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: Vernon
In 1635 George Vernon was born to [his father] Henry Vernon (age 20) and [his mother] Muriel Vernon.
In 1658 [his father] Henry Vernon (age 43) died.
Around 1660 George Vernon (age 25) and Margaret Onley (age 18) were married.
In 1660 John Michael Wright (age 42). Portrait of George Vernon (age 25).
Around 1660 John Michael Wright (age 42). Portrait of George Vernon (age 25).
1664. Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire [Map] was commissioned around 1664 by George Vernon (age 29) and his wife [his wife] Margaret Onley (age 22). The armorial above the door in the photo below shows the Vernon Arms impaled with the Onley Arms with the date 1664. The initials being a V with a G and M below are probably Vernon, George and Margaret.
In 1675 [his wife] Margaret Onley (age 33) died.
After 1675 George Vernon (age 40) and Dorothy Shirley (age 20) were married. They were sixth cousins.
In 1677 [his brother-in-law] Robert Shirley 1st Earl Ferrers (age 26) abeyance terminated 14th Baron Ferrers of Chartley. Elizabeth Washington Baroness Ferrers Chartley by marriage Baroness Ferrers of Chartley.
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 1682 [his wife] Dorothy Shirley (age 27) died at Brackley, Northamptonshire [Map].
In or after 1682 George Vernon (age 47) and Catherine Vernon (age 19) were married. The difference in their ages was 28 years. They were fourth cousin once removed.
In April 1686 [his son] Henry Vernon was born to George Vernon (age 51) and [his wife] Catherine Vernon (age 23). He married 1709 Anne Pigot and had issue.
Before 1694 John Michael Wright (age 76). Portrait of George Vernon (age 58).
On 13th July 1702 George Vernon (age 67) died.
After 13th July 1702. Memorial to George Vernon (deceased) and his daughter [his son] Anna-Catherina Vernon at All Saints Church, Sudbury [Map].
Anna-Catherina Vernon: he was born to George Vernon and Margaret Onley. On 30th June 1744 Anna-Catherina Vernon died
On 21st October 1710 [his former wife] Catherine Vernon (age 47) died.
[his father] Henry Vernon and [his mother] Muriel Vernon were married. They were fourth cousins.
[his son] Anna-Catherina Vernon was born to George Vernon and Margaret Onley.
[his daughter] Dorothy Vernon was born to George Vernon and Dorothy Shirley. She married her fifth cousin George Vernon.
Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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[his son] Matilda Vernon was born to George Vernon and Margaret Onley.
Kings Wessex: Great x 17 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 14 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 20 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 15 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 19 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 8 Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 16 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 24 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 18 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 21 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Vernon 
12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Humphrey Vernon 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Talbot 
5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Vernon 4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Ludlow 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alice Ludlow 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Grey 
2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry IV of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Walter Vernon 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Shirley 
9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Ralph Shirley 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Eleanor Shirley 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
GrandFather: Edward Vernon 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Littleton
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Littleton
Great x 4 Grandmother: Alice Winnesbury
Great x 2 Grandfather: Edward Littleton of Pillaton Hall
Great x 4 Grandfather: Humphrey Swynnerton of Swynnerton
Great x 3 Grandmother: Helen Swynnerton
Great x 1 Grandmother: Mary Littleton 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Cockayne 
13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Francis Cockayne 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Barbara Fitzherbert 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Alice Cockayne 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Marrow
Great x 3 Grandmother: Dorothy Marrow
Father: Henry Vernon 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
George Vernon 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Vernon
Great x 3 Grandfather: Ralph Vernon
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Vernon
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Vernon
GrandFather: George Vernon
Great x 4 Grandfather: Hugh Egerton 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Ralph Egerton of Wrineshill
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Egerton
Great x 1 Grandmother: Dorothy Egerton
Mother: Muriel Vernon 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Corbet 5 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Corbet 6 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Devereux 
7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Reginald Corbet 7 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Vernon 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Vernon 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Talbot 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Corbet 8 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
GrandMother: Jane Corbet 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England