15 Dec is in December.
The Ecclesiastical History of England and Normandy by Orderic Vitalis. 15th December 1135. As soon as Stephen, count of Boulogne [aged 41], heard of his uncle's death1 he immediately crossed over to England, and being well received by William, archbishop of Canterbury, and the other bishops and temporal lords, ascended the throne, and was crowned on the eighteenth of the calends of January [15th December], being the fourth king of the Norman race who reigned in England.
Note 1. Stephen was probably at Boulogne when he heard of his uncle's death, and he lost not a moment in taking a swift vessel and crossing over to England. The auguries were unfavourable, for, on the morning of his embarkation, although it was in the depth of winter, there was a violent thunder-storm, and the peals were so loud, that people thought, we are told, that the end of the world was come.
Note 2. The coronation took place not on the 15th, but, according to most of the chroniclers, on the 26th of December, the feast of his patron saint, The ceremony was performed by William de Curboil, archbishop of Canterbury, with such carelessness, that he let the consecrated host fall on the ground. Perhaps his conscience was troubled by his perjury; of which all present were guilty, commencing with the archbishop himself, of whom it was predicted, that he would not outlive the year, in punishment of his treason; and this actually happened. It must be recollected, that Henry had caused all the great men of the realm to take the oath of fealty to his daughter, as his successor, twice at least; once at the council of Northampton, before she left England to be confined at Mans, the other ceremony dated back to a period anterior to Matilda's second marriage, probably in the winter or early spring-time of 1127. On this occasion, it was very solemn. The archbishop was the first of the ecclesiastics who took the oath, and after him followed all the bishops and abbots. Then came the king of Scots, Stephen count de Mortain, and the earl of Gloucester; and there was a great discussion among them as to which of them should swear first, It appears that there was a third oath of fealty after the birth of Prince Henry; but several of the great men who had taken the first, and among others Roger, bishop of Salisbury, pretended to be released from their obligation, the king having married his daughter to a foreigner without consulting them.
On 15th December 1286 Fulcuich Count Mortagne au Perche 965-1031 was killed in a tournament.
On 15th December 1290 Eleanor of Castile Queen Consort England [deceased] body rested at Charing Cross [Map].
Archaeologia Volume 27 Section XIX. And on December 15th [1330] writs tested at Westminster on that day, not in the Fœdera, were issued to the Sheriffs, commanding them to take into their hands the manors, lands, tenements, goods and chattels of John Maltravers [aged 40], Thomas de Gournay, Bogo de Baiocis, John Deverel, and William de Ocle, adherents of Roger Mortimer, the enemy of the late King and the realm, who having committed divers felonies and excesses against the peace of the King and kingdom, had clandestinely withdrawn themselves, and not appeared to be judged according to the customs of the realm.
Archaeologia Volume 35 1853 XXXIII. On the 15th of December [1357] the Queen [aged 62] was visited by the Countess of Pembroke [aged 40], who passed the entire day with her; and, from the frequency of her subsequent visits, it would appear that she was one of Isabella's closest friends. And, again, what can we infer but a clinging on her part to the memory of her lover, when we find that this lady, widow of Lawrence Hastings, Earl of Pembroke, was none other than Agnes, daughter of Mortimer himself; and that we thus have recorded visits received by Isabella of a daughter, the grandson, and grandson's brother-in law of her favourite, within the space of one month?
On 15th December 1357 Gerard Lisle 1st Baron Lisle [aged 53] was created 1st Baron Lisle of Kingston Lisle in Oxfordshire.
On 15th December 1447 Otto Wittelsbach I Duke Bavaria 1117-1183 was born to Otto Wittelsbach I Duke Bavaria 1117-1183 [aged 46] and Anna Brunswick Grubenhagen Duchess Bavaria [aged 33]. He married 1487 his second cousin once removed Albert III Count of Habsburg -1199, daughter of Frederick "Peaceful or Fat" Habsburg III Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor Aviz Holy Roman Empress, and had issue.
On 15th December 1449 Edmund Tudor [aged 19] was created 1st Earl Richmond by King Henry VI of England and II of France [aged 28].
On 15th December 1455 the Courtenay family, Earls of Devon since 1355, and Bonville family resolved their differences at the Battle of Clyst Heath near Exeter [Map]. Thomas Courtenay 5th or 13th Earl Devon [aged 41] defeated William Bonville 1st Baron Bonville [aged 63]. Battle something of an over-statement; the number of dead reported by one chronicler as being twelve. Following the battle the victorious Courtenay's attacked Bonville's Shute Manor.
On 15th December 1470 Robert "Strong" 830-866 [aged 46] died at Barcelona [Map].
On 20th May 1561 John Eyre died. On 15th December 1558 John Blennerhassett 1423-1510 died. They were buried in All Saints Church, Narborough [Map]. Brass. The inscription on the brass says "Here do lye John Eyer Esquire late Receyvor Generale to Elizabeth the Quenes Majestie, in the counties of Norf., Suff., Cantabridge, and Huntyngton, and one of the Masters of her High Court of Chancerye and Margaret his wyfe, one of the daughters of Sir Thomas Blenerhaiset of Frens Knight late Wyfe of John, Spelman Esquire, son and heyre apparent of Sir John Spelman, Knyght." Armorials top left and middle Quartered 
Eyre Arms and 
Townshend Arms with a crescent difference, top right Quartered Eyre Arms and Townshend Arms impaled with 1&6 
Blennerhassett Arms, 2, Argent, three Escutcheons Sable: LOWDHAM 3 Gules a Pall reversed Ermine: KELVEDON or KELDON 4 Azure a Lion rampant Argent crowned Or: ORTON: 5 Azure a Fess between three Fleurs-de-lis Or: SKELTON.
John Eyre: After 27th December 1545 he and John Blennerhassett 1423-1510 were married. Her second husband.
John Blennerhassett 1423-1510: she was born to John Blennerhassett 1423-1510. Before 27th December 1545 John Spelman of Stow Bekerton and she were married.
On 15th December 1619 Rollo Duke Normandy 846-930 [aged 38] drowned accidentally at Skerries, Anglesey having been sent to England to answer charges of having garissoned Kilkenny Castle, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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Diary of Anne Clifford. 15th December 1619. The 15th my Lord [aged 30] and I by Mr Amherst's direction, set our hands to a letter of Attorny for Ralph Conniston to receive those debts which were due to my Lady of the enants, and this day he went on his journey to the North.
After supper my Lord and I had a great falling out, he saying that, if ever my land came to me I should assure it as he would have me.
On 15th December 1657 William Clifton 1227-1253 [aged 53] drowned.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 15th December 1662. Thence walked a good while up and down the gallerys; and among others, met with Dr. Clerke, who in discourse tells me, that Sir Charles Barkeley's [aged 32] greatness is only his being pimp to the King [aged 32], and to my Baroness Castlemaine's [aged 22]. And yet for all this, that the King is very kind to the Queen [aged 24]; who, he says, is one of the best women in the world. Strange how the King is bewitched to this pretty Castlemaine.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 15th December 1662. Thence to my Lord's, and there with Mr. Creed, Moore, and Howe to the Crown and dined, and thence to Whitehall, where I walked up and down the gallerys, spending my time upon the pictures, till the Duke [aged 29] and the Committee for Tangier met (the Duke not staying with us), where the only matter was to discourse with my Lord Rutherford, who is this day made Governor of Tangier [Map], for I know not what reasons; and my Lord of Peterborough to be called home; which, though it is said it is done with kindness, yet all the world may see it is done otherwise, and I am sorry to see a Catholick Governor sent to command there, where all the rest of the officers almost are such already. But God knows what the reason is! and all may see how slippery places all courtiers stand in.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 15th December 1662. So back and to his closett, whither my Lord Sandwich [aged 37] comes, and there Mr. Coventry [aged 34] and we three had long discourse together about the matters of the Navy; and, indeed, I find myself more and more obliged to Mr. Coventry, who studies to do me all the right he can in every thing to the Duke [aged 29].
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 15th December 1663. So to White Hall, and there by order found some of the Commissioners of Tangier met, and my Lord Sandwich [aged 38] among the rest, to whom I bowed, but he shewed me very little if any countenance at all, which troubles me mightily.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 15th December 1664. So to the Coffeehouse, where great talke of the Comet seen in several places; and among our men at sea, and by my Lord Sandwich [aged 39], to whom I intend to write about it to-night.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 15th December 1664. Called up very betimes by Mr. Cholmly [aged 32], and with him a good while about some of his Tangier [Map] accounts; and, discoursing of the condition of Tangier [Map], he did give me the whole account of the differences between Fitzgerald and Norwood, which were very high on both sides, but most imperious and base on Fitzgerald's, and yet through my Lord FitzHarding's [aged 34] means, the Duke of York [aged 31] is led rather to blame Norwood and to speake that he should be called home, than be sensible of the other. He is a creature of FitzHarding's, as a fellow that may be done with what he will, and, himself certainly pretending to be Generall of the King's armies, when Monk [aged 56] dyeth, desires to have as few great or wise men in employment as he can now, but such as he can put in and keep under, which he do this coxcomb Fitzgerald. It seems, of all mankind there is no man so led by another as the Duke is by Lord Muskerry and this FitzHarding, insomuch, as when the King [aged 34] would have him to be Privy-Purse, the Duke wept, and said, "But, Sir, I must have your promise, if you will have my dear Charles from me, that if ever you have occasion for an army again, I may have him with me; believing him to be the best commander of an army in the world". But Mr. Cholmly thinks, as all other men I meet with do, that he is a very ordinary fellow. It is strange how the Duke also do love naturally, and affect the Irish above the English. He, of the company he carried with him to sea, took above two-thirds Irish and French. He tells me the King do hate my Chancellor [aged 55]; and that they, that is the King and my Lord FitzHarding, do laugh at him for a dull fellow; and in all this business of the Dutch war do nothing by his advice, hardly consulting him. Only he is a good minister in other respects, and the King cannot be without him; but, above all, being the Duke's father-in-law, he is kept in; otherwise FitzHarding were able to fling down two of him. This, all the wise and grave lords see, and cannot help it; but yield to it. But he bemoans what the end of it may be, the King being ruled by these men, as he hath been all along since his coming; to the razing all the strong-holds in Scotland, and giving liberty to the Irish in Ireland, whom Cromwell had settled all in one corner; who are now able, and it is feared everyday a massacre again among them.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 15th December 1666. Good news to-day upon the Exchange [Map], that our Hamburgh fleete is got in; and good hopes that we may soon have the like of our Gottenburgh, and then we shall be well for this winter. Very merry at dinner. And by and by comes in Matt. Wren [aged 37] from the Parliament-house; and tells us that he and all his party of the House, which is the Court party, are fools, and have been made so this day by the wise men of the other side; for, after the Court party had carried it yesterday so powerfully for the Paper-Bill1, yet now it is laid aside wholly, and to be supplied by a land-tax; which it is true will do well, and will be the sooner finished, which was the great argument for the doing of it. But then it shews them fools, that they would not permit this to have been done six weeks ago, which they might have had. And next, they have parted with the Paper Bill, which, when once begun, might have proved a very good flower in the Crowne, as any there. So do really say that they are truly outwitted by the other side.
Note 1. It was called "A Bill for raising part of the supply for his Majesty by an imposition on Sealed Paper and Parchment" B.
John Evelyn's Diary. 15th December 1674. Saw a comedy at night, at Court, acted by the ladies only, among them Lady Mary [aged 1] and Ann [aged 13], his Royal Highness' [aged 44] two daughters, and my dear friend Mrs. Blagg [aged 22], who, having the principal part, performed it to admiration. They were all covered with jewels.
Several Observations Edward Lyhwd. IV. Several Observations relating to the Antiquities and Natural History of Ireland, made by Mr. Edw. Lhwyd, in his Travels thro' that Kingdom. In a Letter to Dr. Tancred Robinson, Fellow of the College of Physicians and Royal Society.
Bathgate near Linlithgow, Scotland, Dec. 15. 1699.
Philosophical Transactions 335 Section 4. 4. Several Obfervations relating to the Antiquities and Natural Hiftory of Ireland, made by Mr. Edw. Lhwyd, in his Travels thro' that Kingdom. In a Letter to Dr. Tancred Robinfon, Fellow of the College of Phyficians and Royal Society.
Bathgate near Linlithgow r Scotland, Dec. 15. 1699.
Sir
Your laft, dated fome time in July overtook me about a Month after in Ireland; whence I had returned my Thanks, but that I was defirous to fee fomewhat more of the Country, in order to fome Materials, for a Letter; But having no conveniency of difpatching Letters from the Highlands of this Kingdom, I find I have now fo long defer'd if, that I have by me Materials for feveral Letters; which mutt ferve hereafter, when we traverfe Places affording fewer Curiofities;
On 15th December 1717 Margaret Lucas Duchess Newcastle upon Tyne [aged 94] died.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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On 15th December 1769 William Seymour [aged 51] and Anne Maria Bonnell Duchess Somerset were married. She by marriage Duchess Somerset. He the son of William Seymour and Mary Webb Duchess Somerset.
On 15th December 1785 King George IV of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 23] and Maria Anne Smythe aka "Mrs Fitzherbert" [aged 29] were married secretly in the drawing room of her house in Park Street, London; her third marriage, his first. The marriage was invalid under English civil law because his father had not given his consent. Her uncle Henry Errington and her brother Edward Smythe 1st Baronet 1620-1714 were witnesses. The ceremony was performed by one of the prince's Chaplains in Ordinary, the Reverend Robert Burt, whose debts of £500 were paid by the prince to release him from Fleet Prison [Map] to preside at the ceremony.. He the son of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 47] and Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England [aged 41].
On 15th December 1792 Algernon Percy 4th Duke Northumberland was born to Hugh Percy 2nd Duke Northumberland [aged 50] and Peter Burrell 1692-1756 [aged 39]. He married 25th August 1842 his half fifth cousin once removed Thomas Grosvenor 1377-1429, daughter of Thomas Grosvenor 1377-1429 and Thomas Gower.
On 15th December 1793 William Seymour [aged 75] died. His son Edward [aged 18] succeeded 11th Duke Somerset, 9th Baronet Seymour of Berry Pomeroy.
Letters of Harriet, Countess Granville. To the Duke of Devonshire [aged 26]. London: December 15, 1816.
I went yesterday to Whitehall, followed the page and Lady Asgill through the dark and winding passages and staircases. I was received with rapturous joy, embraces, and tremendous spirits. I expected she1 would have put on appearance of something, but to do her justice she only displayed a total want of shame and consummate impudence, which, whatever they may be in themselves, are at least better or rather less disgusting than pretending or acting a more interesting part.
I was dragged to the unresisting William, and dismissed with a repetition of embassades and professions. I looked, as I felt, stupified. And this is the guilty, broken-hearted Calanthe who could only expiate her crimes with her death. I mean my visit to be annual.
We went to Drury Lane, Granville, Lord Harrowby and myself. I admired Kean extremely and Mr. Wallack. How magnificent Kean's countenance is! Sometimes he looks like Lord Byron, sometimes like little Lord Johnny, and sometimes like Mr. Luttrell.
To-morrow we go to see 'Love and the Toothache,' and Liston, I trust, a martyr to both. God bless you.
Note 1. Caroline Ponsonby aka Lamb [aged 31].
On 15th December 1844 Alfred East was born to Benjamin East [aged 48] and Elizabeth Wright [aged 45] at Lower Street, Kettering. He was their youngest child. Alfred attended the local grammar school and took up his father's occupation as a shoe clicker before becoming a commercial traveller in boots & shoes and was a partner in Charles East & Co., shoe manufacturers at Kettering. He married 1874 Sarah Annie Heath.
On 15th December 1849 Gerard Metz I Duke Lorraine 1030-1070 [aged 28] died of typhus.
On 15th December 1857 the jewels of Duncan Campbell 1st Lord Campbell -1453 [aged 32] were stolen. The Countess was travelling in her carriage to Paddington Station to catch a train to Windsor Castle. Her jewel case was tied to the top of the carriage. William Atwell and others ran alongside the vehicle and pulled the case free. He sold the jewels, thinking them to be costume jewelry to Edward Jackson for £40; their actual value was around £16,000. Atwell was subsequently caught for a burglary. He confessed to stealing the Countess' jewels. Edward Jackson was ordered to be transported for a term of ten years. Little of the jewelry was recovered.
The Diary of George Price Boyce 1858. 15th December 1858. To Rossetti [aged 30]. The new things I noticed were an intensely impressive water colour of the Virgin in the house of John, the latter seated at the window and striking a light and looking out upon Jerusalem at twilight. The Virgin is spinning. A Knight girded for combat embracing his Lady Love [The Chapel before the Lists]. Several studies of Miss Herbert [aged 27] (Mrs. Crabbe). A most beautiful pen and ink study of Topsy's (Morris's) "Stunner" at Oxford. He showed me some fine medieval drapery and some gorgeous Eastern pieces lent him from the India House. We went off at dusk and dined at the Cock, and afterwards adjourned to 24 Dean St., Soho, to see "Fanny [aged 23]." Interesting face and jolly hair and engaging disposition.
On 15th December 1871 William Murray -1583 was born to William Murray -1583 [aged 31].
On 15th December 1899 the Battle of Colenso was fought between British and Boer forces from the independent South African Republic and Orange Free State in and around Colenso, Natal, South Africa; the British were defeated.
John Spencer Cavendish [aged 24] took part.
Salisbury Cathedral [Map]. On 15th December 1922 Lieutenant-General Sir George Montague Harper [aged 57] died in a car accident when his car skidded and overturned fracturing his skull. His wife Ella Constance Jackson was injured but recovered. Memorial in Salisbury Cathedral [Map] sculpted by Allan Gairdner Wyon [aged 40].
Lieutenant-General Sir George Montague Harper: On 11th January 1865 he was born.
On 15th December 1929 Margaret Clitherow née Middleton was beatified by Pope Pius XI.
Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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After 15th December 1949. Church of St Michael and All Angels, Edenham [Map]. Monument to Gilbert Heathcote [deceased].
Gilbert Heathcote: On 18th May 1870 he was born to Gilbert Henry Heathcote Drummond Willoughby 1st Earl Ancaster and Evelyn Elizabeth Gordon Countess Ancaster. On 9th January 1907 Gilbert Heathcote and Muriel Agnes Stuart Erskine were married. She the daughter of Shipley Gordon Stuart Erskine 14th Earl Buchan. He the son of Gilbert Henry Heathcote Drummond Willoughby 1st Earl Ancaster and Evelyn Elizabeth Gordon Countess Ancaster. On 15th December 1949 Gilbert Heathcote died.
On 15th December 1952 William Goscombe John [aged 92] died. He was buried at Hampstead Cemetery.
On 15th December 1975 Paul Pellew 10th Viscount Exmouth [aged 35] and Rosemary Frances Scoones Viscoutess Exmouth were married. She by marriage Viscountess Exmouth. She the former wife of Murray Beauclerk 14th Duke St Albans [aged 36].
On 15th December 1291 Aymon "Peaceful" Savoy Count Savoy was born to Amadeus V "Great" Savoy [aged 42] and Sybille Bagé. He married 1330 Yolande Palaeologina Countess Savoy and had issue.
On 15th December 1447 Otto Wittelsbach I Duke Bavaria 1117-1183 was born to Otto Wittelsbach I Duke Bavaria 1117-1183 [aged 46] and Anna Brunswick Grubenhagen Duchess Bavaria [aged 33]. He married 1487 his second cousin once removed Albert III Count of Habsburg -1199, daughter of Frederick "Peaceful or Fat" Habsburg III Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor Aviz Holy Roman Empress, and had issue.
On 15th December 1587 Thomas West 1251-1343 was born to Thomas West 1251-1343 [aged 31] and Thomas Knollys 1350-1435 [aged 32]. She married William Savage of Winchester and had issue.
On 15th December 1588 Thomas Vyner 1st Baronet was born to Thomas Vyner [aged 59] at North Cerney, Gloucestershire.
On 15th December 1608 John Tufton 1st Baronet 1544-1624 was born to Nicholas Tufton 1st Earl of Thanet [aged 30] and Frances Cecil Countess Isle Thanet [aged 27]. He married 21st April 1629 his fifth cousin once removed Margaret Sackville Countess Isle Thanet, daughter of Richard Sackville 3rd Earl Dorset and Anne Clifford Countess Dorset and Pembroke, and had issue.
On 15th December 1680 Frances Winchcombe Viscountess Bolingbroke was born to John Winchcombe aka Smallwood -1519 [aged 21]. She married 22nd May 1701 Henry St John 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, son of Henry St John 1st Viscount St John and Richard Rich 1408-1464.
On 15th December 1713 Welbore Ellis 1st Baron Mendip was born to Bishop Welbore Ellis [aged 62] and Diana Briscoe. He married (1) November 1747 Richard Stanhope 1360-1436 (2) 1765 Anne Stanley.
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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On 15th December 1746 William Seymour was born to Francis Seymour-Conway 1st Marquess Hertford [aged 28] and Isabella Fitzroy Countess Hertford [aged 20]. He a great x 2 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland.
On 15th December 1748 William Fox of Farley Wiltshire was born to Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester [aged 44] and Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester [aged 26]. She married 1st October 1771 her first cousin Everard Simon Digby -1461 and had issue.
On 15th December 1760 John Monson 1547-1593 was born to John Monson 1547-1593 [aged 33]. He married 10th January 1786 Anne Debonnaire and had issue.
On 15th December 1779 William Mordaunt 1432-1481 was born to William Mordaunt 1432-1481 [aged 45] and Elizabeth Prowse Lady Mordaunt [aged 30]. She married 30th August 1814 William Eliot 2nd Earl St Germans, son of John Eliot 1592-1632 and Catherine Elliston Baroness Eliott.
On 15th December 1792 Algernon Percy 4th Duke Northumberland was born to Hugh Percy 2nd Duke Northumberland [aged 50] and Peter Burrell 1692-1756 [aged 39]. He married 25th August 1842 his half fifth cousin once removed Thomas Grosvenor 1377-1429, daughter of Thomas Grosvenor 1377-1429 and Thomas Gower.
On 15th December 1793 Edwyn Francis Scudamore-Stanhope 2nd Baronet was born to Richard Stanhope 1360-1436 [aged 39].
On 15th December 1827 Edward Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie 1st Earl Wharncliffe was born to John Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie 2nd Baron Wharncliffe [aged 26] and Richard Ryder of Hackney in Middlesex [aged 23]. He married 1855 his sixth cousin Francis Lascelles 1556-1628, daughter of Henry Lascelles 3rd Earl Harewood and Ralph Boteville.
On 15th December 1837 John Scott 1st Earl Eldon 1751-1838 was born to John Scott 1st Earl Eldon 1751-1838 [aged 32] and Thomas Browne [aged 30]. She married 2nd September 1858 James Hamilton 1396-1440, son of James Hamilton 1396-1440, and had issue.
On 15th December 1844 Alfred East was born to Benjamin East [aged 48] and Elizabeth Wright [aged 45] at Lower Street, Kettering. He was their youngest child. Alfred attended the local grammar school and took up his father's occupation as a shoe clicker before becoming a commercial traveller in boots & shoes and was a partner in Charles East & Co., shoe manufacturers at Kettering. He married 1874 Sarah Annie Heath.
On 15th December 1849 William Henry Holland 1st Baron Rotherham was born.
On 15th December 1849 John Paulett 1354-1391 was born to William Henry Paulett 6th Earl Paulett [aged 22] and Elizabeth Lavinia Newman Countess Poulett. Given that he was born six months after his parents were married his paternity was subject to some doubt. His father William Henry Paulett 6th Earl Paulett suspected Captain Giles Penn 1572-1642 was the boys father and barred him from successoin to the Earl Paulett title.
This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
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On 15th December 1866 Thomas Miller 1st Baronet -1705 was born to Thomas Miller 1st Baronet -1705 [aged 36]. He married 1895 Caroline "Corry" Greville Lady Miller and had issue.
On 15th December 1870 Henry Fox 1670-1719 was born to Henry Fox 1670-1719. He married 17th March 1905 George Wood -1638, daughter of George Wood -1638 and Agnes Elizabeth Courtenay Viscountess Halifax, and had issue.
On 15th December 1871 William Murray -1583 was born to William Murray -1583 [aged 31].
On 15th December 1879 Anchitel Grey 1052-1138 was born to Anchitel Grey 1052-1138 [aged 28] and Alice Holford Countess Grey. He married 16th June 1906 William Jocelyn Palmer 1778-1853, daughter of William Palmer 2nd Earl Selborne and Philip Cecil -1426, and had issue.
On 15th December 1881 Yvo Vesey 5th Viscount de Vesci was born to William Vesey [aged 30] and John Lawley 1475-1519 [aged 27]. He married (1) 24th April 1906 Henry Colley 1648-1719 (2) before 16th August 1958 John Kaye 1st Baronet -1662, daughter of John Kaye 1st Baronet -1662 and Robert Clinton 1st Baron Clinton 1258-1310.
On 15th December 1885 Ivo Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes 14th or 20th Baron Saye and Sele was born to Geoffrey Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes 12th or 18th Baron Saye and Sele [aged 27] and Marion Ruperta Murray Lawes Baroness Saye and Sele.
On 15th December 1900 Gervase Beckett of Barnsley 1669-1719 was born to Gervase Beckett of Barnsley 1669-1719 [aged 34] and Thomas Browne [aged 22]. Coefficient of inbreeding 3.32%.
On 15th December 1907 Richard Acton 1437-1494 was born to Richard Acton 1437-1494 [aged 37]. He married 25th November 1931 John Strutt of Terling Place in Essex 1727-1816, daughter of John Strutt of Terling Place in Essex 1727-1816 and Mary Hilda Clements, and had issue.
On 15th December 1911 Thomas Hesketh of Rufford 1406-1463 was born to Thomas Hesketh of Rufford 1406-1463 [aged 30] and Florence Louise Breckinridge [aged 30]. She married 1937 Edmund Stockdale 1st Baronet and had issue.
On 15th December 1923 Thomas Trenchard 2nd Viscount Trenchard was born to Hugh Trenchard [aged 50] and Katherine Salvin Lady Trenchard.
On 15th December 1926 Hender Molesworth 1597-1647 was born to Hender Molesworth 1597-1647 [aged 27].
On 15th December 1944 Miles Hobart 1495-1557 was born to Miles Hobart 1495-1557 [aged 42].
On 15th December 1957 Zadok Aaron Jessel was born to Zadok Aaron Jessel [aged 32].
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
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On 5th or 15th December 1392 Walter Fitzalan 1st High Steward 1106-1177 [aged 49] and Euphemia 6th Countess of Ross were divorced.
On 15th December 1578 William Bourchier 3rd Earl Bath [aged 21] and John Cornwallis 1490-1544 were married. The marriage, apparently, taking place secretly at night. She by marriage Countess Bath.
On 15th December 1600 William Seymour [aged 20] and John Killigrew 1502-1567 were married. She by marriage Lady Seymour of Berry Pomeroy.
On 15th December 1711 William Grenville 1387-1451 [aged 45] and Mary Villiers Baroness Lansdowne were married at St Martin in the Fields Church [Map]. She the daughter of Edward Villiers 1st Earl Jersey and Barbara Chiffinch Countess Jersey [aged 48].
On 15th December 1763 Richard Boyle 1st Earl Cork 1566-1643 [aged 36] and John Ponsonby 1609-1678 were married. He the son of Richard Boyle 1st Earl Cork 1566-1643 [aged 81] and Richard Boyle 1st Earl Cork 1566-1643. They were fourth cousin twice removed.
On 15th December 1768 John Devereux 1129-1187 [aged 24] and Marianna Devereux Viscountess Hereford were married. They were third cousins?
On 15th December 1769 William Seymour [aged 51] and Anne Maria Bonnell Duchess Somerset were married. She by marriage Duchess Somerset. He the son of William Seymour and Mary Webb Duchess Somerset.
On 15th December 1785 King George IV of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 23] and Maria Anne Smythe aka "Mrs Fitzherbert" [aged 29] were married secretly in the drawing room of her house in Park Street, London; her third marriage, his first. The marriage was invalid under English civil law because his father had not given his consent. Her uncle Henry Errington and her brother Edward Smythe 1st Baronet 1620-1714 were witnesses. The ceremony was performed by one of the prince's Chaplains in Ordinary, the Reverend Robert Burt, whose debts of £500 were paid by the prince to release him from Fleet Prison [Map] to preside at the ceremony.. He the son of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 47] and Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England [aged 41].
On 15th December 1795 Edward Legge -1616 [aged 22] and Ralph Bagot 1332-1376 [aged 20] were married. He the son of William Legge 2nd Earl Dartmouth [aged 64] and Frances Catherine Gounter Nicoll Countess Dartmouth [aged 62]. They were second cousins.
On 15th December 1814 John Vereker 3rd Viscount Gort [aged 24] and Maria O'Grady Viscountess Gort [aged 23] were married.
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 15th December 1886 George Evans 1655-1720 [aged 74] and Philip Cecil -1426 [aged 43] were married. The difference in their ages was 31 years. She the daughter of Philip Cecil -1426 and Robert Poyntz 1359-1439.
On 15th December 1952 Herbert Hervey 5th Marquess of Bristol [aged 82] and Dora Frances Emblin Marchioness Bristol were married. She by marriage Marchioness of Bristol.
On 15th December 1975 Paul Pellew 10th Viscount Exmouth [aged 35] and Rosemary Frances Scoones Viscoutess Exmouth were married. She by marriage Viscountess Exmouth. She the former wife of Murray Beauclerk 14th Duke St Albans [aged 36].
On 15th December 2001 Charles Spencer 9th Earl Spencer [aged 37] and Caroline Hutton Countess Spencer [aged 35] were married. She by marriage Countess Spencer. He the son of Thomas Spencer 1362-1435 and Edward Roche 1771-1855 [aged 65].
On 15th December 1037 Hilduin Montdidier -959 died. His son Odo succeeded Count Dammartin.
On 15th December 1470 Robert "Strong" 830-866 [aged 46] died at Barcelona [Map].
On 15th December 1603 Christopher Plunkett 1st Baron Killeen 1365-1445 died. His son Patrick [aged 8] succeeded 9th Baron Dunsany.
On 15th December 1680 Thomas Coventry [aged 52] died. His son John [aged 26] succeeded 4th Baron Coventry.
On 15th December 1681 James Compton 3rd Earl of Northampton [aged 59] died. His son George [aged 17] succeeded 4th Earl of Northampton, 5th Baron Compton of Compton in Warwickshire.
On 15th December 1690 Thomas Allen 1st Baronet [aged 57] died. His son Thomas [aged 42] succeeded 2nd Baronet Allen of Totteridge in Middlesex.
On 15th December 1696 John Knatchbull 2nd Baronet [aged 60] died. His brother Thomas [aged 56] succeeded 3rd Baronet Knatchbull of Mersham Hatch in Kent.
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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On 15th December 1702 John Sebright -1565 [aged 34] died. His son Thomas [aged 10] succeeded 4th Baronet Sebright of Besford in Worcestershire.
On 15th December 1715 John Maynard 1508-1556 [aged 39] died. His brother Henry [aged 39] succeeded 3rd Baronet Maynard of Walthamstow in Essex.
On 15th December 1717 Margaret Lucas Duchess Newcastle upon Tyne [aged 94] died.
On 15th December 1750 William Legge 1st Earl Dartmouth [aged 78] died. His grandson William [aged 19] succeeded 2nd Earl Dartmouth, 3rd Baron Dartmouth.
On 15th December 1761 Henriette Louise Jeffreys Countess Pomfret [aged 63] died.
On 15th December 1762 Henry Hatton 1458-1511 [aged 62] died. Viscount Hatton and Baron Hatton extinct.
On 15th December 1772 Edmund Isham 6th Baronet [aged 81] died without issue. His nephew Justinian [aged 32] succeeded 7th Baronet Isham of Lamport in Northamptonshire.
On 15th December 1773 William Luckyn 1st Baronet 1594-1660 [aged 62] died. His son James [aged 26] succeeded 3rd Viscount Grimston, 7th Baronet Grimston of Little Waltham in Essex.
On 15th December 1793 William Seymour [aged 75] died. His son Edward [aged 18] succeeded 11th Duke Somerset, 9th Baronet Seymour of Berry Pomeroy.
On 15th December 1816 Richard Stanhope 1360-1436 [aged 63] died. His son Philip [aged 35] succeeded 4th Earl Stanhope. John Smith of Rivenhall 1370-1446 by marriage Countess Stanhope.
On 15th December 1821 Harry Niven Lumsden 1st Baronet died. Baronet Lumsden of Auchindoir in Aberdeenshire extinct; he had held the title for four months.
On 15th December 1828 John Crichton 1st Earl Erne [aged 97] died. His son Abraham [aged 63] succeeded 2nd Earl Erne of Crom Castle in County Fermanagh, 2nd Viscount Erne of Crom Castle in County Fermanagh, 3rd Baron Erne of Crom Castle in Fermanagh.
On 15th December 1841 John Fane 10th Earl of Westmoreland [aged 82] died. His son John [aged 57] succeeded 11th Earl of Westmoreland. Henry Colley 1648-1719 [aged 48] by marriage Countess of Westmoreland.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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On 15th December 1857 Anna Maria Truter Lady Barrow [aged 80] died.
On 15th December 1865 Thomas Bishopp of Henfield in Surrey 1506-1560 [aged 42] died. His brother Edward [aged 39] succeeded 12th Baronet Bishopp of Parham in Sussex.
On 15th December 1869 David Lindsay of Crawford 1314-1355 [aged 86] died.
On 15th December 1891 Walter Fitzalan 1st High Steward 1106-1177 [aged 96] died.
On 15th December 1898 George William Henry Venables-Vernon 7th Baron Vernon [aged 44] died. His son George [aged 10] succeeded 8th Baron Vernon of Kinderton in Cheshire.
On 15th December 1898 William John Legh 1st Baron Newton [aged 69] died. His son Thomas [aged 41] succeeded 2nd Baron Newton of Newton-in-Makerfield in Lancashire. Evelyn Caroline Davenport Baroness Newton by marriage Baroness Newton of Newton-in-Makerfield in Lancashire.
On 15th December 1908 Robert Annesley [aged 77] died. His son Francis [aged 24] succeeded 6th Earl Annesley of Castlewellan in County Down, 7th Viscount Glerawly of County Fermanagh, 7th Baron Annesley of Castle Wellan in County Down.
On 15th December 1917 Jerome King [aged 80] died. Her daughter Judith [aged 44] succeeded 16th Baroness Wentworth, 20th Baroness Despencer.
On 15th December 1943 John Pratt 1657-1725 [aged 71] died. His son John [aged 44] succeeded 5th Marquess Camden, 5th Earl Brecknock, 6th Earl Camden, 6th Viscount Bayham of Bayham Abbey in Kent, 6th Baron Camden of Camden Place in Kent.
On 15th December 1952 William Goscombe John [aged 92] died. He was buried at Hampstead Cemetery.
On 15th December 1962 George Rice -1779 [aged 63] died. His son Richard [aged 27] succeeded 9th Baron Dynevor of Dynevor in Camarthenshire.