Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.

In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.

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Biography of Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott 1865-1948

Paternal Family Tree: Westmacott

On 9th October 1860 [his father] Percy Graham Buchanan Westmacott (age 30) and [his mother] Annette Beatrice Berners were married.

On or before 28th October 1865 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott was born to [his father] Percy Graham Buchanan Westmacott (age 35) and [his mother] Annette Beatrice Berners at Whickham, County Durham [Map]. He was baptised at St Mary's Church, Whickham [Map] on 28th October 1865. He was educated at Eton College [Map].

In December 1889 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (age 24) was promoted to Lieutenant.

In November 1892 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (age 27) was appointed Adjutant 1st Battalion which position he held until 1896.

In December 1896 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (age 31) was promoted Captain and remained with 1st Battalion in India until August 1898.

In August 1898 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (age 32) came home to take up the appointment as Adjutant to 4th (Militia) Battalion (which later became 6th Battalion on formation of 3rd and 4th Regular Battalions in February, 1900). He held this appointment for five years, during which time he proceeded to South Africa on service with the 6th Battalion (Medal with 2 clasps. Mentioned in Despatches July, 1902.)

After August 1903 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (age 37) re-joined the 1st Battalion in Templemore.

On 14th February 1904 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (age 38) was promoted to Major.

In 1906 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (age 40) was appointed to Command the Regimental Depot.

Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes

Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.

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In 1909 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (age 43) became 2nd-in-Command 1st Battalion and remained as such until March 1911.

In March 1911 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (age 45) was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel to command the 2nd Battalion at Jhansi in succession to Lieut.-Colonel H. de B. Hovell.

In March 1913 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (age 47) brought the 2nd Battalion home to Aldershot.

In August 1914 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (age 48) took the 2nd Battalion to France, and was in command until September, when he took over the 5th Infantry Brigade leaving the Battalion on the Aisne under Major E. B. Hankey.

On 2nd November 1914 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (age 49) was appointed Brigadier-General.

On February 1915 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (age 49) was appointed Aide de Camp to the King (extra) February 1915. He was twice Mentioned in Despatches, in October 1914, and February 1915.

On 10th September 1917 [his father] Percy Graham Buchanan Westmacott (age 86) died.

In June 1919 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (age 53) was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

On 15th March 1948 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (age 82) died at his home Wall House, Staffordshire.

On 18th March 1948 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott (deceased) was buried with full military honours at Church of St John Wall, Staffordshire [Map]. The Colonel of the Regiment, Brigadier B. C. S. Clarke, D.S.O., who was his Adjutant 1912-1914, together with Lieut.-Colonel L. G. H. Bryant, Commanding at Norton, represented the Regiment at the funeral. A bugler of the Regiment sounded the "Last Post" and "Reveille," and a beautiful wreath was sent by the Regiment.

On 5th May 1988 Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott was gazetted to The Worcestershire Regiment from the 3rd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers Militia joining the 1st Battalion at India.

Ancestors of Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott 1865-1948

Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard "The Elder" Westmacott

GrandFather: Henry Westmacott

Great x 2 Grandfather: John Vardy

Great x 1 Grandmother: Sarah Vardy

Father: Percy Graham Buchanan Westmacott

Brigadier-General Claude Berners Westmacott

Mother: Annette Beatrice Berners