21 Dec is in December.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1057. This year died Earl Ralph, on the twelfth before the calends of January [21st December 1057]; and lies at Peterborough [Map].
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 21st December 1065. About midwinter King Edward [aged 62] came to Westminster, and had the minster there consecrated, which he had himself built to the honour of God, and St. Peter, and all God's saints. This church-hallowing was on Childermas-day.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. [21st December 1075]. And the king [aged 47] was then at Westminster, at midwinter; where all the Britons were condemned who were at the bride-ale at Norwich. Some were punished with blindness; some were driven from the land; and some were towed to Scandinavia. So were the traitors of King William subdued.
On 21st December 1119, or 1120, the Feast Day of St Thomas the Apostle, Archbishop Thomas Becket was born. His father was Gilbert, and grandfather from Thierville in Brionne in Normandy. His mother was Matilda; also of Norman descent.
On 21st December 1281 Hartmann Habsburg [aged 18] drowned.
Chronicle of England by William of Worcester. On the 21st of December [1460], the Duke of York and the Earl of Salisbury, with six thousand soldiers, arrived at Sandal Castle, where they celebrated Christmas, while the Duke of Somerset and the Earl of Northumberland with the opposing faction were then at Pontefract. King Henry, with the Earl of Warwick and others, celebrated Christmas in the bishop's palace in London near St. Paul's. Edward, Earl of March, celebrated Christmas in the town of Shrewsbury at the Friars' house.
xxj. die Decembris dux Eboraci et comes Sarum, cum vj. millibus pugnatorum venerunt ad Sandal castrum, ubi tenuerunt festum Natalis Domini, duce Somercetiæ et comite Northumbriæ cum parte adversa jacentibus tunc apud Pontefrage. Rex Henricus cum comite Warwici et aliis tenuit festum Natalis Domini in palatio episcopi Londonias apud Sanctum Paulum. Edwardus comes de Marche tenuit festum Natalis Christi in villa Salopiæ in domo Fratrum.
On 21st December 1495 Jasper Tudor 1st Duke Bedford [aged 64] died at Thornbury Manor without legitimate issue. He was buried at Keynsham Abbey [Map]. Duke Bedford, Earl Pembroke extinct.
After 21st December 1536. All Saints Church, Maiden Bradley [Map]. Monument to John Seymour [deceased]. 
Seymour Arms differenced with a Crescent impaled with unknown arms quartered 1 Argent a fess between 3 martlets Gules in chief three fox heads erased 2 per pale Azure three fleur de lys Or 3 Or three talbots courant 4 Or a chevrom Limine between 3 stags heads caboshed. The note below states... The above tablet (a copy of the original in Great Bedwyn [Map]) is placed here by Algernon 15th Duke of Somerset September 1899.
Wriothesley's Chronicle [1508-1562]. 21st December 1551. The 21 of December, beinge St. Thomas th' Apostles day. Lord Riche [aged 54] beinge Lord Channcellor of England, the Kinges Maiesties great seale was taken from him by the Duke of Northumberland [aged 47] and the Earl of Pembroke [aged 50] in the afternoone. And the morrowe after Doctor Goodricke, Bishop of Elye, had the keepinge of the great seale, as custos, by the counselles commandement, which bishop was one of the Privie Counsell to the Kinges Maiestie.
On 21st December 1579 Thomas Richards died. In 1603 Elizabeth Fiennes [aged 56] died.
Monument in St Mary the Virgin Church, Chipping Norton [Map]. Finely made in alabaster. Elizabethan Period. Renaissance chest with stripped-down strapwork. Rush Mat. Dress Folds at Feet. Ruff. Possibly Richard and Gabriel Royley of Burton-upon-Trent.
Thomas Richards: Before 21st December 1579 he and Elizabeth Fiennes were married.
Elizabeth Fiennes: Around 1523 she was born to Edward Fiennes 5th Baron Saye and Sele and Margaret Danvers Baroness Saye and Sele.
On 21st December 1582 Henry Knollys [aged 40] died. Monument at St Nicholas' Church, Stanford-on-Avon [Map].
The inscription: "Sacred to the Memory Here rest in Christ, awaiting the resurrection, Henry Knollys, son and heir of Francis Knollys [aged 70], Knight Bachelor, Privy Counsellor to Queen Elizabeth, Treasurer of her Household, and of Margaret [aged 23], his wife, daughter and heir of Ambrose Cave, Knight Bachelor, also a Privy Counsellor to Queen Elizabeth and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Margaret bore to Henry: Elizabeth [aged 3], wife of Henry Willoughby of Risley [aged 3], Baronet, and Laetitia, wife of William, Baron Paget of Beaudesert [aged 10]. Henry died .... Margaret .... To the best and most dearly loved parents, Elizabeth Willoughby, their daughter, set up this monument in loving devotion."
"Memoriæ Sacrum. Resurrectionem in Christo hic expectant Henricus Knollis filius et hæres Frangcisci Knollis Equitis avrati reginæ Elizabthæ a sanctioribus consiliis thesaurarii Hospitti eiusdem reginæ et margaretta vxor eius filia et hæres Ambrosh cave Equitis avrati Reginæ Elizabethæ a sanctioribus consiliis & ducatus Lancastriæ Cancellarii quæ eidem Henrico Peperit Elizabetham uxorem Henrici Willoughby de Risely Baroneetti & Lætitiam uxorem Guilielmi baronis Pagett de Beaudesert Henricus obit die .... Margarete .... Optimis & perquam Dilectis, Parentibus Elizabetha Willoughby, Filia Pietatis ergo hc monumentum, posuit"
Henry Knollys: he was appointed Esquire to the Body to Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland. Around 1542 he was born to Francis Knollys and Catherine Carey. On 16th July 1566 Henry Knollys and Margaret Cave were married.
Elizabeth Knollys: In 1579 she was born to Henry Knollys and Margaret Cave at Rotherfield Greys, Oxfordshire. After 6th February 1605 Henry Willoughby 1st Baronet and she were married.
Lettice Knollys Baroness Geneville Beaudasert: In 1583 she was born to Henry Knollys and Margaret Cave at Rotherfield Greys, Oxfordshire. Before 19th June 1602 William Paget 4th Baron Paget Beaudasert and she were married. She by marriage Baroness Paget Beaudasert. In 1655 Lettice Knollys Baroness Geneville Beaudasert died.
On 21st December 1596 Thomas Francis of Savoy 1st Prince of Carignano was born to Charles Emmanuel Savoy I Duke Savoy [aged 34] and Catherine Habsburg Spain Duchess Savoy [aged 29]. Coefficient of inbreeding 6.67%. He married 6th January 1625 his fourth cousin once removed Marie Bourbon Condé Countess Soissons, daughter of Charles Bourbon Condé Count Soissons and Anne Montafié Countess Soissons.
After 21st December 1614. St Mary's Church, Nantwich [Map]. Monument to Thomas Smith of Hough in Cheshire commissioned by his wife Anne Brereton. The monument, carved by Hugh Hall, was originally in St Chad's Church, Wybunbury [Map] but moved to Nantwich in 1982. Stuart Period.
Thomas Smith of Hough in Cheshire: Around 1545 he was born to Lawrence Smith and Anne Fouleshurst. On 21st January 1561 he and Anne Brereton were married. On 21st June 1614 he died. Notes of the Churches of Cheshire. The alabaster tomb [at St Chad's Church, Wybunbury [Map]] with two recumbent effigies of a knight in plate armour, and lady, has the inscription: Here lyeth Sr Thomas Smith of Haigh Kt and Dame Anne his wife daughter to Sr William Brereton of Brereton Kt who had issue one sonn and one daught'r wch Sr Thomas died the 21st of December 1614 whose ladie in remembrance gave him this monument.
Anne Brereton: In December 1546 she was born to William Brereton and Jane Warburton. After 1614 Anne Brereton died.
On 21st December 1638 Maximilian Thomas Habsburg Spain Archduke Austria was born to Ferdinand III Holy Roman Emperor [aged 30] and Maria Anna of Spain Holy Roman Empress [aged 32]. Coefficient of inbreeding 15.19%. He died aged less than one years old.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
John Evelyn's Diary. 21st December 1651. Came to visit my wife [aged 16], Mrs. Lane, the lady who conveyed the King [aged 21] to the seaside at his escape from Worcester. Mr. John Cosin, son of the Dean [aged 57], debauched by the priests, wrote a letter to me to mediate for him with his father. I prepared for my last journey, being now resolved to leave France altogether.
On 21st December 1655 Maria Ambrosia Habsburg Spain died.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 21st December 1661. To White Hall to the Privy Seal, where my Lord Privy Seal [aged 55] did tell us he could seal no more this month, for that he goes thirty miles out of town to keep his Christmas. At which I was glad, but only afeard lest any thing of the King's [aged 31] should force us to go after him to get a seal in the country.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 21st December 1662. Thence walked to White Hall, and there to chappell, and from thence up stairs, and up and down the house and gallerys on the King's and Queen's [aged 24] side, and so through the garden to my Lord's lodgings, where there was Mr. Gibbons [aged 47], Madge, and Mallard, and Pagett; and by and by comes in my Lord Sandwich [aged 37], and so we had great store of good musique.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 21st December 1662. By and by comes in my simple Lord Chandois [aged 41], who (my Lord Sandwich [aged 37] being gone out to Court) began to sing psalms, but so dully that I was weary of it. At last we broke up; and by and by comes in my Lord Sandwich again, and he and I to talk together about his businesses, and so he to bed and I and Mr. Creed and Captain Ferrers fell to a cold goose pye of Mrs. Sarah's, heartily, and so spent our time till past twelve o'clock, and then with Creed to his lodgings, and so with him to bed, and slept till
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 21st December 1663. Up betimes, my wife having a mind to have gone abroad with me, but I had not because of troubling me, and so left her, though against my will, to go and see her father and mother by herself, and I straight to my Lord Sandwich's [aged 38], and there I had a pretty kind salute from my Lord, and went on to the Duke's [aged 30], where my fellow officers by and by came, and so in with him to his closet, and did our business, and so broke up, and I with Sir W. Batten [aged 62] by coach to Salisbury Court, Fleet Street, and there spoke with Clerk our Solicitor about Field's business, and so parted, and I to Mrs. Turner's [aged 40], and there saw the achievement pretty well set up, and it is well done.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 21st December 1663. Thence, having enough of it, by coach to my Lord Sandwich's [aged 38], where I find him within with Captain Cooke [aged 47] and his boys, Dr. Childe [aged 57], Mr. Madge, and Mallard, playing and singing over my Lord's anthem which he hath made to sing in the King's Chappell: my Lord saluted me kindly and took me into the withdrawing-room, to hear it at a distance, and indeed it sounds very finely, and is a good thing, I believe, to be made by him, and they all commend it. And after that was done Captain Cooke and his two boys did sing some Italian songs, which I must in a word say I think was fully the best musique that I ever yet heard in all my life, and it was to me a very great pleasure to hear them.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 21st December 1664. My Lord Sandwich [aged 39] this day writes me word that he hath seen (at Portsmouth, Hampshire [Map]) the Comet, and says it is the most extraordinary thing that ever he saw.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 21st December 1665. At the office all the morning. At noon all of us dined at Captain Cocke's [aged 48] at a good chine of beef, and other good meat; but, being all frost-bitten, was most of it unroast; but very merry, and a good dish of fowle we dressed ourselves. Mr. Evelyn [aged 45] there, in very good humour.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 21st December 1666. So home to dinner, and spent all the afternoon in putting some things, pictures especially, in order, and pasting my Baroness Castlemayne's [aged 26] print on a frame, which I have made handsome, and is a fine piece.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 21st December 1667. At the office all the morning, and at noon home to dinner with my Clerks and Creed, who among other things all alone, after dinner, talking of the times, he tells me that the Nonconformists are mighty high, and their meetings frequented and connived at; and they do expect to have their day now soon; for my Lord of Buckingham [aged 39] is a declared friend to them, and even to the Quakers, who had very good words the other day from the King [aged 37] himself: and, what is more, the Archbishop of Canterbury [aged 69] is called no more to the Cabal, nor, by the way, Sir W. Coventry [aged 39]; which I am sorry for, the Cabal at present being, as he says, the King, and Duke of Buckingham, and Lord Keeper [aged 61], the Duke of Albemarle [aged 59], and Privy Seale [aged 61]. The Bishops, differing from the King in the late business in the House of Lords, having caused this and what is like to follow, for every body is encouraged nowadays to speak, and even to preach, as I have heard one of them, as bad things against them as ever in the year 1640; which is a strange change. He gone, I to the office, where busy till late at night, and then home to sit with my wife, who is a little better, and her cheek asswaged. I read to her out of "The History of Algiers", which is mighty pretty reading, and did discourse alone about my sister Pall's [aged 27] match, which is now on foot with one Jackson [aged 27], another nephew of Mr. Phillips's, to whom he hath left his estate.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 21st December 1668. Thence to the Duke's playhouse, and saw "Macbeth". the King [aged 38] and Court there; and we sat just under them and my Baroness Castlemayne [aged 28], and close to the woman that comes into the pit, a kind of a loose gossip, that pretends to be like her, and is so, something. And my wife, by my troth, appeared, I think, as pretty as any of them; I never thought so much before; and so did Talbot and W. Hewer [aged 26], as they said, I heard, to one another. The King and Duke of York [aged 35] minded me, and smiled upon me, at the handsome woman near me but it vexed me to see Moll Davis [aged 20], in the box over the King's and my Baroness Castlemayne's head, look down upon the King, and he up to her; and so did my Baroness Castlemayne once, to see who it was; but when she saw her, she looked like fire; which troubled me. The play done, took leave of Talbot, who goes into the country this Christmas, and so we home, and there I to work at the office late, and so home to supper and to bed.
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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On 21st December 1670, owing to a jest made by Coventry [aged 34] in the House of Commons on the subject of the King's amours, Sir Thomas Sandys, an officer of the guards, with other accomplices, by the order of Monmouth [aged 21], and (it was said) with the approval of the king himself, waylaid him as he was returning home to Suffolk Street and slit his nose to the bone. The outrage created an extraordinary sensation in the Commons, and in consequence Parliament debated a bill 'to prevent malicious maiming and wounding' (22 & 23 Chas. II, c.1), a measure known as the "Coventry Act" was passed, declaring assaults accompanied by personal mutilation a felony without benefit of clergy, an Act not repealed until 1828.
On 11th September 1674 Anna Maria Josepha Habsburg Spain was born to Leopold Habsburg Spain I Holy Roman Emperor [aged 34] and Claudia Felicitas of Holy Roman Empress [aged 21]. She died three months later on 21st December 1674. Coefficient of inbreeding 5.35%.
John Evelyn's Diary. 21st December 1675. Visited her Ladyship [aged 43] again, where I found the Bishop of Winchester [aged 77], whom I had long known in France; he invited me to his house at Chelsea.
On 21st December 1676 Charles Beauclerk 1st Duke St Albans [aged 6] was created 1st Earl Burford, 1st Baron Heddington by King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 46].
On 21st December 1718 Bishop Joseph Butler [aged 26] was ordained a Priest by William Talbot [aged 60], Bishop of Salisbury, at St James' Church, Piccadilly.
On 21st December 1728 Henry Brydges 2nd Duke Chandos [aged 20] and Mary Bruce [aged 18] were married. She the daughter of Charles Bruce 4th Earl Elgin 3rd Earl Ailesbury [aged 46] and Anne Savile. He the son of James Brydges 1st Duke Chandos [aged 55] and Mary Lake. They were fifth cousins.
On 21st December 1744 Anne Vallayer aka Coster was born to Joseph Vallayer [aged 40]. She married 1781 Jean-Pierre Silvestre Coster.
On 21st December 1752 Frances Julia Burrell Duchess Northumberland was born to Peter Burrell [aged 28] and Elizabeth Lewis. She married 23rd May 1779 Hugh Percy 2nd Duke Northumberland, son of Hugh Percy 1st Duke Northumberland and Elizabeth Seymour Duchess Northumberland, and had issue.
On 21st December 1777 John Douglas Edward Henry Campbell 7th Duke Argyll was born to John Campbell 5th Duke Argyll [aged 54] and Elizabeth Gunning Duchess Hamilton and Argyll [aged 44]. He married 1820 Joan Glassel and had issue.
In December 1800 King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 62] created a number of peers who supported the Act of Union...
On 21st December 1800 Charles Stanley Monck 1st Viscount Monck [aged 46] was created 1st Viscount Monck.
On 29th December 1800....
Murrough O'Brien 1st Marquess Thomond [aged 74] was created 1st Marquess Thomond. Mary Palmer Marchioness Thomond [aged 50] by marriage Marchioness Thomond.
Charles Tottenham aka Loftus 1st Marquess Ely [aged 62] was created 1st Marquess Ely in County Wexford. Jane Myhill Marchioness Ely by marriage Marchioness Ely in County Wexford.
James Alexander 1st Earl Caledon [aged 70] was created 1st Earl Caledon in County Tyrone.
On 21st December 1800 Duchess Louise Dorothea of Saxe Coburg Altenburg was born to Duke Augustus of Saxe Coburg Altenburg [aged 28] and Louise Charlotte Mecklenburg-Schwerin [aged 21] at Gotha. Coefficient of inbreeding 1.91%. She married 3rd July 1817 her second cousin once removed Ernest Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha, son of Francis Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha and Augusta Reuss Duchess Saxe Coburg Gotha, and had issue.
On 21st December 1808 Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 40] defeated two regiments of French cavalry.
On 1st October 1822 Anthony Hamond of High House in West Acre [aged 80] died. On 21st December 1806 Sarah Case died. Memorial in All Saints Church, West Acre [Map] sculpted by Joseph Theakston [aged 50].
Anthony Hamond of High House in West Acre: In 1742 he was born to Robert Hamond. Before 21st December 1806 Anthony Hamond of High House in West Acre and Sarah Case were married.
Sarah Case: Around 1746 she was born to Philip Case of King's Lynn.
On 21 and 22nd December 1845 the Battle of Ferozeshah was a victory by the British East India Company over the Sikh Empire.
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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After 21st December 1853. Monuments at St Mary the Virgin Church, Overton to Francis Richard Price and his wife Susan Towneley, her monument sculpted by Edwards of Wrexham.
On 21st December 1864 Louisa Alexandra Williams-Wynn Lady Williams-Wynn was born to Watkin Williams-Wynn 6th Baronet [aged 44] and Marie Emily Williams-Wynn Lady Williams-Wynn. Her godparents were Queen Louise Hesse-Kassel of Denmark [aged 47], the Princess of Wales, and her uncle, Sir Hugh Williams [aged 62]. Coefficient of inbreeding 6.25%. She married 26th August 1884 her first cousin Herbert Lloyd Watkin Williams-Wynn 7th Baronet and had issue.
On 21st December 1888 Hastings William Russell 12th Duke Bedford was born to Herbrand Arthur Russell 11th Duke Bedford [aged 30] and Mary Caurroy Tribe Duchess Bedford [aged 23]. He married November 1914 Louisa Crommelin Roberta Jowitt Whitwell Duchess Bedford and had issue.
On 21st December 1891 William Cavendish 7th Duke Devonshire [aged 83] died. He was buried at the Cavendish Plot, St Peter's Church, Edensor [Map]. His son Spencer [aged 58] succeeded 8th Duke Devonshire, 11th Earl Devonshire, 3rd Earl Burlington, 11th Baron Cavendish Hardwick.
On 21st December 1891 James Naismith, a Canadian-American professor of physical education and instructor at the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts, invented a new game in which players would pass a ball to teammates and try to score points by tossing the ball into a basket mounted on a wall. In 1892 Frank Mahan, one of the players from the original first game, approached Naismith after the Christmas break, in early 1892, asking him what he intended to call his new game, and suggested the name 'Basketball' to Naismith concurred.
On 21st December 1910 at the Pretoria Pit at Westhoughton, Lancashire 341 miners were killed by an explosion. Four were rescued, one died the same day, another the next. The only survivors were Joseph Staveley and William Davenport. A further fatailty occurred on the same day when William Turton died while fighting a fire in No. 3 pit.
After 21st December 1914. St Mary's Church, Chirk [Map]. Medals and memorial to Hillyar George Edwin Hill-Trevor [aged 18] killed in action.
Hillyar George Edwin Hill-Trevor: On 31st December 1895 he was born to George Edwyn Hill-Trevor at the Hotel Paoli, Florence in Florence. On 21st December 1914 Hillyar George Edwin Hill-Trevor was killed in action at Givenchy in France where he has a memorial on which are inscribed 'FOR GOD AND COUNTRY', 'THINE O GOD HE WAS AND THINE HE IS IN PERFECT WE LEAVE HIM TILL WE MEET AGAIN' and 'CLOSE TO THIS SPOT SLEEPS IN ETERNAL PEACE HILLYAR GEORGE EDWIN HILL-TREVOR LT SCOTS GUARDS BELOVED ONLY CHILD OF THE HONBLE GEORGE EDWYN & ETHEL HILL-TREVOR OF BRYNKINALT CHIRK ENGLAND KILLED WHILE GALLANTLY LEADING HIS MEN DEC 21 1914 AGED 18 YEARS'.
On 21st December 1916 Captain Redvers Lionel Calverley Bewicke-Copley [aged 26] was killed in action. Whilst leading a party repairing trench wiring at Sailly, France, he was shot through the head by a sniper within 20 yards of the German line and killed outright on 21st December 1916. He was Buried at Combles.
21st December 1928. Philip de László [aged 59]. Portrait of María Dolores "Lala" Piñeiro [aged 36]. De László's appointment book for 1928 indicates that he painted María Dolores Piñeiro de Wesley over two days, morning and afternoon, on 21 and 22 December. She told her children that de László talked continuously as he painted and that she greatly enjoyed their conversation, whereas her husband recalled that when he was shown the finished portrait in the artist's studio, he bluntly said: "I don't like it. László must have hated me for that".
María Dolores "Lala" Piñeiro: On 9th July 1892 she was born to Andrés Piñeiro and Dolores 'Lola' García Láinez at Tandil. In July 1908 María Dolores "Lala" Piñeiro celebrated her sixteenth birthday in Paris [Map]. On 17th June 1911 Alfredo Enrique Wellesley Wesley and she were married. On 19th March 1983 she died.
On 21st December 1958 Anthony Devas [aged 47] died.
After 21st December 1985. Church of St Hychan Llanychan [Map]. Grave of Violet Kathleen Brinkley [deceased], second wife of Joseph Crosland Graham.
Violet Kathleen Brinkley: On 17th February 1895 she was born to Charles Michael Edgeworth Brinkley and Evelyn Everard Hutton at Tongham, Surrey. On 1929 Joseph Crosland Graham and she were married at St Asaph [Map]. His son Alan Crosland Graham and her mother Evelyn Everard Hutton were witnesses, and possibly her sister Maud Agatha Brinkley. Her father was deceased before the 1901 Census. The difference in their ages was 28 years. On 21st December 1985 she died.
On 21st December 1119, or 1120, the Feast Day of St Thomas the Apostle, Archbishop Thomas Becket was born. His father was Gilbert, and grandfather from Thierville in Brionne in Normandy. His mother was Matilda; also of Norman descent.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 21st December 1265 Henry Hussey 1st Baron Hussey was born to Henry Hussey of Harting & Standen [aged 19].
On 21st December 1392 Maud Neville 6th Baroness Furnivall was born to Thomas Neville Baron Furnivall [aged 30] and Joan Furnival 5th Baroness Furnivall [aged 17]. She married before 12th March 1407 her third cousin once removed John "Old Talbot" Talbot 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, son of Richard Talbot 7th Baron Strange Blackmere 4th Baron Talbot and Ankaret Strange 7th Baroness Strange Blackmere, Baroness Talbot, and had issue.
On 21st December 1396 Giles Brugge 4th Baron Chandos was born to Thomas Brugge [aged 41] and Alice Berkeley [aged 17]. He married before 1458 Katherine Boteville Baroness Chandos.
On 21st December 1468 William Conyers 1st Baron Conyers was born to John Conyers [aged 35] and Alice Neville [aged 31] at Settrington. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward III of England. He married (1) his half second cousin once removed Anne Neville Baroness Conyers, daughter of Ralph Neville 3rd Earl of Westmoreland and Isabel Booth, and had issue (2) his half second cousin once removed Mary Scrope, daughter of John Scrope 5th Baron Scrope of Bolton and Elizabeth St John Baroness Scrope Bolton Baroness Zouche Harringworth.
On 21st December 1505 Thomas Wriothesley 1st Earl of Southampton was born to William Wriothesley [aged 16] and Agnes Drayton of London. He married 1533 Jane Cheney Countess Southampton and had issue.
On 21st December 1512 Boniface IV Marquis of Montferrat was born to William IX Marquis of Montferrat [aged 26] and Anne Valois Marchioness of Montferrat [aged 20].
On 21st December 1594 Robert Sutton 1st Baron Lexinton was born to William Sutton [aged 35] and Susan Cony. He married (1) 14th April 1616 Elizabeth Manners Baroness Lexington (2) after 16th April 1635 Anne Palmes Baroness Lexington (3) 21st February 1660 Mary St Leger Baroness Lexington and had issue.
On 21st December 1596 Thomas Francis of Savoy 1st Prince of Carignano was born to Charles Emmanuel Savoy I Duke Savoy [aged 34] and Catherine Habsburg Spain Duchess Savoy [aged 29]. Coefficient of inbreeding 6.67%. He married 6th January 1625 his fourth cousin once removed Marie Bourbon Condé Countess Soissons, daughter of Charles Bourbon Condé Count Soissons and Anne Montafié Countess Soissons.
On 21st December 1604 Elizabeth Stanhope Baroness Berkeley was born to Michael Stanhope [aged 55] and Elizabeth Read. She married 13th April 1614 George Berkeley 8th Baron Berkeley and had issue.
On 21st December 1626 Francis Scott 2nd Earl Buccleuch was born to Walter Scott 1st Earl Buccleuch [aged 20] and Mary Hay Countess Buccleuch. He married 25th July 1646 his half third cousin Margaret Leslie Countess Buccleuch and Wemyss, daughter of John Leslie 6th Earl Rothes and Anne Erskine Countess of Rothes, and had issue.
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 21st December 1638 Maximilian Thomas Habsburg Spain Archduke Austria was born to Ferdinand III Holy Roman Emperor [aged 30] and Maria Anna of Spain Holy Roman Empress [aged 32]. Coefficient of inbreeding 15.19%. He died aged less than one years old.
On 21st December 1657 Catherine Sedley Countess Dorchester and Portmore was born to Charles Sedley 5th Baronet [aged 18] and Catherine Savage. She married before 1698 David Colyear 1st Earl Portmore and had issue.
On 21st December 1662 Thomas Bland 3rd Baronet was born to Francis Bland 2nd Baronet [aged 20] and Jane Lowther [aged 21]. He died aged five in 1668.
On 11th September 1674 Anna Maria Josepha Habsburg Spain was born to Leopold Habsburg Spain I Holy Roman Emperor [aged 34] and Claudia Felicitas of Holy Roman Empress [aged 21]. She died three months later on 21st December 1674. Coefficient of inbreeding 5.35%.
On 21st December 1687 Andrew Agnew 5th Baronet was born to James Andrew 4th Baronet [aged 27].
On 21st December 1689 Arthur Ingram 6th Viscount Irvine was born to Arthur Ingram 3rd Viscount Irvine [aged 23].
On 21st December 1691 Thomas Trollope 4th Baronet was born to Thomas Trollope 3rd Baronet [aged 24] and Susannah Clobery [aged 21]. He married 13th August 1719 Diana Middleton and had issue.
On 21st December 1697 Charles Bennet 2nd Earl Tankerville was born to Charles Bennet 1st Earl Tankerville [aged 23] and Mary Grey Baroness Ossulston [aged 19]. He married before November 1715 Camilla Colville Countess Tankerville and had issue.
On 21st December 1723 Thomas Saunders Sebright 5th Baronet was born to Thomas Saunders Sebright 4th Baronet [aged 31] and Henrietta Dashwood Lady Sebright [aged 38].
On 21st December 1732 Frederick St John 3rd Viscount St John 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke was born to John St John 2nd Viscount St John [aged 30] and Anne Furnese [aged 20]. He married 8th September 1757 Diana Spencer Viscountess St John and Bolingbroke, daughter of Charles Spencer 3rd Duke of Marlborough and Elizabeth Trevor Duchess of Marlborough, and had issue.
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.
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On 21st December 1735 John Baker Holroyd 1st Earl Sheffield was born.
On 21st December 1739 Juliana Petre was born to Robert Petre 8th Baron Petre [aged 26] and Mary Radclyffe [aged 25]. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. She married 1763 Edward Weld.
On 21st December 1744 Anne Vallayer aka Coster was born to Joseph Vallayer [aged 40]. She married 1781 Jean-Pierre Silvestre Coster.
On 21st December 1752 Frances Julia Burrell Duchess Northumberland was born to Peter Burrell [aged 28] and Elizabeth Lewis. She married 23rd May 1779 Hugh Percy 2nd Duke Northumberland, son of Hugh Percy 1st Duke Northumberland and Elizabeth Seymour Duchess Northumberland, and had issue.
On 21st December 1768 Cropley Ashley-Cooper 6th Earl Shaftesbury was born to Anthony Ashley-Cooper 4th Earl Shaftesbury [aged 57] and Mary Bouverie Countess Shaftesbury [aged 38]. He married 1796 his third cousin twice removed Anne Spencer-Churchill Countess Shaftesbury, daughter of George Spencer 4th Duke of Marlborough and Caroline Russell Duchess of Marlborough, and had issue.
On 21st December 1777 John Douglas Edward Henry Campbell 7th Duke Argyll was born to John Campbell 5th Duke Argyll [aged 54] and Elizabeth Gunning Duchess Hamilton and Argyll [aged 44]. He married 1820 Joan Glassel and had issue.
On 21st December 1778 John Astley Bennet was born to Charles Bennet 4th Earl Tankerville [aged 35] and Emma Colebrooke Countess Tankerville [aged 26].
On 21st December 1784 Robert John Wilmot 3rd Baronet was born to Robert Meade Wilmot 2nd Baronet [aged 32] and Juliana Elizabeth Byron in Petersham, Surrey. He married 1806 Anne-Beatrix Horton.
On 21st December 1793 Richard Henry Rycroft 3rd Baronet was born to Nelson Rycroft 2nd Baronet [aged 32] and Charlotte Read Lady Rycroft [aged 22]. He married 18th May 1830 Charlotte Ann Josephine Tennant Lady Rycroft and had issue.
On 21st December 1795 John Tyssen Tyrell 2nd Baronet was born to John Tyrell 1st Baronet [aged 33] and Sarah Tyssen. He married 19th May 1819 Elizabeth Ann Pilkington, daughter of Thomas Pilkington 7th Baronet and Elizabeth Anne Tufnel Lady Pilkington, and had issue.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 21st December 1800 Duchess Louise Dorothea of Saxe Coburg Altenburg was born to Duke Augustus of Saxe Coburg Altenburg [aged 28] and Louise Charlotte Mecklenburg-Schwerin [aged 21] at Gotha. Coefficient of inbreeding 1.91%. She married 3rd July 1817 her second cousin once removed Ernest Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha, son of Francis Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha and Augusta Reuss Duchess Saxe Coburg Gotha, and had issue.
On 21st December 1801 Major John Gunning was born to George William Gunning 2nd Baronet [aged 38] and Elizabeth Diana Bridgeman.
On 21st December 1807 Henrietta Maria Dillon Baroness Stanley Alderley and Eddisbury was born to Henry Augustus Dillon Lee 13th Viscount Dillon [aged 30] at Halifax, Nova Scotia. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland. She married 7th October 1826 Edward John Stanley 2nd Baron Stanley and 1st Baron Eddisbury, son of John Stanley 1st Baron Stanley Alderley and Maria Josepha Holroyd Baroness Stanley Alderley, and had issue.
On 21st December 1810 Thomas Neville Abdy 1st Baronet was born to Captain Anthony Abdy [aged 30] and Grace Rich [aged 18]. He was educated at Winchester College, Winchester. He was baptised at St Mary Abbots Church, Kensington on 14th December 1811. He married 19th October 1841 Harriet Alston and had issue.
On 21st December 1830 George Francis Coventry Pocock 3rd Baronet was born to George Edward Pocock 2nd Baronet [aged 38] and Augusta Elinor Coventry. He married (1) 1856 Honoria Ravenhill Lady Pocock (2) 1913 Mary Wheeler Lady Pocock.
On 21st December 1830 Arthington Cayley Worsley was born to William Worsley 1st Baronet [aged 38].
On 21st December 1832 Montagu Samuel 1st Baron Swaythling was born to Louis Samuel [aged 38] and Henrietta Israel. Early in his life he appears to have changed his name from Montagu Samuel, to Samuel Montagu. This may have been an administrative error during education which he subsequently adopted. He married 1862 Ellen Cohen and had issue.
On 21st December 1834 Eveline Howard Herbert Countess Portsmouth was born to Henry John George Herbert 3rd Earl Carnarvon [aged 34] and Henrietta Anna Howard-Molyneux-Howard Countess Carnarvon [aged 30]. She married 15th February 1855 her third cousin once removed Isaac Newton Wallop 5th Earl of Portsmouth, son of Newton Wallop aka Fellowes 4th Earl of Portsmouth and Catherine Fortescue Countess Portsmouth, and had issue.
On 21st December 1845 Lowry Cole 4th Earl Enniskillen was born to William Willoughby Cole 3rd Earl Enniskillen [aged 38] and Jane Casamaijor Countess Enniskillen. He married 12th July 1869 Charlotte Marion Baird Countess of Enniskillen and had issue.
On 21st December 1847 Thomas Henry William Pelham was born to Henry Pelham 3rd Earl Chichester [aged 43] and Mary Brudenell Countess Chichester [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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 21st December 1857 Thomas Nelson 4th Earl Nelson was born to Horatio Nelson 3rd Earl Nelson [aged 34] and Mary Jane Agar Countess Nelson [aged 35].
On 21st December 1859 Mary Ashburnham Viscountess Knutsford was born to Bertram Ashburnham 4th Earl Ashburnham [aged 62] and Katherine Charlotte Baillie Countess Ashburnham [aged 40]. She married 23rd January 1883 Sydney Holland 2nd Viscount Knutsford, son of Henry Holland 1st Viscount Knutsford and Elizabeth Margaret HIbbert Lady Holland, and had issue.
On 21st December 1864 Louisa Alexandra Williams-Wynn Lady Williams-Wynn was born to Watkin Williams-Wynn 6th Baronet [aged 44] and Marie Emily Williams-Wynn Lady Williams-Wynn. Her godparents were Queen Louise Hesse-Kassel of Denmark [aged 47], the Princess of Wales, and her uncle, Sir Hugh Williams [aged 62]. Coefficient of inbreeding 6.25%. She married 26th August 1884 her first cousin Herbert Lloyd Watkin Williams-Wynn 7th Baronet and had issue.
On 21st December 1876 Joyce Christabel Kennaway Lady Wilbraham was born to John Henry Kennaway 3rd Baronet [aged 39] and Frances Arbuthnot Lady Kennaway [aged 33]. She married 8th August 1901 Philip Wilbraham Baker Wilbraham 6th Baronet, son of George Barrington Baker Wilbraham 5th Baronet and Katharine Frances Wilbraham Lady Wilbraham, and had issue.
On 21st December 1888 Hastings William Russell 12th Duke Bedford was born to Herbrand Arthur Russell 11th Duke Bedford [aged 30] and Mary Caurroy Tribe Duchess Bedford [aged 23]. He married November 1914 Louisa Crommelin Roberta Jowitt Whitwell Duchess Bedford and had issue.
On 21st December 1897 Minnie "Mimi" Forde-Pigott Countess of Suffolk and Berkshire was born to Alfred George Forde-Pigott [aged 37]. She married March 1934 Charles Howard 20th Earl of Suffolk, 13th Earl Berkshire, son of Henry Molyneux Paget Howard 19th Earl Suffolk 12th Earl Berkshire and Margaret Hyde "Daisy" Leiter, and had issue.
On 21st December 1989 John Bryson Crichton-Stuart 8th Marquess of Bute was born to John Crichton-Stuart 7th Marquess of Bute [aged 31].
On 21st December 1546 William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley [aged 26] and Mildred Cooke Baroness Burghley [aged 20] were married.
On 21st December 1639 Baptist Noel 3rd Viscount Campden [aged 28] and Hester Wotton Viscountess Campden [aged 24] were married.
On 21st December 1691 Bishop Nathaniel Crew 3rd Baron Crew [aged 58] and Penelope Frowde Baroness Crewe were married.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 21st December 1717 James Campbell 5th Baronet [aged 39] and Susanna Campbell Lady Campbell [aged 40] were married. She by marriage Lady Campbell of Auchinbreck. They were fifth cousins.
On 21st December 1728 Henry Brydges 2nd Duke Chandos [aged 20] and Mary Bruce [aged 18] were married. She the daughter of Charles Bruce 4th Earl Elgin 3rd Earl Ailesbury [aged 46] and Anne Savile. He the son of James Brydges 1st Duke Chandos [aged 55] and Mary Lake. They were fifth cousins.
On 21st December 1761 Admiral Charles Middleton 1st Baron Barham [aged 35] and Margaret Gambier were married.
On 21st December 1769 Henry Hunloke 4th Baronet [aged 45] and Margaret Coke Lady Hunloke [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Lady Hunloke of Wingerworth in Derbyshire. The difference in their ages was 26 years.
On 21st December 1847 Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [aged 42] and Ursula Lucy Grace Bridgeman [aged 24] were married. He the son of Henry Conyngham 1st Marquess Conyngham and Elizabeth Denison Marchioness Conyngham [aged 78].
On 21st December 1887 Gerald Balfour 2nd Earl of Balfour [aged 34] and Elizabeth Bulwer-Lytton Countess Balfour [aged 20] were married. She the daughter of Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton 1st Earl [aged 56] and Edith Villiers Countess Lytton [aged 46]. They were sixth cousins.
On 21st December 1887 Delves Louis Broughton 10th Baronet [aged 30] and Mary Evelyn Cotton Lady Broughton [aged 23] were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square. She by marriage Lady Broughton of Broughton in Staffordshire.
On 21st December 1940 George Gordon 2nd Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair [aged 61] and Anna Orrok Forbes Marchioness Aberdeen and Temair were married. She by marriage Marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair. He the son of John Hamilton-Gordon 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair and Isabel Marjoribanks Marchioness of Aberdeen and Ternair.
On 21st December 1057 Ralph "The Timid" 1st Earl of Hereford died. Earl Hereford extinct.
On 21st December 1446 Louis Bourbon 1st Count Vendôme 1st Count Castres [aged 70] died at Tours. His son John [aged 18] succeeded VIII Count Vendôme.
On 21st December 1495 Jasper Tudor 1st Duke Bedford [aged 64] died at Thornbury Manor without legitimate issue. He was buried at Keynsham Abbey [Map]. Duke Bedford, Earl Pembroke extinct.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 21st December 1582 Henry Knollys [aged 40] died. Monument at St Nicholas' Church, Stanford-on-Avon [Map].
The inscription: "Sacred to the Memory Here rest in Christ, awaiting the resurrection, Henry Knollys, son and heir of Francis Knollys [aged 70], Knight Bachelor, Privy Counsellor to Queen Elizabeth, Treasurer of her Household, and of Margaret [aged 23], his wife, daughter and heir of Ambrose Cave, Knight Bachelor, also a Privy Counsellor to Queen Elizabeth and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Margaret bore to Henry: Elizabeth [aged 3], wife of Henry Willoughby of Risley [aged 3], Baronet, and Laetitia, wife of William, Baron Paget of Beaudesert [aged 10]. Henry died .... Margaret .... To the best and most dearly loved parents, Elizabeth Willoughby, their daughter, set up this monument in loving devotion."
"Memoriæ Sacrum. Resurrectionem in Christo hic expectant Henricus Knollis filius et hæres Frangcisci Knollis Equitis avrati reginæ Elizabthæ a sanctioribus consiliis thesaurarii Hospitti eiusdem reginæ et margaretta vxor eius filia et hæres Ambrosh cave Equitis avrati Reginæ Elizabethæ a sanctioribus consiliis & ducatus Lancastriæ Cancellarii quæ eidem Henrico Peperit Elizabetham uxorem Henrici Willoughby de Risely Baroneetti & Lætitiam uxorem Guilielmi baronis Pagett de Beaudesert Henricus obit die .... Margarete .... Optimis & perquam Dilectis, Parentibus Elizabetha Willoughby, Filia Pietatis ergo hc monumentum, posuit"
Henry Knollys: he was appointed Esquire to the Body to Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland. Around 1542 he was born to Francis Knollys and Catherine Carey. On 16th July 1566 Henry Knollys and Margaret Cave were married.
Elizabeth Knollys: In 1579 she was born to Henry Knollys and Margaret Cave at Rotherfield Greys, Oxfordshire. After 6th February 1605 Henry Willoughby 1st Baronet and she were married.
Lettice Knollys Baroness Geneville Beaudasert: In 1583 she was born to Henry Knollys and Margaret Cave at Rotherfield Greys, Oxfordshire. Before 19th June 1602 William Paget 4th Baron Paget Beaudasert and she were married. She by marriage Baroness Paget Beaudasert. In 1655 Lettice Knollys Baroness Geneville Beaudasert died.
On 21st December 1653 Francis Leigh 1st Earl Chichester [aged 55] died. Baronet Leigh of Newnham in Warwickshire, Baron Dunsmore of Dunsmore in Warwickshire extinct.
His son-in-law Thomas Wriothesley 4th Earl of Southampton 2nd Earl Chichester [aged 46] succeeded 2nd Earl Chichester.
On 21st December 1655 Maria Ambrosia Habsburg Spain died.
On 21st December 1663 Thomas Bruce 1st Earl Elgin [aged 64] died. His son Robert [aged 37] succeeded 2nd Earl Elgin, 2nd Baron Bruce of Whorlton in Yorkshire. Diana Grey Countess Elgin and Ailesbury [aged 33] by marriage Countess Elgin.
On 21st December 1671 Elizabeth Reade Baroness Burford died.
On 21st December 1672 Charles Stanley 8th Earl of Derby [aged 44] died. His son William [aged 17] succeeded 9th Earl Derby, 3rd Baron Strange Knockin.
On 11th December 1721 John Shaw 2nd Baronet [aged 61] died. He was buried at the Church of Holy Trinity, Eltham on 21st December 1721. His son John [aged 34] succeeded 3rd Baronet Shaw of Eltham in Kent. Anna Maria Barnardiston Lady Shaw [aged 24] by marriage Lady Shaw of Eltham in Kent.
On 21st December 1739 Elizabeth "Lady Betty" Hastings [aged 57] died unmarried. Francis Hastings 10th Earl Huntingdon [aged 10] inherited her estates including Ledston Hall.
On 21st December 1754 Thomas Gage 1st Viscount Gage [aged 53] died. He was buried at West Firle Church Firle, East Sussex. His son William [aged 36] succeeded 2nd Viscount Gage of Castle Island in County Kerry, 2nd Baron Gage of Castlebar in County Mayo, 9th Baronet Gage of Firley in Sussex.
On 21st December 1763 Anna Maria Collins Countess Abingdon died.
On 21st December 1767 Hungerford Hoskyns 4th Baronet [aged 90] died. His son Chandos [aged 47] succeeded 5th Baronet Hoskyns of Harewood in Herefordshire. Rebecca May Lady Hoskyns by marriage Lady Hoskyns of Harewood in Herefordshire.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 21st December 1811 Admiral Peter Parker 1st Baronet [aged 90] died. He was buried at St Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map]. His grandson Peter [aged 25] succeeded 2nd Baronet Parker of Bassingbourn in Essex.
On 1st October 1822 Anthony Hamond of High House in West Acre [aged 80] died. On 21st December 1806 Sarah Case died. Memorial in All Saints Church, West Acre [Map] sculpted by Joseph Theakston [aged 50].
Anthony Hamond of High House in West Acre: In 1742 he was born to Robert Hamond. Before 21st December 1806 Anthony Hamond of High House in West Acre and Sarah Case were married.
Sarah Case: Around 1746 she was born to Philip Case of King's Lynn.
On 21st December 1836 Maria St John-Mildmay Viscountess Bolingbroke and St John [aged 46] died.
On 21st December 1876 Robert Gore-Booth 4th Baronet [aged 71] died. His son Henry [aged 33] succeeded 4th Baronet Gore-Booth of Artarman in County Sligo.
On 21st December 1889 Bishop Joseph Barber Lightfoot [aged 61] died unmarried.
On 21st December 1891 William Cavendish 7th Duke Devonshire [aged 83] died. He was buried at the Cavendish Plot, St Peter's Church, Edensor [Map]. His son Spencer [aged 58] succeeded 8th Duke Devonshire, 11th Earl Devonshire, 3rd Earl Burlington, 11th Baron Cavendish Hardwick.
On 21st December 1919 Mary Rothes Tyssen-Amherst 2nd Baroness Amherst [aged 62] died. Her grandson William [aged 7] succeeded 3rd Baron Amherst of Hackney in London.
On 21st December 1921 William Tate 2nd Baronet [aged 79] died. His son Ernest [aged 54] succeeded 3rd Baronet Tate of Park Hill in Streatham in London.
On 21st December 1932 John Parnell 6th Baron Congleton [aged 40] died. His son William [aged 7] succeeded 7th Baron Congleton of Congleton in Cheshire, 10th Baronet Parnell of Rathleague Queen's County.
On 21st December 1943 William Smith-Marriott 8th Baronet [aged 78] died. His first cousin Hugh [aged 75] succeeded 9th Baronet Smith of Sydling St Nicholas.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 21st December 1943 Rowland Henry Cave-Browne-Cave 14th Baronet [aged 78] died. His nephew Clement [aged 47] succeeded 15th Baronet Cave of Stanford in Northamptonshire.
On 21st December 1946 Ida Agnes Forbes [aged 76] died.
On 21st December 1958 Anthony Devas [aged 47] died.