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.
Paternal Family Tree: Mansel
Maternal Family Tree: Aoife ni Diarmait Macmurrough Countess Pembroke and Buckingham 1145-1188
In 1556 Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet was born to [his father] Edward Mansel of Margam (age 25) and [his mother] Jane Somerset (age 26).
Around 1580 Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet (age 24) and Mary Mordaunt were married.
In 1587 [his son] Arthur Mansel was born to Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet (age 31). He married before 22nd November 1623 Jane Price and had issue.
In 1593 Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet (age 37) was appointed High Sheriff Glamorgan.
Around 1594 [his son] Lewis Mansel 2nd Baronet was born to Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet (age 38). He married (1) before 1616 Catherine Sidney, daughter of Robert Sidney 1st Earl of Leicester and Barbara Gamage Countess Leicester (2) before 1623 Catherine Lewis (3) 25th August 1627 Elizabeth Montagu Lady Sebright and Mansel, daughter of Henry Montagu 1st Earl Manchester and Catherine Spencer, and had issue.
On 5th August 1595 [his father] Edward Mansel of Margam (age 64) died.
In 1597 Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet (age 41) was elected MP Glamorganshire.
On 16th October 1597 [his mother] Jane Somerset (age 67) died.
On 7th July 1602 Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet (age 46) was appointed to the Council of the Marches.
In 1605 Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet (age 49) was elected MP Glamorganshire.
On 22nd May 1611 the first Baronets were created by James I (age 44)
Walter Aston 1st Baronet (age 27) was created 1st Baronet Aston of Tixall.
Nicolas Bacon (age 71) was created 1st Baronet Bacon of Redgrave in Suffolk. The Premier Baronet being the first creation.
Henry Belasyse 1st Baronet (age 55) was created 1st Baronet Belasyse of Newborough.
George Booth (age 54) was created 1st Baronet Booth of Dunham Massey. Katherine Anderson Lady Dunham Massey (age 43) by marriage Lady Booth of Dunham Massey.
Edward Carr (age 68) was created 1st Baronet Carr of Sleaford in Lincolnshire. Anne Dyer Lady Carr by marriage Lady Carr of Sleaford in Lincolnshire.
Gervase Clifton 1st Baronet (age 23) was created 1st Baronet Clifton of Clifton in Nottinghamshire.
Moyle Finch 1st Baronet (age 61) was created 1st Baronet Finch of Eastwell in Kent. Elizabeth Heneage 1st Countess Winchelsea (age 54) by marriage Lady Finch of Eastwell in Kent.
Thomas Gerard 1st Baronet (age 51) was created 1st Baronet Gerard of Bryn in Lancashire.
Henry Hobart 1st Baronet (age 51) was created 1st Baronet Hobart of Intwood in Norfolk. Dorothy Bell Lady Hobart by marriage Lady Hobart of Intwood in Norfolk.
Richard Hoghton 1st Baronet (age 40) was created 1st Baronet Hoghton of Hoghton Tower in Lancashire.
Phillip Knyvet (age 41) was created 1st Baronet Knyvet of Buckenham in Norfolk.
Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet (age 55) was created 1st Baronet Mansel of Margam.
Thomas Pelham 1st Baronet (age 71) was created 1st Baronet Pelham of Laughton. Mary Walsingham Baroness Pelham Laughton (age 47) by marriage Lady Pelham of Laughton.
John Peyton 1st Baronet (age 50) was created 1st Baronet Peyton of Isleham.
George Savile 1st Baronet (age 61) was created 1st Baronet Savile of Thornhill.
John Shelley of Mitchelgrove 1st Baronet was created 1st Baronet Shelley of Mitchelgrove in Sussex.
George Shirley 1st Baronet (age 52) was created 1st Baronet Shirley of Staunton Harold in Leicestershire. Dorothy Wroughton Lady Shirley (age 41) by marriage Lady Shirley of Staunton Harold in Leicestershire.
John St John (age 25) was created 1st Baronet St John Lydiard Tregoze in Wiltshire.
John Stradling 1st Baronet (age 48) was created 1st Baronet Stradling of St Donats in Glamorganshire.
Thomas Temple 1st Baronet (age 44) was created 1st Baronet Temple of Stowe.
Lionel Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 48) was created 1st Baronet Talmash of Helmingham in Suffolk.
Become a Member via our Buy Me a Coffee page to read more.
Before 1631. Unknown Painter. Portrait of Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet (age 74) and [his future wife] Jane Pole. Unusual for showing the couple holding hands. Sir Thomas was one of the richest and most influential people in south Wales. Not only had he acted as MP and Sheriff of Glamorgan on several occasions, he had been knighted, and in 1611 became one of the first ever to be given the title Baronet - see May 1611 Creation of Baronets. Sir Thomas wears a white doublet with delicate lace collars and cuff, and a dark tunic intricately embroidered with gold. These were not his everyday clothes, but would have been chosen especially for the portrait, to demonstrate his wealth and taste. Beards were considered a sign of virility, and were important fashion statements for men. Thomas Mansel wears his long and squared. Lady Jane wears a dark dress embroidered with gold and an elaborate lace collar and headdress, offset by a lavish triple-string of pearls. This was an age when new fashions and luxury materials like lace were being imported from abroad. Her costume was not of the latest fashion, and suggests the taste of an older generation. Lady Jane holds a marigold, also called Mary's Gold. This may be a reference to their daughter Mary, who appears with her parents in another, almost identical portrait. Marigolds were often used to symbolise grief and comfort, so it may also refer to the death of Jane's second husband.
Jane Pole: she was born to Thomas Pole of Bishops Hall. Before 20th December 1631 Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet and she were married.
In 1614 Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet (age 58) was elected MP Glamorganshire at the Addled Parliament.
Before 1616 [his son] Lewis Mansel 2nd Baronet (age 21) and [his daughter-in-law] Catherine Sidney (age 26) were married. She the daughter of Robert Sidney 1st Earl of Leicester (age 52) and Barbara Gamage Countess Leicester (age 52).
Before 1623 [his son] Lewis Mansel 2nd Baronet (age 28) and [his daughter-in-law] Catherine Lewis (age 24) were married.
Before 22nd November 1623 [his son] Arthur Mansel (age 36) and [his daughter-in-law] Jane Price were married.
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 August 1627 [his son] Lewis Mansel 2nd Baronet (age 33) and [his daughter-in-law] Elizabeth Montagu Lady Sebright and Mansel (age 20) were married. She the daughter of Henry Montagu 1st Earl Manchester (age 64) and Catherine Spencer.
Before 20th December 1631 Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet (age 75) and Jane Pole were married.
On 20th December 1631 Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet (age 75) died. His son Lewis (age 37) succeeded 2nd Baronet Mansel of Margam. [his daughter-in-law] Elizabeth Montagu Lady Sebright and Mansel (age 24) by marriage Lady Mansel of Margam.
[his father] Edward Mansel of Margam and [his mother] Jane Somerset were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Henry Somerset 2nd Earl of Worcester and [his grandmother] Elizabeth Browne Countess of Worcester.
Kings Wessex: Great x 16 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 13 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 19 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 14 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 16 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 6 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 15 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 22 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 17 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 20 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Father: Edward Mansel of Margam 
Thomas Mansel 1st Baronet 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset 
Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edmund Beaufort 1st or 2nd Duke of Somerset Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Holland Duchess Clarence 
2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Beaufort 2nd or 3rd Duke of Somerset 2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Beauchamp 13th Earl Warwick 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Eleanor Beauchamp Duchess Somerset 
4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Berkeley Countess Warwick 
3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Charles Somerset 1st Earl of Worcester 3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Hill of Shilston
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Hill of Shilston
Great x 2 Grandmother: Joan Hill
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Champernoun
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Champernoun
Great x 4 Grandmother: Katherine Daubeny 
GrandFather: Henry Somerset 2nd Earl of Worcester 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William ap Thomas "Blue Knight of Gwent" Herbert 
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Herbert 1st Earl Pembroke
Great x 4 Grandmother: Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam "Star of Abergavenny" Brecon
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Herbert 2nd Earl Pembroke 1st Earl Huntingdon 9 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Walter Devereux 
7 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Devereux 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Merbury
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Herbert 3rd Baroness Herbert Raglan 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Woodville 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Woodville 1st Earl Rivers
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Bittelsgate
Great x 2 Grandmother: Mary Woodville Countess Pembroke and Huntingdon 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Peter Luxemburg I Count Saint Pol 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Jacquetta of Luxemburg Duchess Bedford 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margherita Baux 
5 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Mother: Jane Somerset 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Browne 
Great x 1 Grandfather: Anthony Browne 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Fitzalan Baron Maltravers 2nd Baron Arundel 
3 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Fitzalan 4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Despencer Baroness Zouche, Harringworth, Maltravers and Arundel 
3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Eleanor Fitzalan 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Moyns
GrandMother: Elizabeth Browne Countess of Worcester 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ralph Neville 1st Earl of Westmoreland 
5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Neville Earl Salisbury Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Beaufort Countess of Westmoreland 
Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Neville 1st Marquess Montagu 2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Montagu 1st Count Perche 4th Earl Salisbury 
3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alice Montagu 5th Countess of Salisbury 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor Holland 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Lucy Neville 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Ingaldsthorpe
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edmund Ingaldsthorpe
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Pole 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Isabel Ingaldsthorpe 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Tiptoft 1st Baron Tiptoft 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Tiptoft 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joyce Charleton Baroness Tiptoft 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England