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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Paternal Family Tree: Yorke
In or before 1716 William Lygon and [his mother] Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke were married.
On 16th May 1719 [his father] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 28) and [his mother] Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke were married.
On 9th March 1730 Bishop James Yorke was born to [his father] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 39) and [his mother] Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke.
In 1736 [his brother] Philip Yorke 2nd Earl of Hardwicke (age 15) was appointed Teller of the Exchequer.
In 1740 [his brother] Philip Yorke 2nd Earl of Hardwicke (age 19) and [his sister-in-law] Jemima Campbell 2nd Marchioness Grey (age 16) were married. She being the heiress of Henry Grey 1st Duke Kent (age 69). She the daughter of John Campbell 3rd Earl Breadalbaine and Holland (age 43) and Amabel Grey. He the son of [his father] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 49) and [his mother] Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke.
In 1746 [his brother] John Yorke (age 17) was appointed Clerk of the Chancery worth £1200 a year by his father [his father] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 55).
Around 1747 [his brother] Joseph Yorke 1st Baron Dover (age 22) was appointed Aide-de-Camp to William Augustus Hanover 1st Duke Cumberland (age 25).
On 1st November 1749 [his brother] Joseph Yorke 1st Baron Dover (age 25) was appointed Aide-de-Camp to King George II of Great Britain and Ireland (age 66).
In 1754 [his father] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 63) was created 1st Earl Hardwicke, 1st Viscount Royston. [his mother] Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke by marriage Countess Hardwicke.
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 18th March 1755 [his brother] Joseph Yorke 1st Baron Dover (age 30) was appointed Colonel of the 9th Regiment of Foot Guards.
In 1757 [his brother] Philip Yorke 2nd Earl of Hardwicke (age 36) was appointed Lord Lieutenant Cambridgeshire.
In 1761 [his mother] Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke died.
Before 5th May 1762 Bishop James Yorke (age 32) and Mary Maddox were married. Some sources describe the date as 29 Jun 1762 which is inconsistent with the date of birth of their first child Charles Yorke, 5th May 1762, as described on his gravestone at St Andrew's Church, Wimpole [Map]. She the daughter of Bishop Isaac Maddox. He the son of Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 71) and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke.
On 5th May 1762 [his son] Charles Yorke was born to Bishop James Yorke (age 32) and [his wife] Mary Maddox.
On 6th March 1764 [his father] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 73) died. His son [his brother] Philip (age 43) succeeded 2nd Earl Hardwicke, 2nd Viscount Royston. [his sister-in-law] Jemima Campbell 2nd Marchioness Grey (age 40) by marriage Countess Hardwicke.
In 1765 [his son] Joseph Yorke was born to Bishop James Yorke (age 34) and [his wife] Mary Maddox. He married before 11th January 1807 his second cousin Catherine Cocks and had issue.
On 11th October 1767 [his daughter] Mary York was born to Bishop James Yorke (age 37) and [his wife] Mary Maddox.
In 1770 [his son] Philip Yorke was born to Bishop James Yorke (age 39) and [his wife] Mary Maddox. He married 4th December 1797 his second cousin Anna Maria Cocks, daughter of Charles Cocks 1st Baron Somers and Anne Pole, and had issue.
In 1774 Bishop James Yorke (age 43) was appointed Bishop of St David's.
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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In 1777 [his brother] Joseph Yorke 1st Baron Dover (age 52) was appointed General.
In 1779 Bishop James Yorke (age 48) was appointed Bishop of Gloucester.
In 1781 Bishop James Yorke (age 50) was appointed Bishop of Ely.
In 1783 [his brother] Joseph Yorke 1st Baron Dover (age 58) and [his sister-in-law] Christiana Charlotte Margaret Henrik (age 62) were married. He the son of [his father] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke and [his mother] Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke.
On 16th May 1790 [his brother] Philip Yorke 2nd Earl of Hardwicke (age 69) died. His nephew Philip (age 32) succeeded 3rd Earl Hardwicke, 3rd Viscount Royston. He was buried at St Andrew's Church, Wimpole [Map]. Monument at the De Grey Mausoleum, St John the Baptist Church, Flitton [Map] sculpted by Thomas Banks (age 54)..
On 2nd November 1791 [his son] Charles Yorke (age 29) died. On 5th July 1795 [his daughter] Mary York (age 24) died. Both buried at St Andrew's Church, Wimpole [Map].
Charles Yorke: Before 5th May 1762 Bishop James Yorke and Mary Maddox were married. Some sources describe the date as 29 Jun 1762 which is inconsistent with the date of birth of their first child Charles Yorke, 5th May 1762, as described on his gravestone at St Andrew's Church, Wimpole [Map]. She the daughter of Bishop Isaac Maddox. He the son of Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke. On 5th May 1762 he was born to Bishop James Yorke and Mary Maddox.
Mary York: On 11th October 1767 she was born to Bishop James Yorke and Mary Maddox.
On 2nd December 1792 [his brother] Joseph Yorke 1st Baron Dover (age 68) died without issue. Baron Dover extinct. He was buried at St Andrew's Church, Wimpole [Map].
Inscription panel surmounted by a sarcophagus with flanking trophies and small medallions of arms in the apron; signed 'J. Bacon Sculptor (age 52): London 1798'
On 4th December 1797 [his son] Philip Yorke (age 27) and [his daughter-in-law] Anna Maria Cocks (age 24) were married. He the son of Bishop James Yorke (age 67) and [his wife] Mary Maddox. They were second cousins.
Before 11th January 1807 [his son] Joseph Yorke (age 42) and [his daughter-in-law] Catherine Cocks were married. He the son of Bishop James Yorke (age 76) and [his wife] Mary Maddox. They were second cousins.
On 26th August 1808 Bishop James Yorke (age 78) died.
Great x 1 Grandfather: Simon Yorke of Dover 
GrandFather: Philip Yorke
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Cocks of Castleditch Herefordshire
GrandFather: Charles Cocks
Mother: Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Somers
GrandMother: Mary Somers