James Ley 1st Earl of Marlborough 1552-1629

Paternal Family Tree: Ley

Around 1552 James Ley 1st Earl of Marlborough was born to Henry Ley of Teffont Evias in Wiltshire.

In 1574 [his father] Henry Ley of Teffont Evias in Wiltshire died.

Before 3rd December 1595 James Ley 1st Earl of Marlborough [aged 43] and Mary Pettie were married.

On 3rd December 1595 [his son] Henry Ley 2nd Earl of Marlborough was born to James Ley 1st Earl of Marlborough [aged 43] and [his wife] Mary Pettie. He married before 28th January 1618 Mary Capell.

In 1597 James Ley 1st Earl of Marlborough [aged 45] was elected MP Westbury.

In 1612 [his son] William Ley 4th Earl Marlborough was born to James Ley 1st Earl of Marlborough [aged 60] and [his wife] Mary Pettie.

In 1618 James Ley 1st Earl of Marlborough [aged 66] and Mary Pierson were married.

After 1618 James Ley 1st Earl of Marlborough [aged 66] and Jane Boteler Countess Marlborough were married.

Before 28th January 1618 Henry Ley 2nd Earl of Marlborough [aged 22] and Mary Capell [aged 20] were married. He the son of James Ley 1st Earl of Marlborough [aged 66] and Mary Pettie.

On 5th February 1626 James Ley 1st Earl of Marlborough [aged 74] was created 1st Earl Marlborough by King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland [aged 25]. [his wife] Jane Boteler Countess Marlborough by marriage Countess Marlborough.

On 7th February 1626 Mountjoy Blount 1st Earl Newport [aged 29] and [his sister-in-law] Anne Boteler Countess Newport and Portland [aged 26] were married. He the illegitmate son of Charles Blount 1st Earl Devonshire and Penelope Devereux Countess Devonshire.

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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In 1628 Francis Leigh 1st Earl Chichester [aged 29] was created 1st Baron Dunsmore of Dunsmore in Warwickshire with special remainder to his stepson John Anderson 1st Baronet who was the son of his second wife [his sister-in-law] Audrey Boteler Countess Chichester and Francis Anderson. John Anderson 1st Baronet predeceased Francis Leigh 1st Earl Chichester so the remainder had no effect.

In 1629 James Ley 1st Earl of Marlborough [aged 77] died. His son Henry [aged 33] succeeded 2nd Earl Marlborough. Mary Capell [aged 31] by marriage Countess Marlborough.

Before 1672 William Ashburham [aged 67] and [his former wife] Jane Boteler Countess Marlborough were married. They were half second cousin once removed.

In 1672 [his former wife] Jane Boteler Countess Marlborough died.