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: Deheubarth
Around 1478 Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas Deheubarth was born to [his father] Rhys ap Thomas Deheubarth [aged 29] and [his mother] Eve Gwilym [aged 23].
On 17th June 1497 the Cornish rebel army was destroyed at the Battle of Blackheath aka Deptford Bridge.
Richard Guildford [aged 47] was created Knight Banneret.
Edward Stafford 2nd Earl Wiltshire [aged 27], Henry Willoughby [aged 46], Edward Belknapp of Blackfriars in London and Thomas Fiennes 8th Baron Dacre Gilsland [aged 25] fought at Deptford, Kent [Map].
Giles Brugge 6th Baron Chandos [aged 35], John Hussey 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford [aged 32], Robert Sheffield [aged 36], Edward Stanhope 1462-1487, John Peche [aged 47] and Robert Constable [aged 19] were knighted by King Henry VII of England and Ireland [aged 40].
Thomas West 8th Baron De La Warr 5th Baron West [aged 40] commanded.
James Tuchet 7th Baron Audley, 4th Baron Tuchet [aged 34] was captured by Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas Deheubarth [aged 19].
In or before 1499 Piers Edgecombe [aged 29] and [his future wife] Catherine St John were married.
On 25th April 1502 Prince Arthur Tudor [deceased] was buried in the Chantry Chapel of Prince Arthur in Worcester Cathedral [Map].
Bishop William Smyth [aged 42], Bishop of Lincoln and Lord President of the Council of Wales and the Marches, presided.
George Grey 2nd Earl Kent [aged 48] and George Talbot 4th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 34] received Arthur's Coat of Arms, Richard Grey 3rd Earl Kent [aged 21] received Arthur's shield, John Grey 2nd Baron Grey of Powis [aged 17] received Arthur's sword, pommel forwards. Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas Deheubarth [aged 24] carried Prince Arthur's banner.
Gerald Fitzgerald 9th Earl of Kildare [aged 15] rode Arthur's courser as the Man at Arms, in Arthur's full armour, carrying Arthur's poleaxe, pointed down, through the Nave to the Altar where he was stripped of Arthur's clothes.
The Chapel is to the right of the High Altar in the Chancel. It is decorated with heraldic carvings symbolising the houses of York, Lancaster, Beaufort and Catherine of Aragon's Pomegranate. His Purbeck marble tomb chest is decorated with the arms of England. He is buried beneath the cathedral's floor several feet away from the tomb that visitors can see.
Around 1507 Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas Deheubarth [aged 29] and Catherine St John were married.
In 1508 [his son] Rhys ap Gruffydd Deheubarth was born to Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas Deheubarth [aged 30] and [his wife] Catherine St John. He married 1524 Catherine Howard Countess Bridgewater, daughter of Thomas Howard 2nd Duke of Norfolk and Agnes Tilney Duchess Norfolk, and had issue.
Around 1516 [his step-son] Richard Edgecombe [aged 17] and Elizabeth Arundell [aged 16] were married.
In June 1520 Henry VIII [aged 28] hosted Field of the Cloth of Gold at Balinghem [Map].
Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset [aged 42] carried the Sword of State.
Bishop John Stokesley [aged 45] attended as Henry VIII's chaplain.
Edmund Braye 1st Baron Braye [aged 36], Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas Deheubarth [aged 42], Anthony Poyntz [aged 40], William Coffin [aged 25], William "Great" Courtenay [aged 43], Robert Radclyffe 1st Earl of Sussex [aged 37], William Paston [aged 41], William Denys [aged 50], Richard Cecil [aged 25], William Parr 1st Baron Parr of Horton [aged 37], Ralph Neville 4th Earl of Westmoreland [aged 22], John Mordaunt 1st Baron Mordaunt [aged 40], Henry Guildford [aged 31], Marmaduke Constable [aged 40], William Compton [aged 38], William Blount 4th Baron Mountjoy [aged 42], Thomas Cheney [aged 35], Henry Willoughby [aged 69], John Rodney [aged 59], John Marney 2nd Baron Marney [aged 36], William Sidney [aged 38], John de Vere 14th Earl of Oxford [aged 20], John de Vere 15th Earl of Oxford [aged 49], Edmund Walsingham [aged 40], William Skeffington [aged 55] and Thomas West 8th Baron De La Warr 5th Baron West [aged 63] attended.
William Carey [aged 20] jousted.
William Sandys 1st Baron Sandys of the Vyne [aged 50] organised.
Jane Parker Viscountess Rochford [aged 15] attended.
Thomas Brooke 8th Baron Cobham [aged 50], Robert Willoughby 2nd Baron Willoughby 10th Baron Latimer [aged 48], Anthony Wingfield [aged 33], William Scott [aged 61], Thomas Wriothesley [aged 32], Bishop Thomas Ruthall [aged 48], Margaret Dymoke aka Mistress Coffin [aged 20] and Edward Chamberlayne [aged 36] were present.
In 1521 Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas Deheubarth [aged 43] died. He was buried at Worcester Cathedral [Map] next to his childhood friend Prince Arthur Tudor.
[his father] Rhys ap Thomas Deheubarth and Janet Mathew were married.
[his father] Rhys ap Thomas Deheubarth and [his mother] Eve Gwilym were married.
Great x 3 Grandfather: Philip ab Elidir Deheubarth
Great x 2 Grandfather: Nicolas ap Philip Deheubarth
Great x 4 Grandfather: Dafydd Fras
Great x 3 Grandmother: Gwladys
Great x 1 Grandfather: Gruffydd ap Nicholas Deheubarth
Great x 3 Grandfather: Gruffudd Unknown
Great x 2 Grandmother: Jonet Unknown
GrandFather: Thomas ap Gruffyd Deheubarth
Father: Rhys ap Thomas Deheubarth
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Gruffydd
GrandMother: Elizabeth Gruffydd
Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas Deheubarth
GrandFather: Henry Gwilym
Mother: Eve Gwilym