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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On 1st April 1904 Sylvia Hawkes Baroness Stanley was born.
On 3rd February 1927 Major Anthony Ashley-Cooper [aged 26] and Sylvia Hawkes Baroness Stanley [aged 22] were married. He the son of Anthony Ashley-Cooper 9th Earl of Shaftesbury [aged 57] and Constance Grosvenor Countess of Shaftesbury [aged 51].
On 22nd August 1931 Arthur Stanley 5th Baron Stanley, 5th Baron Sheffield, 4th Baron Eddisbury [aged 55] died. His son [her future husband] Edward [aged 23] succeeded 6th Baron Stanley Alderley, 6th Baron Sheffield of Roscommon in Roscommon, 5th Baron Eddisbury of Winnington in Cheshire, 12th Baronet Stanley of Alderley in Cheshire.
On 28th November 1934 Major Anthony Ashley-Cooper [aged 34] and Sylvia Hawkes Baroness Stanley [aged 30] were divorced after she began an affair with American actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr, who was named as co-respondent in the petition for divorce.
On 31st March 1937 [her former husband] Major Anthony Ashley-Cooper [aged 36] and Françoise Soulier were married. He the son of [her former father-in-law] Anthony Ashley-Cooper 9th Earl of Shaftesbury [aged 67] and [her former mother-in-law] Constance Grosvenor Countess of Shaftesbury [aged 61].
Before 18th January 1944 [her future husband] Edward Stanley 6th Baron Stanley, 6th Baron Sheffield, 5th Baron Eddisbury [aged 36] and Victoria Audrey Chetwynd-Talbot [aged 33] were married.
On 18th January 1944 Edward Stanley 6th Baron Stanley, 6th Baron Sheffield, 5th Baron Eddisbury [aged 36] and Sylvia Hawkes Baroness Stanley [aged 39] were married. She by marriage Baroness Stanley Alderley.
On 8th March 1947 [her former husband] Major Anthony Ashley-Cooper [aged 46] died.
In 1948 Edward Stanley 6th Baron Stanley, 6th Baron Sheffield, 5th Baron Eddisbury [aged 40] and Sylvia Hawkes Baroness Stanley [aged 43] were divorced.
On 3rd March 1971 [her former husband] Edward Stanley 6th Baron Stanley, 6th Baron Sheffield, 5th Baron Eddisbury [aged 63] died. His brother [her former brother-in-law] Lyulph [aged 55] succeeded 7th Baron Stanley Alderley, 7th Baron Sheffield of Roscommon in Roscommon, 6th Baron Eddisbury of Winnington in Cheshire, 13th Baronet Stanley of Alderley in Cheshire.
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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On 29th June 1977 Sylvia Hawkes Baroness Stanley [aged 73] died.