland was born to [her husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria. He married 5th September 1186 Ermengarde Beaumont Sarthe Queen Consort Scotland, daughter of Richard Beaumont Sarthe I Viscount and Lucie Aigle Viscountess, and had issue.

In 1145 [her daughter] Margaret Dunkeld Duchess Brittany was born to [her husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria. She married (1) William de Hertburn Fitzpatrick (2) Conan "The Young" Penthièvre IV Duke Brittany, son of Alan "Black" Penthièvre 1st Earl Richmond and Bertha Canhiart I Duchess Brittany, and had issue (3) February 1171 Humphrey Bohun and had issue.

On 6th January 1148 [her brother] William Warenne 3rd Earl of Surrey died. [her niece] Isabella Warenne Countess Boulogne 4th Countess of Surrey succeeded 4th Countess Surrey and inherited his estates including Conisbrough Castle.

In 1152 [her son] David Dunkeld 8th Earl Huntingdon was born to [her husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria. He married before 1194 Matilda Gernon Countess Huntingdon, daughter of Hugh de Kevelioc Gernon 5th Earl Chester and Bertrade Montfort Countess Chester, and had issue.

In 1152 [her daughter] Matilda or Maud Dunkeld died.

On 12th June 1152 [her husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria died. [her brother-in-law] Simon Senlis 4th Earl Huntingdon 4th Earl of Northampton succeeded 4th Earl Huntingdon, 4th Earl of Northampton. [her son] King Malcolm IV of Scotland succeeded 2nd Earl of Northumbria.

On 28th September 1162 [her son-in-law] Floris Gerulfing III Count Holland and Ada Dunkeld Countess Holland were married. She by marriage Countess Holland. She the daughter of Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria. He the son of Dirk Gerulfing VI Count Holland and Sophie Salm Countess Holland.

Death of King Malcolm IV of Scotland

On 9th December 1165 [her son] King Malcolm IV of Scotland died. King William I of Scotland succeeded I King Scotland, 6th Earl Huntingdon.

On 9th April 1166 [her half-brother] Waleran Beaumont 1st Earl of Worcester Count Meulan died. Earl Worcester extinct. [her nephew] Robert Beaumont Count Meulan succeeded Count Meulan.

On 5th April 1168 [her half-brother] Robert Beaumont 2nd Earl of Leicester died. [her nephew] Robert Beaumont 3rd Earl of Leicester succeeded 3rd Earl of Leicester.

Between February 1171 and April 1175 [her son-in-law] Humphrey Bohun and Margaret Dunkeld Duchess Brittany were married. She the daughter of Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria.

In 1178 Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria died.

In 1178 the Abbey of St Mary, Haddington, was founded by Countess Ada of Northumbria as a Cistercian nunnery. She was the daughter-in-law of [her former father-in-law] King David I of Scotland, the founder of many Scottish monasteries. Haddington 'Abbey' was in fact a Priory with a Prioress at its head, but commonly called the Abbey.

[her daughter] Matilda or Maud Dunkeld was born to Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria.

[her daughter] Marjorie Dunkeld Countess Angus was born to Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria. She married Gille Críst Angus 4th Earl Angus and had issue.