Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.

In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

Coleshill, Warwickshire, South-Central England, British Isles

Coleshill, Warwickshire is in Warwickshire.

See: Church of St Peter and St Paul, Coleshill [Map], Shustoke, Coleshill.

On 6th December 1361 John Sutton 3rd Baron Sutton was born to John Sutton 2nd Baron Sutton (age 22) and Joan Clinton Baroness Sutton Dudley (age 19) at Coleshill, Warwickshire. He married (1) before 1392 Alice Despencer Baroness Sutton Dudley, daughter of Philip Despencer 1st Baron Despencer and Elizabeth Unknown Baroness Despencer (2) after 1392 Joan Unknown Baroness Sutton Dudley and had issue.

On 10th March 1396 John Sutton 3rd Baron Sutton (age 34) died at Coleshill, Warwickshire. His son John (age 16) de jure 4th Baron Sutton of Dudley although he was never summoned to Parliament.

Chronicle of Gregory. 1459. Also alle that seson the Erle of Warwyke (age 30) with sowdyers of Calysse were comynge unto the Duke of Yorke (age 47), and he come ovyr-wharte Colsylle be-syde Covyntre, and the Duke of Somerset (age 22) whythe his men rode a-longe thoroughe the towne, and yet non of them mette whythe othyr as it happyd, or by lyckely hode they wold have made a newe fraye. Ande the same day Androwe Throllope consayvyd [Note. conceived] that the Erle of Warwyke was goyng unto the Duke of Yorke and not unto the King, and utterly forsoke him and come unto the King and was pardonyd; and that made the duke full sore a-frayde when he wyste that some olde soudyers went from him unto the King, &c.

Around 1471 Simon Digby was born to Everard Digby (age 25) at Coleshill, Warwickshire.

Around 1501 Agnes Digby was born to Simon Digby (age 30) at Coleshill, Warwickshire. She married 1519 William Tracy and had issue.

On 27th February 1520 Simon Digby (age 49) died at Coleshill, Warwickshire. He was buried at the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Coleshill [Map]. The tomb and effigies are of alabaster. The man's head rests on his helm, which has lost its crest. He wears full plate and mail armour of the period and a collar of S.S., a sword on his left, and the remains of his dagger on his right. His hands are in prayer; the gauntlets lie by his right leg. His feet rest against a lion. The woman, on his left, has her head resting on cushions with tiny angels, now headless, holding the corner tassels. She wears a veiled pedimental headdress, a chain necklace, a tight corsage below a sideless gown which has a full skirt. About her waist is a girdle with tasselled pendant cords and a medallion from which is suspended a chain and pomander sachet. At her feet are two tiny dogs. The sides of the tomb are panelled with foiled diamonds in squares enclosing shields. At the angles are twisted shafts painted black. The capping is moulded and has a frieze on which is carved the inscription in Latin. The moulded plinth is enriched with flower or foliage paterae. The shields are painted with the arms of Digby and Walleys.

In 1528 William Tracy (age 27) died at Coleshill, Warwickshire.

On 4th November 1550 George Digby was born to John Digby and Anne Throckmorton (age 18) at Coleshill, Warwickshire. He married in or before 1574 his fifth cousin once removed Abigail Heveningham and had issue.

In February 1580 John Digby 1st Earl Bristol was born to George Digby (age 29) and Abigail Heveningham (age 30) at Coleshill, Warwickshire. He married 1609 Beatrice Walcott and had issue.

In April 1587 George Digby (age 36) died at Coleshill, Warwickshire. He had made his will the previous April. It was proved 11 May 1587. He divided his lands between his widow Abigail Heveningham (age 37) and his eldest surviving son Robert Digby (age 13), and was buried at Coleshill.

Church of St Peter and St Paul, Coleshill, Warwickshire, South-Central England, British Isles [Map]

Church of St Peter and St Paul, Coleshill is also in Churches in Warwickshire.

On 27th February 1520 Simon Digby (age 49) died at Coleshill, Warwickshire. He was buried at the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Coleshill [Map]. The tomb and effigies are of alabaster. The man's head rests on his helm, which has lost its crest. He wears full plate and mail armour of the period and a collar of S.S., a sword on his left, and the remains of his dagger on his right. His hands are in prayer; the gauntlets lie by his right leg. His feet rest against a lion. The woman, on his left, has her head resting on cushions with tiny angels, now headless, holding the corner tassels. She wears a veiled pedimental headdress, a chain necklace, a tight corsage below a sideless gown which has a full skirt. About her waist is a girdle with tasselled pendant cords and a medallion from which is suspended a chain and pomander sachet. At her feet are two tiny dogs. The sides of the tomb are panelled with foiled diamonds in squares enclosing shields. At the angles are twisted shafts painted black. The capping is moulded and has a frieze on which is carved the inscription in Latin. The moulded plinth is enriched with flower or foliage paterae. The shields are painted with the arms of Digby and Walleys.

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 1549 Reginald Digby (age 61) died. He was buried at the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Coleshill [Map].

On 15th November 1558 John Digby died. He was buried at the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Coleshill [Map]. His son George Digby (age 8) became a ward of Francis Knollys (age 46).

On or before 4th October 1684, the date she was buried at the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Coleshill [Map], Frances Noel Baroness Digby (age 23) died in childbirth.

On 19th January 1685 Simon Digby 4th Baron Digby (age 28) died. He was buried at the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Coleshill [Map]. His brother William (age 23) succeeded 5th Baron Digby of Geashill in County Offaly.

Shustoke, Coleshill, Warwickshire, South-Central England, British Isles

On 12th September 1605 William Dugdale was born in Shustoke, Coleshill.