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 25th November 1810 Francis Cholmeley was born.
Around February 1838 Francis Cholmeley (age 27) and Harriet Fairfax (age 33) were married.
On 29th December 1845 [his father-in-law] Charles Gregory Pigot aka Fairfax (age 77) died. Gilling Castle, North Yorkshire [Map] appears to have been inherited by his two daughters [his sister-in-law] Lavinia Fairfax (age 43) and [his wife] Harriet Fairfax (age 41) and their husbands Reverend James Alexander Barnes (age 47), Rector of Gilling, and Francis Cholmeley (age 35) respectively.
On 3rd August 1855 Francis Cholmeley (age 44) died.
After 1860. Church of the Holy Cross, Gilling East [Map]. Memorial to [his former wife] Harriet Fairfax (age 55) and Francis Cholmeley.
On 17th August 1860 [his former wife] Harriet Fairfax (age 55) died at Gilling Castle, North Yorkshire [Map].
In 1885 [his former sister-in-law] Lavinia Fairfax (age 83) died without issue. Gilling Castle, North Yorkshire [Map] was inherited by the descendants of her sister [his former wife] Harriet Fairfax who had married Francis Cholmeley.