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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Before 14th September 1603 [his grandfather] Edward Vaughan and [his grandmother] Letitia Stedman of Strata Florida were married.
On the same day his son [his father] John Vaughan of Transgoed and [his mother] Jane Stedman were married.
In 1635 Edward Vaughan was born to [his father] John Vaughan of Transgoed (age 31) and [his mother] Jane Stedman (age 17).
In 1635 [his grandfather] Edward Vaughan died. His son [his father] John Vaughan of Transgoed (age 31) succeeded to his estates and was charged with securing marriages for his two sisters as well as the guardianship of his nine-year-old stepbrother, Edward.
Before 7th December 1667 Edward Vaughan (age 32) and Letitia Hooker were married.
On 7th December 1667 [his son] John Vaughan 1st Viscount Lisburne was born to Edward Vaughan (age 32) and [his wife] Letitia Hooker. He married 18th August 1692 Malet Wilmot Viscountess Lisburne, daughter of John Wilmot 2nd Earl Rochester and Elizabeth Malet Countess Rochester, and had issue.
On 23rd May 1668 [his father] John Vaughan of Transgoed (age 64) was appointed Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. He won lasting fame for his important decision in Bushell's Case, that juries were not to be fined for returning a verdict against the direction of the judge.
On 10th December 1674 [his father] John Vaughan of Transgoed (age 71) died at Serjeants' Inn. He was buried at Temple Church, London [Map] on 22nd December 1674. His marble monument was destroyed in WWII. Edward Stillingfleet (age 39) preached his funeral sermon. His son Edward Vaughan (age 39) inherited a Cardiganshire estate worth £1,200 each year.
In 1679 Edward Vaughan (age 44) was elected MP Cardiganshire.
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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Before 1680 [his mother] Jane Stedman (age 61) died.
On 15th February 1684 Edward Vaughan (age 49) died.
After 15th February 1684 Edward Vaughan (deceased) was buried at St Laurence's Church, Ludlow [Map]. His monument has an epitaph that reads ... Visitor, whoever you are, respect the glorious remains of the distinguished Edward Vaughan of Trawscoed, heir by descent of John Vaughan, famous knight, like his noble father in appearance. From boyhood to his dying day he devoted himself with enthusiasm to literature of all kinds and of every period; to render conspicuous service to prince and country; and he successfully achieved this aim and was welcome and popular everywhere and a most respected citizen in a turbulent era; that you may know that here is buried a man whom the ancients called a 'cubic' man (i.e. a man of great integrity) and also godlike. So great and of such character was he, that even his enemies wept, and his friends almost died with him, when the earth gladly and willingly received his body, and he departed to the realms of the blessed in the year of our Lord 1648 when he was 48 years old. To a husband and parent most dearly missed, his widow and children, grief-stricken, set up this mortal tomb. His own life is his immortal epitaph.
In 1716 [his former wife] Letitia Hooker died.
GrandFather: Edward Vaughan 
Father: John Vaughan of Transgoed
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Steadman of Strata Florida
GrandMother: Letitia Stedman of Strata Florida
GrandFather: John Steadman of Cilcennin, Cardiganshire
Mother: Jane Stedman
GrandMother: Anne Jones