Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
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Paternal Family Tree: Villiers
Maternal Family Tree: Frances Twysden 1753-1821
In March 1770 [her father] George Bussy Villiers 4th Earl Jersey [aged 34] and [her mother] Frances Twysden [aged 17] were married. She just past her 17th birthday, he twice her age. He the son of [her grandfather] William Villiers 3rd Earl Jersey and [her grandmother] Anne Egerton Duchess Bedford.
On 16th December 1774 Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll was born to [her father] George Bussy Villiers 4th Earl Jersey [aged 39] and [her mother] Frances Twysden [aged 21].
On 5th July 1795 Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 27] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 20] were married. She the daughter of George Bussy Villiers 4th Earl Jersey [aged 60] and Frances Twysden [aged 42]. He the son of Henry Bayly-Paget 1st Earl Uxbridge [aged 51] and Jane Champagné Countess Uxbridge [aged 53].
On 6th June 1796 [her daughter] Caroline Paget Duchess Richmond was born to [her husband] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 28] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 21]. She married 10th April 1817 Charles Gordon-Lennox 5th Duke Richmond, son of Charles Lennox 4th Duke Richmond and Charlotte Gordon Duchess Richmond, and had issue.
In April 1797 George Stewart 8th Earl Galloway [aged 29] and [her sister-in-law] Jane Paget Countess Galloway [aged 22] were married. She the daughter of [her father-in-law] Henry Bayly-Paget 1st Earl Uxbridge [aged 52] and [her mother-in-law] Jane Champagné Countess Uxbridge [aged 55]. He the son of John Stewart 7th Earl Galloway [aged 61] and Anne Dashwood Countess Galloway [aged 54].
On 6th July 1797 [her son] Henry Paget 2nd Marquess Anglesey was born to [her husband] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 29] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 22]. He married (1) 5th August 1819 Eleanora Campbell and had issue (2) 27th August 1833 his fifth cousin once removed Henrietta Bagot Marchioness Anglesey and had issue.
On 13th October 1798 [her daughter] Jane Paget Marchioness Conyngham was born to [her husband] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 30] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 23]. She married 23rd April 1824 Francis Nathaniel Conyngham 2nd Marquess Conyngham, son of Henry Conyngham 1st Marquess Conyngham and Elizabeth Denison Marchioness Conyngham, and had issue.
On 2nd August 1799 Douglas Hamilton 8th Duke Hamilton 5th Duke Brandon [aged 43] died at Hamilton Palace, Hamilton. His uncle Archibald [aged 59] succeeded 9th Duke Hamilton, 6th Duke Brandon of Suffolk, 5th Marquess Douglas, 6th Baron Dutton of Cheshire. His half brother [her future husband] George [aged 30] succeeded 3rd Baron Hamilton of Hameldon in Leicestershire.
In 1800 John Hoppner [aged 41]. Portrait of Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 25].
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 29th August 1800 [her daughter] Georgina Paget Lady Crofton was born to [her husband] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 32] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 25]. She married 19th October 1833 Edward Crofton 2nd Baron Crofton, son of Edward Crofton 3rd Baronet and Charlotte Stewart Lady Crofton, and had issue.
On 26th January 1802 [her daughter] Augusta Paget Baroness Templemore was born to [her husband] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 33] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 27]. She married 1820 Arthur Chichester 1st Baron Templemore and had issue.
On 13th January 1803 [her brother-in-law] John Ponsonby 1st Viscount Ponsonby [aged 33] and [her sister] Frances Elizabeth Villiers Viscountess Ponsonby [aged 17] were married. She the daughter of [her father] George Bussy Villiers 4th Earl Jersey [aged 67] and [her mother] Frances Twysden [aged 49]. He the son of William Ponsonby 1st Baron Ponsonby of Imokilly in County Cork [aged 58] and Louisa Molesworth Countess Fitzwilliam [aged 54].
On 1st March 1803 [her son] William Paget was born to [her husband] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 34] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 28].
On 11th February 1804 [her daughter] Agnes Paget was born to [her husband] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 35] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 29]. She married 7th March 1829 George Byng 2nd Earl Strafford, son of John Byng 1st Earl Strafford and Mary Stevens Mackenzie, and had issue.
On 23rd May 1804 [her brother] George Child-Villiers 5th Earl Jersey [aged 30] and [her sister-in-law] Sarah Sophia Fane Countess Jersey [aged 19] were married at Berkeley Square, Mayfair. She the daughter of John Fane 10th Earl of Westmoreland [aged 44] and Sarah Anne Child Countess of Westmoreland. He the son of [her father] George Bussy Villiers 4th Earl Jersey [aged 68] and [her mother] Frances Twysden [aged 51].
In 1805 John Cole 2nd Earl Enniskillen [aged 36] and [her sister-in-law] Charlotte Paget Countess Enniskillen [aged 23] were married. She by marriage Countess Enniskillen. She the daughter of [her father-in-law] Henry Bayly-Paget 1st Earl Uxbridge [aged 60] and [her mother-in-law] Jane Champagné Countess Uxbridge [aged 63]. He the son of William Willoughby Cole 1st Earl Enniskillen and Anne Lowry-Corry Countess Enniskillen.
On 31st January 1805 [her son] Arthur Paget was born to [her husband] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 36] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 30].
On 22nd August 1805 [her father] George Bussy Villiers 4th Earl Jersey [aged 70] died. His son [her brother] George [aged 32] succeeded 5th Earl Jersey, 8th Viscount Grandison, 5th Viscount Villiers, 5th Baron Villiers. [her sister-in-law] Sarah Sophia Fane Countess Jersey [aged 20] by marriage Countess Jersey.
On 24th May 1806 John Campbell 5th Duke Argyll [aged 82] died. His son [her future husband] George [aged 37] succeeded 6th Duke Argyll.
Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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On 5th November 1806 William Ponsonby 1st Baron Ponsonby of Imokilly in County Cork [aged 62] died. His son [her brother-in-law] John [aged 36] succeeded 2nd Baron Ponsonby of Imokilly in County Cork. [her sister] Frances Elizabeth Villiers Viscountess Ponsonby [aged 20] by marriage Baroness Ponsonby of Imokilly in County Cork.
On 13th November 1806 John Stewart 7th Earl Galloway [aged 70] died. His son George [aged 38] succeeded 8th Earl Galloway, 7th Baronet Stewart of Corsewall, 6th Baronet Stewart of Burray in Orkney. [her sister-in-law] Jane Paget Countess Galloway [aged 32] by marriage Countess Galloway.
In 1810 Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 36] and Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 28] were divorced by an Act of Parliament following her elopement with [her husband] Henry Paget [aged 41]. Following the divorce, Wellesley was awarded £20,000 plus costs in damages against Paget.
On 29th November 1810 Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 42] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 35] were divorced by an act of Parliament as a result of his having had an affair with Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 29] whose husband Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 37] also sought a divorce.
On 29th November 1810, a month after her divorce, George William Campbell 6th Duke Argyll [aged 42] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 35] were married at Canongate Kirk. She by marriage Duchess Argyll. She the daughter of George Bussy Villiers 4th Earl Jersey and Frances Twysden [aged 57]. He the son of John Campbell 5th Duke Argyll and Elizabeth Gunning Duchess Hamilton and Argyll.
After 29th November 1810 [her former husband] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 42] and Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 29] were married. She the daughter of Charles Sloane Cadogan 1st Earl Cadogan and Mary Churchill Countess Cadogan [aged 52]. He the son of [her former father-in-law] Henry Bayly-Paget 1st Earl Uxbridge [aged 66] and [her former mother-in-law] Jane Champagné Countess Uxbridge [aged 68].
On 13th March 1812 [her former father-in-law] Henry Bayly-Paget 1st Earl Uxbridge [aged 67] died. He was buried at Lichfield Cathedral [Map]. His son [her former husband] Henry [aged 43] succeeded 2nd Earl Uxbridge, 10th Baron Paget Beaudasert, 4th Baronet Bayly of Plas Newydd in Anglesey.
On 16th June 1815 [her former husband] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 47] fought and Algernon Frederick Greville [aged 16] fought.
James Hay [aged 18] was killed.
Fletcher Norton 3rd Baron Grantley [aged 16] fought.
General Mildmay Fane [aged 20] and Thomas Elmsley Croft 7th Baronet [aged 16] were wounded.
On 4th July 1815 [her former husband] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 47] was created 1st Marquess Anglesey. Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 33] by marriage Marchioness Anglesey.
On 26th January 1817 [her former sister-in-law] Charlotte Paget Countess Enniskillen [aged 35] died.
On 10th April 1817 [her son-in-law] Charles Gordon-Lennox 5th Duke Richmond [aged 25] and Caroline Paget Duchess Richmond [aged 20] were married. She the daughter of Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 48] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 42]. He the son of Charles Lennox 4th Duke Richmond [aged 52] and Charlotte Gordon Duchess Richmond [aged 48].
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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On 5th August 1819 Henry Paget 2nd Marquess Anglesey [aged 22] and Eleanora Campbell were married. He the son of Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 51] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 44].
In 1820 [her son-in-law] Arthur Chichester 1st Baron Templemore [aged 22] and Augusta Paget Baroness Templemore [aged 17] were married. She the daughter of Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 51] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 45].
In 1820 [her brother-in-law] John Douglas Edward Henry Campbell 7th Duke Argyll [aged 42] and Joan Glassel [aged 45] were married. He the son of John Campbell 5th Duke Argyll and Elizabeth Gunning Duchess Hamilton and Argyll.
On 25th July 1821 [her mother] Frances Twysden [aged 68] died in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. She was buried in the Villiers Vault, All Saints' Church, Middleton Stoney.
On 23rd April 1824 [her son-in-law] Francis Nathaniel Conyngham 2nd Marquess Conyngham [aged 26] and Jane Paget Marchioness Conyngham [aged 25] were married. She the daughter of Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 55] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 49]. He the son of Henry Conyngham 1st Marquess Conyngham [aged 57] and Elizabeth Denison Marchioness Conyngham [aged 55].
On 28th December 1825 [her son] Arthur Paget [aged 20] died.
On 7th March 1829 [her son-in-law] George Byng 2nd Earl Strafford [aged 22] and Agnes Paget [aged 25] were married. She the daughter of Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 60] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 54]. He the son of John Byng 1st Earl Strafford [aged 57] and Mary Stevens Mackenzie.
On 4th August 1832 John Robert Townshend 1st Earl Sydney [aged 26] and [her illegitimate step-daughter] Emily Paget Countess Sydney [aged 22] were married. She the illegitmate daughter of [her former husband] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 64] and Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 51].
On 27th August 1833 Henry Paget 2nd Marquess Anglesey [aged 36] and Henrietta Bagot Marchioness Anglesey were married. He the son of Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 65] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 58]. They were fifth cousin once removed.
On 19th October 1833 [her son-in-law] Edward Crofton 2nd Baron Crofton [aged 27] and Georgina Paget Lady Crofton [aged 33] were married. She the daughter of Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 65] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 58].
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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On 16th June 1835 Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 60] died.
On 22nd October 1839 [her former husband] George William Campbell 6th Duke Argyll [aged 71] died. His brother [her former brother-in-law] John [aged 61] succeeded 7th Duke Argyll, 4th Baron Hamilton of Hameldon in Leicestershire.
On 29th April 1854 [her former husband] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 85] died. His son Henry [aged 56] succeeded 2nd Marquess Anglesey, 3rd Earl Uxbridge, 11th Baron Paget Beaudasert, 5th Baronet Bayly of Plas Newydd in Anglesey. Henrietta Bagot Marchioness Anglesey by marriage Marchioness Anglesey.
Adeline Horsey Recollections. I remember often meeting Lady Charlotte Cadogan, who ran away with Lord Anglesey; they lived together for some years until Lady Anglesey divorced her husband, and he was free to marry Lady Charlotte. Lady Anglesey, who was a daughter of the Earl of Jersey, afterwards married the sixth Duke of Argyll, but she was a great invalid and quite a cripple during the latter part of her life.
Kings Wessex: Great x 22 Grand Daughter of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 18 Grand Daughter of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 24 Grand Daughter of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 19 Grand Daughter of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 23 Grand Daughter of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 9 Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Kings Scotland: Great x 21 Grand Daughter of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 29 Grand Daughter of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 12 Grand Daughter of Charles "Beloved Mad" VI King France
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 26 Grand Daughter of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Villiers 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Villiers 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Barbara St John 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Edward Villiers 1st Earl Jersey 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk 
8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Howard 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk 15 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Villiers 2nd Earl Jersey 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Unknown Chiffinch
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Chiffinch
Great x 2 Grandmother: Barbara Chiffinch Countess Jersey
GrandFather: William Villiers 3rd Earl Jersey 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Father: George Bussy Villiers 4th Earl Jersey 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Egerton 1st Earl Bridgewater 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Egerton 2nd Earl Bridgewater 4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Frances Stanley Countess Bridgewater 
3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Egerton 3rd Earl Bridgewater 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Cavendish 1st Duke Newcastle upon Tyne 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward IV of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Cavendish Countess Bridgewater 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward IV of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Bassett Countess Newcastle upon Tyne 
12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Scroop Egerton 1st Duke Bridgewater 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Paulet 5th Marquess Winchester 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Charles Paulet 1st Duke Bolton 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jane Savage Marchioness Winchester 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Jane Paulet Countess Bridgewater 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Emanuel Scrope 1st Earl of Sunderland 
7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Scrope 6th Marchioness Winchester 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Martha Jeanes
GrandMother: Anne Egerton Duchess Bedford 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 3 Grandfather: Winston Churchill 
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Drake
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Drake 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Helen Boteler 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Churchill Countess Bridgewater 15 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Jennings
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Jennings
Great x 2 Grandmother: Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough
Great x 4 Grandfather: Gifford Thornhurst 1st Baronet
Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Thornhurst
Great x 4 Grandmother: Susanna Temple 
Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
GrandFather: Bishop Philip Twysden 
Mother: Frances Twysden