The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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Paternal Family Tree: Blackett
On 10th July 1645 [his father] William Blackett 1st Baronet [aged 24] and [his mother] Elizabeth Kirkley were married at Hamsterley, County Durham [Map].
On 25th October 1649 Edward Blackett 2nd Baronet was born to [his father] William Blackett 1st Baronet [aged 28] and [his mother] Elizabeth Kirkley.
In 1674 Edward Blackett 2nd Baronet [aged 24] and Mary Norton were married.
On 7th April 1674 [his mother] Elizabeth Kirkley died. She was buried at Cathedral Church St Nicholas, Newcastle upon Tyne [Map].
After 7th April 1674 [his father] William Blackett 1st Baronet [aged 52] and Lady Margaret Cock were married. She by marriage Lady Blackett of Newcastle in Northumberland.
In or before 1676 [his wife] Mary Norton died.
In 1676 Edward Blackett 2nd Baronet [aged 26] and Mary Yorke Lady Blackett [aged 19] were married.
On 16th May 1680 [his father] William Blackett 1st Baronet [aged 59] died. His son Edward [aged 30] succeeded 2nd Baronet Blackett of Newcastle in Northumberland. [his wife] Mary Yorke Lady Blackett [aged 23] by marriage Lady Blackett of Newcastle in Northumberland.
In 1683 [his son] William Blackett was born to Edward Blackett 2nd Baronet [aged 33] and [his wife] Mary Yorke Lady Blackett [aged 26]. He married in or before 1704 Diana Delaval, daughter of Ralph Delaval 2nd Baronet and Diana Booth Lady Delaval and Blackett, and had issue.
In 1683 [his son] Edward Blackett 3rd Baronet was born to Edward Blackett 2nd Baronet [aged 33] and [his wife] Mary Yorke Lady Blackett [aged 26]. He married before 1st March 1756 Mary Jekyll.
On or after 22nd November 1684 Ralph Delaval 2nd Baronet [aged 34] and [his future wife] Diana Booth Lady Delaval and Blackett were married. She by marriage Lady Delaval of Seaton in Northumberland.
Before 1699 [his wife] Mary Yorke Lady Blackett [aged 41] died.
In 1699 Edward Blackett 2nd Baronet [aged 49] and Diana Booth Lady Delaval and Blackett were married. She by marriage Lady Blackett of Newcastle in Northumberland.
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 or before 1704 [his son] William Blackett [aged 20] and [his daughter-in-law] Diana Delaval [aged 17] were married.
On 7th October 1713 [his wife] Diana Booth Lady Delaval and Blackett died.
In 1718 [his son] William Blackett [aged 35] died.
On 23rd April 1718 Edward Blackett 2nd Baronet [aged 68] died. He was buried in Ripon Cathedral [Map]. His son Edward [aged 35] succeeded 3rd Baronet Blackett of Newcastle in Northumberland.
[his son] John Blackett of Newby Park was born to Edward Blackett 2nd Baronet and Mary Yorke Lady Blackett.
Father: William Blackett 1st Baronet 
GrandFather: Michael Kirkley Merchant of Newcastle
Mother: Elizabeth Kirkley