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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Paternal Family Tree: Lowther
On 29th December 1757 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale was born to William Lowther 1st Baronet [aged 50].
Around 1767 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 9] educated at Westminster School [Map].
Around 1769 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 11] educated at Trinity College, Cambridge University [Map].
In 1780 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 22] was elected MP Appleby.
In 1780 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 22] was elected MP Carlisle.
On 12th July 1781 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 23] and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of John Fane 9th Earl of Westmoreland and Augusta Bertie.
On 20th May 1782 [his brother-in-law] John Fane 10th Earl of Westmoreland [aged 22] and Sarah Anne Child Countess of Westmoreland [aged 17] were married at Gretna Green. She by marriage Countess of Westmoreland. He the son of John Fane 9th Earl of Westmoreland and Augusta Bertie.
In 1784 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 26] was elected MP Cumberland.
In 1785 [his daughter] Mary Lowther was born to William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 27] and [his wife] Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale [aged 23]. She married 16th September 1820 Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck, son of William Cavendish-Bentinck 3rd Duke Portland and Dorothy Cavendish 3rd Duchess Portland, and had issue.
On 21st July 1787 [his son] William Lowther 2nd Earl Lonsdale was born to William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 29] and [his wife] Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale [aged 25].
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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On 15th June 1788 [his father] William Lowther 1st Baronet [aged 80] died.
On 27th July 1790 [his son] Henry Cecil Lowther was born to William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 32] and [his wife] Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale [aged 28] at Lowther Castle Lowther. He married 19th May 1817 Lucy Eleanor Sherard, daughter of Philip Sherard 5th Earl Harborough, and had issue.
On 9th June 1792 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 34] fought a duel with a Captain Cuthbert of the Guards, when, the previous day, the latter had refused to let the former's carriage pass through Mount Street in London where some rioting had been taking place. After shots were fired both parties concluded with a handshake.
In 1796 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 38] was elected MP Rutland.
In 1800 [his brother-in-law] John Fane 10th Earl of Westmoreland [aged 40] and Jane Huck Saunders Countess of Westmoreland [aged 17] were married. The difference in their ages was 23 years. He the son of John Fane 9th Earl of Westmoreland and Augusta Bertie.
On 24th May 1802 James Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 65] died. His third cousin once removed William [aged 44] succeeded 2nd Viscount Lowther, 2nd Baron Lowther. [his wife] Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale [aged 40] by marriage Viscountess Lowther.
In 1807 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 49] was appointed 634th Knight of the Garter by King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 68].
In 1807 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 49] was created 1st Earl Lonsdale. [his wife] Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale [aged 45] by marriage Countess Lonsdale.
On 3rd July 1815 [his son-in-law] William Vane 3rd Duke Cleveland [aged 23] and Grace Caroline Lowther Duchess of Cleveland were married at St James' Church, Piccadilly. She the daughter of William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 57] and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale [aged 53]. He the son of William Henry Vane 1st Duke Cleveland [aged 48] and Catharine Margaret Powlett Countess Darlington. They were half fifth cousins. He a great x 3 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland.
On 20th January 1817 [his son-in-law] John Beckett 2nd Baronet [aged 41] and Anne Lowther Lady Beckett were married. She the daughter of William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 59] and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale [aged 55].
On 19th May 1817 Henry Cecil Lowther [aged 26] and Lucy Eleanor Sherard [aged 25] were married. She the daughter of Philip Sherard 5th Earl Harborough. He the son of William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 59] and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale [aged 55].
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
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On 16th September 1820 [his son-in-law] Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck [aged 38] and Mary Lowther [aged 35] were married. She the daughter of William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 62] and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale [aged 58]. He the son of William Cavendish-Bentinck 3rd Duke Portland and Dorothy Cavendish 3rd Duchess Portland.
On 6th March 1838 [his wife] Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale [aged 76] died.
On 19th March 1844 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale [aged 86] died at York House Twickenham, Richmond. His son William [aged 56] succeeded 2nd Earl Lonsdale, 3rd Viscount Lowther, 3rd Baron Lowther.
[his daughter] Grace Caroline Lowther Duchess of Cleveland was born to William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale. She married 3rd July 1815 her half fifth cousin William Vane 3rd Duke Cleveland, son of William Henry Vane 1st Duke Cleveland and Catharine Margaret Powlett Countess Darlington.
[his daughter] Anne Lowther Lady Beckett was born to William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale. She married 20th January 1817 John Beckett 2nd Baronet, son of John Beckett 1st Baronet and Mary Wilson Lady Beckett.
[his daughter] Elizabeth Lowther was born to William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale.
Great x 4 Grandfather: Christopher Lowther 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Lowther of Lowther Hall
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Lowther
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Lowther
GrandFather: Christopher Lowther
Father: William Lowther 1st Baronet