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: Middleton
Before 1651 [his father] Thomas Myddelton 1st Baronet (age 26) and [his mother] Maria Cholmondeley (age 22) were married.
On 23rd March 1655 Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet was born to [his father] Thomas Myddelton 1st Baronet (age 30) and [his mother] Maria Cholmondeley (age 27).
In 1658 [his mother] Maria Cholmondeley (age 30) died.
After 1658 [his father] Thomas Myddelton 1st Baronet (age 33) and Jane Trevor were married.
On 13th July 1663 [his father] Thomas Myddelton 1st Baronet (age 38) died. His son [his brother] Thomas (age 12) succeeded 2nd Baronet Myddelton of Chirk Castle.
In 1670 Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet (age 14) matriculated Brasenose College, Oxford University travelling abroad thereafter.
In 1684 Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet (age 28) became Recorder and a common councilman for Denbigh and was appointed Custos Rotulorum for Denbighshire. He was an alderman from 1685 to April 1686.
On 5th February 1684 Thomas Myddelton 2nd Baronet (age 33) died. His brother Richard (age 28) succeeded 3rd Baronet Myddelton of Chirk Castle.
In 1685 Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet (age 29) was elected MP Denbighshire unopposed at which time he was restored as Custos Rotulorum.
In 1685 Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet (age 29) was elected MP Denbighshire unopposed.
Before 19th April 1686 William Whitmore of Balmes House in Hackney and [his future wife] Frances Whitmore Lady Myddelton (age 19) were married.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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On 19th April 1686 Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet (age 31) and Frances Whitmore Lady Myddelton (age 19) were married. She by marriage Lady Myddelton of Chirk Castle.
In 1688 Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet (age 32) was appointed High Sheriff of Denbighshire at which time he lost his positions as Recorder and Custos Rotulorum.
In 1690 Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet (age 34) was elected MP Denbighshire.
Around 1694 [his son] William Myddelton 4th Baronet was born to Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet (age 38) and [his wife] Frances Whitmore Lady Myddelton (age 27).
In 1695 Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet (age 39) was elected MP Denbighshire which seat he held until his death in 1716 being re-elected in 1698, Feb 1701, Dec 1701, 1702, 1705, 1708, 1710, 1713 and 1715.
After 1695 [his former wife] Frances Whitmore Lady Myddelton (deceased) died.
On 29th April 1716 Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet (age 61) died and was buried at St Mary's Church, Chirk [Map]. His funeral cost £365. His son William (age 22) succeeded 4th Baronet Myddelton of Chirk Castle.
After 1718. St Mary's Church, Chirk [Map]. Monument to Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet and his wife Frances Whitmore Lady Myddelton, their daughter Frances Myddelton who died young and their son William Myddelton 4th Baronet (age 24) who died two years after his father. Sculpted by Robert Wynne of Ruthin, commissioned by Mary Myddelton.
White marble, a gadrooned and panelled base, with a long inscription, set forward carrying the life-sized recumbent figure of William Myddelton 4th Baronet, behind, his standing parents, fashionably dressed and flanking a corniced die with an urn crest, and displaying on its front a swaddled child. The figures are flanked by Corinthian Columns supporting an entablature, the cornice arched at the centre with roses on its soffit. Flaming urns stand above the columns, and the family crest, garlanded with a helmet and red hand crest above the arch.
Frances Myddelton: she was born to Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet and Frances Whitmore Lady Myddelton. She died young.
William Myddelton 4th Baronet: Around 1694 he was born to Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet and Frances Whitmore Lady Myddelton. On 29th April 1716 Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet died and was buried at St Mary's Church, Chirk [Map]. His funeral cost £365. His son William succeeded 4th Baronet Myddelton of Chirk Castle. On 5th January 1718 William Myddelton 4th Baronet died unmarried. Baronet Myddelton of Chirk Castle extinct.
Mary Myddelton: she was born to Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet and Frances Whitmore Lady Myddelton.
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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[his daughter] Mary Myddelton was born to Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet and Frances Whitmore Lady Myddelton.
[his daughter] Frances Myddelton was born to Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet and Frances Whitmore Lady Myddelton. She died young.
Great x 4 Grandfather: David Myddelton
Great x 3 Grandfather: Fulke Myddelton of Llansannan
Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard Myddelton
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Myddelton of Chirk
Great x 3 Grandfather: Hugh Dryhurst of Denbigh
Great x 2 Grandmother: Jane Dryhurst
GrandFather: Thomas Myddelton of Chirk Castle
Great x 3 Grandfather: Gilbert Saltonstall
Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard Saltonstall
Great x 1 Grandmother: Hester Saltonstall
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Poyntz of South Ockendon 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Suzanna Poyntz
Father: Thomas Myddelton 1st Baronet
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert Napier 1st Baronet
GrandMother: Maria Napier
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Robinson 
Great x 1 Grandmother: Mary Robinson
GrandFather: Thomas Cholmondeley of Vale Royal 
Mother: Maria Cholmondeley