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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Paternal Family Tree: Kerr
Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Stumpe
In 1603 [her step-father] Robert Devereux 3rd Earl Essex [aged 11] and [her mother] Frances Howard Countess Essex and Somerset [aged 12] were married. They were separated after the wedding given their young age. Essex went on a European tour from 1607 to 1609. When he returned she avoided him having fallen for Robert Carr 1st Earl Somerset [aged 16] whilst her husband was away. He was ill with smallpox. She sought an annulment with her father Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex and uncle Henry Howard 1st Earl of Northampton [aged 62] acting for her. She maintained the marriage had not been consummated and was examined by ten matrons and two midwives who found her hymen intact. It was widely rumoured at the time that Sir Thomas Monson's [aged 38] daughter was a substitute, which is possible because she had requested to be veiled during the examination "for modesty's sake". He maintained he was capable with other women, but was unable to consummate his marriage blaming her. She the daughter of Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk [aged 41] and Catherine Knyvet Countess Suffolk [aged 39]. He the son of Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 36]. They were fourth cousins.
On 25th September 1613 [her step-father] Robert Devereux 3rd Earl Essex [aged 22] and [her mother] Frances Howard Countess Essex and Somerset [aged 23] marriage annulled by King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland [aged 47]. She married [her father] Robert Carr 1st Earl Somerset [aged 26] three months later.
On 26th December 1613 [her father] Robert Carr 1st Earl Somerset [aged 26] and [her mother] Frances Howard Countess Essex and Somerset [aged 23] were married. She by marriage Countess Somerset. She the daughter of [her grandfather] Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk [aged 52] and [her grandmother] Catherine Knyvet Countess Suffolk [aged 49].
Her marriage with her first husband [her step-father] Robert Devereux 3rd Earl Essex [aged 22] had been annulled on the grounds of his impotence three months before causing something of a scandal.
On 9th December 1615 Anne Carr Countess of Bedford was born to [her father] Robert Carr 1st Earl Somerset [aged 28] and [her mother] Frances Howard Countess Essex and Somerset [aged 25].
Diary of Anne Clifford. 20th June 1616. Upon the 20th my Lord [aged 27] and I, Dr Layfield and K. Baston went up to London and the same day I passed (by fine before my Lord Hubbard) the inheritance of Westmoreland to my Lord if I had no heirs of my own body, and upon the 21st being Friday my Lord wrote his letters to my Lord William and gave directions to Mr Marsh to go with them and that the possession of Brougham Castle [Map] should be very carefully looked to, the same day he went to Horseley to see the Child at his sisters.1
Note 1. About this time I went into the Tiltyard to see my Lord Knoles where I saw [her mother] Lady Somerset's [aged 26] little Child. (Note: Afterwards Countess of Bedford. Her Portrait in the Leicester Gallery) being the 1st time I ever saw it.
Diary of Anne Clifford. 28th April 1619. The 28th my Lord [aged 30] and I, my Coz. Sackville and Lady Windsor went to the Tower to see my [her mother] Lady Somerset [aged 28], where we saw her little child [aged 3]1. My Lord went to see Earl of Northumberland [aged 55]2 and I and the Lady Windsor went to see Lady Shrewsbury [aged 63]3, and after supper my Lord and I went by water to Channel Row to see my Lord of Hertford [aged 79]4 and his Lady [aged 40] where we found my Lady Beauchamp5, my [her step-father] Lord Essex's [aged 28] Sister, then I went to Arundel House and talked with her about Lords being made Knights of the Garter.
Note 1. "Her little Child," Anne Carr, afterwards married to [her future husband] William 5th Earl and 1st Duke of Bedford [aged 2].
Note 2. Henry, 6th Earl, a Prisoner since the time of the Gunpowder Plot.
Note 3. Mary Cavendish, wife of Gilbert 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, was sent to the Tower in June 1611, at the same time with her niece the Lady Arabella Stuart first cousin of King James. Lady Arabella died, in the Tower, in 1615.
Note 4. Earl of Hertford son of Protector Somerset, and his 3rd wife Frances, d. of Thomas Viscount Howard of Bindon, widow of Henry Pranell, Esq., and married, 3rdly to Ludovick Stuart Duke of Lenox and Richmond [aged 44].
Note 5. Lady Frances Devereux [aged 19], and wife of William Lord Beauchamp [aged 31], afterwards Marquis of Hertford; daughter of Queen Elizabeth's favourite, and sister of the Parliament's General.
On 23rd August 1632 [her mother] Frances Howard Countess Essex and Somerset [aged 42] died.
Around 1635 Anthony Van Dyck [aged 35]. Portrait of Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 19].
On 11th July 1637 William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 20] and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 21] were married. She the daughter of Robert Carr 1st Earl Somerset [aged 50] and Frances Howard Countess Essex and Somerset. He the son of Francis Russell 4th Earl Bedford [aged 44] and Catherine Brydges Countess Bedford [aged 57].
In 1638 [her son] Francis Russell was born to [her husband] William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 21] and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 22].
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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On 29th September 1639 [her son] William Russell was born to [her husband] William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 23] and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 23]. He married 1669 his fifth cousin once removed Rachel Wriothesley, daughter of Thomas Wriothesley 4th Earl of Southampton 2nd Earl Chichester and Rachel Massue Countess Southampton, and had issue.
On 9th May 1641 [her father-in-law] Francis Russell 4th Earl Bedford [aged 48] died. His son [her husband] William [aged 24] succeeded 5th Earl Bedford, 5th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 3rd Baron Russell of Thornhaugh. Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 25] by marriage Countess Bedford.
On 28th April 1642 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 22] and [her sister-in-law] Diana Russell Countess Bradford were married at St Giles' in the Fields Church [Map]. She the daughter of [her father-in-law] Francis Russell 4th Earl Bedford and [her mother-in-law] Catherine Brydges Countess Bedford [aged 62].
In 1643 [her son] Edward Russell was born to [her husband] William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 26] and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 27]. He married 1668 Frances Williams, daughter of Robert Williams 2nd Baronet.
Around 1645 [her son] Robert Russell was born to [her husband] William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 28] and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 29]. He married 1690 Letitia Cheek.
On 17th July 1645 [her father] Robert Carr 1st Earl Somerset [aged 58] died without male issue. Earl Somerset, Viscount Rochester extinct.
In 1650 [her daughter] Anne Russell was born to [her husband] William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 33] and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 34]. She died aged seven in 1657.
In 1651 [her son] James Russell was born to [her husband] William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 34] and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 35]. He married in or before 1712 Elizabeth Lloyd Lady Hoghton and had issue.
On 8th February 1651 Richard Newport 1st Baron Newport [aged 63] died. His son Francis [aged 30] succeeded 2nd Baron Newport of High Ercall in Shropshire. [her sister-in-law] Diana Russell Countess Bradford by marriage Baroness Newport of High Ercall in Shropshire.
In 1652 [her son] George Russell was born to [her husband] William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 35] and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 36]. He married in or before 1692 Mary Pendleton.
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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On 9th April 1652 [her daughter] Diana Russell Baroness Latimer Willoughby Broke Alington was born to [her husband] William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 35] and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 36]. She married (1) 29th August 1667 her fifth cousin once removed Greville Verney 17th Baron Latimer 9th Baron Willoughby, son of Greville Verney 16th Baron Latimer 8th Baron Willoughby and Elizabeth Wenman Baroness Latimer and Willoughby Broke, and had issue (2) 15th July 1675 her sixth cousin William Alington 1st and 3rd Baron Alington, son of William Alington 1st Baron Alington and Elizabeth Tollemache Baroness Alington, and had issue.
On 21st January 1653 John Digby 1st Earl Bristol [aged 72] died in Paris [Map]. His son George [aged 40] succeeded 2nd Earl Bristol. [her sister-in-law] Anne Russell Countess Bristol [aged 33] by marriage Countess Bristol.
On 31st August 1656 [her daughter] Margaret Russell Countess Orford was born to [her husband] William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 40] and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 40]. She married November 1691 her first cousin Edward Russell 1st Earl Orford.
In 1657 [her daughter] Anne Russell [aged 7] died at Woburn, Bedfordshire.
On 29th August 1667 [her son-in-law] Greville Verney 17th Baron Latimer 9th Baron Willoughby [aged 18] and Diana Russell Baroness Latimer Willoughby Broke Alington [aged 15] were married. She by marriage Baroness Latimer of Corby, Baroness Willoughby Broke. She the daughter of William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 51] and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 51]. They were fifth cousin once removed.
In 1668 Edward Russell [aged 25] and Frances Williams were married. He the son of William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 51] and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 52].
In 1669 William Russell [aged 29] and Rachel Wriothesley [aged 33] were married. She the daughter of Thomas Wriothesley 4th Earl of Southampton 2nd Earl Chichester and Rachel Massue Countess Southampton. He the son of William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 52] and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 53]. They were fifth cousin once removed.
On 11th March 1675 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 55] was created 1st Viscount Newport of Bradford in Shropshire. [her sister-in-law] Diana Russell Countess Bradford by marriage Viscountess Newport of Bradford in Shropshire.
On 15th July 1675 [her son-in-law] William Alington 1st and 3rd Baron Alington [aged 35] and Diana Russell Baroness Latimer Willoughby Broke Alington [aged 23] were married. She by marriage Baroness Alington of Killard. She the daughter of William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 58] and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 59]. They were sixth cousins.
In 1678 [her son] Francis Russell [aged 40] died.
On 21st July 1683 [her son] William Russell [aged 43] was beheaded by Jack Ketch at Lincoln's Inn for his involvement in the Rye House Plot. The executioner was so inept that he took four axe blows to separate the head from the body. After the first failed blow his victim looked up and said "You dog, did I give you 10 guineas to use me so inhumanely?".
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 3: Parishes: Chenies. Lord William Russell [aged 43], son of the fifth earl, is perhaps the most interesting figure in connexion with Chenies [Map]. As a member of the country party in the House of Commons he backed the Bill excluding the Duke of York from the throne. Being afterwards implicated in the Rye House Plot he was executed for treason in Lincoln's Inn Fields on 21 July 1683 and has earned for himself the name of 'patriot' or martyr of the Revolution52. He was buried at Chenies and his widow Lady Rachel Russell [aged 47] visited the church in later years, when she decided to 'make a little monument' and erected the one to the fifth earl [aged 66] and his wife [aged 67] with medallions of their children, conspicuous among which is that of Lord William Russell, ranged in rows on either side54. Chenies has remained in the Russell family until the present day55, the present Duke of Bedford being lord of the manor, but it is many years since the family ceased to use the old manor-house as a residence.
Note 53. Dict. Nat. Biog.; G.E.C. Complete Peerage.
Note 54. Froude, op. cit. iv, 517.
Note 55. 55. Feet of F. Div. Co. Mich. 8 & 9 Eliz.; Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccxi, 132; ccccxxxv, 118; Cal. S. P. Dom. 1581-90, p. 380; Acts of P.C. 1601-4, p. 145; Hist.MSS. Com. Rep. xii, App. v, 131; Recov. R. Hil. 11 Jas. I, m. 97; Mich. 14 Jas. I, m. 136; Mich. 6 Geo. II, m. 291; Mich. 1 Geo. III, m. 139; Trin. 49 Geo. III, m. 152; Fine R. 16 Jas. I, pt. i, no. 4; Lysons, Mag. Brit. i (3), 584.
On 10th May 1684 Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 68] died.
On 7th September 1700 [her former husband] William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 84] died at Bedford House Covent Garden. His grandson Wriothesley [aged 19] succeeded 2nd Duke Bedford, 2nd Marquess Tavistock, 6th Earl Bedford, 6th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 4th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 2nd Baron Howland of Streatham.
[her daughter] Catharine Russell was born to William Russell 1st Duke Bedford and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford.
Kings Wessex: Great x 18 Grand Daughter of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 15 Grand Daughter of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 21 Grand Daughter of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 16 Grand Daughter of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 19 Grand Daughter of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 9 Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 17 Grand Daughter of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 24 Grand Daughter of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 19 Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 22 Grand Daughter of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Andrew Kerr
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Kerr of Smailholm later of Ferniehurst
Great x 2 Grandfather: Andrew Kerr of Ferniehirst
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Kerr 10th of Ferniehirst
GrandFather: Thomas Kerr of Ferniehirst 12 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Walter Kerr Lord of Cessford
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Kerr of Calverton 9 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Isabel Hay Lady Kerr 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Andrew Kerr of Cessford 10 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Catherine Ker 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Crichton 8 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Crichton 2nd Lord Crichton of Sanquhar 9 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Marion Stewart 
11 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Agnes Crichton 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Maxwell 
11 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Marion Margaret Maxwell 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Father: Robert Carr 1st Earl Somerset 
13 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Anne Carr Countess of Bedford 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Howard 2nd Duke of Norfolk 
5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Howard 3rd Duke of Norfolk 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Tilney Countess of Surrey 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Howard Earl of Surrey 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Stafford Duchess Norfolk 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor Percy Duchess Buckingham 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John de Vere 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John de Vere 15th Earl of Oxford 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Alice Colbroke
Great x 2 Grandmother: Frances Vere Countess of Surrey 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Trussell
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Trussell Countess of Oxford 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Donne 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
GrandFather: Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ralph Audley 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Geoffrey Audley
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Audley 1st Baron Audley Walden
Great x 1 Grandmother: Margaret Audley Duchess Norfolk 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset 
3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Grey Baroness Audley 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Wotton of Boughton Malherbe 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Wotton Marchioness Dorset
Mother: Frances Howard Countess Essex and Somerset 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edmund Knyvet 
8 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Knyvet 9 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Knyvet of Charlton Wiltshire 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Howard 2nd Duke of Norfolk 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Muriel Howard Viscountess Lisle 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Tilney Countess of Surrey 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Henry Knyvet 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Pickering 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Christopher Pickering 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Pickering 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Roger Lewknor
Great x 3 Grandmother: Jane Lewknor 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor Tuchet 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
GrandMother: Catherine Knyvet Countess Suffolk 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Stumpe