William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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Paternal Family Tree: Scrope
Maternal Family Tree: Katherine Norwich 1306-1381
In 1350 William Scrope 1st Earl Wiltshire was born to [his father] Richard Scrope 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton [aged 23] and [his mother] Blanche Pole Baroness Scrope Bolton [aged 22].
In or before 1369 [his father] Richard Scrope 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton [aged 41] and [his mother] Blanche Pole Baroness Scrope Bolton [aged 40] were married. She by marriage Baroness Scrope of Bolton.
In 1371 [his father] Richard Scrope 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton [aged 44] was created 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton.
Around 1378 [his mother] Blanche Pole Baroness Scrope Bolton [aged 50] died at Bolton, North Yorkshire.
In or before 1393 [his brother] Roger Scrope 2nd Baron Scrope of Bolton [aged 24] and [his sister-in-law] Margaret Tiptoft Baroness Scrope Bolton [aged 27] were married. She by marriage Baroness Scrope of Bolton.
In 1394 William Scrope 1st Earl Wiltshire [aged 44] was appointed 85th Knight of the Garter by King Richard II of England [aged 26].
In 1396 William Scrope 1st Earl Wiltshire [aged 46] and Isabel Russell Countess Wiltshire were married.
In 1397 William Scrope 1st Earl Wiltshire [aged 47] was created 1st Earl Wiltshire. [his wife] Isabel Russell Countess Wiltshire by marriage Countess Wiltshire.
In 1398 William Scrope 1st Earl Wiltshire [aged 48] was appointed Lord High Treasurer.
On 16th April 1399 King Richard II of England [aged 32] wrote his Last Will from which the following extracts are taken … Also we bequeath to our beloved nephew Thomas Holland 1st Duke Surrey [aged 25] ten thousand marks and to our beloved brother Edward 2nd Duke of York 1st Duke Albemarle [aged 26] two thousand marks and to our beloved brother John Holland 1st Duke Exeter [aged 47] three thousand marks and to our faithful and beloved William Scrope 1st Earl Wiltshire [aged 49] two thousand marks... we ordain and set aside for the fulfilment of all and singular the premises the sum of ninety-one thousand marks, of which sixty-five thousand marks are in the keeping of Sir John Ikelyngton and twenty-four thousand marks in the hands and keeping of our dear nephew Thomas Holland 1st Duke Surrey.
Of this our royal testament we nominate make and depute executors the venerable fathers in Christ Bishop Richard Mitford, Bishop Edmund Stafford [aged 55], Bishop Robert Tideman of Winchcombe, Bishop Thomas Merke and Bishop Guy Mone Aka Mohun; our beloved brother Edward 2nd Duke of York 1st Duke Albemarle, our nephew Thomas Holland 1st Duke Surrey, our brother John Holland 1st Duke Exeter and William Scrope 1st Earl Wiltshire to each of whom we bequeath a gold cup of the value of twenty pounds and our beloved and faithful clerks Master Bishop Richard Clifford Keeper of our Privy Seal, Master Richard Maudeleyn, Master William Fereby and Master John Painter Ikelyngton clerks and John Lufwyk and William Serle laymen, to each of whom we will shall be paid their expenses and necessary costs while it shall happen that they or any of them are employed about the execution of our present last will, but according to the discretion of their said co-executors...
Whom all and singular we have charged and charge that they shall do as much as in them is for the due execution and fulfilment of this our last will as they shall wish to answer before God. We create ordain depute and make overseers of this our will the reverend fathers in Christ Archbishop Roger Walden and Archbishop Richard Scrope [aged 49], William bishop of Winchester and William abbot of the monastery of Westminster Edward 2nd Duke of York 1st Duke Albemarle our uncle and Henry Percy 1st Earl of Northumberland [aged 57] our cousin.
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On 7th July 1399 Edmund of Langley 1st Duke of York [aged 58] appointed William Scrope 1st Earl Wiltshire [aged 49], Henry Green [aged 52] and John Bussy to protect Kent against invasion by Henry Bolingbroke Earl of Derby [aged 32].
On 28th July 1399 William Scrope 1st Earl Wiltshire [aged 49], Henry Green [aged 52] and John Bussy were captured at Bristol Castle, Gloucestershire [Map].
Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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On 29th July 1399 William Scrope 1st Earl Wiltshire [aged 49], Henry Green [aged 52] and John Bussy were beheaded at Bristol Castle, Gloucestershire [Map]. Earl Wiltshire forfeit.
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 11 Grand Son of Maredudd ab Owain King Deheubarth King Powys King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 13 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 11 Grand Son of Maredudd ab Owain King Deheubarth King Powys King Gwynedd
Great x 4 Grandfather: Simon Scrope 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Scrope
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Scrope
Great x 4 Grandfather: Roger Brun
Great x 3 Grandmother: Juliane Brun
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Scrope
GrandFather: Henry Scrope
William Scrope 1st Earl Wiltshire
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Pole 
GrandFather: William Pole
Mother: Blanche Pole Baroness Scrope Bolton
Great x 1 Grandfather: Walter Norwich
GrandMother: Katherine Norwich