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: Leybourne
Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Leybourne Duchess Norfolk 1536-1567
After 1527 [her future husband] Thomas Dacre 4th Baron Dacre Gilsland 8th Baron Greystoke and Elizabeth Neville were married. She the daughter of Ralph Neville 4th Earl of Westmoreland [aged 28] and Katherine Stafford Countess of Westmoreland [aged 28]. They were third cousin once removed. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England.
In 1536 Elizabeth Leybourne Duchess Norfolk was born to [her father] James Leybourne [aged 46].
On 20th August 1548 [her father] James Leybourne [aged 58] died.
On 25th August 1554 Thomas Howard 3rd Duke of Norfolk [aged 81] died at Kenninghall, Norfolk. He was buried at Church of St Michael the Archangel, Framlingham [Map]. His grandson [her future husband] Thomas [aged 18] succeeded 4th Duke Norfolk, 3rd Earl Surrey.
In 1556 [her future husband] Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk [aged 19] and Mary Fitzalan Duchess Norfolk [aged 16] were married. She by marriage Duchess Norfolk, Countess Surrey. She the daughter of Henry Fitzalan 12th or 19th Earl of Arundel [aged 43] and Katherine Grey. They were second cousin once removed.
Before 1557 Thomas Dacre 4th Baron Dacre Gilsland 8th Baron Greystoke [aged 29] and Elizabeth Leybourne Duchess Norfolk [aged 20] were married. She by marriage Baroness Dacre Gilsland and Baroness Greystoke.
On 21st March 1557 [her daughter] Anne Dacre Countess Arundel was born to [her husband] Thomas Dacre 4th Baron Dacre Gilsland 8th Baron Greystoke [aged 30] and Elizabeth Leybourne Duchess Norfolk [aged 21] at Carlisle, Cumberland [Map]. She married 1571 her half third cousin once removed Philip Howard 13th or 20th Earl of Arundel, son of Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk and Mary Fitzalan Duchess Norfolk, and had issue.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 2nd July 1557. The ij day of July the [her future husband] duke of Norfoke('s) [aged 21] [her future son-in-law] sun was crystened at Whytt-hall at after-non, and the kyng [aged 30] and my lord chanseler [aged 56] was the godfathers, and my old lade the duches of North-foke [aged 60]1 was the god-mother, and ther wher iiijxx storchys bornyng.
Note. P. 141. Christening of the duke of Norfolk's son. Philip earl of Surrey, as he was called in his infancy, and afterwards the distinguished earl of Arundel of that name, was "borne at Arundell place in London 28. of July [June] 1557." (MS. Harl. 897, f. 79.) Stowe also has recorded his christening "in the queenes chapell at Westminster, in a font of gold." The king and lord chancellor stood godfathers "in proper person."
Note 1. Assumed to be the dowager duchess of Norfolk since referred to as 'old lade' rather than the current Duchess of Norfolk Elizabeth Leybourne Duchess Norfolk [aged 21].
In 1558 [her future husband] Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk [aged 21] and Margaret Audley Duchess Norfolk [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Duchess Norfolk, Countess Surrey. They were fourth cousins.
Around 1561 [her son] George Dacre 5th Baron Dacre Gilsland 9th Baron Greystoke was born to [her husband] Thomas Dacre 4th Baron Dacre Gilsland 8th Baron Greystoke [aged 34] and Elizabeth Leybourne Duchess Norfolk [aged 25]. He died aged eight in 1569.
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 4th July 1563 [her daughter] Mary Dacre was born to [her husband] Thomas Dacre 4th Baron Dacre Gilsland 8th Baron Greystoke [aged 36] and Elizabeth Leybourne Duchess Norfolk [aged 27]. She married before 1572 her half third cousin once removed Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk, son of Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk and Margaret Audley Duchess Norfolk.
On 18th November 1563 [her father-in-law] William Dacre 3rd Baron Dacre Gilsland 7th Baron Greystoke [aged 70] died. His son [her husband] Thomas [aged 36] succeeded 4th Baron Dacre Gilsland, 8th Baron Greystoke.
On 11th January 1564 Richard Southwell [aged 61] died at Windham Manor, Norfolk. He was buried in the north side of the chancel of St Nicholas' Church, Woodrising [Map]. His will of 24 Jul 1561, to which he had added a codicil on the day of his death, was proved on 22 June by Norfolk, Thomas Cornwallis and Thomas aka Francis Gawdy [aged 36]. He bequeathed over 10,000 sheep to members of his family and left his personal armour to his 'cousin and friend' Henry Bedingfield [aged 55] and other armour to the young [her future husband] 4th Duke of Norfolk [aged 27], whom he named an executor
On 12th November 1564 [her daughter] Elizabeth Dacre was born to [her husband] Thomas Dacre 4th Baron Dacre Gilsland 8th Baron Greystoke [aged 37] and Elizabeth Leybourne Duchess Norfolk [aged 28]. She married 28th October 1577 her half third cousin once removed William Howard, son of Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk and Margaret Audley Duchess Norfolk, and had issue.
On 1st July 1566 [her husband] Thomas Dacre 4th Baron Dacre Gilsland 8th Baron Greystoke [aged 39] died. His son George [aged 5] succeeded 5th Baron Dacre Gilsland, 9th Baron Greystoke.
In 1567 Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk [aged 30] and Elizabeth Leybourne Duchess Norfolk [aged 31] were married. She by marriage Duchess Norfolk, Countess Surrey.
In September 1567 Elizabeth Leybourne Duchess Norfolk [aged 31] died.
On 17th May 1569 George Dacre 5th Baron Dacre Gilsland 9th Baron Greystoke [aged 8] died. Baron Greystoke abeyant. There was a dispute as to whether his uncle Leonard Dacre should inherit Baron Dacre Gilsland which would be the case if it was created by letters patent, or whether the Barony was in abeyance between the 5th Baron's three sisters which would be the case of the barony had been created through a writ of summons. Such decisions would normally be referred to the Duke of Norfolk [aged 33] in his capacity as Earl Marshal but he, Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk, had married Elizabeth Leybourne Duchess Norfolk, the mother of the three daughters although she had died in the meantime; he was not impartial - the three daughters were now his step-daughters. The matter was referred to Commissioners who decided the Barony had been created by writ between and was, therefore, abeyant between the three daughters who were now the step-daughters of Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk. He, Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk subsequently married his eldest son Philip Howard 13th or 20th Earl of Arundel [aged 11] to his eldest step-daughter Anne Dacre Countess Arundel [aged 12]. After Thomas Howard's execution in 1572 the two remaining daughters, Mary Dacre [aged 5] and Elizabeth Dacre [aged 4] were married to his two remaining sons Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk [aged 7] and William Howard [aged 5] respectively ensuring all of the Dacre and Greystoke wealth and estates in Cumberland, Yorkshire and Northumberland would become the property of the Howard family.
On 2nd June 1572 [her former husband] Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk [aged 36] was executed for his involvement in the Ridolphi Plot. He was buried at St Peter ad Vincula Church, Tower of London [Map]. Duke Norfolk, Earl Surrey, Baron Mowbray, Baron Segrave forfeit.
[her father] James Leybourne and Helen Preston were married. The difference in their ages was 21 years.
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Leybourne
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Leybourne
Great x 2 Grandfather: Nicholas Leybourne
Great x 1 Grandfather: James Leybourne
GrandFather: Thomas Leybourne
Father: James Leybourne
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Pennington
GrandMother: Margaret Pennington