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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Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley 1708
Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley was born to [her father] John Massingberd.
On 11th August 1646 George Berkeley 1st Earl Berkeley [aged 18] and Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley were married.
On 8th April 1649 [her son] Charles Berkeley 2nd Earl Berkeley was born to [her husband] George Berkeley 1st Earl Berkeley [aged 21] and Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley. He married 16th August 1677 Elizabeth Noel Countess Berkeley, daughter of Baptist Noel 3rd Viscount Campden and Hester Wotton Viscountess Campden, and had issue.
Around 1650 [her daughter] Elizabeth Berkeley was born to [her husband] George Berkeley 1st Earl Berkeley [aged 22] and Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley.
On 23rd November 1653 [her father] John Massingberd [aged 68] died. He was buried at St Leonard's Church, Streatham.
On 10th August 1658 [her father-in-law] George Berkeley 8th Baron Berkeley [aged 56] died. His son [her husband] George [aged 30] succeeded 9th Baron Berkeley. Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley by marriage Baroness Berkeley.
Around 1664 [her daughter] Arethusa Berkeley Baroness Clifford was born to [her husband] George Berkeley 1st Earl Berkeley [aged 36] and Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley. She married 1679 her fifth cousin once removed Charles Boyle 3rd Baron Clifford, son of Richard Boyle 2nd Earl Cork 1st Earl Burlington and Elizabeth Clifford Countess Burlington, and had issue.
Around 1665 [her daughter] Henrietta Berkeley was born to [her husband] George Berkeley 1st Earl Berkeley [aged 37] and Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 14th July 1667. By and by he parted, and we took coach and to take the ayre, there being a fine breeze abroad; and I went and carried them to the well, and there filled some bottles of water to carry home with me; and there talked with the two women that farm the well, at £12 per annum, of the lord of the manor, Mr. Evelyn [aged 50] (who with his lady, and also my [her husband] Lord George Barkeley's [aged 39] lady, and their fine daughter [aged 17], that the King of France [aged 28] liked so well, and did dance so rich in jewells before the King [aged 37] at the Ball I was at, at our Court, last winter, and also their son [aged 18], a Knight of the Bath, were at church this morning).
On 14th May 1668 [her son-in-law] Kingsmill Lucy 2nd Baronet [aged 19] and Theophila Berkeley were married at St James' Church, Clerkenwell. She the daughter of George Berkeley 1st Earl Berkeley [aged 40] and Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley.
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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John Evelyn's Diary. 13th August 1673. I rode to Durdans, where I dined at my [her husband] Lord Berkeley's [aged 45] of Berkeley Castle, my old and noble friend, it being his wedding anniversary [Note. 11 Aug 1646 he married Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley], where I found the Duchess of Albemarle [aged 19], and other company, and returned home on that evening late.
John Evelyn's Diary. 10th November 1675. Being the day appointed for my [her husband] Lord Ambassador [aged 47] to set out, I met them with my coach at New Cross. There were with him my Lady his wife, and my dear friend, Mrs. Godolphin [aged 23], who, out of an extraordinary friendship, would needs accompany my lady to Paris [Map], and stay with her some time, which was the chief inducement for permitting my son [aged 20] to travel, but I knew him safe under her inspection, and in regard my Lord himself had promised to take him into his special favor, he having intrusted all he had to my care.
John Evelyn's Diary. 12th November 1675. There was in my Lady Ambassadress's company my Lady Hamilton [aged 70], a sprightly young lady, much in the good graces of the family, wife of that valiant and worthy gentleman, George Hamilton [aged 68], not long after slain in the wars. She had been a maid of honor to the Duchess, and now turned Papist.
On 16th August 1677 Charles Berkeley 2nd Earl Berkeley [aged 28] and Elizabeth Noel Countess Berkeley [aged 23] were married. He the son of George Berkeley 1st Earl Berkeley [aged 49] and Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley.
Before 1678 [her son-in-law] Ford Grey 1st Earl Tankerville [aged 22] and Mary Berkeley Countess Tankerville were married. She by marriage Baroness Grey Werke in Northumberland. She the daughter of George Berkeley 1st Earl Berkeley [aged 49] and Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley. They were fourth cousin twice removed.
In 1679 [her son-in-law] Charles Boyle 3rd Baron Clifford [aged 39] and Arethusa Berkeley Baroness Clifford [aged 15] were married. The difference in their ages was 24 years. She the daughter of George Berkeley 1st Earl Berkeley [aged 51] and Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley. He the son of Richard Boyle 2nd Earl Cork 1st Earl Burlington [aged 66] and Elizabeth Clifford Countess Burlington [aged 65]. They were fifth cousin once removed.
On 11th September 1679 [her husband] George Berkeley 1st Earl Berkeley [aged 51] was created 1st Earl Berkeley, 1st Viscount Dursley. Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley by marriage Countess Berkeley.
In 1681 [her daughter] Elizabeth Berkeley [aged 31] died.
In 1694 [her son] George Berkeley died.
On 10th October 1698 [her husband] George Berkeley 1st Earl Berkeley [aged 70] died. He was buried at St Dunstan Church, Cranford. His son Charles [aged 49] succeeded 2nd Earl Berkeley, 2nd Viscount Dursley, 10th Baron Berkeley. Elizabeth Noel Countess Berkeley [aged 44] by marriage Countess Berkeley.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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In 1703 [her daughter] Theophila Berkeley died.
Before 10th December 1708 Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley died. She was buried in St Dunstan Church, Cranford.
[her daughter] Theophila Berkeley was born to George Berkeley 1st Earl Berkeley and Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley. She married 14th May 1668 Kingsmill Lucy 2nd Baronet, son of Richard Lucy 1st Baronet and Jane Chapman Lady Lucy, and had issue.
[her son] George Berkeley was born to George Berkeley 1st Earl Berkeley and Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley.
[her daughter] Arabella Berkeley was born to George Berkeley 1st Earl Berkeley and Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley.
[her daughter] Mary Berkeley Countess Tankerville was born to George Berkeley 1st Earl Berkeley and Elizabeth Massingberd Couness Berkeley. She married before 1678 her fourth cousin twice removed Ford Grey 1st Earl Tankerville, son of Ralph Grey 2nd Baron Grey Werke and Catherine Anna Ford, and had issue.