The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Noel-Hill
Maternal Family Tree: Anne Smithson 1652
On 19th May 1768 [his father] Noel Hill 1st Baron Berwick (age 23) and [his mother] Anna Vernon (age 20) were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square.
On 21st September 1770 Thomas Noel-Hill 2nd Baron Berwick was born to [his father] Noel Hill 1st Baron Berwick (age 25) and [his mother] Anna Vernon (age 22).
On 19th May 1784 [his father] Noel Hill 1st Baron Berwick (age 39) was created 1st Baron Berwick of Attingham in Shropshire.
On 6th January 1789 [his father] Noel Hill 1st Baron Berwick (age 43) died at Portman Square Marylebone. On 20th January 1789 he was buried at St Eata's Church, Atcham. His son Thomas (age 18) succeeded 2nd Baron Berwick of Attingham in Shropshire.
Around 1792 George Romney (age 57). Portrait of Thomas Noel-Hill 2nd Baron Berwick (age 21).
On 23rd March 1797 [his mother] Anna Vernon (age 49) died.
Before 22nd November 1800 [his brother] Richard Noel-Hill 4th Baron Berwick (age 26) and [his sister-in-law] Frances Maria Owen (age 15) were married.
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.
In 1801 Thomas Noel-Hill 2nd Baron Berwick (age 30) was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
On 8th February 1812 Thomas Noel-Hill 2nd Baron Berwick (age 41) and Sophia Dubochet (age 17) were married at St Marylebone Church. The difference in their ages was 23 years.
In 1827 and 1829 Thomas Noel-Hill 2nd Baron Berwick (age 56) held bankruptcy auctions to pay off debts.
On 3rd November 1832 Thomas Noel-Hill 2nd Baron Berwick (age 62) died in Naples [Map] without issue. His brother [his brother] William (age 59) succeeded 3rd Baron Berwick of Attingham in Shropshire.
On 29th August 1875 [his former wife] Sophia Dubochet (age 81) died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 18 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 24 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 19 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 23 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 12 Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 20 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 19 Grand Son of Louis VII King of the Franks
Kings France: Great x 21 Grand Son of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 25 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
GrandFather: Thomas Hill aka Harwood
Father: Noel Hill 1st Baron Berwick 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Varney Noel 1st Baronet 
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Noel 2nd Baronet
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Noel 4th Baronet 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Lovelace 2nd Baron Lovelace
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Lovelace Lady Noel 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Wentworth 7th Baroness Wentworth Baroness Lovelace 
9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Noel 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Clobery of Winchester in Hampshire
Great x 2 Grandmother: Mary Clobery
GrandMother: Susan Maria Noel 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Trollope 1st Baronet
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Trollope
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Clitherow Lady Trollope
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Trollope 3rd Baronet
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Trollope
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Clobery of Winchester in Hampshire
Great x 2 Grandmother: Susannah Clobery
Thomas Noel-Hill 2nd Baron Berwick 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Vernon 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Vernon 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Vernon 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Vernon
Great x 3 Grandmother: Muriel Vernon 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jane Corbet 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Henry Vernon 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
GrandFather: Henry Vernon 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Mother: Anna Vernon 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Wentworth 1st Baronet 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Wentworth of Ahsby 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Atkins Baroness Wentworth Woodhouse
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Wentworth of Northgatehead 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Allen Apsley
Great x 3 Grandfather: Captain Allen Apsley 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Lucy St John 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Isabella Apsley 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Petre
GrandMother: Henrietta Wentworth 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Johnson
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Johnson Baron Wentworth
Great x 1 Grandmother: Anne Johnson Countess Strafford
Great x 4 Grandfather: Hugh Smithson 1st Baronet
Great x 3 Grandfather: Hugh Smithson
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Smithson