Text this colour links to Pages. Text this colour links to Family Trees. Text this colour are links that disabled for Guests.
Place the mouse over images to see a larger image. Click on paintings to see the painter's Biography Page.
Mouse over links for a preview. Move the mouse off the painting or link to close the popup.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Walsingham
Maternal Family Tree: Ursula St Barbe 1532-1602
In January 1562 [her father] Francis Walsingham (age 30) and Anne Barne (age 29) were married.
In 1566 [her father] Francis Walsingham (age 34) and [her mother] Ursula St Barbe (age 34) were married.
In 1567 Frances Walsingham Countess Essex was born to [her father] Francis Walsingham (age 35) and [her mother] Ursula St Barbe (age 35).
On 22nd September 1576 Walter Devereux 1st Earl Essex (age 35) died. His son [her future husband] Robert (age 10) succeeded 2nd Earl Essex, 3rd Viscount Hereford, 12th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, 9th Baron Bourchier.
In 1583 Philip Sidney (age 28) and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 16) were married. They were half sixth cousins.
On 23rd September 1584 [her brother-in-law] Robert Sidney 1st Earl of Leicester (age 20) and Barbara Gamage Countess Leicester (age 21) were married. She her father's heir to his considerable fortune. He, the father, had died some twenty-five days before. The marriage took place apparently against the wishes of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland (age 51).
In 1585 [her daughter] Elizabeth Sidney Countess Rutland was born to [her husband] Philip Sidney (age 30) and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 18). She married 5th March 1599 Roger Manners 5th Earl of Rutland, son of John Manners 4th Earl of Rutland and Elizabeth Charlton Countess Rutland.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
1586 to 1590. Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 35). Portrait of Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 19). Frances was only firmly identified as the sitter in 2023 by Elise Effmann Clifford, a conservator at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. The original inscription had at some point been replaced with a false one identifying the sitter as Mary Queen of Scots. Once old overpaint and modern varnish had been removed, Elise Effmann Clifford was able to analyse traces of the original lettering and under close examination discovered that the original text read, 'The Ladie Sidney daughter/to Secretarye Walsingham.'
On 17th October 1586 [her husband] Philip Sidney (age 31) died from wounds received at the Battle of Zutphen.
In June 1587 [her future husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex (age 21) was appointed Master of the Horse.
In 1588 [her future husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex (age 22) was appointed 369th Knight of the Garter by Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland (age 54).
In 1590 Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex (age 24) and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 23) were married. She by marriage Countess Essex. He the son of Walter Devereux 1st Earl Essex and Lettice Knollys Countess Essex and Leicester (age 46). They were half fourth cousin once removed.
On 6th April 1590 [her father] Francis Walsingham (age 58) died.
On 11th January 1591 [her son] Robert Devereux 3rd Earl Essex was born to [her husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex (age 25) and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 24). He married (1) 1603 his fourth cousin Frances Howard Countess Essex and Somerset, daughter of Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk and Catherine Knyvet Countess Suffolk (2) 11th March 1630 his fourth cousin Elizabeth Paulet Countess Essex.
In 1593 [her husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex (age 27) was appointed Privy Council.
In 1594 Henry "Wizard Earl" Percy 9th Earl of Northumberland (age 29) and [her sister-in-law] Dorothy Devereux Countess Northumberland (age 30) were married. She the daughter of Walter Devereux 1st Earl Essex and [her mother-in-law] Lettice Knollys Countess Essex and Leicester (age 50). He the son of Henry Percy 8th Earl of Northumberland and Katherine Neville Countess Northumberland (age 49). They were third cousin once removed.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In 1599 [her husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex (age 33) was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
On 5th March 1599 [her son-in-law] Roger Manners 5th Earl of Rutland (age 22) and [her daughter] Elizabeth Sidney Countess Rutland (age 14) were married. She by marriage Countess of Rutland. Childless, unhappy and possibly not consummated. She the daughter of [her former husband] Philip Sidney and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 32). He the son of John Manners 4th Earl of Rutland and Elizabeth Charlton Countess Rutland.
On 5th August 1599 Alexander Radclyffe of Ordsall Hall (age 26) died of wounds and fever in Ulster while campaigning with the [her husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex (age 33) during the unsuccessful attempt to bring Ireland under English control. The Queen (age 65) herself informed his twin sister of her brother's death.
On 30th September 1599 [her daughter] Frances Devereux Duchess of Somerset was born to [her husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex (age 33) and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 32). She married 3rd March 1617 her fourth cousin William Seymour 2nd Duke of Somerset and had issue.
In 1600 [her daughter] Dorothy Devereux Lady Shirley was born to [her husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex (age 34) and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 33) at Essex House. She married before 9th September 1623 her fourth cousin once removed Henry Shirley 2nd Baronet, son of George Shirley 1st Baronet and Frances Berkeley, and had issue.
In 1601 Ulrick Burke 3rd Earl Clanricarde died. His son [her future husband] Richard (age 29) succeeded 4th Earl Clanricarde.
On 25th February 1601 [her husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex (age 35) was beheaded at Tower Green, Tower of London [Map] as a consequence of his involvement in the Essex Rebellion. Earl Essex, Viscount Hereford, Baron Bourchier and Baron Ferrers of Chartley forfeit. He was the last person to be executed at the Tower of London. It isn't clear whether his other titles Viscount Hereford, Baron Ferrers of Chartley and Baron Bourchier were forfeit.
On 8th June 1602 [her mother] Ursula St Barbe (age 70) died at her home in Barn Elms. She was buried the following night in St Paul's Cathedral [Map].
In 1603 [her son] Robert Devereux 3rd Earl Essex (age 11) and [her daughter-in-law] Frances Howard Countess Essex and Somerset (age 12) were married. They were separated after the wedding given their young age. Essex went on a European tour from 1607 to 1609. When he returned she avoided him having fallen for Robert Carr 1st Earl Somerset (age 16) whilst her husband was away. He was ill with smallpox. She sought an annulment with her father [her former husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex and uncle Henry Howard 1st Earl of Northampton (age 62) acting for her. She maintained the marriage had not been consummated and was examined by ten matrons and two midwives who found her hymen intact. It was widely rumoured at the time that Sir Thomas Monson's (age 38) daughter was a substitute, which is possible because she had requested to be veiled during the examination "for modesty's sake". He maintained he was capable with other women, but was unable to consummate his marriage blaming her. She the daughter of Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk (age 41) and Catherine Knyvet Countess Suffolk (age 39). He the son of Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 36). They were fourth cousins.
In 1603 Richard Burke 4th Earl Clanricarde 1st Earl St Albans (age 31) and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 36) were married. He the son of Ulrick Burke 3rd Earl Clanricarde.
In 1604 [her son] Ulick Burke 1st Marquess Clanricarde was born to [her husband] Richard Burke 4th Earl Clanricarde 1st Earl St Albans (age 32) and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 37). He married 1622 Anne Compton Lady Rushout, daughter of William Compton 1st Earl of Northampton and Elizabeth Spencer Countess Northampton, and had issue.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Around 1605 [her daughter] Honora Burke Marchioness Winchester was born to [her husband] Richard Burke 4th Earl Clanricarde 1st Earl St Albans (age 33) and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 38). She married 4th October 1633 John Paulet 5th Marquess Winchester, son of William Paulet 4th Marquess Winchester and Lucy Cecil Marchioness Winchester, and had issue.
In 1612 [her daughter] Elizabeth Sidney Countess Rutland (age 27) died. She was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].
On 25th September 1613 [her son] Robert Devereux 3rd Earl Essex (age 22) and [her daughter-in-law] Frances Howard Countess Essex and Somerset (age 23) marriage annulled by King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland (age 47). She married Robert Carr 1st Earl Somerset (age 26) three months later.
On 3rd March 1617 [her son-in-law] William Seymour 2nd Duke of Somerset (age 29) and [her daughter] Frances Devereux Duchess of Somerset (age 17) were married at Drayton Bassett, Staffordshire [Map]. She the daughter of [her former husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 50). They were fourth cousins. He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
In 1622 [her son] Ulick Burke 1st Marquess Clanricarde (age 18) and [her daughter-in-law] Anne Compton Lady Rushout were married. She the daughter of William Compton 1st Earl of Northampton and Elizabeth Spencer Countess Northampton (age 46). He the son of [her husband] Richard Burke 4th Earl Clanricarde 1st Earl St Albans (age 50) and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 55).
Before 9th September 1623 [her son-in-law] Henry Shirley 2nd Baronet (age 35) and [her daughter] Dorothy Devereux Lady Shirley (age 23) were married. She the daughter of [her former husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 56). They were fourth cousin once removed.
In 1628 [her husband] Richard Burke 4th Earl Clanricarde 1st Earl St Albans (age 56) was created 1st Earl St Albans.
On 11th March 1630 [her son] Robert Devereux 3rd Earl Essex (age 39) and [her daughter-in-law] Elizabeth Paulet Countess Essex were married. She by marriage Countess Essex. He the son of [her former husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 63). They were fourth cousins.
On 17th February 1633 Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 66) died.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 12th November 1635 [her former husband] Richard Burke 4th Earl Clanricarde 1st Earl St Albans (age 63) died. His son [her son] Ulick (age 31) succeeded 5th Earl Clanricarde, 2nd Earl St Albans. Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford (age 42) was blamed for his death making an enemy of Ulick Burke 1st Marquess Clanricarde and his half-brother (they shared the same mother Frances Walsingham Countess Essex) [her son] Robert Devereux 3rd Earl Essex (age 44).
[her daughter] Mary Burke was born to Richard Burke 4th Earl Clanricarde 1st Earl St Albans and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex. She married Edward Butler, son of James Butler 9th Earl Ormonde 2nd Earl Ossory and Joan Fitzgerald Countess Ormonde and Ossory, and had issue.
Kings Wessex: Great x 17 Grand Daughter of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 15 Grand Daughter of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 20 Grand Daughter of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 16 Grand Daughter of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings England: Great x 9 Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 16 Grand Daughter of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 23 Grand Daughter of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 18 Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 21 Grand Daughter of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 1 Grandfather: James Walsingham
GrandFather: William Walsingham
Great x 2 Grandfather: Walter Writtle
Great x 1 Grandmother: Eleanor Writtle
Father: Francis Walsingham 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Denny 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Denny
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Denny
Great x 1 Grandfather: Edmund Denny
GrandMother: Joyce Denny 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Troutbeck
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Troutbeck
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Troutbeck 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Stanley 1st Baron Stanley 
10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Stanley Baroness Grey Codnor 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jane Goushill Baroness Stanley 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Mary Troutbeck 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Frances Walsingham Countess Essex 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard St Barbe
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas St Barbe
Great x 2 Grandfather: John St Barbe
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard St Barbe
GrandFather: Henry St Barbe of Ashington Somerset
Mother: Ursula St Barbe