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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Edward Grimston 1508-1559

Around 1508 Edward Grimston was born.

Around 1529 Edward Grimston was born to Edward Grimston [aged 21].

On 28th August 1552 Edward Grimston [aged 44] was appointed Comptroller of Calais.

On 7th January 1558 at 6am Thomas Wentworth [aged 33], Governor of Calais, surrendered Calais [Map] after a week long siege to François de Lorraine-Guise, 2nd Duke of Guise [aged 38]; it had been in English hands since 1347. Calais was the last English owned territory in France. The loss was a huge blow for Queen Mary I [aged 41] and it is said that upon hearing the news she stated "When I am dead and opened, you shall find 'Philip' and 'Calais' lying in my heart" although the source for this is unknown.

Edward Grimston [aged 50] was captured and imprisoned at the Bastille [Map].

On 17th March 1559 Edward Grimston [aged 51] died.

In October 1559 Edward Grimston escaped from the Bastille [Map] and returned to England to face the charges of high treason for a private agreement with the king of the French to surrender Calais.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 1st December 1559. The furst day of Desember was raynyd at the Yeld-hall [Map] master Grymston captayn.

Note. P. 218. Captain Grimston arraigned for the loss of Calais. This was sir Edward Grimston, who had been appointed comptroller of Calais, Aug. 28, 1552 (King Edward's Diary.) See the pedigree of Grimston in Clutterbuck's Hertfordshire, i. 95.