Text this colour links to Pages. Text this colour links to Family Trees. Text this colour are links that disabled for Guests.
Place the mouse over images to see a larger image. Click on paintings to see the painter's Biography Page.
Mouse over links for a preview. Move the mouse off the painting or link to close the popup.
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.
Paternal Family Tree: Brownlow
Before 26th June 1659 [his father] Richard Brownlow 2nd Baronet (age 16) and [his mother] Elizabeth Freke Lady Brownlow (age 26) were married.
On 5th November 1665 William Brownlow 4th Baronet was born to [his father] Richard Brownlow 2nd Baronet (age 22) and [his mother] Elizabeth Freke Lady Brownlow (age 32).
In 1666 [his grandfather] William Brownlow 1st Baronet (age 71) died. His son [his father] Richard (age 23) succeeded 2nd Baronet Brownlow of Humby in Lincolnshire. [his mother] Elizabeth Freke Lady Brownlow (age 33) by marriage Lady Brownlow of Humby in Lincolnshire.
On 3rd July 1668 [his father] Richard Brownlow 2nd Baronet (age 25) died. His son [his brother] John (age 9) succeeded 3rd Baronet Brownlow of Humby in Lincolnshire.
Monument St Peter and St Paul Church, Belton [Map]. Armorial 
Brownlow Arms with a canton of the Rad Hand of Ulster impaled his wife's Freke Arms.
Richard Brownlow 2nd Baronet: Before 1643 he was born to William Brownlow 1st Baronet and Elizabeth Duncombe. Before 26th June 1659 Richard Brownlow 2nd Baronet and Elizabeth Freke Lady Brownlow were married. In 1666 William Brownlow 1st Baronet died. His son Richard succeeded 2nd Baronet Brownlow of Humby in Lincolnshire. Elizabeth Freke Lady Brownlow by marriage Lady Brownlow of Humby in Lincolnshire.
Around 1677 William Brownlow 4th Baronet (age 11) educated at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge University.
Around 2nd February 1683 [his mother] Elizabeth Freke Lady Brownlow (age 50) died.
Around 1685 John Closterman (age 25) and John Riley (age 39). Portrait of William Brownlow 4th Baronet (age 19).
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In 1689 William Brownlow 4th Baronet (age 23) was elected MP Peterborough.
Before 1690 William Brownlow 4th Baronet (age 24) and Dorothy Mason Baroness Brownlow (age 22) were married.
On 16th November 1690 [his son] John Brownlow 1st Viscount Tyconnel was born to William Brownlow 4th Baronet (age 25) and [his wife] Dorothy Mason Baroness Brownlow (age 23). He married (1) 1712 his first cousin Eleanor Brownlow Viscountess Tyconnel, daughter of John Brownlow 3rd Baronet and Alice Sherard Baroness Brownlow (2) 1732 Elizabeth Cartwright Viscountess Tyconnel.
In 1694 [his daughter] Anne Brownlow Lady Cust was born to William Brownlow 4th Baronet (age 28) and [his wife] Dorothy Mason Baroness Brownlow (age 27). She married before 1717 Richard Cust 2nd Baronet and had issue.
On 7th January 1694 Charles Gerard 1st Earl Macclesfield (age 76) died. His son Charles (age 35) succeeded 2nd Earl Macclesfield, 2nd Viscount Brandon of Brandon in Suffolk, 2nd Baron Gerard of Brandon in Suffolk. [his sister-in-law] Anna Mason Countess Macclesfield (age 26) by marriage Countess Macclesfield.
On 16th July 1697 [his brother] John Brownlow 3rd Baronet (age 38) committed suicide after suffering from severe gout. His brother William (age 31) succeeded 4th Baronet Brownlow of Humby in Lincolnshire and inherited Belton House [Map]. [his wife] Dorothy Mason Baroness Brownlow (age 30) by marriage Lady Brownlow of Humby in Lincolnshire.
Monument in St Peter and St Paul Church, Belton [Map] sculpted by William Stanton (age 58).
In 1698 William Brownlow 4th Baronet (age 32) was elected MP Bishop's Castle.
In March 1698 Charles Gerard 2nd Earl Macclesfield (age 39) and [his sister-in-law] Anna Mason Countess Macclesfield (age 30) were divorced by Act of Parliament; the first occasion on which a divorce was so granted without a previous decree of an ecclesiastical court.
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.
On 25th April 1699 [his son] William Brownlow was born to William Brownlow 4th Baronet (age 33) and [his wife] Dorothy Mason Baroness Brownlow (age 32).
In 1700 [his wife] Dorothy Mason Baroness Brownlow (age 33) died.
On 6th March 1701 William Brownlow 4th Baronet (age 35) died. His son John (age 10) succeeded 5th Baronet Brownlow of Humby in Lincolnshire and inherited Belton House [Map].
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Brownlow
GrandFather: William Brownlow 1st Baronet
Father: Richard Brownlow 2nd Baronet
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Duncombe 
GrandMother: Elizabeth Duncombe
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Bennett
Great x 1 Grandmother: Anne Bennett
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Freke of Iwerne Courtney
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Freke
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Swayne of Blandford
Great x 2 Grandmother: Alice Swayne
GrandFather: John Freke of Stretton in Dorset
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Taylor of Burton Bradstock
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Taylor
Mother: Elizabeth Freke Lady Brownlow