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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Grey
Maternal Family Tree: Jeanne Sabran
Around 1454 [his father] John Grey [aged 22] and [his mother] Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 17] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Richard Woodville 1st Earl Rivers [aged 49] and [his grandmother] Jacquetta of Luxemburg Duchess Bedford [aged 39].
In 1455 Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset was born to John Grey [aged 23] and Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 18].
On 20th July 1460 Thomas Scales 7th Baron Scales [aged 63] was murdered by boatmen whilst travelling from the Tower of London [Map] to Sanctuary, Westminster Abbey [Map]. His daughter Elizabeth succeeded 8th Baroness Scales. She was, or had been married to, Henry Bourchier (the year of his death may been 1458). She was in 1466 married to [his uncle] Anthony Woodville 2nd Earl Rivers [aged 20], brother of [his step-father] King Edward IV's [aged 18] wife [his mother] Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 23]; an example of the Woodville family marrying rich heiresses.
On 17th February 1461 the Lancastrian army defeated the Yorkist army at Second Battle of St Albans and rescued King Henry VI of England and II of France [aged 39]. The Lancastrian army was commanded by [his future father-in-law] Henry Holland 3rd Duke Exeter [aged 30] and included Henry Percy 3rd Earl of Northumberland [aged 39], John Mowbray 3rd Duke of Norfolk [aged 45], Henry Grey 4th or 7th Baron Grey of Codnor [aged 26], Henry Roos and Richard Welles 7th Baron Welles, Baron Willoughby [aged 33].
Thomas Ros 9th Baron Ros Helmsley [aged 33], William Tailboys 7th Baron Kyme [aged 46], John Talbot 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 12] and Thomas Tresham [aged 41] were knighted.
The Yorkist army included Richard "Kingmaker" Neville Earl Warwick, 6th Earl Salisbury [aged 32], William Fitzalan 9th or 16th Earl of Arundel [aged 43], John Wenlock 1st Baron Wenlock [aged 61] and Henry Bourchier 2nd Count of Eu 1st Earl Essex [aged 57]. John Neville 1st Marquess Montagu [aged 30] was captured. Robert Poynings [aged 42] and James Luttrell [aged 34] were killed.
John Grey [aged 29] was killed fighting for Lancaster. A death that was to have far reaching consequences; his widow Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 24] subsequently married King Edward IV of England [aged 18].
During the battle William Bonville 1st Baron Bonville [aged 68] and Thomas Kyriell [aged 65] were assigned to the protection of the King Henry VI. After the battle both were beheaded against all decent laws of battle.
William Bonville 1st Baron Bonville was beheaded. His great granddaughter Cecily succeeded 2nd Baroness Bonville.
Thomas Kyriell was beheaded.
William Cotton [aged 21] was killed.
Warkworth's Chronicle [1461-1474]. [27th June 1461] As for alle thynges that folowe, referre them to my copey, in whyche is wretyn a remanente lyke to this forseyd werke: that is to wytt, that, at the coronacyone1 of the forseyde Edwarde, he create and made dukes his two brythir, the eldere George [aged 11] Duke of Clarence, and his yongere brothir Richard [aged 8] Duke of Gloucetre; and the Lord Montagu [aged 30]2, the Earl of Warwick [aged 32]'s brothere, the Earl of Northumberlonde; and one William Stafford squiere, Lord Stafforde of Southwyke; and Sere Herbard [aged 38], Lorde Herbard, and after Lorde Earl of Penbroke3; and so the seide Lorde Stafforde [aged 22] was made Earl of Devynschire4; the Lorde Gray Ryffyne [aged 44], Earl of Kent6; the Lorde Bourchyer [aged 57], Earl of Essex; the Lorde Jhon of Bokyngham [aged 33], the Earl of Wyltschyre5; Sere Thomas [Walter] Blount [aged 45]7, knyghte, Lord Mont[joy]; Sere Jhon Hawarde, Lorde Hawarde [aged 36]8; William Hastynges [aged 30] he made Lorde Hastynges and grete Chamberlayne; and the Lorde Ryvers; Denham squyere, Lorde Dynham; and worthy as is afore schewed; and othere of gentylmen and yomenne he made knyghtes and squyres, as they hade desserved.
Note. The Warkworth Chronicle, in Bernard's Catalogue of the Peterhouse manuscripts, taken from James's Eclogæ, is numbered - 230. It may be as well to observe that John Bagford mentions a contemporary Chronicle in English MS. of the events of the commencement of Edward's reign, in MS. Tann. Bodl. 453.
Note 1. At the coronacyone. King Edward was crowned in Westminster Abbey, on the 29th of June 1461. Warkworth's first passage is both imperfect and incorrect, and would form a very bad specimen of the value of the subsequent portions of his narrative; yet we find it transferred to the Chronicle of Stowe. It must, however, be regarded rather as a memorandum of the various creations to the peerage made during Edward's reign, than as a part of the chronicle. Not even the third peerage mentioned, the Earldom of Northumberland, was conferred at the Coronation, but by patent dated 27 May 1464: and the only two Earldoms bestowed in Edward's first year (and probably at the Coronation) were, the Earldom of Essex, conferred on Henry Viscount Bourchier, Earl of Eu in Normandy, who had married the King's aunt, the Princess Isabel of York; and the Earldom of Kent, conferred on William Neville, Lord Fauconberg, one of King Edward's generals at Towton. The former creation is mentioned by Warkworth lower down in his list; the latter is omitted altogether. - J.G.N.
Note 2. The Lord Montagu. And then Kyng Edward, concidering the greate feate doon by the said Lord Montagu, made hym Earl of Northumberlond; and in July next folowyng th'Earl of Warwyk, with th'ayde of the said Earl of Northumberland, gate agayn the castell of Bamborugh, wheryn was taken Sir Raaf Gray [aged 29], which said Ser Raaf was after behedid and quartred at York. Also, in this yere, the first day of May, the Kyng wedded Dame [his mother] Elizabeth Gray [aged 24], late wif unto the lord Gray of Groby, and doughter to the Lord Ryvers." - The London Chronicle, MS. Cotton. Vitell. A. xvi. fol. 126, ro. The MS. of the London Chronicle, from which Sir Harris Nicolas printed his edition, does not contain this passage. It is almost unnecessary to remark the chronological incorrectness of the above, but it serves to show how carelessly these slight Chronicles were compiled. Cf. MS. Add. Mus. Brit. 6113, fol. 192, rº. and MS. Cotton. Otho, B. XIV. fol. 221, ro.
Note 3. Lord Earl of Pembroke. William Lord Herbert of Chepstow, the first of the long line of Herbert Earls of Pembroke, was so created the 27th May 1468. His decapitation by the Duke of Clarence at Northampton in 1469, is noticed by Warkworth in p. 7.-J.G.N.
Note 4. Earl of Devynschire. Humphery Stafford, created Baron Stafford of Southwick by patent 24th April 1464, was advanced to the Earldom of Devon 7th May 1469; but beheaded by the commons at Bridgwater before the close of the same year, as related by Warkworth, ubi supra. - J.G.N.
Note 5. Earl of Wyltschyre. John Stafford, created Earl of Wiltshire, 5th Jan. 1470; he died in 1473.—J.G.N.
Note 6."The Lorde Gray Ryffyne, Earl of Kent". The Earl of Kent, of the family of Neville, died without male issue, a few months after his elevation to that dignity; and it was conferred on the 30th May 1465, on Edmund Lord Grey de Ruthyn, on occasion of the Queen's coronation. He was cousin-german to Sir John Grey, of Groby, the Queen's first husband. On the same occasion the Queen's son Sir Thomas Grey [aged 6] was created Marquess of Dorset; her father Richard Wydevile [aged 56] lord Ryvers was advanced to the dignity of Earl Ryvers; and her brother Anthony [aged 21] married to the heiress of Scales, in whose right he was summoned to Parliament as a Baron. - J.G.N.
Note 7.Sere Thomas Blount. This should be Walter, created Lord Montjoy 20th June 1465; he died in 1474.-J.G.N.
Note 8. Sere Jhon Hawarde, Lord Hawarde. John Howard 1st Duke of Norfolk. This peerage dates its origin, by writ of summons to Parliament, during the short restoration of Henry VI. in 1470, a circumstance more remarkable as "evidence exists that he did not attach himself to the interest of that Prince, being constitued by Edward, in the same year, commander of his fleet." See Sir Harris Nicolas's memoir of this distinguished person (afterwards the first Duke of Norfolk) in Cartwright's History of the Rape of Bramber, p. 189.-J.G.N.
On 1st May 1464 [his step-father] King Edward IV of England [aged 22] and Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 27] were married at Grafton Regis, Northamptonshire [Map]. Jacquetta of Luxemburg Duchess Bedford [aged 49], Elizabeth's mother, being the only witness. The date not certain. She the daughter of Richard Woodville 1st Earl Rivers [aged 59] and Jacquetta of Luxemburg Duchess Bedford. He the son of Richard Plantagenet 3rd Duke of York and Cecily "Rose of Raby" Neville Duchess York [aged 48]. They were sixth cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King Edward III of England.
On 26th May 1465 [his mother] Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 28] was crowned Queen Consort England by Cardinal Thomas Bourchier [aged 47] at Westminster Abbey [Map].
[his step-father] King Edward IV of England [aged 23] attended.
John Cheney 1st Baron Cheyne [aged 23], [his uncle] Anthony Woodville 2nd Earl Rivers [aged 25], Richard Woodville 3rd Earl Rivers [aged 12] and William Calthorpe [aged 55] were created Knight of the Bath.
Elizabeth Tilney Countess of Surrey [aged 21] carried her train.
Richard Choke [aged 45] was created Knight of the Bath.
In October 1466 Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 11] and Anne Holland [aged 5] were married at Greenwich, Kent [Map]. See She the daughter of Henry Holland 3rd Duke Exeter [aged 36] and Anne York Duchess Exeter [aged 27]. He the son of John Grey and Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 29]. They were fourth cousin once removed. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
On 27th March 1470 George Neville 1st Duke Bedford [aged 9] was created 1st Duke Bedford by [his step-father] King Edward IV of England [aged 27] in preparation for his marriage to [his half-sister] Elizabeth York Queen Consort England [aged 4] which didn't, in the end, take place. He, George, was nephew to Richard "Kingmaker" Neville Earl Warwick, 6th Earl Salisbury [aged 41] whose defection to the Lancastrian side may have caused the King to change his mind about his daughter's marriage.
Chronicle of Jean de Waurin Books 3-5 [1400-1474]. Therefore, the King, without lingering in that village, took his direct path toward his enemies as quickly as he could. But when he was three leagues [nine miles] away from them, night surprised him, and he had to stay there until the day dawned bright and clear, which was on a Saturday, the fourth day of May [1471]. On that day, the good king prepared his forces in good order, unfurled his banners, sounded his trumpets, and entrusted his cause to Almighty God, his glorious mother, and Sir Saint James, Saint George, and all the blessed saints of paradise. He advanced his army toward his enemies and approached their field, which was well fortified and situated in an incredibly strong position, very difficult to assail. Nevertheless, the King commanded that they be attacked.
The battle began, initiated by the King's archers, who launched a heavy assault against their enemies, who valiantly defended themselves against both artillery fire and arrows. At the front of their battlefield, there were deep ditches, embankments, and bushes, making it difficult for the King's forces to approach them directly. But Edmund [aged 32], known as the Duke of Somerset, who on that day led the vanguard, along with his companions, feeling troubled in that place and dismayed by the dense barrage of arrows raining down on them, or driven by great courage and bravery that overshadowed their fear, ventured out of their enclosure, seeing that no one noticed their departure, they came through a small stream and organized themselves neatly opposite the King's battle line, where they initiated a truly remarkable assault. The King bravely met their attack, and through his valour, skill, and the true assurance of his companions, he entered their enclosure, gaining control of it by force of arms, so much so that his enemies were forced to retreat from the hill.
It is to be remembered that when the King arrived before the said enclosure, he observed, before launching an attack, that to the right-hand side of this fort there was a very thick forest, within which he suspected his enemies had set up a large ambush. For this reason, he selected two hundred of the best lancers from his army, to whom he ordered to advance towards the ridge of this forest, keeping an eye on it, and if necessary, to engage there and do their duty well. And if they did not see any signs of an ambush, they were to return to the battle and strike against their enemies with the greatest advantage they could find. This provision came just in time, as perfectly as possible, for the two hundred aforementioned lancers, after having traversed a distance along the edge of the woods and seeing no signs of an ambush, were able to employ themselves elsewhere, and they struck against the Duke of Somerset and his company so effectively that, by their attack, and the valour of King Edward, who was assaulting them with his battle from the other side as you have heard, the said Somerset and all the vanguard he led were compelled to flee, resulting in a great slaughter during their retreat.
And when the King had defeated the vanguard of his enemies, he courageously advanced against the main battle, led by Edward [aged 17], known as the Prince of Wales, where many noble feats of arms were performed on both sides. But ultimately, the complete victory remained with King Edward, and the defeat befell his enemies. In this battle, Edward, self-proclaimed Prince of Wales, Thomas [aged 16], also known as the Earl of Dorset, John of Somerset, called Marquess of Dorset, the Lord Wenlock [aged 71], and many other knights and squires were killed in great numbers.
Et la commencerent la bataille les archiers du roy, qui a leurs annemis donnerent ung moult pesant assault, lesquelz vaillamment se deffendirent, tant de trait dengins comme de sajettes; et si avoit au front de leur parcq parfons fossez, bayes et buissons, parquoy ilz estoient maul vais a eulz aprochier main a main. Mais Emond, appele duc de Sombresset, qui pour ce jour estoit conducteur de ladvantgarde, lui et ses compaignons ennuyez en celle place ou espoventez du trait qui moult dru cheoit sur eulz, ou par grant hardiesse et corage quy les sourmontoit, issirent hors de leur parcq, et lors, voiant que nul ne se aperchevoit de leur issue, sen vindrent parmy une ruyelle mettre en belle ordonnance droit a loposite de la bataille du roy, ou ilz commencerent ung tres merveilleux estour; ou le roy moult courageusement le recheut et tant fist par sa vaillance et proesse et la vraye asseurance de ceulz de sa compaignie quil entra dedens lenclos, guaignant par force darmes lenclos et fosse, tant que constrainte fut a ses annemis eulz retraire de la montaigne.
Pourquoy le roy, sans sejourner audit village, prinst le plutost quil peult son droit chemin vers ses annemis; mais quant il vint a trois lieues deulz la nuit le sourprinst, si le convint illec demourer jusques au jour aparant bel et cler, quy fut par ung samedy, quatriesme jour de May, que le bon roy sapareilla en bonne ordonnance, desploia ses banieres, fist sonner ses trompettes et commist sa querelle en Dieu tout puissant, sa mere glorieuse et monseigneur Saint Jacques, Saint George et tous les benois sains et saintes de paradis, advanchant son ost vers ses annemis et en aprochant leur champ, lequel estoit bien bastillie et seant en une merveilleusement forte place, moult difficile a assaillir; non obstant laquele chose, le roy commanda quilz feussent assaillis.
Icy est a remembrer que quant le roy fut venu devant ledit parcq, il considera, avant quil les assaillist, que a la droite main de ce fort avoit ung bois moult espes, dedens lequel il pensoit ses annemis avoir mis une grosse embusche; pour laquele cause il choisy deux cens lances des meilleurs de son ost, ausquelz il commanda eulz traire sur la costiere de ce bois, aians illec tousjours leuil, et que se necessite estoit ilz se y emploiassent et feissent bien leur debvoir; et en cas quilz ne veissent quelque aparence dembusche, quilz retournassent vers la bataille et que en le plus grant advantage quilz porroient frappassent sur leurs annemis. Laquele provision vint aussi bien a point que possible estoit, car les deux cens lances devant dites, depuis quilz eussent une espace costoie le bois, et que nulle aparence dembusche ny veoient, parchevans ou bien emploier se porroient autre part, frapperent sur le duc de Sombresset et sa compaignie telement que, par leur emprinse, et la vaillance du roy Edouard, qui atout sa bataille les assailloit de lautre coste comme oy avez, ledit de Sombresset et toute ladvangarde quil menoit furent constrains de fuyr, en laquele fuite fut faite grant occision.
Et quant le roy eut descomfy ladvantgarde de ses annemis, il marcha avant courageusement contre la bataille, que menoit Edouard appele prince de Galles, ou maintes belles apartises darmes furent faites, tant dun coste comme dautre; mais finablement la parfaitte victore en demoura au roy Edouard et la descomfiture tourna sur ses annemis. En ceste bataille furent occis Edouard soy disant prince de Galles, Thomas appele comte de Dommessiere, Jehan de Sombresset nomme marquis de Dorset, le seigneur de Vennelok et plusieurs autres chevalliers et escuyers en moult grant nombre.
English Historical Literature in the Fifteenth Century Appendix 13. On the 21st day of the same month of May [1471], [his step-father] King Edward [aged 29] returned to the City of London in noble triumph, having Margaret [aged 41], formerly queen, led before his army in a chariot. He rode through the middle of the city, with banners and standards unfurled, as though on a campaign or expedition undertaken against the aforementioned Kentish rebels. In his company at that time were: His brothers, the Dukes of Clarence [aged 21] and Gloucester [aged 18]; the Dukes of Norfolk [aged 46], Suffolk [aged 28], and Buckingham [aged 16]; the Earls of Northumberland [aged 22], Shrewsbury [aged 22], [his uncle] Rivers [aged 31], Essex [aged 67], Wiltshire [aged 43], and Pembroke [aged 20]. Among the barons and lords: Audley [aged 45], Stanley [aged 36], Grey of Ruthin [aged 17], the son and heir of the Earl of Kent [aged 54], Grey of Codnor [aged 36], Berners [aged 55], Cromwell1, Dacre2, Hastings [aged 59], Howard [aged 28]3, Dynham [aged 38], Cobham [aged 23], Mautravers [aged 21], the son and heir of Arundel [aged 53], Bourchier, Dudley [aged 70], Scrope [aged 33], and Ferrers [aged 16], along with many other nobles, knights, and esquires, and a greater number of mounted men than had ever been seen before.
Eodem mensis Maii die xxj rediit Rex Edwardus ad ciuitatem London, cum nobili triumpho, faciens secum adduci dictam Margaretam, olim reginam, in curru precedente exercitui. Et equitauit per medium ciuitatis, vexillis et standardis displicatis, tanquam in itinere et expedicione capta aduersus prefatos Kentenses, In cuius comitiva tune fuerunt duces de Clarence et Gloucester ipsius fratres; item duces de Northfolke et Southfolk, et de Bukyngham; item comites de Northumberland, de Shrovesbury, de Ryuers, de Essex, de Wyltshyre, de Pembroke; Barones, domini de Audeley, de Stanley, de Grey Ruthyn, films et heres de Comitis Cancie, de Grey Cotenor, de Barreners, de Cromwell, de Dacres, de Hastynges, de Howard, de Dynham, de Cobham, de Mautravers, filius et heres de Arundell, de Bourgcher, de Dudley, de Scrope, de Ferrers, cum aliis nobilibus, militibus et armigeris, ac multitudine equitum maiore quam ante sit visa.
Note 1. Unclear as to who this refers to since Ralph Cromwell 3rd Baron Cromwell died in 1456.
Note 2. Unclear as to who this refers to since Thomas Dacre 6th Baron Dacre Gilsland died in 1458, Ralph Dacre 1st Baron Dacre Gilsland died in 1461 and Humphrey Dacre 1st Baron Dacre Gilsland [aged 47] was created Baron Dacre in either 1473 or 1482.
Note 3. We take this to refer to Thomas Howard 2nd Duke of Norfolk, son of John Howard 1st Duke of Norfolk, referring to his subsiduary title.
On 14th August 1471 Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 16] was created 1st Earl Huntingdon.
In May 1474 [his half-brother] Richard of Shrewsbury 1st Duke of York was created 1st Duke York.
Before 6th June 1474 [his wife] Anne Holland [aged 13] died.
On 5th September 1474 Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 19] and Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset [aged 14] were married. He the son of John Grey and Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 37]. They were half second cousin once removed. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
In 1475 Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 20] was created 1st Marquess Dorset. [his wife] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset [aged 14] by marriage Marchioness Dorset.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In 1476 Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 21] was appointed 216th Knight of the Garter by [his step-father] King Edward IV of England [aged 33].
On 17th January 1476 John Mowbray 4th Duke of Norfolk [aged 31] died at Framlingham Castle, Suffolk [Map]. Suspicious since he was only 32? Duke Norfolk, Earl Surrey and Earl Nottingham extinct. His daughter [his future sister-in-law] Anne [aged 3] succeeded 8th Countess Norfolk, 11th Baroness Mowbray, 12th Baroness Segrave and inherited the vast Mowbray estates. She was subsequently married to [his half-brother] Richard of Shrewsbury 1st Duke of York [aged 2] two years later.
On 12th June 1476 [his half-brother] Richard of Shrewsbury 1st Duke of York [aged 2] was created 1st Earl Nottingham by [his step-father] King Edward IV of England [aged 34].
On 29th July 1476 Edward I's paternal grand-father Edward of York, Richard of York and his younger brother Edmund were reburied at St Mary and All Saints in Fotheringhay [Map] in a ceremony attended by [his step-father] King Edward IV of England [aged 34], George York 1st Duke of Clarence [aged 26], Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 21], William Hastings 1st Baron Hastings [aged 45], [his uncle] Anthony Woodville 2nd Earl Rivers [aged 36].
Thomas Whiting, Chester Harald wrote:
On 24 July [1476] the bodies were exhumed, that of the Duke, garbed in an ermine furred mantle and cap of maintenance, covered with a cloth of gold lay in state under a hearse blazing with candles, guarded by an angel of silver, bearing a crown of gold as a reminder that by right the Duke had been a king. On its journey, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, with other lords and officers of arms, all dressed in mourning, followed the funeral chariot, drawn by six horses, with trappings of black, charged with the arms of France and England and preceded by a knight bearing the banner of the ducal arms. Fotheringhay was reached on 29 July, where members of the college and other ecclesiastics went forth to meet the cortege. At the entrance to the churchyard, King Edward waited, together with the Duke of Clarence, the Marquis of Dorset, Earl Rivers, Lord Hastings and other noblemen. Upon its arrival the King made obeisance to the body right humbly and put his hand on the body and kissed it, crying all the time. The procession moved into the church where two hearses were waiting, one in the choir for the body of the Duke and one in the Lady Chapel for that of the Earl of Rutland, and after the King had retired to his closet and the princes and officers of arms had stationed themselves around the hearses, masses were sung and the King's chamberlain offered for him seven pieces of cloth of gold which were laid in a cross on the body. The next day three masses were sung, the Bishop of Lincoln preached a very noble sermon and offerings were made by the Duke of Gloucester and other lords, of The Duke of York's coat of arms, of his shield, his sword, his helmet and his coursers on which rode Lord Ferrers in full armour, holding in his hand an axe reversed. When the funeral was over, the people were admitted into the church and it is said that before the coffins were placed in the vault which had been built under the chancel, five thousand persons came to receive the alms, while four times that number partook of the dinner, served partly in the castle and partly in the King's tents and pavilions. The menu included capons, cygnets, herons, rabbits and so many good things that the bills for it amounted to more than three hundred pounds.
On 22nd June 1477 [his son] Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset was born to Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 22] and [his wife] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset [aged 16]. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England. He married (1) after 1483 his half third cousin Eleanor St John Marchioness Dorset (2) 1509 Margaret Wotton Marchioness Dorset and had issue.
In 1478 [his half-brother] George York 1st Duke Bedford was created 1st Duke Bedford by [his step-father] King Edward IV of England [aged 35].
On 15th January 1478 Edward IV's youngest son [his half-brother] Richard of Shrewsbury [aged 4] and [his sister-in-law] Anne Mowbray [aged 5] were married at St Stephen's Chapel in Westminster [Map]. She by marriage Duchess Norfolk. She the daughter of John Mowbray 4th Duke of Norfolk and Elizabeth Talbot Duchess Norfolk [aged 35]. He the son of King Edward IV of England [aged 35] and Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 41]. They were second cousin once removed. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
The ceremony was attended by Edward's daughters [his half-sister] Elizabeth [aged 11], Mary [aged 10] and Cecily [aged 8].
The day before Thomas Howard [aged 35] was knighted.
In 1483 Parliament changed the succession so Richard of Shrewsbury 1st Duke of York would continue to enjoy her inheritance (she died in 1481) effectively dis-inheriting William Berkeley 1st Marquess Berkeley [aged 52] (who was subsequently created Earl and Marquess), who accepted a payment of £34,000, and John Howard 1st Duke of Norfolk [aged 53], who was subsequently created Duke of Norfolk, possibly in compensation.
Thomas Frowyk [aged 55] was created Knight of the Bath.
See Woodville Marriages.
In 1479 [his son] Leonard Grey 1st Viscount Grane was born to Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 24] and [his wife] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset [aged 18]. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England. He married before 15th March 1526 his fourth cousin Eleanor Dudley Countess Somerset, daughter of Edward Sutton 2nd Baron Dudley and Cecily Willoughby Baroness Dudley.
In March 1479 [his half-brother] George York 1st Duke Bedford [aged 2] died of plague at Windsor Castle [Map]. Duke Bedford extinct.
In 1480 [his daughter] Dorothy Grey Baroness Mountjoy, Willoughby and Latimer was born to Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 25] and [his wife] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset [aged 19]. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. She married (1) 1509 her half fourth cousin Robert Willoughby 2nd Baron Willoughby 10th Baron Latimer, son of Robert Willoughby 1st Baron Willoughby 9th Baron Latimer and Blanche Champernowne, and had issue (2) 29th July 1523 William Blount 4th Baron Mountjoy, son of John Blount 3rd Baron Mountjoy and Lora Berkeley Countess Ormonde, and had issue.
The Gentleman's Magazine Volume 101. This last entry is by a second hand; but at folio 73 of the same MS. we meet with a more correct notice of this Princess's [[his half-sister] Bridget York] birth, to which is added the ceremonial of her Christening, and as it is short, and has never been noticed, I shall transcribe it here.
Md that in the yere of our lorde Ml iiije iiijxx And the xxth yere of the Reigne of Kinge Edwarde the iiijth on Sainte Martyns even, was Borne the lady Brigette, And Cristened on the morne on Sainte Martyns daye [11th November 1480] In the Chappell' of Eltham, by the Busshoppe of Chichester in order As ensuethe.
Furste C Torches borne by Knightes, Esquiers, and other honneste Parsonnes.
The Lorde Matreuers [aged 30], Beringe the Basen, Havinge A Towell' aboute his necke.
Therle of Northumberlande [aged 31] beringe A Taper not light'.
Therle of Lincolne [aged 18] the Salte.
The Canapee borne by iij Knightes and A Baron.
My [his aunt] lady Matrauers [aged 26] dyd bere A Ryche Crysom Pynned Ouer her lefte breste.
The Countesse of Rychemond [aged 37] did Bere The Princesse.
My lorde Marques Dorsette [aged 25] Assisted her.
My lady the Kinges Mother [aged 65], and my lady Elizabethe [aged 14], were godmothers at the Fonte.
The Busshoppe of Winchester [aged 82] Godfather.
And in the Tyme of the christeninge, The officers of Armes caste on theire cotes.
And then were light' all' the foresayde Torches.
Presente, theise noble men enseuenge.
The Duke of Yorke [aged 7].
The lorde Hastinges [aged 49], the Kinges chamberlayn.
The lorde Stanley [aged 45], Stewarde of the Kinges house.
The lorde Dacres [aged 65] the quenes chamberlein, and many other astates.
And when the sayde Princesse was christened, A Squier helde the Basens to the gossyppes, and even by the Fonte my lady Matravers was godmother to the conformacion.
And from thens she was borne before the high' aulter, And that Solempnitee doon she was Borne eftesonys into her Parclosse,1 Accompenyed wt the Astates Aforesayde.
And the lorde of Sainte Joanes brought' thither A Spice plate.
And At the sayde Parclose the godfather and the godmother gaue greate gyftes to the sayde princesse.
Whiche gyftes were borne by Knightes and esquiers before the sayde Princesse, turneng to the quenes chamber Againe, well' Accompanyed As yt Apperteynethe, and after the custume of this Realme. Deo gr'as.
It must be remarked, that the above memoranda confirm the order of the births of King Edward's children, as stated by Mr. Nicolas, and prove Sandford to have been mistaken. The name of George of Shrewsbury, the third son of Edward, is omitted, and the date of his birth is unknown; but on making an excavation in St. George's Chapel, at Windsor, in 1810, his body was found in a leaden coffin, and an inscription, partly obliterated, which fixes his death to March, 1473. Lysons's Berksh. p. 471.
Yours, & c.
F. M.
Note 1. "Parclos to parte two roumes, separation." — Palsgrave.
On 27th June 1481 George Talbot 4th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 13] and [his sister-in-law] Anne Hastings Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 10] were married. She by marriage Countess of Shrewsbury, Countess Waterford. He the son of John Talbot 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury and Catherine Stafford Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford. They were second cousins. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
After 1483 Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset [aged 5] and Eleanor St John Marchioness Dorset were married. He the son of Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 28] and Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset [aged 22]. They were half third cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England.
On 23rd January 1483 [his grandmother] Elizabeth Ferrers 6th Baroness Ferrers Groby [aged 64] died. Her grandson Thomas [aged 28] succeeded 7th Baron Ferrers of Groby. [his wife] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset [aged 22] by marriage Baroness Ferrers of Groby.
On 25th March 1483 [his step-father] King Edward IV of England [aged 40] returned to Westminster [Map] from Windsor, Berkshire [Map]. A few days later he became sufficiently unwell to add codicils to his will, and to have urged reconciliation between William Hastings 1st Baron Hastings [aged 52] and Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 28]; it isn't clear what the cause of the friction between the two men was although it appears well known that Hastings resented the Woodville family.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 9th April 1483 [his step-father] King Edward IV of England [aged 40] died at Westminster [Map]. His son [his half-brother] Edward [aged 12] succeeded V King of England. Those present included [his mother] Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 46], William Hastings 1st Baron Hastings [aged 52] and Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 28].
On 17th April 1483 the coffin of [his step-father] Edward IV [deceased] was carried to Westminster Abbey [Map] by Edward Stanley 1st Baron Monteagle [aged 21], John Savage [aged 39], Thomas Wortley [aged 50], Thomas Molyneux [aged 38], probably [his future brother-in-law] John Welles 1st Viscount Welles [aged 33] who had married Edward's daughter Cecily), John Cheney 1st Baron Cheyne [aged 41], Walter Hungerford [aged 19], Guy Wolston [aged 50], John Sapcote [aged 35], Thomas Tyrrell [aged 30], John Risley, Thomas Dacre 2nd Baron Dacre Gilsland [aged 15], John Norreys, Louis de Bretelles and John Comyn 4th Lord Baddenoch.
Those in the procession included:
Thomas St Leger [aged 43], widow of Edward's sister Anne.
William Parr [aged 49].
William Stonor [aged 33].
Henry Ferrers [aged 40].
James Radclyffe [aged 43].
George Browne [aged 43].
Gilbert Debenham [aged 51].
John Howard 1st Duke of Norfolk [aged 58] walked in front of the coffin with Edward's personal arms.
John Marlow Abbot Bermondsey followed by:
Bishop Thomas Kempe [aged 93].
Bishop John Hales [aged 83] (Bishop of Chester?).
Bishop Robert Stillington [aged 63].
Bishop William Dudley [aged 58].
Cardinal John Morton [aged 63] (as Bishop of Ely).
Bishop Edmund Tuchet [aged 40] (as Bishop of Rochester).
Bishop Peter Courtenay, and.
[his uncle] Bishop Lionel Woodville [aged 36].
Archbishop Thomas Rotherham [aged 59] brought up the rear.
Cardinal Thomas Bourchier [aged 65], then Archbishop of Canterbury, took no part due to infirmity.
John de la Pole Earl Lincoln 1st [aged 21]; the King's nephew,.
William Hastings 1st Baron Hastings [aged 52].
Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 28].
William Herbert 2nd Earl Pembroke 1st Earl Huntingdon [aged 32] (some sources say Earl of Huntingindon?).
William Berkeley 1st Marquess Berkeley [aged 57].
Thomas Stanley 1st Earl of Derby [aged 48].
Richard Fiennes Baron Dacre Gilsland [aged 68].
John Sutton 1st Baron Dudley [aged 82].
George Neville 4th and 2nd Baron Abergavenny [aged 43].
John Tuchet 6th Baron Audley, 3rd Baron Tuchet [aged 57].
Walter Devereux Baron Ferrers of Chartley [aged 51].
Edward Grey 1st Viscount Lisle [aged 51].
Henry Lovell 9th Baron Marshal 8th Baron Morley [aged 7].
Richard Woodville 3rd Earl Rivers [aged 30].
John Brooke 7th Baron Cobham [aged 35].
Richard Hastings Baron Willoughby [aged 50].
John Bourchier 6th Baron Ferrers of Groby [aged 45].
The History of King Richard the Third by Thomas More. 1st May 1483. And as soon as they came in his presence, they alighted down with all their company about them. To whom the Duke of Buckingham [aged 28] said, "Go before, gentlemen and yeomen, keep your rooms." And thus in a goodly array, they came to the [his half-brother] King [aged 12] and, on their knees in very humble fashion, assuaged his Grace, who received them in very joyous and amiable manner, nothing earthly knowing nor mistrusting as yet. But even by and by, in his presence, they picked a quarrel with the Lord Richard Grey [aged 26], the King's other brother by his mother, saying that he, with the Lord Marquis [aged 28] his brother and the Lord Rivers [aged 43] his uncle, had planned to rule the King and the realm, and to set variance among the lords, and to subdue and destroy the noble blood of the realm. Toward the accomplishing whereof, they said that the Lord Marquis had entered into the Tower of London [Map], and thence taken out the King's treasure, and sent men to the sea. All of which things, these dukes knew well, were done for good purposes and necessary ones by the whole council at London, except that they must say something.
Unto which words, the King answered, "What my brother marquis has done I cannot say. But in good faith I dare well answer for mine uncle Rivers and my brother here, that they be innocent of any such matters.".
"Yea, my Liege," said the Duke of Buckingham, "they have kept their dealing in these matters far from the knowledge of your good Grace.".
And forthwith they arrested the Lord Richard and Sir Thomas Vaughan [aged 73], knight, in the King's presence, and brought the King and all back unto Northampton [Map], where they took again further counsel. And there they sent away from the King whomever it pleased them, and set new servants about him, such as liked them better than him. At which dealing he wept and was nothing content, but it remedied not. And at dinner the Duke of Gloucester [aged 30] sent a dish from his own table to the Lord Rivers, praying him to be of good cheer, all should be well enough. And he thanked the Duke, and prayed the messenger to bear it to his nephew, the Lord Richard, with the same message for his comfort, who he thought had more need of comfort, as one to whom such adversity was foreign. But for himself, he had been all his days used to a life therewith, and therefore could bear it the better. But for all this comfortable courtesy of the Duke of Gloucester, he sent the Lord Rivers and the Lord Richard with Sir Thomas Vaughan into the north country to different places to prison and, afterwards, all to Pomfrait [Map], where they were, in conclusion, beheaded.
Around 3rd May 1483 [his mother] Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 46] took Sanctuary, Westminster Abbey [Map] with [his half-brother] Richard of Shrewsbury 1st Duke of York [aged 9] and Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 28]. Her brother [his uncle] Bishop Lionel Woodville [aged 36] was with her.
On 13th June 1483 Richard, Duke of Gloucester [aged 30], [future King Richard III] held a Council meeting at the Tower of London [Map] attended by William Hastings 1st Baron Hastings [aged 52], Cardinal John Morton [aged 63], Archbishop Thomas Rotherham [aged 59] and Henry Stafford 2nd Duke of Buckingham [aged 28]. During the course of the meeting Richard accused William Hastings 1st Baron Hastings, Cardinal John Morton and Archbishop Thomas Rotherham of treasonable conspiracy with the [his mother] Queen [aged 46].
William Hastings 1st Baron Hastings was summarily beheaded at Tower Green, Tower of London [Map]. He was buried in North Aisle St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle [Map] next to [his step-father] King Edward IV of England. His son [his brother-in-law] Edward [aged 16] succeeded 2nd Baron Hastings.
Cardinal John Morton and Archbishop Thomas Rotherham were arrested.
Around August 1483 the Princes in the Tower, brothers [his half-brother] King Edward V of England [aged 12] and Richard of Shrewsbury 1st Duke of York [aged 9] disappeared from the Tower of London [Map].
King Edward V of England: Earl March and Earl Pembroke extinct.
Richard of Shrewsbury 1st Duke of York: Duke York, Duke Norfolk and Earl Norfolk, Earl Nottingham extinct.
Commines writes "Not long after, he received letters from the Duke of Gloucester, who had made himself king, styled himself Richard III, and barbarously murdered his two nephews".
Robert Ricart, Mayor of Bristol: "And this yere the two sonnes of King E. were put to scylence in the Towre of London." although it should be noted this was written in the margin.
Croyland Chronicle: "while a rumour was spread that the sons of king Edward before-named had died a violent death, but it was uncertain how."
Polydore Vergil: "And to rid himself of this altogether he decided to kill his nephews, for as long as they were safe he could by no means be free of danger."
Jean Molinet: "They were imprisoned for about five weeks; and by the captain of the tower, the Duke Richard secretly had them put to death and eliminated."
Mancini: "I have seen not a few people burst into tears and weep when his memory was brought up after he was removed from the sight of men, and it was already suspected that he had been eliminated. Whether he has indeed been removed, and by what manner of death, I have not yet discovered."
Robert Fabyan: "In which passe tyme the prynce, or of ryght kynge Edwarde the v., with his broder the duke of Yorke, were put under suer kepynge within the Tower, in suche wyse that they neuer came abrode after."
Patent Rolls. 23rd October 1483. Leicester. Precept to the sheriff of Devon to issue a proclamation (English) denouncing Thomas Dorset, late marquess of Dorset [aged 28], who holds the unshameful and mischievous woman called Shore's wife [aged 38] in adultery, Sir William Noreys, Sir William Knevet, Sir Thomas Bourghchier of Barnes, Sir George Broun, knights, John Cheyne, John Noreis, Walter Hungerford, John Russh and John Harecourt of Staunton, who have assembled the people by the comfort of the great rebel the late duke of Bukyngham [aged 29] and bishops of Ely and Salisbury, and offering rewards for their capture and pardon for all who withdraw from them. Foedera. By K.
The like to the sheriffs, mayors and bailiffs in the following counties, cities and towns:- Cornwall. Surrey and Sussex. Coventry. Salop. Kent. Bath. Wilts. Middlesex. Winchester. Somerset and Dorset. Hereford. Southampton. Stafford. Gloucester. Town of Devizes. Southampton. London. New Sarum. Oxford and Berks. Bristol. Bridgewater. The like to the king's kinsman William, Earl of Arundel, constable of Dover castle and warden of the Cinque Ports. Commission to John Scrope of Bolton, knight, Edward Redmayn, Halnath Malyverer and Peter Saynabon to arrest and imprison all rebels in the counties of Devon and Cornwall, to take their castles, lordships, manors, lands, chattels and possessions into the king's hands and to enquire into the value and receive the issues of the same, and to certify thereon to the king and council.
The like to the following:- John Zouche of Zouche, knight, Richard Potyer, Richard Tyllys and John Cutte, in the counties of Somerset and Dorset. John Rogger, Richard Danby and Robert Kerre, in the counties of Southampton and Wilts. Francis, Viscount Lovell, Richard Harcourt, knight, William Catesby, esquire of the body, and Edward Fraunk, in the counties of Oxford and Berks.
Close Rolls Edward IV Edward V Richard III 1476-1485. 23rd October 1483 King Richard III of England [aged 31]. Leicester, Leicestershire [Map]. Precept to the Sheriff of Devon to issue a proclamation (English) denouncing Thomas Dorset, late Marquess of Dorset [aged 28], who holds unshameful and mischievous woman called Shore's wife in adultery, Sir William Noreys [aged 42], Sir William Knevet [aged 43], Sir Thomas Bourghchier of Barnes, Sir George Broun, knights, John Cheyne, John Noreis, Walter Hungerford, John Russh and John Harecourt of Staunton, who have assembled the Person by the comfort of the great rebel the late duke of Bukyngham [aged 29] and bishops of Ely and Salisbury, and offering rewards for their capture and pardon for all who withdraw from them. By K.
Around November 1483 Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 28] and Eleanor Bohun Countess Ormonde escaped to Henry VII in Brittany [Map]. Walter Hungerford [aged 19], Giles Daubeney 1st Baron Daubeney [aged 32] and Edward Courtenay 1st Earl Devon [aged 24] took part. The rebellion was suppressed by Richard Guildford [aged 33] and Robert Willoughby 1st Baron Willoughby 9th Baron Latimer [aged 31].
On 7th December 1484 King Richard III of England [aged 32] issued a proclamation against the Lancastrian rebels:
Forasmuch as the King our sovereign lord hath certain knowledge that Piers Bishop of Exeter, Thomas Grey [aged 29] late Marquis Dorset, Jasper Tydder [aged 53] son of Owen Tidder calling himself Earl of Pembroke, John [aged 42] late Earl of Oxford and Sir [his uncle] Edward Wideville [aged 28], with other diverse his rebels and traitors disabled and attainted by authority of the high court of parliament (of whom many ben known for open murderers, adulterers & extortioners, contrary to the pleasure of God and against all truth, honour & nature), have forsaken their natural country, taking them first to be under the observance of the duke of Brittany, and to him promised certain things which by him & his council were thought things too greatly unnatural and abominable for them to grant, observe, keep and perform, and therefore the same utterly refused.
The said traitors, seeing that the said duke and his council would not aid and succour them nor follow their ways, privily departed out of his country into France, there taking them to be under th'obeissance of the King's ancient enemy Charles calling himself king of France; and, to abuse and blind the commons of this said realm, the said rebels & traitors have chosen to be their captain one [his future brother-in-law] Henry Tydder [aged 27], son of Edmond Tydder, son of Owen Tidder, which of his ambitious & insatiable covetise, stirred and excited by the confederacy of the King's said rebels and traitors, encroacheth upon him the name and title of royal estate of this realm of England, whereunto he hath no manner interest, right or colour, as every man well knoweth.
And, to th'intent to achieve the same by the aid, support and assistance of the King's said ancient enemies and of this his realm, hath covenanted and bargained with him and with all the council of France to give up and release in perpetuity all the title and claim that the kings of England have had and ought to have to the crown and realm of France, together with the duchies of Normandy, Gascony and Guienne, castles and towns of Calais, Guisnes, Hammes with the marches pertaining to the same. And over this, and beside the alienation / of all the premises into the possession of the king's said ancient enemies, to the greatest aneyntesment, shame and rebuke that ever might fall to this land, the said Herry Earl of Richmond and all the other the king's rebels and traitors aforesaid have intended at their coming to do the most cruel murders, slaughters, robberies and disherisons that ever were seen in any Christian realm.
For the which, and other inestimable dangers to be eschewed, and to th'intent that the King's said rebels and traitors may either be utterly put from their said malicious purposes or soon discomfited if they enforce to land, the King our said sovereign lord desireth, willeth and chargeth all and everyche of the natural subjects of this his realm to call the premises to their mind and, like good and true Englishmen, to endeavour themselves at all their powers for the defence of themselves, their wives, children, goods and inheritances against the said malicious purposes and conspirations which the ancient enemies of this land have made with the King's said rebels for the final destruction of the same land as is aforesaid.
And our said sovereign lord, as a well-willed, diligent and courageous prince, will put his most royal person to all labour and pain necessary in this behalf for the resistence and subduing of his said enemies, rebels and traitors, to the most comfort, wele and surety of all and singular his true and faithful liegemen and subjects. And these our letters shall be therein your warrant.
Given under our Signet at our palace of Westminster the 7 day of December the 2nd year of our reign.
To the right reverend father in God our right trusty and wellbeloved the Bishop of Lincoln, our chancellor of England.
The History of King Richard the Third by Thomas More. [his step-father] King Edward in his life, although this dissension between his friends somewhat irked him, yet in his good health he somewhat the less regarded it because he thought whatsoever business should fall between them, he should always be able to rule both parties. But in his last sickness, when he perceived his natural strength so sore enfeebled that he despaired all recovery, then he, considering the youth of his children, suspecting nothing less than what would happen, and well foreseeing that many harms might grow by family debates while the youth of his children lacked discretion of themselves, and good counsel of their friends-because either party should counsel for their own advantage and by pleasant advice win themselves favor, rather than by profitable advertisement do the children good-he called some of them before him who were at variance, and especially, the Lord Marquis Dorset [aged 30], the [his mother] Queen's [aged 48] son by her first [his father] husband, and Lord Hastings [Note. Text says Richard? Should be William!], a noble man, then Lord Chamberlain, against whom the Queen specially grudged for that great favour the King showed him, and also because she thought him secretly familiar with the King in wanton company. Her kindred also bore him dislike, as well for that the King had made him Captain of Calais (which office the [his uncle] Lord Rivers, brother to the Queen, claimed because of the King's former promise), and for diverse other great gifts which he received that they looked for.
Before 7th August 1485 [his brother-in-law] Ralph Scrope 9th Baron Scrope of Masham and [his half-sister] Cecily York, daughter of Edward IV [aged 16] were married. The marriage had been arranged by King Richard III of England [aged 32]. There had been rumours that the King was going to marry one of his nieces, Elizabeth York Queen Consort England [aged 19] or Cecily York Viscountess Welles so this marriage quelled those rumours. The marriage was annulled after the Battle of Bosworth as "as not being in the interests of the dynasty" [Note. No sources for this information.] The date of the marriage is unknown. However, see Mary Anne Everett Green Live of the Princesses of England Volume 1 Cecilia Third Daughter of Edward IV. She the daughter of King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 48]. They were half second cousin once removed. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England.
On 18th January 1486 [his brother-in-law] King Henry VII of England and Ireland [aged 28] and [his half-sister] Elizabeth of York [aged 19] were married at Westminster Abbey [Map]. She by marriage Queen Consort England. She the daughter of [his step-father] King Edward IV of England and [his mother] Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 49]. He the son of Edmund Tudor 1st Earl Richmond and Margaret Beaufort Countess Richmond [aged 42]. They were third cousins. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward III of England.
In December 1487 [his brother-in-law] John Welles 1st Viscount Welles [aged 37] and [his half-sister] Cecily York Viscountess Welles [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Viscountess Welles. She the daughter of [his step-father] King Edward IV of England and [his mother] Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 50]. He the son of Lionel Welles 6th Baron Welles and Margaret Beauchamp Duchess Somerset. They were half fourth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward I of England.
In 1491 [his daughter] Mary Grey Baroness Ferrers Chartley was born to Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 36] and [his wife] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset [aged 30]. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. She married May 1501 her second cousin Walter Devereux 1st Viscount Hereford, son of John Devereux 9th Baron Ferrers of Chartley and Cecily Bourchier Baroness Ferrers Chartley, and had issue.
On 8th June 1492 [his mother] Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 55] died at Bermondsey Abbey [Map]. She was buried in the Chantry Chapel next to the Altar, St George's Chapel [Map] with her husband [his step-father] King Edward IV of England.
In October 1495 [his brother-in-law] William Courtenay 1st Earl Devon [aged 20] and [his half-sister] Catherine York Countess Devon [aged 16] were married. She the daughter of [his step-father] King Edward IV of England and [his mother] Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England. He the son of Edward Courtenay 1st Earl Devon [aged 36] and Elizabeth Courtenay. They were sixth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward I of England.
Around 1497 [his daughter] Elizabeth Grey Countess Kildare was born to Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 42] and [his wife] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset [aged 36]. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. She married 1522 Gerald Fitzgerald 9th Earl of Kildare, son of Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare and Alice Fitzeustace Countess Kildare, and had issue.
Before 1500 [his son-in-law] John Arundell of Lanherne [aged 25] and Eleanor Grey were married. She the daughter of Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 44] and Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset [aged 39]. They were fourth cousins. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
In May 1501 [his son-in-law] Walter Devereux 1st Viscount Hereford [aged 13] and Mary Grey Baroness Ferrers Chartley [aged 10] were married. She the daughter of Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 46] and Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset [aged 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 20th September 1501 Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset [aged 46] died. His son Thomas [aged 24] succeeded 2nd Marquess Dorset, 2nd Earl Huntingdon, 8th Baron Ferrers of Groby. Eleanor St John Marchioness Dorset by marriage Marchioness Dorset.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Around 1504 Henry Stafford 1st Earl Wiltshire [aged 25] and [his former wife] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset [aged 43] were married. He the son of Henry Stafford 2nd Duke of Buckingham and [his aunt] 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.
On 12th May 1529 [his former wife] Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset [aged 68] died. She was buried at Church St Mary the Virgin, Astley.
[his son] Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset [aged 51] succeeded 8th Baron Harington, 3rd Baron Bonville,
Henry Machyn's Diary. 15th November 1557. The xv day of November was bered ser (blank) [his grandson] Arundell [deceased] knyght, with iiij branche tapers of wax, and penselles ij dosen, and vj dosen skochyons, and a standard, pennon, and cott armur, elmett, targatt, sword; and ij whyt branchys, and ij dosen torchys, and mony morners, and a grett dener.
Note. P. 158. Funeral of sir [John] Arundell. "Sir John Arundell knight dyed at his manner of Southorne in the county of Oxford the 7th of November in A°. 1557, and was buryed the xiiijth of the same mounth in the parish churche there." (MS. Harl. 897, f. 15b.) He was the elder son of sir [his former son-in-law] Thomas Arundell [Note. Mistake for John?], who died in 1545, by lady Alianor Grey, daughter of Thomas marquess of Dorset; and brother to sir Thomas, who was beheaded in 1551–2 (see pp. 15, 323.) Sir John was also for some time confined in the Tower; as mentioned in the minutes of the privy council April 7, 1550, and 13 April 1551 (see MS. Harl. 352, ff. 76, 149b.) By lady Anne Stanley [aged 15], daughter of Edward earl of Derby, he was ancestor of the Arundells of Lanherne in Cornwall and Chideock in Dorsetshire. [Note. It was his son John Arundell [aged 27] who married Anne Stanley Baroness Stourton.]
[his son] Richard Grey was born to Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England. He married his third cousin twice removed Florence Pudsey.
[his daughter] Eleanor Grey was born to Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. She married before 1500 her fourth cousin John Arundell of Lanherne and had issue.
[his daughter] Margaret Grey was born to Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. She married Richard Wake.
[his son] Edward Grey was born to Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England. He married in or before 1516 Anne Jerningham.
[his daughter] Bridget Grey was born to Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
[his son] John Grey was born to Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England. He married (1) Elizabeth Catesby (2) after 10th August 1518 Anne Barley.
[his son] George Grey was born to Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward III of England.
[his daughter] Cecily Grey Baroness Dudley was born to Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. She married before 1525 her fourth cousin John Sutton 3rd Baron Dudley, son of Edward Sutton 2nd Baron Dudley and Cecily Willoughby Baroness Dudley, and had issue.
Kings Wessex: Great x 12 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 9 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 15 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 10 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings England: Great x 6 Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 11 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 20 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 13 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 17 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Grey 2nd Baron Grey of Wilton 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Roger Grey 1st Baron Grey Ruthyn 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Maud Basset Baroness Grey Wilton 
5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Reginald Grey 2nd Baron Grey Ruthyn 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Hastings 13th Baron Abergavenny 1st Baron Hastings 
5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Hastings Baroness Grey Ruthyn 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Isabel Valence Baroness Bergavenny Baroness Hastings 
Great x 1 Grandfather: Reginald Grey 3rd Baron Grey Ruthyn 5 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Fulk Strange 1st Baron Strange Blackmere 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Strange 2nd Baron Strange Blackmere 3 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor Giffard Baroness Strange Blackmere 
2 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Alianore Strange Baroness Grey Ruthyn 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Boteler 1st Baron Wem and Oversley
Great x 3 Grandmother: Ankaret Boteler Baroness Strange Blackmere 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Ela Herdeburgh Baroness Wem and Oversley 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
GrandFather: Edward Grey Baron Ferrers of Groby 6 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Giles Astley
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Astley 3rd Baron Astley
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Astley 4th Baron Astley 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Guy Beauchamp 10th Earl Warwick 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Beauchamp Baroness Astley 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Alice Tosny Countess Warwick 
5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Joan Astley Baroness Grey Ruthyn 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Willoughby 1st Baron Willoughby 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Willoughby 2nd Baron Willoughby 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Deincourt Baroness Willoughby of Eresby 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Joan Willoughby Baroness Astley 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Roscelyn Baroness Willoughby and Latimer
Father: John Grey 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Ferrers 3rd Baron Ferrers of Groby 
2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Ferrers 4th Baron Ferrers of Groby 3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Ferrers 5th Baron Ferrers of Groby 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Hoo
Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Hoo Baroness Ferrers Groby
Great x 4 Grandmother: Isabel St Leger 
Great x 1 Grandfather: Henry Ferrers 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Clifford 3rd Baron Clifford 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Roger Clifford 5th Baron Clifford 4 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Isabel Berkeley Baroness Clifford Baroness Musgrave 
3 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Philippa Clifford 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Beauchamp 11th Earl Warwick 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Maud Beauchamp Baroness Clifford 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Katherine Mortimer Countess Warwick 
4 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
GrandMother: Elizabeth Ferrers 6th Baroness Ferrers Groby 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Mowbray 3rd Baron Mowbray 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Mowbray 4th Baron Mowbray Baron Segrave 2 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Plantagenet Baroness Mowbray 
Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Mowbray 1st Duke of Norfolk 2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Segrave 4th Baron Segrave 
5 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Segrave 5th Baroness Segrave Baroness Mowbray Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Plantagenet 1st Duchess of Norfolk 
Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Isabel Mowbray Baroness Berkeley 3 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 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 4 Grandmother: Eleanor Plantagenet Countess Arundel and Surrey Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Fitzalan Duchess Norfolk 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Bohun 1st Earl of Northampton 
Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Bohun Countess Arundel and Surrey Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Badlesmere Countess Northampton 
4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Woodville 
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Woodville
GrandFather: Richard Woodville 1st Earl Rivers
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Bittelsgate
Great x 1 Grandmother: Joan Bittelsgate
Great x 4 Grandfather: Hugh Beauchamp 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Beauchamp
Great x 4 Grandmother: Idonea Lisle 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Joan Beauchamp
Mother: Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Luxemburg Lord of Ligby 
7 x Great Grand Son of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Guy of Luxemburg I Count Saint Pol and Ligny 8 x Great Grand Son of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Alix Dampierre 
7 x Great Grand Daughter of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Luxemburg Count St Pol 3 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Jean Chatillon Count Saint Pol Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mathilde Chatillon Countess Saint Pol 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jeanne Fiennes 
5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Peter Luxemburg I Count Saint Pol 4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Louis Count of Enghien
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Brienne
GrandMother: Jacquetta of Luxemburg Duchess Bedford 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Francesco Baux 1st Duke Andria 
Great x 1 Grandmother: Margherita Baux 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Count Roberto Orsini 2 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Count Nicholas Orsini 3 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Sueva del Balzo
Great x 2 Grandmother: Sueva Orsini 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Jeanne Sabran