The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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Paternal Family Tree: Grey
Maternal Family Tree: Aoife ni Diarmait Macmurrough Countess Pembroke and Buckingham 1145-1188
1511 Birth and Death of Prince Henry
1514 Marriage of Mary Tudor and Louis XII of France
1535 Sweating Sickness Outbreak
In October 1466 [his father] Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset (age 11) and Anne Holland (age 5) were married at Greenwich, Kent [Map]. See She the daughter of Henry Holland 3rd Duke Exeter (age 36) and Anne York Duchess Exeter (age 27). He the son of [his grandfather] John Grey and [his grandmother] Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England (age 29). They were fourth cousin once removed. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
On 5th September 1474 [his father] Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset (age 19) and [his mother] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset (age 14) were married. He the son of [his grandfather] John Grey and [his grandmother] Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England (age 37). They were half second cousin once removed. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
In 1479 Leonard Grey 1st Viscount Grane was born to [his father] Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset (age 24) and [his mother] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset (age 18). He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England.
After 1483 [his brother] Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset (age 5) and [his sister-in-law] Eleanor St John Marchioness Dorset were married. He the son of [his father] Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset (age 28) and [his mother] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset (age 22). They were half third cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England.
On 23rd January 1483 Elizabeth Ferrers 6th Baroness Ferrers Groby (age 64) died. Her grandson [his father] Thomas (age 28) succeeded 7th Baron Ferrers of Groby. [his mother] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset (age 22) by marriage Baroness Ferrers of Groby.
On 9th April 1483 King Edward IV of England (age 40) died at Westminster [Map]. His son [his uncle] Edward (age 12) succeeded V King of England. Those present included [his grandmother] Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England (age 46), William Hastings 1st Baron Hastings (age 52) and [his father] Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset (age 28).
In 1494 [his brother] Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset (age 16) was appointed Knight of the Bath.
In May 1501 [his brother-in-law] Walter Devereux 1st Viscount Hereford (age 13) and [his sister] Mary Grey Baroness Ferrers Chartley (age 10) were married. She the daughter of [his father] Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset (age 46) and [his mother] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset (age 40). They were second cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
On 3rd May 1501 John Devereux 9th Baron Ferrers of Chartley (age 37) died. His son [his brother-in-law] Walter (age 13) succeeded 10th Baron Ferrers of Chartley. [his sister] Mary Grey Baroness Ferrers Chartley (age 10) 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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On 20th September 1501 [his father] Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset (age 46) died. His son [his brother] Thomas (age 24) succeeded 2nd Marquess Dorset, 2nd Earl Huntingdon, 8th Baron Ferrers of Groby. [his sister-in-law] Eleanor St John Marchioness Dorset by marriage Marchioness Dorset.
Around 1502 [his brother] Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset (age 24) was appointed 256th Knight of the Garter by King Henry VII of England and Ireland (age 44).
Around 1504 [his step-father] Henry Stafford 1st Earl Wiltshire (age 25) and [his mother] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset (age 43) were married. He the son of Henry Stafford 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Catherine Woodville Duchess Buckingham and Bedford. They were second cousin once removed. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
Around 1509 [his brother-in-law] Robert Willoughby 2nd Baron Willoughby 10th Baron Latimer (age 37) and [his sister] Dorothy Grey Baroness Mountjoy, Willoughby and Latimer (age 29) were married. She by marriage Baroness Willoughby Broke, Baroness Latimer of Corby. She the daughter of [his father] Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and [his mother] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset (age 48). They were half fourth cousins. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
In 1509 [his brother] Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset (age 31) and [his sister-in-law] Margaret Wotton Marchioness Dorset (age 22) were married. She by marriage Marchioness Dorset. He the son of [his father] Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and [his mother] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset (age 48).
On 27th January 1510 [his step-father] Henry Stafford 1st Earl Wiltshire (age 31) was created 1st Earl Wiltshire. [his mother] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset (age 49) by marriage Countess Wiltshire.
In February 1511 Henry VIII (age 19) celebrated the birth of his son by holding a magnificent tournament at Westminster [Map]. The challengers included Henry VIII who fought as Cuere Loyall, Henry Courtenay 1st Marquess Exeter (age 15) as Bon Vouloir, Edward Neville (age 40) as Joyeulx Penser, Thomas Knyvet (age 26) as Valiant Desyr and Thomas Tyrrell.
On Day 1 of the tournament the Answerers included: William Parr 1st Baron Parr of Horton (age 28), Henry Grey 4th Earl Kent (age 16), Thomas Cheney (age 26), Richard Blount and Robert Morton.
On Day 2 of the tournament the Answerers included: Richard Tempest of Bracewell (age 31), Thomas Lucy, Henry Guildford (age 22), Charles Brandon 1st Duke of Suffolk (age 27), Thomas Boleyn 1st Earl Wiltshire and Ormonde (age 34), [his brother] Richard Grey, Leonard Grey 1st Viscount Grane (age 32), Thomas Howard 3rd Duke of Norfolk (age 38), Edmund Howard (age 33) and [his step-father] Henry Stafford 1st Earl Wiltshire (age 32).
On 9th October 1514 Louis XII King France (age 52) and Mary Tudor Queen Consort France (age 18) were married at Abbeville [Map], Somme. She by marriage Queen Consort France. [his brother] Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset (age 37), Thomas West 8th Baron De La Warr 5th Baron West (age 57), Thomas Brooke 8th Baron Cobham (age 44) and his son George Brooke 9th Baron Cobham (age 17), Bishop Thomas Ruthall (age 42) and [his sister-in-law] Margaret Wotton Marchioness Dorset (age 27) attended. The difference in their ages was 33 years. She the daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland and [his aunt] Elizabeth York Queen Consort England. He the son of Charles Valois Duke Orléans and Mary de la Marck Duchess Orléans. They were second cousin twice removed.
In 1515 Charles Somerset 1st Earl of Worcester (age 55) and [his future wife] Eleanor Dudley Countess Somerset (age 28) were married. She by marriage Countess Worcester. The difference in their ages was 27 years. He the illegitmate son of Henry Beaufort 2nd or 3rd Duke of Somerset and Joan Hill. They were third cousin once removed. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward III of England.
Around 1522 [his brother-in-law] Gerald Fitzgerald 9th Earl of Kildare (age 35) and [his sister] Elizabeth Grey Countess Kildare (age 25) were married. She by marriage Countess Kildare. She the daughter of [his father] Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and [his mother] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset (age 61). He the son of Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare and Alice Fitzeustace Countess Kildare.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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After 1523 [his brother] Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset (age 45) was appointed Privy Council.
On 29th July 1523 [his brother-in-law] William Blount 4th Baron Mountjoy (age 45) and [his sister] Dorothy Grey Baroness Mountjoy, Willoughby and Latimer (age 43) were married. She by marriage Baroness Mountjoy. She the daughter of [his father] Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and [his mother] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset (age 63). He the son of John Blount 3rd Baron Mountjoy and Lora Berkeley Countess Ormonde.
Before 1525 [his brother-in-law] John Sutton 3rd Baron Dudley (age 30) and [his sister] Cecily Grey Baroness Dudley were married. She the daughter of [his father] Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and [his mother] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset (age 64). They were fourth cousins. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
Before 15th March 1526 Leonard Grey 1st Viscount Grane (age 47) and Eleanor Dudley Countess Somerset (age 39) were married. She by marriage Viscountess Grane. He the son of Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset (age 65). They were fourth cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England.
After 15th March 1526 (some sources say before 1549) [his former wife] Eleanor Dudley Countess Somerset (deceased) died.
On 12th May 1529 [his mother] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset (age 68) died. She was buried at Church St Mary the Virgin, Astley.
[his brother] Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset (age 51) succeeded 8th Baron Harington, 3rd Baron Bonville,
On 10th October 1530 [his brother] Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset (age 53) died. His son [his nephew] Henry (age 13) succeeded 3rd Marquess Dorset, 3rd Earl Huntingdon, 9th Baron Ferrers of Groby, 9th Baron Harington, 4th Baron Bonville.
On 31st January 1532 [his former father-in-law] Edward Sutton 2nd Baron Dudley (age 73) died. His son [his brother-in-law] John (age 38) succeeded 3rd Baron Dudley. [his sister] Cecily Grey Baroness Dudley by marriage Baroness Dudley.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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Chronicle of Edward Hall [1496-1548]. [25th October 1532]. While the King of England, lay thus at Boulogne, the Frenche King to show himself loving to the noble men of England, the twenty-fifth day of October, called a Chapter of the companions of his Order, called Saint Michael, of whom the King of England was one, and so there elected Thomas Duke of Norfolk, and Charles Duke of Suffolk, to be companions of the said Order, which were brought into the Chapter, and had their Collars delivered to them, and were sworn to the Statutes of the Order, their obeisance to their sovereign Lord, always reserved: which Dukes thanked the French King, and gave to the Officers of Arms two hundred Crowns apiece. All this season the French King and his court were fresh, and his guard were apparelled, in frocks of blue crimson, and yellow velvet. With the French King, was the King of Navarre, the Dauphin of Vien, the Dukes of Orleans, Angouleme, Vendome, Guise, Longueville, the Earles of Saint Panic, Nevers, Etampes, Laval, and many other Earles and Barons and the Prince of Melsse, four Cardinals, and eleven bishops with their trains and escort, which surely was a great company: so continued these two Kings at Boulogne, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and on Friday the twenty-fifth day of October, they departed out of Boulogne to Calais: the French King's train was twelve hundred persons, and so many horse or more, and without Calais two mile, met with them the Duke of Richmond, the Kings bastard son of England, a goodly young Prince, and full of favour and beauty, with a great company of noble men, which were not at Boulogne, so the Duke with his company, embraced the Frenche King, and so did other noble men, then the Lords of England set forward, as the Dukes of Richmond, Norfolk and Suffolk, the Marques of Exeter, the Earls of Arundel, Oxford, Surrey, Derby, Worcester; Rutland, Sussex, and Huntingdon, the Viscounts of Lisle, and Rochford (age 55), the Bishops of London, Winchester, Lincoln, and Bath, the Lorde William Howard, the Lord Maltravers, the Lord Montacute, the Lord Cobham, the Lord Sandys, the Lord Bray, the Lorde Mordant, the Lord Leonard Grey (age 53), the Lord Clinton, and Sir William Fitzwilliam knight, treasurer of the King's house, and Sir William Paulet, Comptroller of the same with a great number of knights, beside the lusty Esquires and young gentlemen. These noble, personages and gentlemen of England, accompanied the French Lords to Newnam Bridge, where as Thomas Palmer, captain of the fortress, with a fair company of soldiers saluted the Kings and so they passed towards Calais: where at their coming, that what out of the Town and the Castle, and what out of Rysbank [Map], and the Ships in the Haven, the French men said they never heard such a shot: And when they were entered the Mill Gate, all the Soldiers of the Town, stood on the one side, apparelled in Red and Blue, and on the other side of the streets, stood all the serving men of England, in coats of Frenche tawney, with their Lords and Masters devises embroidered, and every man a scarlet cap and a white feather, which made a goodly show: there were lodged in Calais that night, beside the town dwellers, eight thousand persons at the least. The King of England brought the French King to his lodging, to the Staple Inn, where his chamber was hanged with so rich verdure, as hath not been seen, the ground of it was gold and damask, and all over the tufts and flowers, were of satin silk and silver, so curiously wrought that they seemed to grow, every chamber was richer, and other: the second chamber all of tissue, with a cloth of estate of needle work, set with great roses of large pearl. The third was hanged with velvet, upon velvet pearled green and crimson, and embroidered over with branches, of flowers of gold bullion, and garnished with arms and beasts of the same gold, set with pearl and stone. If the Frenche King made good cheer to the King of England, and his train at Boulogne, I assure you he and his train, were requited at Calais, for the plenty of wild fowl, venison, fish, and all other things which were there, it was marvel to see, for the Kings Officers of England, had made preparation in every place, so that the Frenchmen were served, with such multitude of diverse fishes, this Friday and Saturday, that the masters of the French King's household, much wondered at the provision. In likewise on the Sunday, they had all manner of flesh, foul, spice, venison, both of fallow deer and red deer, and as for wine they lacked none, so that well was the English man that might well entertain the Frenchman: the Lords of France never fetched their viandes, but they were sent to them, and often time their proportion of victual was so abundant, that they refused a great part thereof.
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Wriothesley's Chronicle [1508-1562]. August 1535. Allso this yeare, in August, the Lord Thomas Gerard (age 22),e sonne to the [his former brother-in-law] Earle of Kildaye, was taken in Irelande by the Lord Leonard Marques (age 56),f and sent into England to the King to Winchester, but the King sent him to prison to the Tower of London shortlye after.
Note e. Lord Thomas Fitzgerald, who sncceeded to the title of Kildare on the death of his father in the Tower of London abont 1634, headed the rebellion of the Fitzgeralds, but, being made prisoner, was sent into England and beheaded in 1637.
Note f. Lord Leonard Grey, fourth son of [his father] Thomas Marquis of Dorset For this service he was created Viscount Graney, and in the year following (1536) made Lord Justice and Lord Deputy of Ireland.
Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1535. 13th September 1535. Vienna Archives. 357. Chapuys to [Granvelle].
Remarks on the Emperor's military achievements. The English are much pleased at his victory, in accordance with the incredible affection which they almost all bear to him; except the King, the concubine, Cromwell, and some of their adherents, who, as a man whom he sent to the Court reports, are astounded at the good news, like dogs falling out of a window. Cromwell could hardly speak.
It is commonly reported that the [his former brother-in-law] Earl of Kildare has been taken by the brother (age 56) of his [his sister] belle mere (age 38)1, whom the King had sent into Ireland as captain-general. Is surprised that Cromwell has said nothing of it, unless it be that he is ashamed of the way he was taken, as the other had given him a safe-conduct to come and parley. Refers him to his letters to the Emperor, and asks him, when at Naples, to remember his affairs. London, 13 Sept.
A book against images has lately been printed with royal licence. It also is directed against mass and canonical hours. There is a report that the King intends the religious of all orders to be free to leave their habits and marry, and that if they will stay in their houses they must live in poverty. He intends to take the rest of the revenue, and will do stranger things still.
Fr., from a modern copy, pp. 2.
Note 1. That is to say, by Lord Leonard Grey, who was brother of Elizabeth, widow of Gerald.
Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1535. 28th October 1535. R. O. 700. John Graynfyld to Lord Lisle (age 71).
I have received your letter by your servant Bryant, and sped him of your requests. My Lord Chancellor prays you not to be so liberal in granting these petitions. I told him it was usual with your predecessors. He said, Never came so many; and told me to inform you that the certificate of the spiritualty was not correct, and that displeasure would be taken if it were known. I told him you would not certify from any partiality. He asked me why you had not certified Stanyngfyld. I told him "hit wasse a neuter;" and he said you ought to certify it as within the English pale, and that the King's subject was master of the house; also that you had omitted to certify the house of the sisters by the walls of Calais. Your lease of Sybberton is made sure. Please remember the matter between Golfon (Golston) and me. My Lord Leonard Graye (age 56) has gone into Ireland again, and many gunners with him. The King gave him 500 marks and £100 land to him and his heirs, besides his previous grant of 300 marks land. Also the King gave him a ship well trimmed, and the Queen (age 34) a chain of gold from her middle, worth 100 marks, and a purse of 20 sovereigns. The death is well stopped in London. All manner of grain is at a great price. St. Simon and St. Jude's Day.
Commends himself to his brother Sir Ric. Graynfyld and Mr. Porter.
Hol., pp. 2. Add. Endd.
In 1536 Leonard Grey 1st Viscount Grane (age 57) was appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland.
On 2nd January 1536 Leonard Grey 1st Viscount Grane (age 57) was created 1st Viscount Grane.
On 11th July 1537 Leonard Grey 1st Viscount Grane (age 58) visited County Galway. This was the first visit of a King's Deputy to the town, and marked the start of closer relations between the town and the Anglo-Irish administration in Dublin. He was lavishly entertained and stayed for seven days.
On 22nd February 1538 [his sister] Mary Grey Baroness Ferrers Chartley (age 47) died.
Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1540. [23rd June 1540] Omitted to mention that lord Leonard de Clidas (age 61)1 has been lately taken to the Tower accused of intelligence with the Irish opponents of this King. It is he who took his cousins and nephews in Ireland and brought them here, where they were executed.
French. Modern transcript, pp. 6.
Note 1. Meaning Lord Leonard Grey. "Clidas" is Marillac's attempt at the name "Kildare." Grey's sister married the 9th earl of Kildare, whose son (lord Thomas Fitzgerald) by a former wife, and five half-brothers (Sir James, Oliver, Richard, Sir John and Walter) are the nephew and cousins referred to here. They were executed 3 Feb. 1537.
Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1541. 29th May 1541. 868. Marillac to Francis I.
What has here happened since he wrote last, on the 22nd, gives matter to write. To begin with, a case more worthy of compassion than of long letters, the countess of Saalberi (age 67), mother of Cardinal Pol (age 41) and the late lord Montaigue, was yesterday morning, about 7 o'clock, beheaded in a corner of the Tower [Map], in presence of so few people that until evening the truth was still doubted. It was the more difficult to believe as she had been long prisoner, was of noble lineage, above 80 years old, and had been punished by the loss of one son and banishment of the other, and the total ruin of her house. Further reflections upon this. The manner of proceeding in her case and that of a lord who was executed at the same time (who is not yet named, but is presumed to be lord Leonard de Clidas (age 62), formerly the King's lieutenant in Ireland) seems to argue that those here are afraid to put to death publicly those whom they execute in secret. It may be added that yesterday all the heads which were fixed upon the bridge of the river which passes by this town were taken down; in order that the people may forget those whose heads kept their memory fresh, if it were not that this will people the place with new, for Marillac hears from a good place that, before St. John's tide, they reckon to empty the Tower of the prisoners now there for treason.
The talk of going to the North continues, and provisions are already being sent; which are the greater as the company will be 4,000 or 5,000 horse, as well because the King (age 49) wishes to go with more magnificence (as he has not yet been there) as to be secure against any seditious designs. They will be gentlemen of these quarters of King (Kent), whom he trusts most. The 50 gentlemen of the house will each have tent and war equipment, as also will several other young lords; so that it will be rather like following a camp than going to the chase.
As instructed in last packet of the 20th, will write to no one of affairs here. Would not have done it in the past had he known Francis's pleasure, but was only written to to address all he wrote to Francis, not that he should not write to others. Will write affairs concerning war or peace to Mons. de Vendosme, as long as he is in Picardy, and in his absence a word to M. du Bies, to prevent them thinking better or worse in the absence of news. Is not spoken to about the Cauchoide nor about the conversation he wrote last in cipher.
Note. For the French text of this letter see Correspondence of Castillon et Marillac, Page 309.
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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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Wriothesley's Chronicle [1508-1562]. 25th June 1541. The 25th daie of June the Lord Leonard Gray (age 62), brother to the [his brother] Lord Marques Dorsett departed, was arraigned at Westminstre in the Kinges Bench, and their condempned to death for treason.
Wriothesley's Chronicle [1508-1562]. 28th June 1541. The 28th daie of June, beinge Sainct Peters eaven, the Lord Leenard Gray (age 62) was beheaded at the Towre Hill, and in the afternoune nyne persons, three persons gentlemen, one called Mantell, and one Proudes, and another, was hanged at Saint Thomas Watteringes [Map] for the murther that the said Lord Dacrees was arraigned for.
On 28th June 1541 Leonard Grey 1st Viscount Grane (age 62) was executed at the Tower of London [Map] for having allowed [his nephew] Gerald "Wizard Earl" Fitzgerald 11th Earl of Kildare (age 16), his sister [his sister] Elizabeth's (age 44) son, to escape capture at Tower of London [Map].
Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1541. On St. Peter's eve [28th June 1541] lord Leonard (age 62), uncle of the [his nephew] Marquis of Osceter (age 24) (Dorset) and of the Chancellor's (age 53) [his niece] wife, was beheaded in front of the Tower [Map]. Hears he was accused of letting his [his nephew] nephew (age 16), the young Earl of Kildare, escape to France and thence to Liege.
Chronicle of Greyfriars. 28th June 1541. Also the 28th day of June was be-heddyd at Towre hyll lorde Leonard Grey (age 62) markes, and buried within the tower.
Chronicle of Edward Hall [1496-1548]. [Before 28th July 1541]. During this season, the commissioners that before were sent into Ireland, to inquire of the lord Gray (deceased), certified twenty articles of high treason against him, whereupon he was arraigned and tried by knights, because he was a Lord of name, but no Lord of the Parliament. Howbeit he discharged the jury, and confessed the inditement, and thereupon was judged, and after beheaded at the Tower Hill, where he ended his life very quietly and godly.
Chronicle of Edward Hall [1496-1548]. In this yere the lord Leonard Gray, brother to [his brother] Thomas lord Marques Dorset, being the King's Lieutenant in Ireland, practised sundry feats for his profit, as in delivering traitors being hostages, and especially his nephew [his nephew] Fitzgerald, brother to Thomas Fitzgerald before executed, and also caused such of the Irishe men, as he had intelligence with all, to invade such of the King's friends, which he favoured not. Wherefore the king sent for him, and he mistrusting and seeing no refuge wrote to the King's enemies, to invade the English pale after his departure. And also he kept the King's treasure, to his own use, without retaining soldiers, according to his commission whereupon, when he came to London, he was sent to the Tower [Map].
Chronicle of Edward Hall [1496-1548]. In this month were certain Commissioners, sent by the king into Ireland, to inquire of the Lord Leonard Gray, which certified diverse articles against him, as ye shall here in the next year following.
King Edward III of England 1312-1377
John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster 1340-1399
Ralph Neville 1st Earl of Westmoreland 1364-1425
Joan Beaufort Countess of Westmoreland 1379-1440
John Neville 3rd Baron Neville of Raby 1337-1388
Maud Percy Baroness Neville Raby
Alice Montagu 5th Countess of Salisbury 1407-1462
Richard Neville Earl Salisbury 1400-1460
Thomas Holland 2nd Earl Kent 1350-1397
Kings Wessex: Great x 13 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 10 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 16 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 11 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 14 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 4 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 12 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 10 Grand Son of Louis VII King of the Franks
Kings France: Great x 13 Grand Son of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 18 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Roger Grey 1st Baron Grey Ruthyn 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Reginald Grey 2nd Baron Grey Ruthyn 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Hastings Baroness Grey Ruthyn 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Reginald Grey 3rd Baron Grey Ruthyn 5 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Strange 2nd Baron Strange Blackmere 
3 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alianore Strange Baroness Grey Ruthyn 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Ankaret Boteler Baroness Strange Blackmere 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Edward Grey Baron Ferrers of Groby 6 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Astley 3rd Baron Astley
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Astley 4th Baron Astley 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Beauchamp Baroness Astley 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Joan Astley Baroness Grey Ruthyn 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Willoughby 2nd Baron Willoughby 
7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Willoughby Baroness Astley 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Roscelyn Baroness Willoughby and Latimer
GrandFather: John Grey 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Ferrers 4th Baron Ferrers of Groby 
3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Ferrers 5th Baron Ferrers of Groby 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Hoo Baroness Ferrers Groby
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Ferrers 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Roger Clifford 5th Baron Clifford 
4 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Philippa Clifford 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Maud Beauchamp Baroness Clifford 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Ferrers 6th Baroness Ferrers Groby 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Mowbray 4th Baron Mowbray Baron Segrave 
2 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Mowbray 1st Duke of Norfolk 2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Segrave 5th Baroness Segrave Baroness Mowbray 
Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Isabel Mowbray Baroness Berkeley 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Fitzalan 9th Earl of Surrey 4th or 11th Earl of Arundel 
2 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Fitzalan Duchess Norfolk 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Bohun Countess Arundel and Surrey 
Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Father: Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Woodville 
Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard Woodville
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Woodville 1st Earl Rivers
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Bittelsgate
Great x 2 Grandmother: Joan Bittelsgate
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Beauchamp 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Beauchamp
GrandMother: Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Guy of Luxemburg I Count Saint Pol and Ligny 
8 x Great Grand Son of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Luxemburg Count St Pol 3 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mathilde Chatillon Countess Saint Pol 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Peter Luxemburg I Count Saint Pol 4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Louis Count of Enghien
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Brienne
Great x 1 Grandmother: Jacquetta of Luxemburg Duchess Bedford 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Francesco Baux 1st Duke Andria 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margherita Baux 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Count Nicholas Orsini 3 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Sueva Orsini 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jeanne Sabran
Leonard Grey 1st Viscount Grane 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Bonville 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Bonville
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Aumale
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Bonville 1st Baron Bonville 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Fitzroger 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Fitzroger 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Bonville 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Reginald Grey 2nd Baron Grey Ruthyn 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Reginald Grey 3rd Baron Grey Ruthyn 5 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Alianore Strange Baroness Grey Ruthyn 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Grey 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Ros 4th Baron Ros Helmsley 
5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Ros Baroness Grey Ruthyn 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Beatrice Stafford Countess Desmond 
2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
GrandFather: William Bonville 6th Baron Harington 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Harrington 2nd Baron Harington 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Harrington 3rd Baron Harington
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Bermingham
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Harrington 5th Baron Harington
Great x 4 Grandfather: Neil Loring
Great x 3 Grandmother: Isabel Loring Baroness Harington
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Harrington
Mother: Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ralph Neville 2nd Baron Neville of Raby 
8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Neville 3rd Baron Neville of Raby 4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Alice Audley Baroness Greystoke and Neville 
3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Ralph Neville 1st Earl of Westmoreland 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Percy 10th and 2nd Baron Percy 5 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Maud Percy Baroness Neville Raby 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Idonia Clifford Baroness Percy 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Neville Earl Salisbury Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: King Edward III of England 
Son of King Edward II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Philippa of Hainaut Queen Consort England 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Stephen I England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Joan Beaufort Countess of Westmoreland 
Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Giles "Payne" Roet 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Katherine Swynford aka Roet Duchess Lancaster
GrandMother: Katherine Neville Baroness Bonville and Hastings 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Montagu 1st Baron Montagu, Baron Monthermer 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury 2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Monthermer Baroness Montagu 3rd Baroness Monthermer 
Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Montagu 1st Count Perche 4th Earl Salisbury 3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Adam Francis
Great x 3 Grandmother: Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury
Great x 1 Grandmother: Alice Montagu 5th Countess of Salisbury 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Holland 1st Earl Kent 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Holland 2nd Earl Kent Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan "Fair Maid of Kent" Princess Wales Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Eleanor Holland 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Fitzalan 3rd or 10th Earl of Arundel 8th Earl of Surrey 5 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alice Fitzalan Countess Kent 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor Plantagenet Countess Arundel and Surrey 
Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England