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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Biography of Anthony Sands 1806-1883

Anthony Sands is in Painters.

In 1806 Anthony Sands was born.

Before 1st May 1829 Anthony Sands (age 23) and Mary Ann Brown were married.

On 1st May 1829 [his son] Frederick Sandes was born to Anthony Sands (age 23) and [his wife] Mary Ann Brown. His birth name being Antonio Frederic Augustus Sands. He married (1) 28th May 1853 Georgiana Creed.

In 1843 [his daughter] Emma Sandes was born to Anthony Sands (age 37) and [his wife] Mary Ann Brown. Note she was some fourteen years younger than her brother [his son] Frederick Sandes (age 13). Named Mary Ann Emma Sands at birth.

1848. Anthony Sands (age 42). Portrait of his son [his son] Frederick Sandes (age 18).

1849. [his son] Frederick Sandes (age 19). Portrait of his father Anthony Sands (age 43).

On 28th May 1853 [his son] Frederick Sandes (age 24) and [his daughter-in-law] Georgiana Creed (age 28) were married at St Pancras Old Church [Map]. He the son of Anthony Sands (age 47) and [his wife] Mary Ann Brown.

In 1863 [his son] Frederick Sandes (age 33) and [his daughter-in-law] Georgiana Creed (age 37) were divorced; or, he petitioned for divorce. It may not have been completed.

In November 1877 [his daughter] Emma Sandes (age 34) died.

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 1883 [his wife] Mary Ann Brown died.

In 1883 Anthony Sands (age 77) died.