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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Half First Cousin is in First Cousin Heading.
Around 645 King Oswiu of Northumbria (age 33) and Eanflæd Queen Consort Bernicia (age 18) were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Bernicia. She the daughter of King Edwin of Northumbria and Æthelburh Oiscingas Queen Consort Northumbria (age 40). He the son of Æthelfrith King Northumbrians and Acha Queen Consort Northumbria. They were half first cousins.
On 2nd December 1022 Alfonso "Noble" V King Leon (age 28) and Urraca Jiménez Queen Consort Leon were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Leon. She the daughter of García Sánchez "Tremulous" II King Pamplona and Jimena Fernández Bermúdez Queen Consort Pamplona. He the son of Bermudo "Gouty" II King Galicia II King Leon and Elviro Garcia Queen Galicia. They were half first cousins.
In 1088 William "Troubadour" Poitiers IX Duke Aquitaine (age 16) and Ermengarde Anjou Duchess Brittany and Aquitaine (age 20) were married. She by marriage Duchess Aquitaine. She the daughter of Fulk "Réchin" Anjou 4th Count Anjou (age 45) and Hildegarde Beaugency Countess Anjou (age 44). He the son of Guy William Poitiers VIII Duke Aquitaine and Hildegarde Burgundy Duchess Aquitaine (age 32). They were half first cousins.
On 5th July 1324 Charles IV King France I King Navarre (age 30) and Joan Évreux Queen Consort France (age 14) were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. She the daughter of Louis I Count Évreux and Margaret Artois Countess Évreux. He the son of King Philip IV of France and Joan Blois I Queen Navarre. They were half first cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry III of England.
After 20th January 1465 Thomas Boyd 1st Earl Arran and Elizabeth Montgomerie (age 26) were married. They were half first cousins.
On 29th July 1565 Henry "Lord Darnley" Stewart (age 19) and Mary Queen of Scots (age 22) were married at Holyrood Palace, Holyrood. She the daughter of King James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise Queen Consort Scotland. He the son of Matthew Stewart 4th Earl Lennox (age 48) and Margaret Douglas Countess Lennox (age 49). They were half first cousins. He a great grandson of King Henry VII of England and Ireland. She a great granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
In 1650 Compton Reade 1st Baronet (age 24) and Mary Cornwall Lady Reade (age 20) were married at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Duns Tew. They were half first cousins.
On 2nd May 1655 William Ker 2nd Earl Roxburghe (age 32) and Jane Ker Countess Roxburgh were married. She by marriage Countess Roxburghe. She the daughter of Henry Ker and Margaret Hay Countess Cassilis. He the son of John Drummond 2nd Earl Perth (age 67) and Jean Ker Countess Perth. They were half first cousins.
In or before 1682 Robert Luttrell and Alison or Anne Preston (age 41) were married. They were half first cousins.
Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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Before 9th March 1686 Henry Seymour (age 74) and Elizabeth Killigrew (age 73) were married. They were half first cousins.
In or before 1696 Richard Courtenay and Catherine Waller were married. He the son of William Courtenay 5th Earl Devon (age 67) and Margaret Waller Countess Devon. They were half first cousins.
On 6th July 1710 Charles Bourbon Duke Berry, Alençon and Angoulême (age 23) and Marie Louise Élisabeth Bourbon Duchess Berry (age 14) were married. She by marriage Duchess Berry. She the daughter of Philippe Bourbon II Duke Orléans (age 35) and Françoise Marie Bourbon Duchess Orléans (age 33). He the son of Louis "Le Grand Dauphin" Bourbon Duke Burgundy (age 48) and Maria Anna Victoria Wittelsbach Duchess Burgundy. They were half first cousins. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
On 4th August 1713 James Brydges 1st Duke Chandos (age 40) and Cassandra Willoughby Duchess Chandos (age 43) were married. They were half first cousins.
In or before 1720 William Noel (age 24) and Elizabeth Trollope (age 27) were married. They were half first cousins.
On 5th March 1737 Charles Emmanuel III King Sardinia (age 35) and Elisabeth Therese Lorraine Queen Consort Sardinia (age 25) were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Sardinia. She the daughter of Leopold Duke of Lorraine and Élisabeth Charlotte Bourbon Duchess Lorraine (age 60). He the son of Victor Amadeus King Sardinia and Anne Marie Bourbon Queen Consort Sardinia. They were half first cousins. He a great grandson of King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
Before 2nd May 1737 John Petty-Fitzmaurice 1st Earl Shelburne (age 31) and Mary Fitzmaurice Countess Shelburne were married. He the son of Thomas Fitzmurice 1st Earl Kerry (age 69) and Anne Petty Countess Kerry. They were half first cousins.
On 16th June 1739 Robert Ker 2nd Duke Roxburghe (age 30) and Essex Mostyn Duchess Roxburghe were married. He the son of John Ker 1st Duke Roxburghe (age 59) and Mary Finch Duchess Roxburghe (age 62). They were half first cousins.
On 29th August 1757 James Wemyss (age 31) and Elizabeth Sutherland were married. She the daughter of William Sutherland 17th Earl Sutherland and Elizabeth Wemyss Countess Sutherland. He the son of James Wemyss 5th Earl of Wemyss and Janet Charteris. They were half first cousins.
On 3rd November 1763 Francis William Drake (age 39) and Elizabeth Heathcote (age 33) were married. They had two daughters. They were half first cousins.
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
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On 7th May 1773 Andrew Foley (age 26) and Elizabeth Tomlinson (age 30) were married. They had two sons and four daughters. They were half first cousins.
On 15th July 1774 Prince Charles Louis of Baden (age 19) and Princess Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (age 20) were married. They were half first cousins.
On 19th February 1777 Louis I Grand Duke of Hesse (age 23) and Princess Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt (age 16) were married. They were half first cousins.
On 19th October 1777 Robert Fulke Greville (age 26) and Louisa Cathcart 2nd Countess Mansfield (age 19) were married. He the son of Francis Greville 1st Earl Brooke Warwick Castle 1st Earl Warwick and Elizabeth Hamilton Countess Brooke Warwick Castle and Warwick (age 57). They were half first cousins.
In 1788 Archbishop Charles Manners-Sutton (age 32) and Mary Thoroton were married. They had, probably, eloped. They were half first cousins.
On 9th December 1799 Robert King 1st Viscount Lorton (age 26) and Frances Parsons (age 24) were married. He the son of Robert King 2nd Earl Kingston and Caroline Fitzgerald. They were half first cousins.
On 7th January 1801 Francis Stuart 10th Earl of Moray (age 29) and Margaret Jane Ainslie Countess Moray were married. He the son of Francis Stuart 9th Earl of Moray (age 64) and Jean Gray Countess Moray. They were half first cousins.
In 1803 Reverend William Digby (age 28) and Charlotte Elizabeth Digby were married. They were half first cousins.
Before 1805 Jonathan Wathen Phipps aka Waller 1st Baronet (age 35) and Elizabeth Slack (age 30) were married. They had four children. They were half first cousins.
On 9th December 1805 Charles Ethelston Nightingale 11th Baronet (age 21) and Maria Dickonson Lady Nightingale (age 16) were married. She by marriage Lady Nightingale of Newport Pond in Essex. They were half first cousins.
Before 30th December 1806 Wilbraham Egerton (age 25) and Elizabeth Sykes (age 29) were married. They were half first cousins.
This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
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In or before 1807 Richard Ponsonby (age 34) and Frances Staples were married. He the son of William Ponsonby 1st Baron Ponsonby of Imokilly in County Cork and Louisa Molesworth Countess Fitzwilliam (age 57). They were half first cousins.
On 19th December 1813 Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt (age 19) and Sophia Johnson were married after which they lived at a boarding house on Broad Street Manhattan. They were half first cousins.
On 2nd August 1814 Mark Masterman-Sykes 3rd Baronet (age 42) and Mary Elizabeth Egerton Lady Sledmere were married. They were half first cousins.
In 1823 Robert Smith aka Vernon 1st Baron Lyveden (age 22) and Emma Mary Fitzpatrick Baroness Lyveden (age 15) were married. She the illegitmate daughter of John Fitzpatrick 2nd Earl Upper Ossory and Elizabeth Mary Wilson. They were half first cousins.
On 8th April 1823 William Bryan Cooke 8th Baronet (age 41) and Isabella Cecilia Middleton Lady Cooke were married. They were half first cousins.
Before 9th August 1828 Henry Halford 2nd Baronet (age 31) and Barbara Vaughan were married. They were half first cousins.
On 30th April 1830 Henry William Petre (age 39) and Adeliza Maria Howard were married. They were half first cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland.
On 13th May 1830 Ernest Augustus Perceval (age 22) and Beatrice Trevelyan (age 21) were married. They were half first cousins.
On 3rd May 1834 Spencer Bulkeley Wynn 3rd Baron Newborough (age 30) and Frances Maria De Winton Baroness Newborough were married at Great Malvern Priory [Map]. She by marriage Baroness Newborough of Newborough in County Wexford. They were half first cousins.
On 6th October 1835 Spencer Horatio Walpole (age 29) and Isabella Perceval (age 33) were married. They were half first cousins.
On 25th January 1836 Richard Wingfield 6th Viscount Powerscourt (age 21) and Elizabeth Frances Jocelyn Viscountess Powerscout (age 22) were married. She by marriage Viscountess Powerscourt. She the daughter of Robert Jocelyn 3rd Earl Roden (age 47) and Maria Frances Catherine Stapleton Countess Roden. They were half first cousins.
In April 1841 Ford Madox Brown (age 19) and Elizabeth Bromley (age 22) were married. They were half first cousins.
On 16th January 1861 George Godolphin Osborne 9th Duke Leeds (age 32) and Fanny Georgiana Pitt-Rivers Duchess Leeds (age 24) were married. He the son of George Godolphin Osborne 8th Duke Leeds (age 58) and Harriet Emma Arundel Stewart. They were half first cousins.
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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In 1866 John Walbanke-Childers (age 67) and Selena Radford were married. They were half first cousins.
On 18th April 1867 Nathan Meyer 1st Baron Rothschild (age 26) and Emma Louise von Rothschild Baroness Rothschild (age 23) were married. They were half first cousins.
On 5th August 1874 William Frederick Waldegrave 9th Earl Waldegrave (age 23) and Mary Dorothea Palmer Countess Waldegrave (age 24) were married. She by marriage Countess Waldegrave. She the daughter of Roundell Palmer 1st Earl Selborne (age 61) and Laura Waldegrave Countess Selborne (age 53). They were half first cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland.
On 23rd January 1878 Alfonso XII King Spain (age 20) and Maria de las Mercedes Queen Consort Spain (age 17) were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Spain. She the daughter of Antoine Orléans Duke Montpensier (age 53) and Infanta Luisa Fernanda Duchess of Montpensier (age 45). He the son of Francisco de Asís King Consort Spain (age 55) and Isabella II Queen Spain (age 47). They were half first cousins.
On 3rd February 1887 Gerald William Henry Codrington 1st Baronet (age 37) and Edith Henrietta Sybil Denison Lady Codrington (age 22) were married. She by marriage Lady Codrington of Dodington. She the daughter of William Henry Forester Denison 1st Earl Londesborough (age 52) and Edith Somerset Countess Londesborough (age 48). They were half first cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland.
In 1919 Alexander Bannerman Carnegie (age 25) and Susan Ottilia de Rodakowski-Rivers were married. He the son of Charles Noel Carnegie 10th Earl of Southesk (age 64) and Ethel Mary Elizabeth Bannerman Countess Southesk (age 51). They were half first cousins.
On 1st October 1930 John Charles Langham 14th Baronet (age 36) and Rosamond Christabel Rashleigh (age 27) were married. They were half first cousins.
Dietrich Cleves VII Count Cleves and Margaret Guelders Countess Cleves were married. She by marriage Countess Cleves. She the daughter of Otto II Count Guelders and Margaretha Cleves Countess of Gulders. He the son of Dietrich Cleves VI Count Cleves and Alida d Henry I Sponheim Countess Cleves. They were half first cousins. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Stephen I England.
William Stafford and Isabel Stafford were married. They were half first cousins.
Major William Knollys and Mary Katherine Law were married. He the son of Charles Knollys 4th Earl Banbury and Elizabeth Lister Countess of Banbury. They were half first cousins.