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.
Paternal Family Tree: Lowther
Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Aldersley Baroness Coventry 1580-1653
On 22nd June 1731 [his father] Robert Lowther (age 49) and [his mother] Katherine Pennington were married. They were first cousin twice removed.
On 5th August 1736 James Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale was born to [his father] Robert Lowther (age 54) and [his mother] Katherine Pennington.
In September 1745 [his father] Robert Lowther (age 63) died.
On 10th December 1748 Michael le Fleming 4th Baronet was born to William Fleming 3rd Baronet. At some point in his life he changed his surname from Fleming to Le Fleming. James Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 12) became his guardian. He married 23rd November 1782 Diana Howard Lady le Fleming, daughter of Thomas Howard 14th Earl Suffolk 7th Earl Berkshire, and had issue.
On 19th March 1757 [his brother-in-law] Henry Vane 2nd Earl Darlington (age 30) and [his sister] Margaret Lowther Countess Darlington (age 29) were married at London. He the son of Henry Vane 1st Earl Darlington (age 52) and Grace Fitzroy Countess Darlington (age 59).
On 6th March 1758 Henry Vane 1st Earl Darlington (age 53) died. His son [his brother-in-law] Henry (age 31) succeeded 2nd Earl Darlington, 2nd Viscount Barnard, 4th Baron Barnard. [his sister] Margaret Lowther Countess Darlington (age 30) by marriage Countess Darlington.
On 7th September 1761 James Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 25) and Mary Stuart Countess Lonsdale (age 20) were married. She the daughter of John Stuart 3rd Earl Bute (age 48) and Mary Wortley-Montagu Countess Bute (age 43).
In 1764 [his mother] Katherine Pennington died.
On 8th April 1765 [his brother-in-law] Harry Powlett 6th Duke Bolton (age 44) and [his sister] Katherine Lowther Duchess of Bolton (age 29) were married. He the son of Harry Powlett 4th Duke Bolton and Catherine Parry.
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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On 5th July 1765 Charles Powlett 5th Duke Bolton (age 47) committed suicide at Grosvenor Square, Belgravia shooting himself in the head with a pistol. His brother [his brother-in-law] Harry (age 44) succeeded 6th Duke Bolton, 11th Marquess Winchester, 11th Earl Wiltshire, 11th Baron St John. [his sister] Katherine Lowther Duchess of Bolton (age 29) by marriage Duchess Bolton.
On 12th November 1766 [his brother-in-law] John Stuart 1st Marquis of the Isle of Bute (age 22) and Charlotte Jane Windsor Marchioness Bute (age 20) were married. He the son of [his father-in-law] John Stuart 3rd Earl Bute (age 53) and [his mother-in-law] Mary Wortley-Montagu Countess Bute (age 48). They were half fifth cousin once removed.
Before 26th January 1779 Thomas Hudson (age 78). Portrait of James Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 42).
Before 1781 John Dawson 1st Earl Portarlington (age 36) and [his sister-in-law] Caroline Stuart Countess Portarlington (age 18) were married. She the daughter of [his father-in-law] John Stuart 3rd Earl Bute (age 67) and [his mother-in-law] Mary Wortley-Montagu Countess Bute (age 62).
On 24th May 1784 James Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 47) was created 1st Earl Lonsdale. [his wife] Mary Stuart Countess Lonsdale (age 43) by marriage Countess Lonsdale.
On 24th May 1784 James Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 47) was created 1st Baron Lowther. [his wife] Mary Stuart Countess Lonsdale (age 43) by marriage Baroness Lowther.
In 1785 John Dawson 1st Earl Portarlington (age 40) was created 1st Earl Portarlington. [his sister-in-law] Caroline Stuart Countess Portarlington (age 22) by marriage Countess Portarlington.
On 10th March 1792 [his father-in-law] John Stuart 3rd Earl Bute (age 78) died. His son [his brother-in-law] John (age 47) succeeded 4th Earl Bute. Charlotte Jane Windsor Marchioness Bute (age 46) by marriage Countess Bute.
On 26th October 1797 James Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 61) was created 1st Viscount Lowther. [his wife] Mary Stuart Countess Lonsdale (age 56) by marriage Viscountess Lowther.
On 12th December 1799 [his brother-in-law] John Stuart 1st Marquis of the Isle of Bute (age 55) was appointed Fellow of the Royal Society.
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.
On 28th January 1800 [his brother-in-law] John Stuart 1st Marquis of the Isle of Bute (age 55) and Frances Coutts Marchioness Bute were married. She by marriage Marchioness of the Isle of Bute. He the son of [his father-in-law] John Stuart 3rd Earl Bute and [his mother-in-law] Mary Wortley-Montagu Countess Bute.
On 10th September 1800 [his sister] Margaret Lowther Countess Darlington (age 72) died. She has a monument sculpted by Richard Cooke at St Mary's Church, Staindrop [Map] commissioned by her son [his nephew] William Henry Vane 1st Duke Cleveland (age 34).
Margaret Lowther Countess Darlington: In 1728 she was born to Robert Lowther and Katherine Pennington. On 19th March 1757 Henry Vane 2nd Earl Darlington and she were married at London. He the son of Henry Vane 1st Earl Darlington and Grace Fitzroy Countess Darlington. On 6th March 1758 Henry Vane 1st Earl Darlington died. His son Henry succeeded 2nd Earl Darlington, 2nd Viscount Barnard, 4th Baron Barnard. She by marriage Countess Darlington.
On 24th May 1802 James Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 65) died. His third cousin once removed William (age 44) succeeded 2nd Viscount Lowther, 2nd Baron Lowther. Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale (age 40) by marriage Viscountess Lowther.
On 5th April 1824 [his former wife] Mary Stuart Countess Lonsdale (age 83) died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 18 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 24 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 19 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 23 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 13 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 20 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 28 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 22 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 25 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 3 Grandfather: Christopher Lowther 
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Lowther of Lowther Hall
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Lowther 1st Baronet
GrandFather: Richard Lowther
Great x 1 Grandmother: Mary Fletcher
Father: Robert Lowther
James Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
GrandFather: Joseph Pennington 2nd Baronet
Mother: Katherine Pennington 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Lowther of Lowther Hall
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Lowther 1st Baronet
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Lowther
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Fletcher
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Lowther 1st Viscount Lonsdale
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Bellingham
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Bellingham 1st Baronet
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Bellingham
GrandMother: Margaret Lowther Lady Pennington 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Thynne 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Thynne
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Hayward 
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Thynne 1st Baronet 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Charles Lyte aka Howard 
7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Catherine Howard 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Katherine Thynne Viscountess Lonsdale 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Coventry 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Coventry 1st Baron Coventry
Great x 2 Grandmother: Mary Coventry Lady Thynne Kempsford
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Aldersley of Spurstow in Cheshire
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Aldersley Baroness Coventry