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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Earl Argyll is in Earl.
In 1457 Colin Campbell 1st Earl Argyll (age 24) was created 1st Earl Argyll.
Before 1460 Colin Campbell 1st Earl Argyll (age 26) and Isabella Stewart Countess Argyll were married. She by marriage Countess Argyll. They were second cousins.
On 10th May 1493 Colin Campbell 1st Earl Argyll (age 60) died. He was buried at Kilmun Church. His son Archibald (age 44) succeeded 2nd Earl Argyll.
In August 1529 Colin Campbell 3rd Earl Argyll (age 43) succeeded 3rd Earl Argyll.
On 9th October 1529 Colin Campbell 3rd Earl Argyll (age 43) died. His son Archibald (age 22) succeeded 4th Earl Argyll.
On 21st April 1541 Archibald Campbell 4th Earl Argyll (age 34) and Margaret Graham Countess Argyll were married. She by marriage Countess Argyll. She the daughter of William Graham 3rd Earl Menteith (age 41). He the son of Colin Campbell 3rd Earl Argyll and Jean or Janet Gordon Countess Argyll. They were fifth cousin once removed. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England.
In 1553 Archibald Campbell 5th Earl Argyll (age 19) and Jean Stewart Countess Argyll (age 20) were married. She by marriage Countess Argyll. She the illegitmate daughter of King James V of Scotland and Elizabeth Bethune. He the son of Archibald Campbell 4th Earl Argyll (age 46) and Helen Hamilton Countess Argyll. They were third cousins. She a great granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
On 2nd December 1558 Archibald Campbell 4th Earl Argyll (age 51) died. His son Archibald (age 24) succeeded 5th Earl Argyll.
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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Between 13th January 1571 and 26th February 1572 Colin Campbell 6th Earl Argyll (age 27) and Agnes Keith Countess Moray and Mar (age 40) were married. She by marriage Countess Argyll. She the daughter of William Keith 4th Earl Marischal (age 64) and Margaret Keith Countess Marischal. He the son of Archibald Campbell 4th Earl Argyll and Margaret Graham Countess Argyll. They were half fourth cousins.
On 12th September 1573 Archibald Campbell 5th Earl Argyll (age 39) died. His half brother Colin (age 29) succeeded 6th Earl Argyll.
In October 1584 Colin Campbell 6th Earl Argyll (age 40) died. His son Archibald (age 9) succeeded 7th Earl Argyll. Agnes Douglas Countess Argyll (age 10) by marriage Countess Argyll.
In 1609 Archibald Campbell 7th Earl Argyll (age 34) and Anne Cornwallis Countess Argyll (age 19) were married. She by marriage Countess Argyll. He the son of Colin Campbell 6th Earl Argyll and Agnes Keith Countess Moray and Mar. They were sixth cousins.
In 1638 Archibald Campbell 7th Earl Argyll (age 63) died. He was buried at Kilmun Church. His son Archibald (age 30) succeeded 8th Earl Argyll. Margaret Douglas Marchioness Argyll (age 28) by marriage Countess Argyll.
In October 1663 Archibald Campbell 9th Earl Argyll (age 34) succeeded 9th Earl Argyll. Mary Stewart Countess Argyll (age 35) by marriage Countess Argyll.
On 30th June 1685 Archibald Campbell 9th Earl Argyll (age 56) was beheaded on the Maiden (an early gullotine) in Edinburgh for his part in Argyll's Rising. His son Archibald (age 26) succeeded 10th Earl Argyll. Elizabeth Tollemache Duchess Argyll (age 25) by marriage Countess Argyll.
On 9th November 1770 John Campbell 4th Duke Argyll (age 77) died. His son John (age 47) succeeded 5th Duke Argyll. Elizabeth Gunning Duchess Hamilton and Argyll (age 36) by marriage Countess Argyll.
Archibald Campbell 4th Earl Argyll and Helen Hamilton Countess Argyll were married. She by marriage Countess Argyll. She the daughter of James Hamilton 1st Earl Arran and Elizabeth Home Countess Arran. He the son of Colin Campbell 3rd Earl Argyll and Jean or Janet Gordon Countess Argyll. They were half third cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
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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Colin Campbell 3rd Earl Argyll and Jean or Janet Gordon Countess Argyll were married. She by marriage Countess Argyll. She the daughter of Alexander Gordon 3rd Earl Huntley and Jean Stewart Countess Huntley. He the son of Archibald Campbell 2nd Earl Argyll and Elizabeth Stewart Countess Argyll. They were third cousin once removed. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
Archibald Campbell 2nd Earl Argyll and Elizabeth Stewart Countess Argyll were married. She by marriage Countess Argyll. She the daughter of John Stewart 1st Earl Lennox and Margaret Montgomerie Countess Lennox. He the son of Colin Campbell 1st Earl Argyll and Isabella Stewart Countess Argyll. They were sixth cousins.