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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Baron Ward of Birmingham

Baron Ward of Birmingham is in Baronies of England Alphabetically, Baronies of England Chronologically, Extant Baronies of England.

                    Summary
                
                    23rd March 1644. 1st.  Humble Ward 1st Baron Ward of Birmingham Baron Dudley [aged 30] created.
                
                    14th October 1670. 2nd. Son  Edward Ward 7th Baron Dudley 2nd Baron Ward [aged 39] succeeded.
                
                    1701. 3rd. Grandson Edward Ward 8th Baron Dudley 3rd Baron Ward [aged 17] succeeded.
                
                    28th March 1704. 4th. Son  Edward Ward 9th Baron Dudley 4th Baron Ward succeeded.
                
                    16th June 1704. 5th. Uncle William Ward 10th Baron Dudley 5th Baron Ward [aged 18] succeeded.
                
                    1740. 6th. First Cousin Once Removed John Ward 1st Viscount Dudley and Ward [aged 35] succeeded.
                
                    6th May 1774. 7th. Son  John Ward 2nd Viscount Dudley and Ward [aged 49] succeeded.
                
                    10th October 1788. 8th. Brother William Ward 3rd Viscount Dudley and Ward [aged 38] succeeded.
                
                    25th April 1823. 9th. Son  John Ward 1st Earl of Dudley [aged 41] succeeded.
                
                    6th March 1833. 10th. Second Cousin William Humble Ward 10th Baron Ward [aged 52] succeeded.
                
                    6th December 1835. 11th. Son  William Ward 1st Earl of Dudley [aged 18] succeeded.
                
                    7th May 1885. 12th. Son  William Humble Ward 2nd Earl of Dudley [aged 17] succeeded.
                
                    29th June 1932. 13th. Son  William Humble Eric Ward 3rd Earl of Dudley [aged 38] succeeded.
                
                    26th December 1969. 14th. Son  William Ward 4th Earl of Dudley [aged 49] succeeded.
                
                    16th November 2013. 15th. Son  William Ward 5th Earl of Dudley [aged 66] succeeded.

On 23rd March 1644 Humble Ward 1st Baron Ward of Birmingham Baron Dudley [aged 30] was created 1st Baron Ward of Birmingham.

On 14th October 1670 Humble Ward 1st Baron Ward of Birmingham Baron Dudley [aged 56] died. His son Edward [aged 39] succeeded 2nd Baron Ward of Birmingham.

In 1701 Edward Ward 7th Baron Dudley 2nd Baron Ward [aged 70] died. His grandson Edward [aged 17] succeeded 3rd Baron Ward of Birmingham, 8th Baron Dudley.

On 28th March 1704 Edward Ward 8th Baron Dudley 3rd Baron Ward [aged 20] died of smallpox. His son Edward succeeded 4th Baron Ward of Birmingham, 9th Baron Dudley posthumously.

On 16th June 1704 Edward Ward 9th Baron Dudley 4th Baron Ward was born to Edward Ward 8th Baron Dudley 3rd Baron Ward and Diana Howard. His father had died three months before. On 6th September 1731 Edward Ward 9th Baron Dudley 4th Baron Ward died unmarried. His uncle William [aged 18] succeeded 10th Baron Dudley, 5th Baron Ward of Birmingham.

                    In 1740 William Ward 10th Baron Dudley 5th Baron Ward [aged 54] died unmarried.
                
                    Ferdinando Dudley Lea 11th Baron Dudley [aged 29] succeeded 11th Baron Dudley.
                
                    John Ward 1st Viscount Dudley and Ward [aged 35] succeeded 6th Baron Ward of Birmingham.

On 6th May 1774 John Ward 1st Viscount Dudley and Ward [aged 70] died. His son John [aged 49] succeeded 2nd Viscount Dudley and Ward of Dudley in Worcestershire, 7th Baron Ward of Birmingham.

On 10th October 1788 John Ward 2nd Viscount Dudley and Ward [aged 63] died. His brother William [aged 38] succeeded 3rd Viscount Dudley and Ward of Dudley in Worcestershire, 8th Baron Ward of Birmingham.

On 25th April 1823 William Ward 3rd Viscount Dudley and Ward [aged 73] died. His son John [aged 41] succeeded 4th Viscount Dudley and Ward of Dudley in Worcestershire, 9th Baron Ward of Birmingham.

On 6th March 1833 John Ward 1st Earl of Dudley [aged 51] died. Earl of Dudley of Dudley Castle in Staffordshire and Viscount Dudley and Ward of Dudley in Worcestershire extinct. His second cousin William [aged 52] succeeded 10th Baron Ward of Birmingham.

On 6th December 1835 William Humble Ward 10th Baron Ward [aged 54] died. His son William [aged 18] succeeded 11th Baron Ward of Birmingham.

On 24th April 1851 William Ward 1st Earl of Dudley [aged 34] and Selina Constance de Burgh Baroness Ward [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Baroness Ward of Birmingham; she died seven months later.

On 7th May 1885 William Ward 1st Earl of Dudley [aged 68] died at Dudley House Park Lane. His son William [aged 17] succeeded 2nd Earl of Dudley of Dudley Castle in Staffordshire, 12th Baron Ward of Birmingham.

On 29th June 1932 William Humble Ward 2nd Earl of Dudley [aged 65] died. He was buried at the Earl of Dudley's Memory Garden, St Michael's Church, Himley [Map]. His son William [aged 38] succeeded 3rd Earl of Dudley of Dudley Castle in Staffordshire, 13th Baron Ward of Birmingham.

On 26th December 1969 William Humble Eric Ward 3rd Earl of Dudley [aged 75] died. He was buried at the Earl of Dudley's Memory Garden, St Michael's Church, Himley [Map]. His son William [aged 49] succeeded 4th Earl of Dudley of Dudley Castle in Staffordshire, 14th Baron Ward of Birmingham. Maureen Swanson Countess of Dudley [aged 37] by marriage Countess of Dudley of Dudley Castle in Staffordshire.

On 16th November 2013 William Ward 4th Earl of Dudley [aged 93] died. He was buried at the Earl of Dudley's Memory Garden, St Michael's Church, Himley [Map]. His son William [aged 66] succeeded 5th Earl of Dudley of Dudley Castle in Staffordshire, 15th Baron Ward of Birmingham.