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.
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Paternal Family Tree: Ashburnham
Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Ken Baroness Poulett
Before 1644 Richard Cholmondeley [aged 23] and [his mother] Elizabeth Paulett [aged 13] were married.
Before 15th January 1656 [his father] William Ashburnham [aged 27] and [his mother] Elizabeth Paulett [aged 26] were married.
On 15th January 1656 John Ashburnham 1st Baron Ashburnham was born to [his father] William Ashburnham [aged 27] and [his mother] Elizabeth Paulett [aged 26].
On 28th August 1656 [his father] William Ashburnham [aged 27] died.
In 1677 John Ashburnham 1st Baron Ashburnham [aged 20] and Bridget Vaughan Baroness Ashburnham were married at Westminster Abbey [Map]. They were half fifth cousin once removed.
On 21st May 1679 [his son] William Ashburnham 2nd Baron Ashburnham was born to John Ashburnham 1st Baron Ashburnham [aged 23] and [his wife] Bridget Vaughan Baroness Ashburnham. He married 1705 Catherine Taylor.
On 23rd April 1685 King James II of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 51] was crowned II King England Scotland and Ireland by Archbishop William Sancroft [aged 68]. Mary of Modena Queen Consort England Scotland and Ireland [aged 26] crowned Queen Consort England Scotland and Ireland.
Bishop Francis Turner [aged 47] preached the sermon.
John Ashburnham 1st Baron Ashburnham [aged 29] carried the canopy being one of the Barons of the Cinque Ports at Westminster Abbey [Map].
Henry Fitzroy 1st Duke Grafton [aged 21] was appointed Constable of England.
On 13th March 1687 [his son] John Ashburnham 1st Earl Ashburnham was born to John Ashburnham 1st Baron Ashburnham [aged 31] and [his wife] Bridget Vaughan Baroness Ashburnham. He married (1) 21st October 1710 Mary Butler Baroness Ashburnham, daughter of James Butler 2nd Duke Ormonde and Mary Somerset Duchess Ormonde (2) 24th July 1714 his half sixth cousin Henrietta Stanley Countess Anglesey, daughter of William Stanley 9th Earl of Derby and Elizabeth Butler Countess Derby, and had issue (3) before 30th October 1724 Jemima Grey Countess Ashburham, daughter of Henry Grey 1st Duke Kent and Jemima Crew Marchioness Kent, and had issue.
In 1689 John Ashburnham 1st Baron Ashburnham [aged 32] was created 1st Baron Ashburnham of Ashburnham in Sussex. [his wife] Bridget Vaughan Baroness Ashburnham by marriage Baroness Ashburnham of Ashburnham in Sussex.
On 11th April 1689 King William III of England, Scotland and Ireland [aged 38] and Mary Stewart II Queen England Scotland and Ireland [aged 26] were crowned II King England Scotland and Ireland at Westminster Abbey [Map].
John Ashburnham 1st Baron Ashburnham [aged 33] carried the canopy being one of the Barons of the Cinque Ports.
George Compton 4th Earl of Northampton [aged 24] bore the King's sceptre and cross at Westminster Abbey [Map].
On 18th August 1690 [his mother] Elizabeth Paulett [aged 60] died.
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 1705 [his son] William Ashburnham 2nd Baron Ashburnham [aged 25] and [his daughter-in-law] Catherine Taylor were married.
On 21st January 1710 John Ashburnham 1st Baron Ashburnham [aged 54] died at Southampton Street, Bloomsbury Square. His son William [aged 30] succeeded 2nd Baron Ashburnham of Ashburnham in Sussex. Catherine Taylor by marriage Baroness Ashburnham of Ashburnham in Sussex.
Kings Wessex: Great x 19 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 16 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 22 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 17 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 9 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 18 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 25 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 20 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 23 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Ashburnham
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Ashburnham
GrandFather: John Ashburnham 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Beaumont 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Nicholas Beaumont of Coleorton in Leicestershire 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Collette Clarke
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Beaumont 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Saunders of Welford in Northamptonshire
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Saunders
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Beaumont 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Farnham
Great x 2 Grandmother: Katherine Farnham
Father: William Ashburnham 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
John Ashburnham 1st Baron Ashburnham 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Amyas Paulett
Great x 3 Grandfather: Hugh Paulett
Great x 4 Grandmother: Laura Kellaway
Great x 2 Grandfather: Amias Paulett
Great x 4 Grandfather: Lewis Pollard 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Philippa Pollard
Great x 1 Grandfather: Anthony Paulett
GrandFather: John Paulett 1st Baron Paulett 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Norreys 7 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Norreys 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Frideswell Lovell 
3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Norreys 1st Baron Norreys of Rycote 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Fiennes 8th Baron Dacre Gilsland 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Fiennes 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Bourchier Baroness Dacre of Gilsland 
3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Catherine Norreys 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Williams
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Williams 1st Baron Williams
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margery Williams Baroness Norreys Rycote 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Wentworth 1st Baron Wentworth 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margery Wentworth 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Fortescue Baroness Wentworth 
5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Mother: Elizabeth Paulett 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
GrandMother: Elizabeth Ken Baroness Poulett