The History of William Marshal, Earl of Chepstow and Pembroke, Regent of England. Book 1 of 2, Lines 1-10152.

The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.

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Fess

Fess is in Charges.

See: Fess Argent, Fess Azure, Fess Chequy, Fess Dancetté, Fess Gules.

fess. A horizontal bar across the centre of the escutcheon. From the Latin fascia meaning band.

Lisle Arms. Or a fess between two chevrons sable. Source.

Avenell Arms. Argent, a fess between five annulets gules. Modified from source.

Lister Arms. Ermine, a fess sable three mullets or. Source.

Badlesmere Arms. Argent, a fess between two gemelles gules. Source.

Louvain Arms. Gules billety or a fess of the last. Source.

Camden Arms. Or, a fess engrailed between six crosses crosslet fitchy sable. Source.

Lucas Arms. Argent, a fess between six annulets gules.

Craven Arms. Argent, a fesse between six cross crosslets fitchée gules. Source.

Manners Arms. Or, two fess azure a chief gules.

Coventry Arms. Sable a fess between three crescents or. Source.

Roper Arms. Per fess azure and or, a pale counter-changed and three buck's heads erased of the second. Source.

Fermor Arms. Argent, a fess sable between three lion's heads erased gules. Source.

Tennant Arms. Argent, two crescents in fess sable on a chief gules a boar's head couped of the first. Source.

Cromwell Arms. Quarterly per fess indented, azure and or, four lions passant counterchanged. Source.

De La Pole Arms. Azure, a fess between three leopard's faces or. Source.

Ayscough Arms. Sable, a fess or, between three asses passant argent, maned and unguled of the second. Source.

Clere Arms. Argent on a fess azure, three eagles displayed or. Source.

Walpole Arms. Or a fess between two chevrons sable three cross crosslets of the field. Source.

Watkins Arms. Azure, a fess vair between three leopard's faces jessant-de-lys or. Source.

Woodville Arms. Argent, a fess and a canton conjoined gules. Source.

Beauchamp Arms. Gules a fess or between six cross crosslets or.

Fess Argent

                    Around 1577 George Gower [aged 37]. Portrait of Richard Drake [aged 42]. The heraldic escutcheon shows seven quarters as follows:
                
                    1: Drake of Ash Arms. Drake of Ash in the parish of Musbury, Devon.
                
                    2: Argent, on a chief gules three cinquefoils of the first; Billet of Ash.
                
                    3: Gules, on a fess argent two mullets sable; Hamton of Rockbere and Ash.
                
                    4: Ermine, on a chief indented sable three crosslets fitchee or; Orwey of Orwey and Ash.
                
                    5: Barry of seven argent and sable.
                
                    6: Azure, six lions rampant argent crowned Gules, 3, 2, 1; Forde of Forde.
                
                    7: Argent, two chevrons sable (Esse/Ash of Ash); Esse or Ash of Ash.