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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Garter King of Arms is in .
On 26th January 1505 Thomas Wriothesley [aged 17] was appointed Garter King of Arms. Around this time he changed his surname from Writhe to Wriothesley as did his brother William Wriothesley [aged 16].
On 15th July 1536 Christopher Barker was appointed Garter King of Arms.
On 29th April 1550 Gilbert Dethick [aged 40] was appointed Garter King of Arms.
On 3rd October 1584 Gilbert Dethick [aged 74] died. Robert Cooke [aged 49] served as Acting Garter King of Arms until the appointment of Gilbert's son William Dethick [aged 42] on 21st April 1586.
In January 1604 William Segar [aged 50] was appointed Garter King of Arms.
On 17th January 1607 William Segar [aged 53] received a great patent seal confirming him as Garter King of Arms.
In 1645 Edward Walker [aged 34] was appointed Garter King of Arms.
John Evelyn's Diary. 6th September 1662. Dined with me Sir Edward Walker [aged 51], Garter King-at-Arms, Mr. Slingsby [aged 41], master of the Mint, and several others.
In 1838 William Woods Howard [aged 52] was appointed Garter King of Arms.
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.
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In 1842 Charles Young [aged 46] was appointed Garter King of Arms which post he held until his death.
The Times. 3rd February 1866. Her Majesty [aged 46] drove out yesterday morning and afternoon. Mr. Engleheart arrived at Osborne on Thursday, and had the honour of dining with Her Majesty and the Royal family yesterday. The Queen held a Council today, which was attended by Earl Russell [aged 73], Earl de Grey and Ripon [aged 38], and Mr. Guschen.
Mr. Helps was Clerk of the Council.
Earl Cowley [aged 61], Viscount Sydney [aged 60], and Sir Charles Young [aged 70], Garter, arrived from London this morning. Lord Cowley was introduced by Lord Sydney, Lord Chamberlain (Sir Charles Young attending with the insignia of the Order of the Garter), and Her Majesty invested Lord Cowley with the Riband and Badge of the Garter.
Earl Russell and Earl de Grey had audiences of Her Majesty.
Note. On 3rd February 1866 Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley was appointed 747th Knight of the Garter by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
In 1869 Albert Woods Howard [aged 52] was appointed Garter King of Arms.
In 1603 William Segar [aged 49] was appointed Deputy Garter King of Arms to invest Christian IV King of Denmark [aged 25] with the Order of the Garter.