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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Paternal Family Tree: Lamb
Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Meynell
In or before 1743 [his father] Matthew Lamb 1st Baronet [aged 37] and [his mother] Charlotte Coke [aged 23] were married. She brought Melbourne Hall, Derbyshire [Map] to the Lamb family.
On 29th January 1745 Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne was born to Matthew Lamb 1st Baronet [aged 40] and Charlotte Coke [aged 26].
On 29th May 1766 [his brother-in-law] Henry Belasyse 2nd Earl Fauconberg [aged 24] and [his sister] Charlotte Lamb Countess Fauconberg [aged 23] were married. She by marriage Countess Fauconberg. He the son of Thomas Belasyse 1st Earl Fauconberg [aged 67].
On 6th November 1768 [his father] Matthew Lamb 1st Baronet [aged 63] died. His son Penistone [aged 23] succeeded 2nd Baronet Lamb of Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire.
On 13th April 1769 Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 24] and Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 17] were married.
On 3rd November 1769 [his uncle] Bishop Robert Lamb [aged 66] died unmarried. His younger brother [his father] Matthew Lamb 1st Baronet inherited his estate.
Around 1770 [his mother] Charlotte Coke [aged 50] died.
On 3rd May 1770 [his son] Peniston Lamb was born to Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 25] and [his wife] Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 18].
On 15th March 1779 [his son] William Lamb 2nd Viscount Melbourne was born to Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 34] and [his wife] Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 27]. He married 1805 Caroline Ponsonby aka Lamb, daughter of Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough.
The London Gazette 12146. 23rd December 1780. Also like Letters Patent, containing His Majesty's Grants of the Dignity of a Viscount of the said Kingdom unto the following Noblemen, and their Heirs Male, by the Names, Stiles and Titles as undermentioned, viz.
James Baron Lifford, His Majesty's Chancellor of Ireland, Viscount Lifford, of Lifford, in the County of Donegall.
Otway Lord Desart, Viscount Desart, of Desert, in the County of Kilkenny.
John Baron Erne [aged 49], Viscount Erne, of Crom Castle, in the County of Fermanagh. [Mary Caroline Hervey Countess Erne [aged 27] by marriage Viscountess Erne of Crom Castle in County Fermanagh.]
Barry Lord Farnham, Viscount Farnham, of Farnham, in the County of Cavan.
Simon Lord Irnham [aged 67], Viscount Carhampton, of Castlehaven, in the County of Cork.
Bernard Lord Bangor [aged 61], Viscoount Bangor, of Castleward, in the County of Downe. [Ann Bligh Viscountess Bangor by marriage Viscountess Bangor of Castleward in County Downe.]
Penyston Lord Melbourne [aged 35], Viscount Melbourne, of Kilmore, in the County of Cavan. [[his wife] Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 29] by marriage Viscountess Melbourne of Kilmore in County Cavan.]
James Lord Clifden [aged 46], Viscount Clifden, of Gowran, in the County of Kilkenny.
John Lord Naas [aged 80], Viscount Mayo, of Monecrouer.
On 17th April 1782 [his son] Frederick Lamb 3rd Viscount Melbourne was born to Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 37] and [his wife] Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 30]. His paternity is considered a matter of conjecture given that his mother is believed to have had numerous lovers? He married before 29th January 1853 Alexandrina Julia Gräfin von Maltzan.
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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On 11th July 1784 [his son] George Lamb was born to Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 39] and [his wife] Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 32]. Some sources suggest his father may have been King George IV [aged 21] who became his godfather. He married 17th May 1809 Caroline St Jules, daughter of William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire and Elizabeth Christiana Hervey Duchess Devonshire.
On 21st April 1787 [his daughter] Emily Lamb Countess Cowper was born to Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 42] and [his wife] Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 35]. She married (1) 20th July 1805 Peter Nassau Clavering-Cowper 5th Earl Cowper, son of George Nassau Clavering-Cowper 3rd Earl Cowper and Hannah Anna Gore 3rd Countess Cowper, and had issue (2) 18th October 1865 Henry John Temple 3rd Viscount Palmerston, son of Henry Temple 2nd Viscount Palmerston and Mary Mee Viscountess Palmerston.
On 8th November 1787 John Eliot 1st Baronet [aged 51] died at Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire [Map], the seat of his friend Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 42]. He was buried at St Etheldreda's Church, Hatfield [Map]. Baronet Eliot of Pebbles extinct.
In 1790 [his sister] Charlotte Lamb Countess Fauconberg [aged 47] died.
Around 1790. Thomas Lawrence [aged 20]. Portrait of Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 44].
The Memoirs of Harriet Wilson Chapter 1. 1801. I was not depraved enough to determine immediately on a new choice, and yet I often thought about it. How indeed could I do otherwise, when the Honourable Frederick Lamb [aged 18] was my constant visitor, and talked to me of nothing else? However, in justice to myself, I must declare that the idea of the possibility of deceiving Lord Craven while I was under his roof, never once entered into my head. Frederick was then very handsome, and certainly tried with all his soul and with all his strength, to convince me that constancy to Lord Craven was the greatest nonsense in the world. I firmly believe that Frederick Lamb sincerely loved me, and deeply regretted that he had no fortune to invite me to share with him.
Lord Melbourne [aged 55], his father, was a good man. Not one of your stiff-laced, moralising fathers, who preach chastity and forbearance to their children. Quite the contrary, he congratulated his son on the lucky circumstance of his friend Craven having such a fine girl with him.
"No such thing," answered Frederick Lamb, "I am unsuccessful there. Harriette will have nothing at all to do with me."
"Nonsense!" rejoined Melbourne, in great surprise, "I never heard anything half so ridiculous in all my life. The girl must be mad! She looks mad. I thought so the other day, when I met her galloping about, with her feathers blowing, and her thick dark hair about her ears.
"I'll speak to Harriette for you," added his lordship, after a long pause, and then continued repeating to himself, in an undertone, "not have my son indeed! Six feet high! A fine, straight, handsome, noble young fellow! I wonder what she would have!"
In 1805 [his son] William Lamb 2nd Viscount Melbourne [aged 25] and [his daughter-in-law] Caroline Ponsonby aka Lamb [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough [aged 46] and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough [aged 43].
On 24th January 1805 [his son] Peniston Lamb [aged 34] died of tuberculosis unmarried.
On 20th July 1805 [his son-in-law] Peter Nassau Clavering-Cowper 5th Earl Cowper [aged 27] and [his daughter] Emily Lamb Countess Cowper [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Countess Cowper. He the son of George Nassau Clavering-Cowper 3rd Earl Cowper and Hannah Anna Gore 3rd Countess Cowper.
On 17th May 1809 [his son] George Lamb [aged 24] and [his daughter-in-law] Caroline St Jules were married. She the illegitmate daughter of William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire [aged 61] and Elizabeth Christiana Hervey Duchess Devonshire [aged 51].
In 1818 [his wife] Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 66] 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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On 22nd July 1828 Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 83] died. His son William [aged 49] succeeded 2nd Viscount Melbourne of Kilmore in County Cavan, 3rd Baronet Lamb of Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire.
Adeline Horsey Recollections. Lord and Lady Palmerston gave delightful parties, to which I was often invited. Lady Palmerston was a daughter of the first Viscount Melbourne, and she married the fifth Earl Cowper as her first husband. It was generally known that she had been Palmerston's mistress for many years, but she was a charming woman and proved herself an ideal helpmeet to him. Her manner was most genial, and she always appeared grateful to her husband's friends for their support. She possessed that peculiar art of making each guest feel that he or she was the one particular person she wished most to see; so the dinners and receptions of this perfect hostess were always very pleasant functions.
GrandFather: Matthew Lamb of Southwell in Nottinghamshire
Father: Matthew Lamb 1st Baronet
Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Coke of Trusley
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Coke
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Coke
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Coke
GrandFather: Thomas Coke
Mother: Charlotte Coke
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Hale of King's Walden
GrandMother: Mary Hale
Great x 2 Grandfather: Isaac Meynell of Meynell Langley, Derbyshire
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Meynell