17 Nov is in November.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 905. This year Ethelwald enticed the army in East-Anglia to rebellion; so that they overran all the land of Mercia, until they came to Cricklade [Map], where they forded the Thames; and having seized, either in Bradon or thereabout, all that they could lay their hands upon, they went homeward again. King Edward [aged 31] went after, as soon as he could gather his army, and overran all their land between the foss and the Ouse quite to the fens northward. Then being desirous of returning thence, he issued an order through the whole army, that they should all go out at once. But the Kentish men remained behind, contrary to his order, though he had sent seven messengers to them. Whereupon the army surrounded them, and there they fought. There fell Aldermen Siwulf and Sigelm; Eadwold, the king's thane; Abbot Kenwulf; Sigebriht, the son of Siwulf; Eadwald, the son of Acca; and many also with them; though I have named the most considerable. On the Danish side were slain Eohric their king, and Prince Ethelwald, who had enticed them to the war. Byrtsige, the son of Prince Brihtnoth; Governor Ysop; Governor Oskytel; and very many also with them that we now cannot name. And there was on either hand much slaughter made; but of the Danes there were more slain, though they remained masters of the field. Ealswitha died this same year; and a comet appeared on the thirteenth day before the calends of November.
In 17th November 1002 Aelfthryth Queen Consort England [aged 57] died.
On 17th November 1184 Archbishop Walter de Coutances was translated to Archbishop of Rouen.
Annals of Six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet. Pope Urban wrote to Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury, that a fourth part of the offerings at St Thomas should remain for the use of the monks; another fourth should be assigned to the fabric of the church; a third fourth should be distributed to the poor; and the final fourth should be left to the discretion of the archbishop. John, cantor of Exeter, was made bishop of the same church. Walter, archbishop of Rouen, departing from the king of France after some offence, and passing through Flanders, came to England on the fifteenth day before the Kalends of December [17th November 1186]. The envoys of the king of England, sent to the king of France at Noyon, were received most unfavourably. Nevertheless, the king of France sent his own envoys, his knights, asking the king of England that Richard his son, count of Poitou, should cease from harassing the count of Saint-Gilles, if he wished the Normans to remain free from attack. Guy of Jaffa, by birth a Poitevin, having as his wife Sibylla, the only daughter and heir of King Amalric, became king of Jerusalem in the month of August.
Scripsit papa Urbanus Baldewyno Cantuariensi, ut quarta pars oblationum apud S. Thomam the distribu remaneret usibus monachorum, alia vero quarta fabricis ecclesiæ deputaretur, tertia quarta pa peribus erogaretur, et ultima quarta dispositioni archiepiscopi relinqueretur. Joannes, cantor Exoniensis, factus est ejusdem ecclesiæ episcopus. Walterus, Rothomagensis archiepiscopus, cum offensa aliquali regis Francorum discedens ab eo, et per Flandriam transiens, venit in Angliam decimo quinto calendas Decembris. Nuntii regis Anglorum, ad regem Francorum missi Noviomum, recepti sunt minime gratiose. Misit tamen rex Francorum nuntios proprios milites suos, petens a rege Anglorum, quod Ricardus filius ejus, comes Pictaviæ, cessaret ab inquietatione comitis S. Ægidii, si vellet Normannos ab infestatione esse quietos. Guido Joppensis, Pictavensis genere, Sibillam regis Almerici filiam unicam et heredem habens uxorem, in mense Augusto rex Ierosolymorum efficitur.
On 17th November 1239 King Eric IV of Denmark [aged 23] and Jutta of Saxony [aged 16] were married. He the son of King Valdemar II of Denmark [aged 69] and Berengaria Burgundy Queen Consort Denmark.
On 17th November 1293 King Philip "Fortunate" VI of France was born to Charles Valois I Count Valois [aged 23] and Margaret Capet Countess Valois [aged 20]. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 3.86%. He married (1) his first cousin once removed Joan "Lame" Burgundy Queen Consort France, daughter of Robert II Duke Burgundy and Agnes Capet Duchess Burgundy, and had issue (2) 11th January 1350 his half first cousin once removed Blanche Évreux Queen Consort France, daughter of Philip "Noble" III King Navarre and Joan Capet II Queen Navarre.
On 17th November 1311 Bishop Ralph Baldock licensed St Mary-le-Bow Church, Cheapside [Map], as a chapel of ease
On 13th November 1312 King Edward III of England was born to King Edward II of England [aged 28] and Isabella of France Queen Consort England [aged 17] at Windsor Castle [Map]. He was christened on 17th November 1312 with Archbishop Walter Reynolds being one of his godfathers. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.17%. He married 24th January 1328 his second cousin Philippa of Hainaut Queen Consort England, daughter of William of Avesnes I Count Hainaut III Count Avesnes III Count Holland II Count Zeeland and Joan Valois Countess Zeeland Holland Avesnes and Hainaut, and had issue.
Adam Murimuth Continuation. In this year of our Lord 1312, namely on the thirteenth day of November, Queen Isabella bore a son1 to the king at Windsor. He had him baptized by Arnald, cardinal of Albano, and named Edward. He afterwards reigned, as will be described below, and was called Edward the Third from the Conquest.
Hoc anno Domini MCCCXII scilicet XIIJ die Novembris, Isabella regina peperit regi filium apud Windelesore, quem fecit baptizari per cardinalem Albanensem Arnaldum, et vocari Edwardum; qui postea regnavit, sicut inferius describetur, et vocatus est Edwardus tertius a conquæstu.
Note 1. Edward, the future King Edward III, was born on 13th November 1312. He was christened on 17th November 1312 with Archbishop Walter Reynolds being one of his godfathers.
On 17th November 1326 Edmund Fitzalan 2nd or 9th Earl of Arundel [aged 41] was beheaded at Hereford [Map]. Earl Arundel forfeit. According to the Llandaff Chronicle he was executed by a "worthless wretch" ("villissimi ribaldi") with a blunt sword requiring twenty-two strokes although I have been unable to find a copy of the Chronicle to confirm this story. He was initially buried at the Franciscan Church, Hereford, subsequently reburied at his family's traditional place of burial Haughmond Abbey [Map].
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 17th November 1326 Edmund Fitzalan 2nd or 9th Earl of Arundel [aged 41] was captured by John Charleton 1st Baron Cherleton [aged 58] at Shrewsbury, Shropshire [Map] whilst attempting to gather troops to suport King Edward II of England [aged 42].
Adam Murimuth Continuation. [17th November 1326]. Lord Hugh Despenser the Younger [aged 40], Robert de Baldock, and Simon of Reading were brought to the Queen, who was at Hereford. However, before their arrival, the Earl of Arundel [aged 41], John Daniel, and Thomas de Micheldever were beheaded in Hereford through the agency of Lord Roger Mortimer [aged 39], who harboured a deep hatred for them and whose advice the Queen followed in all matters.
Dominum vero Hugonem Dispenser filium, Robertum de Baldok, et Simonem de Redynges ad reginam, que fuit Herefordiæ, conduxerunt. Sed ante eorum adventum fuerunt decollati Herefordiæ comes de Arundel, Johannes Daniel, et Thomas de Michedeure, per procurationem domini Rogeri de Mortuo mari, qui perfecto odio oderat illos et cujus consilium regina per omnia sequebatur.
Lanercost Chronicle. [17th November 1326]. After a short interval the Earl of Arundel [aged 41] was captured likewise. He had married the daughter of Sir Hugh the younger1, and had been, with Hugh, one of the king's counsellors. He was condemned to death in secret, as it were, and afterwards beheaded. Meanwhile all who were captives and prisoners in England on account of their adherence to the oft-mentioned Earl of Lancaster were released, and the exiles were recalled, and their lands and heritages, whereof they had been disinherited, were restored to them in full; wherefore they joined the party of the queen and her son eagerly and gladly.
Note. This is a mistake. Edmund Fitzalan 2nd or 9th Earl of Arundel married Alice Warenne Countess Arundel daughter of William Warenne. It was Edmund' son Richard [aged 20] who had married Isabel [aged 14], daughter of Hugh "Younger" Despencer 1st Baron Despencer [aged 40].
The Brut. [17th November 1326]. And þis Symond, for encheson þat he despisede þe Quene Isabel, he was draw and hongede on a stage made in mydes þe forsaide Sir Hughes galwes. And þe same day, a litil fro þens, was Sir Iohn [Edmund] of Arundel [aged 41] biheuede; for he was on of Sir Hugh þe Spensers conseilers. And anone after wa[s] Sir Hug[h] þe Spenser draw & hongede, & biheuedede at Bristow, and after hongede aȝeyn bi þe Armes bi ij strong ropes; and þe iiij day after, he was hew al to peces; & hundes eten him. And for þat enchesoun þat þe Kyng hade ȝeuen him þe Erldom of Winchestre, his heede was lad þider, and put oppon a spere; and þe false Baldok was sent to London, & þere he deide in prisone amonges þeues, for men dede him no more reuerence þan me wolde do vnto an hunde: and so deide the traitours of Engeland, blissede be Almyghty.
Adam Murimuth Continuation. In the same year, on the 17th day of November, the lord pope, at Avignon, created a new prince, who was an ambassador of Lord Philip of Valois sent to the pope, and was named Lord Louis of Spain, a knight and soldier of the said Lord Philip; whom the same pope, at his creation, called Prince of the Fortunate Islands. Why, or for what purpose, such a creation was made is not yet known; but it will be known later. Would that it be to the honour of the English, whose goodwill or prosperity the said lord pope, as is believed, does not inwardly favour!
Eodem anno, XVIJ die Novembris, dominus papa, Avinione, creavit unam novam principem, qui fuit ambassiator domini Philippi de Valoys destinatus domino papæ, et nominatus dominus Ludowicus de Hispania, miles et soldarius prædicti domini Philippi; quem idem papa in ipsius creatione vocavit principem Insularum Fortunatarum. Quare seu ad quem effectum hujusmodi fit creatio, nescitur adhuc, scietur autem postea; utinam ad honorem Anglicorum, quorum amorem vel prosperitatem idem dominus papa, ut creditur, intime non affectat!
Archaeologia Volume 35 1853 XXXIII. On the following day [17th November 1357] we have recorded a visit, at dinner, of the "Comes de la March." It might be doubted whether the visitant here mentioned might not have been the Scotish nobleman Patrick Earl of Dunbar and March [aged 72], who had recently delivered himself into the hands of the English sovereign as a hostage for the execution of the treaty of Berwick, confirmed on the 5th of October, 1357, for the release of King David. The probability, however, is stronger that the Queen's guest was Roger Mortimer, Earl of March [aged 29], the grandson of her favourite. He had been restored to his honours and patrimony, having obtained the reversal of his grandfather's attainder in 1352. He was high in Edward the Third's confidence; was one of the first Knights of the Garter; and had been appointed Constable of Dover Castle, and Warden of the Cinque Ports. He appears to have been in England at the present time; and in the Account before us we find an entry which confirms the conjecture that it was the English, not the Scottish Earl who was intended. Under the head of donations is notice of a sum paid to four minstrels of the Earl of March, and two minstrels of the Earl of Salisbury, for performing before the Queen on the Feast of All Saints, November the first; and it seems highly improbable that the Scottish hostage would have been attended by his minstrels; while the connection of his name with that of the Earl of Salisbury is significant, as that nobleman was the then English Earl of March's brother in-law.
The visit of the Earl of March was, as we shall find, subsequently twice repeated, and then in company with the King, by whom, as Froissart tells us, "he was much loved," and the Prince of Wales. And thus we have an indication that time had scarcely weakened Isabella's fidelity to a criminal attachment; and that, although the actual object of it had been torn from her, she still cherished his memory, and sought her friends among those most nearly allied to him.
On 17th November 1370 Louis I King Hungary King Poland [aged 44] was crowned King Poland. Mary Bytom Queen Consort Hungary Queen Consort Poland by marriage Queen Consort Poland.
Archaeologia Volume 65 1914 Section 4 Part 2. 17th November 1422. Il. The Tomb or Monument of King Henry V.
On 17th November 1433 Ferdinand Aviz 2nd Duke Viseu was born to Edward "The Philosopher" I King Portugal [aged 42] and Eleanor Trastámara Queen Consort Portugal. He a great x 2 grandson of King Edward III of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 4.40%. He married 1447 his first cousin Beatrice Aviz Duchess Viseu and had issue.
On 17th November 1453 Alfonso Trastámara was born to John II King Castile [aged 48] and Isabella Aviz Queen Consort Castile [aged 25]. He a great x 2 grandson of King Edward III of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.60%.
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 17th November 1525 Eleanor Viseu Queen Consort Portugal [aged 67] died.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 17th November 1550. The xvij day of November was bered the old contesse [of Derby] [aged 65], bered at Collam, sir Edward Hastyngs behyng her se-- unfinished.
Note. Funeral of the countess of Derby, Anne, daughter of Edward lord Hastings and Hungerford, and sister to George first earl of Huntingdon of that name, was married (before 1503, when her eldest son John was buried at St. James's, Garlick Hill) to Thomas Stanley, second earl of Derby, who died at his house at Colham in the parish of Hillingdon, Middlesex, May 23, 1521, and was buried in the neighbouring monastery of Syon. She was the mother of Edward third earl of Derby [aged 41]. It is stated in Collins's Peerage (edit. 1812, iii. 69) that she was married secondly to John Ratcliffe, lord Fitzwalter, but that is impossible, for he died in 1495. Sir Edward Hastings [aged 29], who attended her funeral, afterwards lord Hastings of Loughborough and K.G., was her nephew. The The word se-- left imperfect was probably sectur (executor).
On 17th November 1558 Cardinal Reginald Pole [aged 58] died at London. He was buried at North Side, Corona, Canterbury Cathedral.
On 17th November 1558 Queen Mary I of England and Ireland [aged 42] died at St James's Palace [Map]. Her half sister Elizabeth [aged 25] succeeded I Queen of England. William Brooke 10th Baron Cobham [aged 31] was deputed with informing Philip "The Prudent" II King Spain [aged 31].
Thomas Wendy [aged 58] attended the Queen as physician; the third monarch's death he attended.
Wriothesley's Chronicle [1508-1562]. Thursdaye the xviith of November, 1558, aboute sixe of the clock in the morninge, Queene Marie died at her manor of St. James by Charinge Crosse. And that daye at xi. of the clocke in the forenoone the Ladie Elizabeth, her sister next inheritor to the Crowne, was proclaymed Queene of Englande, France, and Irelande, Defendor of the Faythe, &c. in London, with herraldes of armes and trumpetors, &c.
Tudor Tracts Chapter 12. John Fox, the Martyrologist. The death of Queen Mary.
[The Ecclesiastical History ii. 2296, Ed. 1570].
Now then after these so great afflictions falling upon this realm from the first beginning of Queen Mary's reign, wherein so many men, women, and children were burned; many imprisoned, and in prisons starved, divers exiled, some spoiled of goods and possessions, a great number driven from house and home, so many weeping eyes, so many sobbing hearts, so many children made fatherless, so many fathers bereft of their wives and children, so many vexed in conscience, and divers against conscience constrained to recant, and, in conclusion, never a good man in all the realm but suffered something during all the time of this bloody persecution. After all this, I say, now we are come at length, the Lord be praised! to the 17th day of November [1558], which day, as it brought to the persecuted members of Christ rest from their careful mourning, so it easeth me somewhat likewise of my laborious writing; by the death, I mean, of Queen Mary. Who, being long sick before, upon the said 17th day of November, 1558, about three or four a clock in the morning, yielded her life to nature, and her kingdom to Queen Elizabeth, her sister.
As touching the manner of whose death, some say that she died of a tympany [dropsy]; some, by her much sighing before her death, supposed she died of thought and sorrow. Whereupon her Council seeing her sighing, and desirous to know the cause, to the end they might minister the more ready consolation unto her, feared, as they said, that "She took that thought for the King's Majesty her husband, which was gone from her."
To whom she answering again, "Indeed," said she, "that may be one cause; but that is not the greatest wound that pierceth my oppressed mind!" but what that was, she would not express to them.
Albeit, afterwards, she opened the matter more plainly to Master Ryse and Mistress Clarentius [p. 362] (if it be true that they told me, which heard it of Master Ryse himself); who (then being most familiar with her, and most bold about her) told her that "They feared she took thought for King Philip's departing from her."
"Not that only," said she, "but when I am dead and opened; you shall find Calais lying in my heart," &c.
And here an end of Queen Mary and her persecution. Of which Queen, this truly, may be affirmed, and left in story for a perpetual Memorial or Epitaph, for all Kings and Queens that shall succeed her, to be noted, that before her, never was read in story of any King or Queen in England, since the time of King Lucius, under whom, in time of peace, by hanging, heading, burning, and prisoning, so much Christian blood, so many Englishmen's lives were spilled within this realm, as under the said Queen Mary, for the space of four years, was to be seen; and I beseech the Lord may never be seen hereafter.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 17th November 1558. The xvij day of November be-twyn v and vj in the mornyng ded quen Mare [aged 42], the vj yere of here grace('s) rayne, the wyche Jhesu have mercy on her solle! Amen.
[The same] day, be-twyne a xj and xij a' fornoon, the lady Elizabeth was proclamyd quen Elsabeth [aged 25], quen of England, France and Yrland, and deffender of the feyth, by dyvers haroldes of armes and trumpetors, and dukes, lordes [and knights,] the wyche was ther present, the duke of Norfoke [aged 22], [the] lord tresorer [aged 75], the yerle of Shrousbere [aged 58], and the yerele of Bedford [aged 31], and the lord mayre [aged 49] and the althermen, and dyver odur lordes and knyghtes.'
The sam day, at after-non, all the chyrches in London dyd ryng, and at nyght dyd make bonefyres and set tabulls in the strett, and ded ett and drynke and mad mere [merry] for the newe quen Elsabeth, quen Mare('s) syster.
Note. P. 178. A proclamation of queen Elizabeth, dated 18 November, declaring the date of her accession to have been "from the beginning of the xvijth," will be found in The Egerton Papers, p. 28.
On 17th November 1562 Antoine King Navarre [aged 44] died.
On 17th November 1584 Eric Guelph II Duke Brunswick-Calenburg [aged 56] died.
On 17th November 1602 Agnes Magdalene Oldenburg was born to John "Younger" Oldenburg Duke Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg [aged 57] and Agnes Hedwig of Anhalt [aged 29]. She died aged four in 1607.
On 17th November 1603 Walter Raleigh [aged 49] was tried by Henry Montagu 1st Earl Manchester [aged 40] at Great Hall, Winchester Castle.
On 17th November 1611 Nicolas Henri Bourbon Duke Orléans [aged 4] died.
On 17th November 1612 Pierre Mignard was born.
Diary of Anne Clifford. 17th November 1617. The 17th in the morning my Lord [aged 28] brought my Coz. Clifford (though much against his will) into my bedchamber where we talked of ordinary matters some quarter of an hour, and so he went away.
On 17th November 1625 Charles Villiers was born to George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham [aged 33] and Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham [aged 23]. He died aged one in 1627.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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Samuel Pepys' Diary. 17th November 1662. To the Duke's to-day, but he is gone a-hunting, and therefore I to my Lord Sandwich's [aged 37], and having spoke a little with him about his businesses, I to Westminster Hall [Map] and there staid long doing many businesses, and so home by the Temple [Map] and other places doing the like, and at home I found my wife dressing by appointment by her woman [Mrs. Gosnell.] that I think is to be, and her other sister being here to-day with her and my wife's brother, I took Mr. Creed, that came to dine, to an ordinary behind the Change [Map], and there dined together, and after dinner home and there spent an hour or two till almost dark, talking with my wife, and making Mrs. Gosnell sing; and then, there being no coach to be got, by water to White Hall; but Gosnell not being willing to go through bridge, we were forced to land and take water, again, and put her and her sister ashore at the Temple. I am mightily pleased with her humour and singing. At White Hall by appointment, Mr. Creed carried my wife and I to the Cockpitt [Map], and we had excellent places, and saw the King [aged 32], Queen [aged 23], Duke of Monmouth [aged 13], his son, and my Baroness Castlemaine's [aged 21], and all the fine ladies; and "The Scornful Lady", well performed. They had done by eleven o'clock, and it being fine moonshine, we took coach and home, but could wake nobody at my house, and so were fain to have my boy get through one of the windows, and so opened the door and called up the maids, and went to supper and to bed, my mind being troubled at what my wife tells me, that her woman will not come till she hears from her mother, for I am so fond of her that I am loth now not to have her, though I know it will be a great charge to me which I ought to avoid, and so will make it up in other things. So to bed.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 17th November 1663. So home, Mr. Hollyard [aged 54] being come to my wife, and there she being in bed, he and I alone to look again upon her .... and there he do find that, though it would not be much pain, yet she is so fearful, and the thing will be somewhat painful in the tending, which I shall not be able to look after, but must require a nurse and people about her; so that upon second thoughts he believes that a fomentation will do as well, and though it will be troublesome yet no pain, and what her mayd will be able to do without knowing directly what it is for, but only that it may be for the piles. For though it be nothing but what is fiery honest, yet my wife is loth to give occasion of discourse concerning it. By this my mind and my wife's is much eased, for I confess I should have been troubled to have had my wife cut before my face, I could not have borne to have seen it. I had great discourse with him about my disease. He tells me again that I must eat in a morning some loosening gruel, and at night roasted apples, that I must drink now and then ale with my wine, and eat bread and butter and honey, and rye bread if I can endure it, it being loosening. I must also take once a week a Mr. Castle's [aged 34] of his last prescription, only honey now and then instead of butter, which things I am now resolved to apply myself to.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 17th November 1665. As an infinite secret, my Lord tells me, the factions are high between the King [aged 35] and the Duke [aged 32], and all the Court are in an uproare with their loose amours; the Duke of Yorke being in love desperately with Mrs. Stewart [aged 18]. Nay, that the Duchesse [aged 28] herself is fallen in love with her new Master of the Horse, one Harry Sidney [aged 24], and another, Harry Savill [aged 23]. So that God knows what will be the end of it. And that the Duke is not so obsequious as he used to be, but very high of late; and would be glad to be in the head of an army as Generall; and that it is said that he do propose to go and command under the King of Spayne [aged 4], in Flanders.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 17th November 1665. That being done, I got my Lord to be alone, and so I fell to acquaint him with W. Howe's business, which he had before heard a little of from Captain Cocke [aged 48], but made no great matter of it, but now he do, and resolves nothing less than to lay him by the heels, and seize on all he hath, saying that for this yeare or two he hath observed him so proud and conceited he could not endure him. But though I was not at all displeased with it, yet I prayed him to forbear doing anything therein till he heard from me again about it, and I had made more enquiry into the truth of it, which he agreed to. Then we fell to publique discourse, wherein was principally this: he cleared it to me beyond all doubt that Coventry [aged 37] is his enemy, and has been long so. So that I am over that, and my Lord told it me upon my proposal of a friendship between them, which he says is impossible, and methinks that my Lord's displeasure about the report in print of the first fight was not of his making, but I perceive my Lord cannot forget it, nor the other think he can. I shewed him how advisable it were upon almost any terms for him to get quite off the sea employment. He answers me again that he agrees to it, but thinks the King [aged 35] will not let him go off. He tells me he lacks now my Lord Orrery [aged 44] to solicit it for him, who is very great with the King.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 17th November 1665. After dinner much talke, and about other things, he and I about his money for his prize goods, wherein I did give him a cool answer, but so as we did not disagree in words much, and so let that fall, and so followed my Lord Sandwich [aged 40], who was gone a little before me on board the Royall James. And there spent an houre, my Lord playing upon the gittarr, which he now commends above all musique in the world, because it is base enough for a single voice, and is so portable and manageable without much trouble.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 17th November 1665. That his amours to Mrs. Stewart [aged 18] are told the King [aged 35]. So that all is like to be nought among them. That he knows that the Duke of Yorke [aged 32] do give leave to have him spoken slightly of in his owne hearing, and doth not oppose it, and told me from what time he hath observed this to begin. So that upon the whole my Lord do concur to wish with all his heart that he could with any honour get from off the imployment.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 17th November 1667. Lord's Day. Up, and to church with my wife. A dull sermon of Mr. Mills, and then home, without strangers to dinner, and then my wife to read, and I to the office, enter my journall to this day, and so home with great content that it is done, but with sorrow to my eyes. Then home, and got my wife to read to me out of Fuller's Church History, when by and by comes Captain Cocke [aged 50], who sat with me all the evening, talking, and I find by him, as by all others, that we are like to expect great confusions, and most of our discourse was the same, and did agree with that the last night, particularly that about the difference between the King [aged 37] and the Duke of York [aged 34] which is like to be. He tells me that he hears that Sir W. Coventry [aged 39] was, a little before the Duke of York fell sick, with the Duke of York in his closet, and fell on his knees, and begged his pardon for what he hath done to my Chancellor [aged 58]; but this I dare not soon believe. But he tells me another thing, which he says he had from the person himself who spoke with the Duke of Buckingham [aged 39], who, he says, is a very sober and worthy man, that he did lately speak with the Duke of Buckingham about his greatness now with the King, and told him-"But, sir, these things that the King do now, in suffering the Parliament to do all this, you know are not fit for the King to suffer, and you know how often you have said to me that the King was a weak man, and unable to govern, but to be governed, and that you could command him as you listed; why do you suffer him to go on in these things?"-"Why", says the Duke of Buckingham, "I do suffer him to do this, that I may hereafter the better command him". This he swears to me the person himself to whom the Duke of Buckingham said this did tell it him, and is a man of worth, understanding, and credit. He told me one odd passage by the Duke of Albemarle [aged 58], speaking how hasty a man he is, and how for certain he would have killed Sir W. Coventry, had he met him in a little time after his shewing his letter in the House. He told me that a certain lady, whom he knows, did tell him that, she being certainly informed that some of the Duke of Albemarle's family did say that the Earl of Torrington was a bastard, [she] did think herself concerned to tell the Duke of Albemarle of it, and did first tell the Duchesse, and was going to tell the old man, when the Duchesse pulled her back by the sleeve, and hindered her, swearing to her that if he should hear it, he would certainly kill the servant that should be found to have said it, and therefore prayed her to hold her peace. One thing more he told me, which is, that Garraway [aged 50] is come to town, and is thinking how to bring the House to mind the public state of the nation and to put off these particular piques against man and man, and that he propounding this to Sir W. Coventry, Sir W. Coventry did give no encouragement to it: which he says is that by their running after other men he may escape. But I do believe this is not true neither. But however I am glad that Garraway is here, and that he do begin to think of the public condition in reference to our neighbours that we are in, and in reference to ourselves, whereof I am mightily afeard of trouble.
On 17th November 1681 Jean Chardin [aged 38] was knighted at Whitehall Palace [Map] by King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 51]. The same day Jean Chardin and Esther Lardinière Peigné were married.
John Evelyn's Diary. 17th November 1695. I spoke to the Archbishop of Canterbury [aged 59] to interest himself for restoring a room belonging to St. James's library, where the books want place.
John Evelyn's Diary. 17th November 1700. There was a change of great officers at Court. Lord Godolphin [aged 22] returned to his former station of first Commissioner of the Treasury; Sir Charles Hedges [aged 50], Secretary of State.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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On 17th November 1705 Mary Mordaunt Duchess Norfolk [aged 46] died. Her first cousin Charles [aged 47] succeeded 8th Baron Mordaunt. Her husband John Germain 1st Baronet [aged 55] inherited her Drayton estates and the rest of her inheritance, valued at £70,000.
On 17th November 1716 Paul Sydenham Carrington [aged 51] died at sea.
On 17th November 1717 Caroline Campbell 1st Baroness Greenwich was born to John Campbell 2nd Duke Argyll [aged 37] and Jane Warburton Duchess of Argyll. She married (1) 2nd October 1742 her fourth cousin once removed Francis Scott, son of Francis Scott 2nd Duke Buccleuch and Jane Douglas, and had issue (2) August 1755 her fifth cousin once removed Charles Townshend, son of Charles Townshend 3rd Viscount Townsend and Audrey aka Etheldreda Harrison.
On 17th November 1729 Infanta Maria Antonia Spain was born to Philippe V King Spain [aged 45] and Elisabeth Farnese Queen Consort Spain [aged 37]. She married 31st May 1750 her third cousin Victor Amadeus III King Sardinia, son of Charles Emmanuel III King Sardinia and Polyxena Hesse Rotenburg Queen Consort Sardinia, and had issue.
On 17th November 1755 Louis XVIII King France was born to Dauphin Louis Bourbon [aged 26] and Dauphine Maria Josepha of France [aged 24]. He a great x 4 grandson of King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland. He married 14th May 1771 his second cousin once removed Maria Joséphine of Savoy, daughter of Victor Amadeus III King Sardinia and Infanta Maria Antonia Spain.
On 17th November 1756 Thomas Pelham Holles 1st Duke Newcastle-under-Lyne [aged 63] was created 1st Duke Newcastle under Lyme with a special remainder to his nephew by marriage Henry Fiennes Pelham-Clinton 2nd Duke Newcastle-under-Lyne [aged 36] husband of his niece Catherine Pelham Countess of Lincoln [aged 29].
On 17th November 1768 Thomas Pelham Holles 1st Duke Newcastle-under-Lyne [aged 75] died without issue. He was buried in the Pelham family vault at All Saint's Church, Laughton. Duke Newcastle upon Tyne, Marquess Clare, Earl Clare, Viscount Haughton and Baron Pelham of Laughton extinct.
Henry Fiennes Pelham-Clinton 2nd Duke Newcastle-under-Lyne [aged 48] succeeded 2nd Duke Newcastle under Lyme.
Thomas Pelham 1st Earl Chichester [aged 40] succeeded 2nd Baron Pelham of Stanmer in Sussex and 6th Baronet Pelham of Laughton.
On 17th November 1798 Alexander Württemberg Duke Württemberg [aged 27] and Antoinette Ernestine Amalie Saxe Coburg Gotha Duchess Württemberg [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of Francis Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha [aged 48] and Augusta Reuss Duchess Saxe Coburg Gotha [aged 41].
On 17th November 1803 Augusta Fitz-Clarence was born illegitimately to King William IV of the United Kingdom [aged 38] and Dorothea Bland aka "Mrs Jordan" [aged 41].
On 17th November 1818 Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England [aged 74] died.
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 17th November 1823 John Eliot 1st Earl St Germans [aged 62] died without issue. He was buried at St Germans Priory [Map]. His brother William [aged 56] succeeded 2nd Earl St Germans, 3rd Baron Eliot of St Germans in Cornwall. Susan Mordaunt Countess St Germans [aged 43] by marriage Countess St Germans.
Monument sculpted by Richard Westmacott [aged 48].
Susan Mordaunt Countess St Germans: On 15th December 1779 she was born to John Mordaunt 7th Baronet and Elizabeth Prowse Lady Mordaunt. On 30th August 1814 William Eliot 2nd Earl St Germans and she were married at Walton, Warwickshire.
Greville Memoirs. 17th November 1830. Went to Downing Street yesterday morning between twelve and one, and found that the Duke and all the Ministers were just gone to the King. He received them with the greatest kindness, shed tears, but accepted their resignation without remonstrance. He told Lord Bathurst [aged 68] he would do anything he could, and asked him if there was nothing he could sign which would secure his son's appointment. Lord Bathurst thanked him, but told him he could do nothing. The fact is the appointment might be hurried through, but the salary depends upon an annual vote of the House of Commons, and an exasperated and triumphant Opposition would be sure to knock it off; so he has done the only thing he can do, which is to leave it to the King to secure the appointment for him if possible. It will be a great piece of luck for somebody that Buller should have died exactly when he did. William Bathurst [aged 39] may perhaps lose the place from his not dying earlier, or the new Government may lose the patronage because he did not die later; but it is ill luck for me, who shall probably have more trouble because he has died at all.
Greville Memoirs. 17th November 1830. The Duke and Peel announced their resignations in the two Houses, and Brougham put off his motion, but with a speech signifying that he should take no part in the new Government. The last acts of the Duke were to secure pensions of £250 a year to each of his secretaries, and to fill up the ecclesiastical preferments. The Garter remains for his successor. The Duke of Bedford got it, and, what is singular, the Duke of Wellington would probably have given it him likewise. He was one of five whom he meant to choose from, and it lay between him and Lord Cleveland [aged 64].
Ten Years' Digging. On the 17th and 24th of November we opened a barrow in the Ram's Croft Field, at Stanshope [Map], which is more than usually concave in the middle, the depression being thirteen yards across and almost three feet deep; the entire diameter of the mound is forty yards. We commenced digging in the middle of the bason, finding rock at the depth of two feet, whereon lay two parallel rows of rugged stones, about three feet asunder, which had probably formed a cist, as part of a skeleton, pieces of potteiy, and a flint arrow-point, together with rats' bones and charcoal, were found between them. On the rock was a thin layer of ash-coloured earth, as we thought resulting from the soil being saturated with water that had been poured upon a fire in which some bones had been calcined near this part of the barrow.
On 17th November 1851 Henry Arthur George Somerset was born to Henry Charles Fitzroy Somerset 8th Duke Beaufort [aged 27] and Georgiana Charlotte Curzon Howe Duchess Beaufort [aged 26].
On 17th November 1853 Henry Somerset 7th Duke Beaufort [aged 61] died. His son Henry [aged 29] succeeded 8th Duke Beaufort, 10th Marquess Worcester, 14th Earl Worcester, 16th Baron Herbert of Raglan, 8th Baron Botetort. Georgiana Charlotte Curzon Howe Duchess Beaufort [aged 28] by marriage Duchess Beaufort.
On 17th November 1862 Ramsay Richard Reinagle [aged 86] died.
On 17th November 1869 the Suez Canal was officially opened. In the morning a procession of ships entered the canal, headed by the L'Aigle. Among the ships following was HMS Newport, captained by George Nares
On 17th November 1877 Captain Augustus Henry Archibald Anson [aged 42] died in Cannes where he was buried. Monument in Lichfield Cathedral [Map].
Captain Augustus Henry Archibald Anson: On 5th March 1835 he was born to Thomas William Anson 1st Earl Lichfield and Louisa Barbara Catherine Phillips Countess Lichfield. On 16th November 1857 Captain Augustus Henry Archibald Anson was awarded Victoria Cross.. For conspicuous bravery at Bolundshahur, on the 28th September, 1857. The 9th Light Dragoons had charged through the town, and were reforming in the Serai; the enemy attempted to close the entrance by drawing their carts across it, so as to shut in the cavalry and form a cover from which to fire upon them. Captain Anson, taking a lance, dashed out of the gateway, and knocked the drivers off their carts. Owing to a wound in his left hand, received at Delhi, he could not stop his horse, and rode into the middle of the enemy, who fired a volley at him, one ball passing through his coat. At Lucknow, at the assault of the Secundra Bagh, on 16th November, 1857, he entered with the storming party on the gates being burst open. He had his horse killed, and was himself slightly wounded. He has shown the greatest gallantry on every occasion, and has slain many enemies in fight. In 1859 Captain Augustus Henry Archibald Anson was elected MP Lichfield which seat he held until 1868.
On 17th November 1887 Ernest Augustus Hanover Duke Brunswick was born to Ernest Augustus Hanover 3rd Duke Cumberland and Teviotdale [aged 42] and Thyra Glücksburg Duchess Cumberland and Teviotdale [aged 34] at Penzing. He a great x 2 grandson of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland. He married 24th May 1913 his third cousin once removed Viktoria Luise Hohenzollern Duchess Brunswick and had issue.
On 17th November 1942 Ronald Kay-Shuttleworth 3rd Baron Shuttleworth [aged 25] was killed in action. He was buried at the Tabarka Ras Rajel War Cemetery, Tabarka, Jandūbah, Tunisia. His half first cousin Charles [aged 25] succeeded 4th Baron Shuttleworth of Gawthorpe in Lancashire, 5th Baronet Kay-Shuttleworth of Gawthorpe Hall in Lancashire.
On 17th November 1958 Frank Cadogan Cowper [aged 81] died.
On 17th November 2005 Charles Andrew Fountaine [aged 52] died. He was buried in the Churchyard of the Church of St Mary, Narford [Map].
Charles Andrew Fountaine: On 7th November 1953 he was born to John Brigg Charles Fountaine. Probably. Likely since Andrew Douglas Algernon Fountaine appears to have died without issue so Charles Andrew Fountaine.
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 17th November 1293 King Philip "Fortunate" VI of France was born to Charles Valois I Count Valois [aged 23] and Margaret Capet Countess Valois [aged 20]. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 3.86%. He married (1) his first cousin once removed Joan "Lame" Burgundy Queen Consort France, daughter of Robert II Duke Burgundy and Agnes Capet Duchess Burgundy, and had issue (2) 11th January 1350 his half first cousin once removed Blanche Évreux Queen Consort France, daughter of Philip "Noble" III King Navarre and Joan Capet II Queen Navarre.
On 13th November 1312 King Edward III of England was born to King Edward II of England [aged 28] and Isabella of France Queen Consort England [aged 17] at Windsor Castle [Map]. He was christened on 17th November 1312 with Archbishop Walter Reynolds being one of his godfathers. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.17%. He married 24th January 1328 his second cousin Philippa of Hainaut Queen Consort England, daughter of William of Avesnes I Count Hainaut III Count Avesnes III Count Holland II Count Zeeland and Joan Valois Countess Zeeland Holland Avesnes and Hainaut, and had issue.
On 17th November 1433 Ferdinand Aviz 2nd Duke Viseu was born to Edward "The Philosopher" I King Portugal [aged 42] and Eleanor Trastámara Queen Consort Portugal. He a great x 2 grandson of King Edward III of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 4.40%. He married 1447 his first cousin Beatrice Aviz Duchess Viseu and had issue.
On 17th November 1453 Alfonso Trastámara was born to John II King Castile [aged 48] and Isabella Aviz Queen Consort Castile [aged 25]. He a great x 2 grandson of King Edward III of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.60%.
On 17th November 1493 John Neville 3rd Baron Latimer was born to Richard Neville 2nd Baron Latimer of Snape [aged 25] and Anne Stafford Baroness Latimer [aged 22]. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England. He married (1) before 1520 his fourth cousin Dorothy de Vere and had issue (2) 20th June 1528 his third cousin once removed Elizabeth Musgrave Baroness Latimer Snape (3) July 1534 his third cousin once removed Catherine Parr Queen Consort England.
On 17th November 1602 Agnes Magdalene Oldenburg was born to John "Younger" Oldenburg Duke Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg [aged 57] and Agnes Hedwig of Anhalt [aged 29]. She died aged four in 1607.
On 17th November 1612 Pierre Mignard was born.
On 17th November 1625 Charles Villiers was born to George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham [aged 33] and Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham [aged 23]. He died aged one in 1627.
On 17th November 1630 Henriette Stanley Countess Strafford was born to James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby [aged 23] and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 30]. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland. She married 27th February 1654 her fourth cousin William Wentworth 2nd Earl Strafford, son of Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford and Arabella Holles.
On 17th November 1697 Catherine Ramsden Lady Lowther was born to William Ramsden 2nd Baronet [aged 25] and Elizabeth Lowther Lady Ramsden [aged 20]. She married 17th August 1736 her half third cousin once removed William Lowther 2nd Baronet, son of William Lowther 1st Baronet and Annabella Maynard Lady Lowther.
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 1 Chapters 1-60 1307-1342
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel offer one of the most vivid and immediate accounts of 14th-century Europe, written by a knight who lived through the events he describes, and experienced some of them first hand. Covering the early decades of the Hundred Years’ War, this remarkable chronicle follows the campaigns of Edward III of England, the politics of France and the Low Countries, and the shifting alliances that shaped medieval warfare. Unlike later historians, Jean le Bel writes with a strong sense of eyewitness authenticity, drawing on personal experience and the testimony of fellow soldiers. His narrative captures not only battles and sieges, but also the realities of military life, diplomacy, and the ideals of chivalry that governed noble society. A key source for Jean Froissart, Le Bel’s chronicle stands on its own as a compelling and insightful work, at once historical record and literary achievement. This translation builds on the 1905 edition published in French by Jules Viard, adding extensive translations from other sources Rymer's Fœdera, the Chronicles of Adam Murimuth, William Nangis, Walter of Guisborough, a Bourgeois of Valenciennes, Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke and Richard Lescot to enrich the original text and Viard's notes.
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On 17th November 1715 Danvers Osborn 3rd Baronet was born to John Osborn at Chicksands. He married 25th September 1740 Mary Montagu, daughter of George Montagu 1st Earl Halifax and Mary Lumley Countess Halifax, and had issue.
On 17th November 1717 Caroline Campbell 1st Baroness Greenwich was born to John Campbell 2nd Duke Argyll [aged 37] and Jane Warburton Duchess of Argyll. She married (1) 2nd October 1742 her fourth cousin once removed Francis Scott, son of Francis Scott 2nd Duke Buccleuch and Jane Douglas, and had issue (2) August 1755 her fifth cousin once removed Charles Townshend, son of Charles Townshend 3rd Viscount Townsend and Audrey aka Etheldreda Harrison.
On 17th November 1729 Infanta Maria Antonia Spain was born to Philippe V King Spain [aged 45] and Elisabeth Farnese Queen Consort Spain [aged 37]. She married 31st May 1750 her third cousin Victor Amadeus III King Sardinia, son of Charles Emmanuel III King Sardinia and Polyxena Hesse Rotenburg Queen Consort Sardinia, and had issue.
On 17th November 1755 Louis XVIII King France was born to Dauphin Louis Bourbon [aged 26] and Dauphine Maria Josepha of France [aged 24]. He a great x 4 grandson of King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland. He married 14th May 1771 his second cousin once removed Maria Joséphine of Savoy, daughter of Victor Amadeus III King Sardinia and Infanta Maria Antonia Spain.
On 17th November 1762 George Shiffner 1st Baronet was born to Henry Shiffner of Pontrilas in Herefordshire. He married 31st October 1787 Mary Bridger and had issue.
On 17th November 1762 Henrietta Thynne was born to Thomas Thynne 1st Marquess of Bath [aged 28] and Elizabeth Bentinck Marchioness Bath [aged 27]. She married 2nd May 1799 Philip Stanhope 5th Earl Chesterfield and had issue.
On 17th November 1771 George Bowes-Lyon was born to John Lyon 9th Earl Strathmore and Kinghorne [aged 34] and Mary Bowes Countess Strathmore [aged 22].
On 17th November 1796 Henry Pollard Willoughby 3rd Baronet was born to Christopher Willoughby 1st Baronet [aged 48] and Martha Evans Lady Willoughby [aged 29].
On 17th November 1798 Captain Francis Maude was born to Cornwallis Maude 1st Viscount Hawarden [aged 69] and Anne Isabella Monck Viscountess Hawarden [aged 39].
On 17th November 1803 Augusta Fitz-Clarence was born illegitimately to King William IV of the United Kingdom [aged 38] and Dorothea Bland aka "Mrs Jordan" [aged 41].
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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On 17th November 1838 Lambton Loraine 11th Baronet was born to John Lambton Loraine 10th Baronet [aged 54].
On 17th November 1851 Henry Arthur George Somerset was born to Henry Charles Fitzroy Somerset 8th Duke Beaufort [aged 27] and Georgiana Charlotte Curzon Howe Duchess Beaufort [aged 26].
On 17th November 1878 Arthur Grey Hazlerigg 1st Baron Hazlerigg was born to Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Grey Hazlerigg [aged 41] and Janet Edith Orr-Ewing [aged 24]. He married 1903 Dorothy Rachel Buxton Baroness Hazlerigg and had issue.
On 17th November 1881 Thomas Fermor-Hesketh 1st Baron Hesketh was born to Thomas George Fermor-Hesketh 7th Baronet [aged 32] and Florence Emily Sharon [aged 23]. He married 9th September 1909 Florence Louise Breckinridge and had issue.
On 17th November 1887 Ernest Augustus Hanover Duke Brunswick was born to Ernest Augustus Hanover 3rd Duke Cumberland and Teviotdale [aged 42] and Thyra Glücksburg Duchess Cumberland and Teviotdale [aged 34] at Penzing. He a great x 2 grandson of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland. He married 24th May 1913 his third cousin once removed Viktoria Luise Hohenzollern Duchess Brunswick and had issue.
On 17th November 1887 Field-Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery 1st Viscount Montgomery was born to Bishop Henry Montgomery [aged 40] and Maud Friar [aged 22] at Kennington, Lambeth. He married 1927 Elizabeth Hobart and had issue.
On 17th November 1936 Christopher Finch-Hatton 11th Earl Nottingham 16th Earl of Winchilsea was born to Christopher Finch-Hatton 10th Earl Nottingham 15th Earl Winchilsea [aged 25] and Gladys Széchényi Countess Winchilsea and Nottingham [aged 23]. He married 1962 Shirley Hatfield Countess of Nottingham and Winchilsea and had issue.
On 17th November 1956 Howard Cæsar Hawkins 8th Baronet was born to Humphrey Villiers Cæsar Hawkins 7th Baronet [aged 33].
On 17th November 1957 Rose Griselda Eden was born to Michael Henley aka Eden 7th Baron Henley 5th Baron Northington [aged 43] and Nancy Mary Walton Baroness Henley and Northington [aged 29]. She married (1) 1984 Christopher James Bellew, son of James Bellew 7th Baron Bellew.
On 17th November 1964 Nicholas Edmond George Boileau 9th Baronet was born to Guy Francis Boileau 8th Baronet [aged 29].
On 17th November 1239 King Eric IV of Denmark [aged 23] and Jutta of Saxony [aged 16] were married. He the son of King Valdemar II of Denmark [aged 69] and Berengaria Burgundy Queen Consort Denmark.
On 17th November 1366 Thomas Fauconberg 5th Baron Fauconberg [aged 21] and Constance Felton Baroness Fauconberg were married. She by marriage Baroness Fauconberg.
On 17th November 1681 Jean Chardin [aged 38] was knighted at Whitehall Palace [Map] by King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 51]. The same day Jean Chardin and Esther Lardinière Peigné were married.
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 17th November 1719 Charles Gregory Fairfax 9th Viscount Fairfax and Elizabeth Clifford Viscountess Dunbar [aged 30] were married.
On 17th November 1798 Alexander Württemberg Duke Württemberg [aged 27] and Antoinette Ernestine Amalie Saxe Coburg Gotha Duchess Württemberg [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of Francis Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha [aged 48] and Augusta Reuss Duchess Saxe Coburg Gotha [aged 41].
On 17th November 1858 Bingham Baring 2nd Baron Ashburton [aged 59] and Louisa Caroline Stewart Baroness Ashburton [aged 31] were married. She by marriage Baroness Ashburton of Ashburton in Devon. The difference in their ages was 27 years.
On 17th November 1924 Alexander Baring 6th Baron Ashburton [aged 26] and Doris Mary Thérèse Harcourt [aged 24] were married.
On 17th November 1958 Henry MacLeod Robertson [aged 25] and Ziki Robertson 11th Baroness Wharton [aged 24] were married.
On 17th November 1960 David Mountbatten 3rd Marquess Milford Haven [aged 41] and Janet Bryce Marchioness Milford Haven were married in Washington, DC. She by marriage Marchioness Milford Haven. He the son of George Mountbatten 2nd Marquess Milford Haven and Nadejda Mikhailovna Torby Marchioness Milford Haven [aged 64].
On 17th November 1244 Marjorie Dunkeld Countess Pembroke [aged 44] died.
On 17th November 1326 Edmund Fitzalan 2nd or 9th Earl of Arundel [aged 41] was beheaded at Hereford [Map]. Earl Arundel forfeit. According to the Llandaff Chronicle he was executed by a "worthless wretch" ("villissimi ribaldi") with a blunt sword requiring twenty-two strokes although I have been unable to find a copy of the Chronicle to confirm this story. He was initially buried at the Franciscan Church, Hereford, subsequently reburied at his family's traditional place of burial Haughmond Abbey [Map].
On 17th November 1525 Eleanor Viseu Queen Consort Portugal [aged 67] died.
On 17th November 1558 Queen Mary I of England and Ireland [aged 42] died at St James's Palace [Map]. Her half sister Elizabeth [aged 25] succeeded I Queen of England. William Brooke 10th Baron Cobham [aged 31] was deputed with informing Philip "The Prudent" II King Spain [aged 31].
Thomas Wendy [aged 58] attended the Queen as physician; the third monarch's death he attended.
On 17th November 1558 Cardinal Reginald Pole [aged 58] died at London. He was buried at North Side, Corona, Canterbury Cathedral.
On 17th November 1562 Antoine King Navarre [aged 44] died.
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 17th November 1571 Thomas Leigh [aged 62] died.
On 17th November 1584 Eric Guelph II Duke Brunswick-Calenburg [aged 56] died.
On 17th November 1611 Nicolas Henri Bourbon Duke Orléans [aged 4] died.
On 17th November 1617 Catherine Gerard Lady Hoghton [aged 48] died at Houghton Tower, Preston.
On 17th November 1665 Bishop John Earle [aged 64] died.
On 17th November 1705 Mary Mordaunt Duchess Norfolk [aged 46] died. Her first cousin Charles [aged 47] succeeded 8th Baron Mordaunt. Her husband John Germain 1st Baronet [aged 55] inherited her Drayton estates and the rest of her inheritance, valued at £70,000.
On 17th November 1706 Margaret Sawyer Countess Pembroke and Montgomery died.
On 17th November 1724 William Ponsonby 1st Viscount Duncannon [aged 65] died. His son Brabazon [aged 45] succeeded 2nd Viscount Duncannon of Duncannon in Wexford, 2nd Baron Bessborough of Bessborough in Kilkenny.
On 17th November 1738 Grace Lockhart Countess Aboyne [aged 32] died.
On 17th November 1759 Berkeley Lucy 3rd Baronet [aged 87] died without male issue. Baronet Lucy of Broxbourne in Hertfordshire extinct.
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 17th November 1768 Thomas Pelham Holles 1st Duke Newcastle-under-Lyne [aged 75] died without issue. He was buried in the Pelham family vault at All Saint's Church, Laughton. Duke Newcastle upon Tyne, Marquess Clare, Earl Clare, Viscount Haughton and Baron Pelham of Laughton extinct.
Henry Fiennes Pelham-Clinton 2nd Duke Newcastle-under-Lyne [aged 48] succeeded 2nd Duke Newcastle under Lyme.
Thomas Pelham 1st Earl Chichester [aged 40] succeeded 2nd Baron Pelham of Stanmer in Sussex and 6th Baronet Pelham of Laughton.
On 17th November 1798 John Temple 8th Baronet [aged 67] died. His son Grenville [aged 30] succeeded 9th Baronet Temple of Stowe.
On 17th November 1817 Robert Salusbury 1st Baronet [aged 61] died at Canterbury, Kent [Map]. His son Thomas [aged 34] succeeded 2nd Baronet Salusbury of Llanwern in Monmouthshire.
On 17th November 1818 Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England [aged 74] died.
On 17th November 1823 John Eliot 1st Earl St Germans [aged 62] died without issue. He was buried at St Germans Priory [Map]. His brother William [aged 56] succeeded 2nd Earl St Germans, 3rd Baron Eliot of St Germans in Cornwall. Susan Mordaunt Countess St Germans [aged 43] by marriage Countess St Germans.
Monument sculpted by Richard Westmacott [aged 48].
Susan Mordaunt Countess St Germans: On 15th December 1779 she was born to John Mordaunt 7th Baronet and Elizabeth Prowse Lady Mordaunt. On 30th August 1814 William Eliot 2nd Earl St Germans and she were married at Walton, Warwickshire.
On 17th November 1837 Reverend Henry Dryden 3rd Baronet [aged 50] died. His son Henry [aged 19] succeeded 4th Baronet Dryden of Canons Ashby in Northamptonshire.
On 17th November 1845 James Walter Grimston 1st Earl Verulam [aged 70] died. His son James [aged 36] succeeded 2nd Earl Verulam, 2nd Viscount Grimston, 5th Viscount Grimston, 3rd Baron Verulam of Gorhambury in Hertfordshire, 9th Baronet Grimston of Little Waltham in Essex. Elizabeth Joanna Weyland Countess Verulam [aged 20] by marriage Countess Verulam.
On 17th November 1853 Henry Somerset 7th Duke Beaufort [aged 61] died. His son Henry [aged 29] succeeded 8th Duke Beaufort, 10th Marquess Worcester, 14th Earl Worcester, 16th Baron Herbert of Raglan, 8th Baron Botetort. Georgiana Charlotte Curzon Howe Duchess Beaufort [aged 28] by marriage Duchess Beaufort.
On 17th November 1862 Ramsay Richard Reinagle [aged 86] died.
On 17th November 1872 Thomas Beckett 3rd Baronet [aged 93] died. He was buried at Corringham, Lincolnshire, 22nd November 1872. His brother Edmund [aged 85] succeeded 4th Baronet Beckett of Leeds.
On 17th November 1889 Charlotte Frances Howard Lady Cradock-Hartopp died.
On 17th November 1898 Christina Alexander Lady Clavering [aged 65] died.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 17th November 1917 Stewkley Shuckburgh 10th Baronet [aged 37] died unmarried. His brother Gerald [aged 35] succeeded 11th Baronet Schuckburgh of Schuckburgh in Warwickshire.
On 17th November 1921 John Townshend 6th Marquess Townshend [aged 55] died. His son George [aged 5] succeeded 7th Marquess Townshend, 10th Viscount Townsend, 10th Baron Townshend of Lynn Regis in Norfolk, 12th Baronet Townshend.
On 17th November 1926 Marcia Amelia Mary Lane-Fox Countess Yarborough [aged 63] died. Her son Sackville [aged 37] succeeded 14th Baron Conyers, 8th Baron Fauconberg.
On 17th November 1938 Robert Chalmers 1st Baron Chalmers [aged 80] died. Baron Chalmers of Northiam in Sussex extinct.
On 17th November 1942 Ronald Kay-Shuttleworth 3rd Baron Shuttleworth [aged 25] was killed in action. He was buried at the Tabarka Ras Rajel War Cemetery, Tabarka, Jandūbah, Tunisia. His half first cousin Charles [aged 25] succeeded 4th Baron Shuttleworth of Gawthorpe in Lancashire, 5th Baronet Kay-Shuttleworth of Gawthorpe Hall in Lancashire.
On 17th November 1944 Maurice Bell 3rd Baronet [aged 73] died. His nephew Hugh [aged 20] succeeded 4th Baronet Bell of Rounton Range and Washington Hall in County Durham.
On 17th November 1953 Edward Thomas Le Marchant 4th Baronet [aged 82] died. His son Denis [aged 47] succeeded 5th Baronet Le Marchant of Chobham Place in Surrey.
On 17th November 1958 Frank Cadogan Cowper [aged 81] died.
On 17th November 1967 Rose Constance Bowes-Lyon Countess Granville [aged 77] died.
On 17th November 1976 Robert Abdy 5th Baronet [aged 80] died. His son Valentine [aged 39] succeeded 6th Baronet Abdy of Albyns in Essex.
On 17th November 1982 Robert Bridgeman 2nd Viscount Bridgeman [aged 86] died. His son Robin [aged 51] succeeded 3rd Viscount Bridgeman of Leigh in Shropshire.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 17th November 2010 David Boswell Egerton 16th Baronet [aged 96] died. His son William [aged 61] succeeded 17th Baronet Egerton and Oulton.