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.
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Paternal Family Tree: Marshall
Before 24th September 1277 [his father] John Marshal [aged 20] and [his mother] Hawise Unknown were married.
On 24th September 1277 William Marshal 1st Baron Marshal was born to [his father] John Marshal [aged 20] and [his mother] Hawise Unknown at Denham Hartismere, Suffolk.
On 4th December 1282 [his father] John Marshal [aged 25] died.
In or before 1292 William Marshal 1st Baron Marshal [aged 14] and Christiana Fitzwalter Baroness Marshal [aged 16] were married. They were fifth cousins. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
In 1292 [his son] John Marshal 2nd Baron Marshal was born to William Marshal 1st Baron Marshal [aged 14] and [his wife] Christiana Fitzwalter Baroness Marshal [aged 17]. He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
Around 1298 [his daughter] Denise Marshal was born to William Marshal 1st Baron Marshal [aged 20] and [his wife] Christiana Fitzwalter Baroness Marshal [aged 23]. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
Around 1300 [his daughter] Hawise Marshal 3rd Baroness Marshal was born to William Marshal 1st Baron Marshal [aged 22] and [his wife] Christiana Fitzwalter Baroness Marshal [aged 25] at Hockering, Mitford. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She married in or before 1319 Robert Morley Baron Marshal, 2nd Baron Morley, son of William Morley 1st Baron Morley and Isabel Mohaut Baroness Morley, and had issue.
On 25th February 1308 King Edward II of England [aged 23] was crowned II King of England at Westminster Abbey [Map] by Henry Woodlock, Bishop of Winchester. Isabella of France Queen Consort England [aged 13] was crowned Queen Consort England.
Piers Gaveston 1st Earl Cornwall [aged 24] carried the Royal Crown.
William Marshal 1st Baron Marshal [aged 30] carried the Gilt Spurs.
Humphrey Bohun 4th Earl Hereford 3rd Earl Essex [aged 32] carried the Royal Sceptre.
Edmund Fitzalan 2nd or 9th Earl of Arundel [aged 22] was Chief Butler, a heriditary office.
Henry Plantagenet 3rd Earl of Leicester 3rd Earl Lancaster [aged 27] carried the Royal Rod.
Thomas Plantagenet 2nd Earl of Leicester, 2nd Earl Lancaster, Earl of Salisbury and Lincoln [aged 30] carried the sword Curtana.
Roger Mortimer 1st Earl March [aged 20] carried the table bearing the Royal Robes.
Thomas Grey [aged 28] and [his father-in-law] Robert Fitzwalter 1st Baron Fitzwalter [aged 61] attended.
Around 19th March 1311 the nobility attempt to constrain King Edward II of England [aged 26] by imposing a Council of Ordainers upon him. The Council included twenty-one signatories including:
Guy Beauchamp 10th Earl Warwick [aged 39].
Robert Clifford 1st Baron Clifford [aged 36].
Thomas Plantagenet 2nd Earl of Leicester, 2nd Earl Lancaster, Earl of Salisbury and Lincoln [aged 33].
Gilbert de Clare 8th Earl Gloucester 7th Earl Hertford [aged 19].
Henry Lacy 4th Earl Lincoln, Earl Salisbury.
John Capet 4th Earl Richmond [aged 45].
William Marshal 1st Baron Marshal [aged 33], and.
Aymer de Valence 2nd Earl Pembroke [aged 36].
On 3rd November 1311 Piers Gaveston 1st Earl Cornwall [aged 27] exiled by "The New Ordinances", a series of regulations imposed upon King Edward II by the peerage and clergy of the Kingdom of England to restrict the power of the English monarch. The twenty-one signatories, consisting of eight earls, seven bishops and six barons, of the Ordinances are referred to as the Lords Ordainers:
Earls:
John Capet 4th Earl Richmond [aged 45]
Henry Lacy 4th Earl Lincoln, Earl Salisbury
Guy Beauchamp 10th Earl Warwick [aged 39]
Gilbert de Clare 8th Earl Gloucester 7th Earl Hertford [aged 20]
Aymer de Valence 2nd Earl Pembroke [aged 36]
Bishops:
Archbishop Robert Winchelsey [aged 66]
Barons:
Hugh de Vere 1st Baron Vere [aged 54]
Hugh Courtenay, Baron of Okehampton [aged 35].
William Marshal 1st Baron Marshal [aged 34]
Robert Clifford 1st Baron Clifford [aged 37]
Article 20 describes at length the offences committed by Gaveston; he was once more condemned to exile and was to abjure the realm by 1 November.
Before 24th June 1314 William Marshal 1st Baron Marshal [aged 36] was created 1st Baron Marshal. [his wife] Christiana Fitzwalter Baroness Marshal [aged 39] by marriage Baroness Marshal.
On 24th June 1314 the Scottish army of King Robert the Bruce I of Scotland [aged 39] including, James "Black" Douglas [aged 28], heavily defeated the English army led by King Edward II of England [aged 30] at the Battle of Bannockburn.
Gilbert de Clare 8th Earl Gloucester 7th Earl Hertford [aged 23] was killed. Earl Gloucester, Earl Hertford extinct.
John Comyn 4th Lord Baddenoch [aged 20], Robert Felton 1st Baron Felton [aged 44] and William Vesci were killed.
William Marshal 1st Baron Marshal [aged 36] was killed. His son John [aged 22] succeeded 2nd Baron Marshal.
Robert Clifford 1st Baron Clifford [aged 40] was killed. His son Roger [aged 14] succeeded 2nd Baron de Clifford.
John Lovell 2nd Baron Lovel [aged 25] was killed. His son John succeeded 3rd Baron Lovel of Titchmarsh.
Henry Bohun was killed by King Robert the Bruce I of Scotland. He was buried in Llanthony Secunda Priory, Gloucestershire [Map].
Walter Fauconberg 2nd Baron Fauconberg [aged 50] possilby died although his death is also reported as being on 31 Dec 1318.
Bartholomew Badlesmere 1st Baron Badlesmere [aged 38], Humphrey Bohun 4th Earl Hereford 3rd Earl Essex [aged 38], Goronwy ap Tudur Hen Tudor, Henry Beaumont Earl Buchan [aged 35], Aymer de Valence 2nd Earl Pembroke [aged 39] and Robert Umfraville 8th Earl Angus [aged 37] fought.
Pain Tiptoft 1st Baron Tibetot [aged 34] was killed. His son John succeeded 2nd Baron Tibetot.
John Montfort 2nd Baron Montfort [aged 23] was killed. Peter Montfort 3rd Baron Montfort [aged 23] succeeded 3rd Baron Montfort.
Thomas Grey [aged 34] undertook a suicidal charge that contributed to the English defeat and subsequently blemished his career.
William Latimer 2nd Baron Latimer of Corby [aged 38] was captured.
Michael Poynings [aged 44] was killed.
On 6th December 1315 [his former wife] Christiana Fitzwalter Baroness Marshal [aged 40] died at Hockering, Mitford.
Kings Wessex: Great x 9 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 10 Grand Son of Maredudd ab Owain King Deheubarth King Powys King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 12 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 10 Grand Son of Maredudd ab Owain King Deheubarth King Powys King Gwynedd
Kings England: Great x 6 Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Kings Scotland: Great x 8 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 17 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 10 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 14 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Gilbert Giffard 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Fitzgilbert
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Marshal
Great x 4 Grandfather: Walter of Salisbury 2nd Baron Chitterne
Great x 3 Grandmother: Sybil of Salisbury
Great x 4 Grandmother: Sybilla Chaworth Baroness Chitterne 
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Marshal
Great x 3 Grandfather: Adam Port
Great x 2 Grandmother: Joan Port
GrandFather: William Marshal
Great x 2 Grandfather: Hubert Rye
Great x 1 Grandmother: Aline Rye
Father: John Marshal 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Ferrers 2nd Earl of Derby 
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Ferrers 3rd Earl of Derby
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Peverell Countess Derby
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Ferrers 4th Earl of Derby
Great x 4 Grandfather: William de Braose 3rd Baron Bramber 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Sybil de Braose Countess Derby
Great x 4 Grandmother: Bertha Gloucester Baroness Bramber
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Ferrers 5th Earl of Derby 3 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ranulf Gernon 4th Earl Chester
Great x 3 Grandfather: Hugh de Kevelioc Gernon 5th Earl Chester Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Matilda Fitzrobert Countess Chester 
Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Agnes Gernon Countess Derby 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Simon "Chauve" Montfort 4th Count Évreux
Great x 3 Grandmother: Bertrade Montfort Countess Chester
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mathilde Unknown Countess Évreux
GrandMother: Elizabeth Ferrers 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Quincy
Great x 3 Grandfather: Saer Quincy 1st Earl Winchester
Great x 2 Grandfather: Roger de Quincy 2nd Earl Winchester
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Beaumont 3rd Earl of Leicester 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Beaumont Countess Winchester
Great x 4 Grandmother: Petronilla Grandesmil Countess Leicester
Great x 1 Grandmother: Margaret Quincy Countess Derby 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Alan Lord of Galloway
Great x 2 Grandmother: Helen Galloway Countess Winchester 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: David Dunkeld 8th Earl Huntingdon 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Dunkeld 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Matilda Gernon Countess Huntingdon 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
William Marshal 1st Baron Marshal 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Mother: Hawise Unknown