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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 22nd April 1940 John Henry Montagu Manners 9th Duke Rutland (age 53) died of pneumonia at Belvoir Castle [Map]. His son [her future husband] Charles (age 20) succeeded 10th Duke Rutland, 10th Marquess Grandby, 18th Earl of Rutland, 10th Baron Manners of Haddon in Derbyshire, 4th Baron Roos of Belvoir in Leicestershire.
On 27th April 1946 Charles John Robert Manners 10th Duke Rutland (age 26) and Anne Bairstow Cumming Bell Duchess of Rutland were married at St Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map]. She by marriage Duchess Rutland. He the son of John Henry Montagu Manners 9th Duke Rutland and Kathleen Tennant Duchess Rutland (age 51).
The Times. 29th April 1946. [her husband] The Duke Of Rutland (age 26) And Miss Cumming Bell
The marriage of the Duke of Rutland and Miss Anne Bairstow Cumming Bell, eldest daughter of Major and Mrs. W. Cumming Bell, of Binham Lodge, Edgerton, Huddersfield, took place on Saturday at St. Margaret's, Westminster [Map]. The Rev. R. L. Gerrard Wright and Canon A. C. Don, officiated.
The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a gown of silver and white brocade with a short, full train. Her family lace veil was worn with a head-dress of orange blossom, and she carried a bouquet of gardenias, lilies-of-the-valley, stephanotis, and pale blue delphiniums. There were three small bridesmaids - Fiona Cumming Bell (sister of the bride), Janet Douglas (her cousin), and Lindy Guinness (age 5) (niece of the bridegroom) - who wore long white net frocks with wide scarlet sashes. Their head-dresses were of red rosebuds and they carried posies of red, gold, and white flowers. The page was Billy Guinness (age 6) (nephew of the bridegroom), who wore long white velvet trousers and a white chiffon blouse. Lord [her brother-in-law] John Manners (age 23) (brother of the bridegroom) was best man. A reception was held at the Ritz Hotel.
Huddersfield Examiner. 4th May 1946. Miss Cumming Bell Married To The [her husband] The Duke Of Rutland (age 26)
Largest London crowd since the war
Tremendous crowds, probably the largest since the war, gathered outside St. Margaret's, Westminster, on Saturday to watch a society wedding in which Huddersfield had a particular interest. Miss Anne Cumming Bell, daughter of Major and Mrs. Cumming Bell, of Binham Lodge, Edgerton, was married to the tenth Duke of Rutland, whom she met at a ball given by the Duchess of Marlborough last year.
Maj. Cumming Bell is a member of the firm of Messrs. W. E. Wimpenny and Co., stockbrokers, Huddersfield, and is well known in professional circles in the city and in Harrogate. Mrs. Bell was at one time a county tennis player for Yorkshire. The bride, who is an old girl of Waverly School, Huddersfield, was later at school in Benenden, Kent, which she left to go to Oxford after the outbreak of war to take up a position in a "hush-hush" department of the government. She was engaged in secret decoding work.
The duke, an officer in the Grenadier Guards, owns, among other estates, the historic Haddon Hall, once the home of the famous Dorothy Vernon.
The scene in the church was of great beauty ... among the guests were tenants and employees at Belvoir Castle and Haddon Hall, who traveled to London in special buses. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. R. L. Gerrard Wright, assisted by Canon A. C. Don.
The Bride ... wore a gown of silver and white brocade, with a short train and a family lace veil used by her g-grandmother, grandmother, and mother before her. There were four attendants, her sister Fiona Cumming Bell, cousin Janet Douglas; and Miss Lindy Guiness and Master Billie Guiness, niece and nephew of the groom. Lord John Manners, brother of the bridegroom, was best man. The reception was held at the Ritz hotel. The couple will spend their honeymoon in Portugal
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1953. Cecil Beaton (age 48). Photograph of Anne Bairstow Cumming Bell Duchess of Rutland.
In 1956 Charles John Robert Manners 10th Duke Rutland (age 36) and Anne Bairstow Cumming Bell Duchess of Rutland were divorced.
On 15th May 1958 [her former husband] Charles John Robert Manners 10th Duke Rutland (age 38) and Frances Helen Sweeny Duchess of Rutland (age 21) were married. She by marriage Duchess Rutland. She the daughter of Charles Francis Sweeny (age 48) and Margaret Whigham Duchess of Argyll (age 45). He the son of John Henry Montagu Manners 9th Duke Rutland and [her former mother-in-law] Kathleen Tennant Duchess Rutland (age 63).
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 4th January 1999 [her former husband] Charles John Robert Manners 10th Duke Rutland (age 79) died. His son David (age 39) succeeded 11th Duke Rutland, 11th Marquess Grandby, 19th Earl of Rutland, 11th Baron Manners of Haddon in Derbyshire, 5th Baron Roos of Belvoir in Leicestershire.
On 27th December 2002 Anne Bairstow Cumming Bell Duchess of Rutland died.