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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Paternal Family Tree: Courtenay
Maternal Family Tree: Margaret Darcy 1425-1525
Before 1529 [his father] George Courtenay [aged 19] and [his mother] Katherine St Leger [aged 14] were married. They were half fourth cousins.
Around 1529 William Courtenay 2nd Earl Devon was born to George Courtenay [aged 20] and Katherine St Leger [aged 15].
On 14th January 1529 [his father] George Courtenay [aged 20] died.
On 28th November 1545 William Courtenay 2nd Earl Devon [aged 16] and Elizabeth Paulett Countess Devon were married. She the daughter of John Paulet 2nd Marquess Winchester [aged 35] and Elizabeth Willoughby. They were fourth cousin once removed.
In 1551 [his daughter] Jane Courtenay was born to William Courtenay 2nd Earl Devon [aged 22] and [his wife] Elizabeth Paulett Countess Devon.
In 1553 [his son] William Courtenay 3rd Earl Devon was born to William Courtenay 2nd Earl Devon [aged 24] and [his wife] Elizabeth Paulett Countess Devon. He married (1) 1572 his fourth cousin Elizabeth Manners, daughter of Henry Manners 2nd Earl of Rutland and Margaret Neville Countess Rutland, and had issue (2) 25th August 1595 Elizabeth Sydenham (3) after 25th August 1595 Jane Hill Countess Devon.
On 3rd September 1553 Edward Courtenay 1st Earl Devon [aged 26] was created 1st Earl Devon. The Earldom was created with a special remainder i.e. to his heirs male forever, rather than to the heirs male of his body, so that on his death in 1556 he was succeeded by his fourth cousin William Courtenay 2nd Earl Devon [aged 24] who was not a descendant of his. The position was not made clear, however, until 1831, when the 9th Earl, William "Kitty" Courtenay 9th Earl Devon claimed the Earldom and became the de facto Earl of Devon.
On 18th September 1556 Edward Courtenay 1st Earl Devon [aged 29] died. His fourth cousin William [aged 27] de jure 2nd Earl Devon. [his wife] Elizabeth Paulett Countess Devon by marriage Countess Devon. John Trelawny of Poole in Cornwall [aged 52] was one of his co-heirs.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 23rd July 1557. The xxiij day of July sir Gorge Pallett [aged 65] and ser Wyllyam Cortnay [aged 28] toke ther barge at Towre warff [Map], at ... of the cloke at after-non, toward Dover, Kent [Map], and dyvers captaynes.
This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
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On 29th September 1557 William Courtenay 2nd Earl Devon [aged 28] died. His son William [aged 4] de jure 3rd Earl Devon.
Before 4th November 1576 Henry Ughtred [aged 43] and [his former wife] Elizabeth Paulett Countess Devon were married. She the daughter of [his former father-in-law] John Paulet 2nd Marquess Winchester [aged 66] and Elizabeth Willoughby. They were sixth cousins.
On 4th November 1576 [his former wife] Elizabeth Paulett Countess Devon died.
John Zouche and [his mother] Katherine St Leger were married.
Kings Wessex: Great x 15 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 12 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 18 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 13 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings England: Great x 8 Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 14 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 22 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 16 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 20 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Courtenay 2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Philip Courtenay 3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Champernoun 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Courtenay 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Walter Hungerford 1st Baron Hungerford 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Hungerford 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor or Catherine Peverell 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Courtenay 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Bonville 
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Bonville 1st Baron Bonville 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Fitzroger 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Bonville 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Reginald Grey 3rd Baron Grey Ruthyn 
5 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Grey 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Ros Baroness Grey Ruthyn 
3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
GrandFather: William "Great" Courtenay 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Cecily Cheney
Father: George Courtenay 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Edgecombe
GrandMother: Margaret Edgecumbe
William Courtenay 2nd Earl Devon 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Arnold St Leger 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Arnold St Leger 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Charleton 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John St Leger 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: James St Leger 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: James Donet
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margery Donet
GrandFather: George St Leger 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Butler 3rd Earl Ormonde 
2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: James "White Earl" Butler 4th Earl Ormonde 3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Welles Countess Ormonde 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Butler 7th Earl Ormonde 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Beauchamp 1st Baron Abergavenny 
5 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Beauchamp Countess Ormonde 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Fitzalan Baroness Bergavenny 
2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Anne Butler 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Hankford
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Hankford
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Hankford Countess Ormonde 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury 
2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Montagu Duchess Exeter 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury
Mother: Katherine St Leger 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Knyvet 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Knyvet
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Clifton 
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Knyvet
Great x 1 Grandfather: Edmund Knyvet 8 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Reginald Grey 3rd Baron Grey Ruthyn 5 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Grey 6 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Astley Baroness Grey Ruthyn 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Alice Grey 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
GrandMother: Anne Knyvet 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Walter Tyrrell 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Tyrrell
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor Flambard
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Tyrrell
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Coggeshall
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alice Eleanor Coggeshall
Great x 1 Grandmother: Eleanor Tyrrell
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Darcy 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Darcy
Great x 4 Grandmother: Alice Tyrrell
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Darcy