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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Biography of John Villiers Stuart Townshend 5th Marquess Townshend 1831-1899

Paternal Family Tree: Townshend

On 18th August 1825 [his father] John Townshend 4th Marquess Townshend [aged 27] and [his mother] Elizabeth Jane Stuart [aged 22] were married.

On 10th April 1831 John Villiers Stuart Townshend 5th Marquess Townshend was born to [his father] John Townshend 4th Marquess Townshend [aged 33] and [his mother] Elizabeth Jane Stuart [aged 27].

In 1856 [his brother-in-law] John St Aubyn 1st Baron St Levan [aged 26] and [his sister] Elizabeth Clementina Townshend Baroness St Levan were married. She the daughter of [his father] John Townshend 4th Marquess Townshend [aged 57] and [his mother] Elizabeth Jane Stuart [aged 52]. They were sixth cousins.

On 10th September 1863 [his father] John Townshend 4th Marquess Townshend [aged 65] died at Raynham Hall, Norfolk. He was buried at the Church of All Saints, Hertford. His son John [aged 32] succeeded 5th Marquess Townshend, 8th Viscount Townsend, 8th Baron Townshend of Lynn Regis in Norfolk, 10th Baronet Townshend.

On 17th October 1865 John Villiers Stuart Townshend 5th Marquess Townshend [aged 34] and Anne Elizabeth Clementina Duff Marchioness Townshend [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Marchioness Townshend. She the daughter of James Duff 5th Earl Fife [aged 51] and Agnes Georgiana Elizabeth Hay Countess Fife [aged 36]. He the son of John Townshend 4th Marquess Townshend and Elizabeth Jane Stuart [aged 62].

On 17th October 1866 [his son] John Townshend 6th Marquess Townshend was born to John Villiers Stuart Townshend 5th Marquess Townshend [aged 35] and [his wife] Anne Elizabeth Clementina Duff Marchioness Townshend [aged 19]. He a great x 2 grandson of King William IV of the United Kingdom. He married 9th August 1905 Gwladys Sutherst Marchioness Townshend and had issue.

In 1870 [his daughter] Agnes Elizabeth Audrey Townshend was born to John Villiers Stuart Townshend 5th Marquess Townshend [aged 38] and [his wife] Anne Elizabeth Clementina Duff Marchioness Townshend [aged 22]. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King William IV of the United Kingdom. She married James Cunninghame Durham and had issue.

On 30th November 1872 Edward St Aubyn 1st Baronet [aged 73] died. His son [his brother-in-law] John [aged 43] succeeded 2nd Baronet St Aubyn of St Michael's Mount in Cornwall. [his sister] Elizabeth Clementina Townshend Baroness St Levan by marriage Lady St Aubyn of St Michael's Mount in Cornwall.

The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 1 Chapters 1-60 1307-1342

The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel offer one of the most vivid and immediate accounts of 14th-century Europe, written by a knight who lived through the events he describes, and experienced some of them first hand. Covering the early decades of the Hundred Years’ War, this remarkable chronicle follows the campaigns of Edward III of England, the politics of France and the Low Countries, and the shifting alliances that shaped medieval warfare. Unlike later historians, Jean le Bel writes with a strong sense of eyewitness authenticity, drawing on personal experience and the testimony of fellow soldiers. His narrative captures not only battles and sieges, but also the realities of military life, diplomacy, and the ideals of chivalry that governed noble society. A key source for Jean Froissart, Le Bel’s chronicle stands on its own as a compelling and insightful work, at once historical record and literary achievement. This translation builds on the 1905 edition published in French by Jules Viard, adding extensive translations from other sources Rymer's Fœdera, the Chronicles of Adam Murimuth, William Nangis, Walter of Guisborough, a Bourgeois of Valenciennes, Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke and Richard Lescot to enrich the original text and Viard's notes.

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On 27th January 1877 [his mother] Elizabeth Jane Stuart [aged 73] died.

After 27th January 1877. Church of St Mary, East Raynham [Map]. Memorial to [his mother] Elizabeth Jane Stuart [deceased], John Villiers Stuart Townshend 5th Marquess Townshend [aged 45] and [his grandson] Nicholas Townshend Durham.

Elizabeth Jane Stuart: On 18th July 1803 she was born to George Stuart. On 18th August 1825 John Townshend 4th Marquess Townshend and she were married. On 27th January 1877 Elizabeth Jane Stuart died.

Nicholas Townshend Durham: he was born to James Cunninghame Durham and Agnes Elizabeth Audrey Townshend. He a great x 3 grandson of King William IV of the United Kingdom. On 17th March 1943 Nicholas Townshend Durham was killed in action at the Battle of the Mareth Line.

On 7th August 1879 [his father-in-law] James Duff 5th Earl Fife [aged 65] died. His son [his brother-in-law] Alexander [aged 29] succeeded 6th Earl Fife.

In May 1881 at the Salisbury Petty Sessions Edward Thynne [aged 74] described how he had been accosted by John Villiers Stuart Townshend 5th Marquess Townshend [aged 50] and two accomplices on the road between Laverstock and Salisbury. John Villiers Stuart Townshend 5th Marquess Townshend struck him several times with the handle of a horse whip. John Villiers Stuart Townshend 5th Marquess Townshend was convicted of assault and sentenced to a fine of £500 or three months in prison. After some hours in jail, he reluctantly paid the fine.

In 1887 [his brother-in-law] John St Aubyn 1st Baron St Levan [aged 57] was created 1st Baron St Levan of St Michael's Mount in Cornwall. [his sister] Elizabeth Clementina Townshend Baroness St Levan by marriage Baroness St Levan of St Michael's Mount in Cornwall. They had six sons and seven daughters.

In 1889 [his brother-in-law] Alexander Duff 1st Duke Fife [aged 39] was created 1st Duke Fife. Louise Windsor Duchess Fife [aged 21] by marriage Duchess Fife.

On 27th July 1889 [his brother-in-law] Alexander Duff 1st Duke Fife [aged 39] and Louise Windsor Duchess Fife [aged 22] were married. She the daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom [aged 47] and Alexandra of Denmark Queen Consort England [aged 44]. He the son of [his father-in-law] James Duff 5th Earl Fife and [his mother-in-law] Agnes Georgiana Elizabeth Hay Countess Fife. They were half third cousins. He a great grandson of King William IV of the United Kingdom.

On 6th October 1899 John Villiers Stuart Townshend 5th Marquess Townshend [aged 68] died at his home in Laverstock, Wiltshire [Map]. His son John [aged 32] succeeded 6th Marquess Townshend, 9th Viscount Townsend, 9th Baron Townshend of Lynn Regis in Norfolk, 11th Baronet Townshend.

On 31st December 1925 [his former wife] Anne Elizabeth Clementina Duff Marchioness Townshend [aged 78] died.

Royal Ancestors of John Villiers Stuart Townshend 5th Marquess Townshend 1831-1899

Kings Wessex: Great x 23 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England

Kings Gwynedd: Great x 20 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd

Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 26 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth

Kings Powys: Great x 21 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys

Kings Godwinson: Great x 24 Grand Son of King Harold II of England

Kings England: Great x 12 Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland

Kings Scotland: Great x 22 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland

Kings Franks: Great x 30 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor

Kings France: Great x 15 Grand Son of Charles "Beloved Mad" VI King France

Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 27 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine

Ancestors of John Villiers Stuart Townshend 5th Marquess Townshend 1831-1899

Great x 4 Grandfather: Horatio Townshend 1st Viscount Townsend 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Charles Townshend 2nd Viscount Townsend 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Ashe Viscountess Townshend

Great x 2 Grandfather: Charles Townshend 3rd Viscount Townsend 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Pelham 1st Baron Pelham of Laughton 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Pelham Viscountess Townsend 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Jones

Great x 1 Grandfather: George Townshend 1st Marquess Townshend 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Harrison

Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Harrison 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Audrey Villiers 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Audrey aka Etheldreda Harrison 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

GrandFather: John Townshend 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: James Compton 3rd Earl of Northampton 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: George Compton 4th Earl of Northampton 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Noel Countess Northampton

Great x 2 Grandfather: James Compton 5th Earl of Northampton 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Stephen Fox

Great x 3 Grandmother: Jane Fox Countess Northampton

Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Whittle

Great x 1 Grandmother: Charlotte Compton 16th Baroness Ferrers Chartley 7th Baroness Compton 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Shirley 1st Earl Ferrers 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Shirley 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Shirley Countess Northampton 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Humphrey Ferrers 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Ferrers 15 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Father: John Townshend 4th Marquess Townshend 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Newdigate Poyntz 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: William Poyntz 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: Stephen Poyntz 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England

Great x 1 Grandfather: William Poyntz 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: John Mordaunt 1st Viscount Mordaunt 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Lewis Mordaunt 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Carey Viscountess Mordaunt 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Anna Maria Mordaunt 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

GrandMother: Georgiana Anne Poyntz 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

John Villiers Stuart Townshend 5th Marquess Townshend 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland

Great x 4 Grandfather: James Stuart 1st Earl Bute 13 x Great Grand Son of King John of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: James Stuart 2nd Earl Bute 14 x Great Grand Son of King John of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: John Stuart 3rd Earl Bute 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland

Great x 4 Grandfather: Archibald Campbell 1st Duke Argyll 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland

Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Campbell Countess Bute 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland

Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Tollemache Duchess Argyll 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 1 Grandfather: John Stuart 1st Marquis of the Isle of Bute 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland

Great x 4 Grandfather: Sidney Wortley-Montagu 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Wortley-Montagu 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Mary Wortley-Montagu Countess Bute 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Evelyn Pierrepont 1st Duke Kingston upon Hull 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Wortley-Montagu née Pierrepont 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Fielding Countess Kingston upon Hull 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

GrandFather: George Stuart 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland

Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Hickman Windsor 1st Earl Plymouth 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Windsor 1st Viscount Windsor 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Ursula Widdrington Countess Plymouth 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: Herbert Windsor 2nd Viscount Windsor 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Philip "Infamous Earl" Herbert 7th Earl Pembroke 4th Earl Montgomery 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandmother: Charlotte Herbert Viscountess Windsor 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Henrietta Kéroualle Countess Pembroke and Montgomery

Great x 1 Grandmother: Charlotte Jane Windsor Marchioness Bute 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: John Clavering 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: John Clavering of Axwell 3rd Baronet 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Dorothy Savile

Great x 2 Grandmother: Alice Clavering Viscountess Windsor 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Mother: Elizabeth Jane Stuart 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland