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.
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Paternal Family Tree: Colley
Maternal Family Tree: Anne Hill Countess Mornington 1742-1831
On 6th February 1759 [his father] Garrett Wellesley 1st Earl Mornington [aged 23] and [his mother] Anne Hill Countess Mornington [aged 16] were married. She by marriage Baroness Mornington.
On 1st May 1769 Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington was born to [his father] Garrett Wellesley 1st Earl Mornington [aged 33] and [his mother] Anne Hill Countess Mornington [aged 26] at Dublin [Map].
In 1781 William Pole of Ballyfin in Ireland [aged 68] died. His mother's great-nephew [his brother] William Wellesley aka Wellesley-Pole 3rd Earl Mornington [aged 17] inherited his estates at which time he changed his name from Wellesley to Wellesly-Pole.
On 22nd May 1781 [his father] Garrett Wellesley 1st Earl Mornington [aged 45] died at Kensington. He was buried at Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair. His son [his brother] Richard [aged 20] succeeded 2nd Earl Mornington, 2nd Viscount Wellesley of Dangan Castle.
In 1784 [his brother] William Wellesley aka Wellesley-Pole 3rd Earl Mornington [aged 20] and [his sister-in-law] Katherine Forbes Countess Mornington [aged 22] were married. He the son of [his father] Garrett Wellesley 1st Earl Mornington and [his mother] Anne Hill Countess Mornington [aged 41].
On 29th November 1794 [his brother] Richard Wellesley 1st Marquess Wellesley [aged 34] and [his sister-in-law] Hyacinthe Gabrielle Roland Marchioness Wellesley [aged 28] were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square. She by marriage Countess Mornington. He the son of [his father] Garrett Wellesley 1st Earl Mornington and [his mother] Anne Hill Countess Mornington [aged 52].
In 1799 [his brother] Richard Wellesley 1st Marquess Wellesley [aged 38] was created 1st Marquess Wellesley. [his sister-in-law] Hyacinthe Gabrielle Roland Marchioness Wellesley [aged 33] by marriage Marchioness Wellesley.
On 20th September 1803 [his brother] Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 30] and [his sister-in-law] Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 22] were married. She the daughter of Charles Sloane Cadogan 1st Earl Cadogan [aged 74] and Mary Churchill Countess Cadogan [aged 45]. He the son of [his father] Garrett Wellesley 1st Earl Mornington and [his mother] Anne Hill Countess Mornington [aged 61].
On 10th April 1806 Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington [aged 36] and Catherine "Kitty" Pakenham Duchess Wellington [aged 33] were married at Dublin [Map]. He the son of Garrett Wellesley 1st Earl Mornington and Anne Hill Countess Mornington [aged 63].
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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On 3rd February 1807 [his son] Arthur Wellesley 2nd Duke Wellington was born to Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington [aged 37] and [his wife] Catherine "Kitty" Pakenham Duchess Wellington [aged 34] at Harley Street Marylebone. He married 1839 Elizabeth Hay Duchess Wellington, daughter of George Hay 8th Marquess Tweedale and Susan Montagu Marchioness Tweddale.
On 16th January 1808 [his son] Charles Wellesley was born to Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington [aged 38] and [his wife] Catherine "Kitty" Pakenham Duchess Wellington [aged 35]. He married 9th July 1844 Augusta Sophia Anne Pierrepoint and had issue.
On 21st August 1808 the Battle of Vimeiro was fought at which Earl of Wellington [aged 39] defeated the French under Major-General Jean-Andoche Junot near the village of Vimeiro.
General Thomas Bradford [aged 30] fought.
Between 27th July 1809 and 28th July 1809 the Battle of Talavera, part of the Peninsular War, was fought between an Anglo Spanish army commanded by Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington [aged 40] against the French. The French army withdrew at night after several of its attacks had been repulsed. Following the battle Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington was created 1st Viscount Wellington of Talavera.
Hugh Gough 1st Viscount Gough [aged 29] commanded the 2nd Battalion of the 87th (Royal Irish Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot.
General Henry Fane [aged 30] commanded the 3rd Prince of Wales Dragoon Guards, 4th Queen's Own Dragoons.
Charles Henry Farrington 2nd Baronet [aged 14] fought.
In 1810 [his brother] Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 36] and [his sister-in-law] Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 28] were divorced by an Act of Parliament following her elopement with Henry Paget [aged 41]. Following the divorce, Wellesley was awarded £20,000 plus costs in damages against Paget.
On 29th November 1810 Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 42] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 35] were divorced by an act of Parliament as a result of his having had an affair with [his sister-in-law] Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 29] whose husband [his brother] Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 37] also sought a divorce.
On 22nd July 1812 the Battle of Salamanca was fought at which an Anglo-Portuguese army under the Earl of Wellington [aged 43] defeated Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces at Arapiles [Map].
Brother General Thomas Bradford [aged 34] and Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Hollis Bradford [aged 31] fought.
Major-General John Le Marchant [aged 46] was killed in action. Wellington is reported as saying to Le Marchant that he must take the first favourable opportunity to engage the enemy's infantry, "You must then charge at all hazards" was his final instruction. Following up the attack of the 5th Infantry Division Le Marchant led the 3rd and 4th Dragoons and the 5th Dragoon Guards in what was probably the most destructive charge made by a single brigade of cavalry in the whole Napoleonic period. The left wing of the French army were on the point of being defeated by the 3rd and 5th divisions of Anglo-Portuguese infantry when Le Marchant's dragoons charged in and destroyed battalion after battalion. Many of the French infantrymen sought the protection of the British infantry to escape the sabres of the dragoons. Le Marchant, knowing he had achieved a magnificent success, was leading a squadron against the last of the formed French infantry when he was shot and his spine broken. See Fletcher's "Galloping at Everything: The British Cavalry in the Peninsula and at Waterloo 1808-15". Spellmount, Staplehurst. ISBN 1-86227-016-3. 1999, pp. 185–188.
In 1813 Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington [aged 43] was appointed 640th Knight of the Garter by King George IV of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 50] during the Regency.
On 21st June 1813 the Battle of Vitoria was fought between a British, Portuguese and Spanish army under the Marquess of Wellington [aged 44] and the French army under King Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan.
Brothers General Thomas Bradford [aged 35] and Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Hollis Bradford [aged 31] fought.
Hugh Gough 1st Viscount Gough [aged 33] fought.
General Henry Fane [aged 34] commanded.
General Mildmay Fane [aged 18] fought.
On 11th May 1814 Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington [aged 45] was created 1st Duke Wellington. [his wife] Catherine "Kitty" Pakenham Duchess Wellington [aged 41] by marriage Duchess Wellington.
Around 1816. Thomas Lawrence [aged 46]. Portrait of Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington [aged 46].
In 1817 [his brother-in-law] Thomas Pakenham 2nd Earl Longford [aged 42] and Georgiana Lygon Countess Longford [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Longford. The difference in their ages was 23 years. She the daughter of William Lygon 1st Earl Beauchamp and Catherine Denn Countess Beauchamp.
Before 1821 [his brother] Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 47] and [his sister-in-law] Georgiana Charlotte Augusta Cecil Baroness Cowley were married. She the daughter of James Cecil 1st Marquess Salisbury [aged 72] and Mary Amelia Hill Marchioness Salisbury [aged 70]. He the son of [his father] Garrett Wellesley 1st Earl Mornington and [his mother] Anne Hill Countess Mornington [aged 78]. They were second cousin once removed.
On 29th June 1822 Henry Somerset 7th Duke Beaufort [aged 30] and Emily Frances Smith Duchess Beaufort [aged 22] were married. She being the younger half-sister of his first wife Georgiana Frederica Fitzroy both of whom's mother was Anne Wellesley [aged 54] sister of Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington [aged 53]. An example of a man marrying two sisters, albeit in this case half-sisters. He the son of Henry Charles Somerset 6th Duke Beaufort [aged 55] and Charlotte Sophia Leveson-Gower Duchess Beaufort [aged 51].
On 29th October 1825 [his brother] Richard Wellesley 1st Marquess Wellesley [aged 65] and [his sister-in-law] Marianne Caton Marchioness Wellesley [aged 37] were married. She by marriage Marchioness Wellesley. The difference in their ages was 27 years. He the son of [his father] Garrett Wellesley 1st Earl Mornington and [his mother] Anne Hill Countess Mornington [aged 83].
She one of the four Caton sisters, daughters of Richard Caton [aged 62], a merchant from Baltimore, the three eldest, known as the "The Three American Graces", married European husbands. Only the fourth daughter Emily Caton [aged 30] had children.
Marianne Caton Marchioness Wellesley married Richard Wellesley 1st Marquess Wellesley,
Elizabeth Caton Baroness Stafford [aged 35] married George William Stafford-Jerningham 8th Baron Stafford [aged 54],
Louisa Catharine Caton Duchess Leeds [aged 32] married firstly Felton Elwell Hervey-Bathurst 1st Baronet and secondly Francis Godolphin Osborne 7th Duke Leeds [aged 27].
Emily Caton married Consul John MacTavish [aged 38].
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In January 1828 [his brother] Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 54] was created 1st Baron Cowley. [his sister-in-law] Georgiana Charlotte Augusta Cecil Baroness Cowley by marriage Baroness Cowley.
Life of Henry Pelham. Six weeks later [21st March 1829] Lord Winchelsea [aged 37] again called on the Duke of Newcastle [aged 44] on precisely the same errand. The latter, however, was away at Clumber, and was not available, which was a great relief to him, for he would have felt bound not to refuse, and Lord Falmouth [aged 41] acted as second instead of him. There was no mistake this time. The duel took place on Wimbledon Common. Lord Winchelsea, after receiving the Duke of Wellington's [aged 59] fire, fired his own pistol in the air, and then tendered an apology. The Duke of Newcastle writes in his journal:
'Lord Falmouth gave me an account of the duel. He says the Duke of Wellington behaved in a very churlish, overbearing manner, and when the affair was over did not shake hands, and departed sulkily. One is almost tempted to wish that a life so dangerous had been taken away, but one must not indulge in such unchristian feelings .... The Duke of Wellington's time may not yet be come, but it may, and that shortly, for assuredly he is a villain and a [word illegible].'
On 24th April 1831 [his wife] Catherine "Kitty" Pakenham Duchess Wellington [aged 58] died.
On 10th September 1831 [his mother] Anne Hill Countess Mornington [aged 89] died at Henrietta Street Covent Garden. She was buried at Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair.
1839. John Lindsay Lucas [aged 32]. Portrait of Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington [aged 69].
In 1839 Arthur Wellesley 2nd Duke Wellington [aged 31] and Elizabeth Hay Duchess Wellington [aged 18] were married. She the daughter of George Hay 8th Marquess Tweedale [aged 51] and Susan Montagu Marchioness Tweddale [aged 38]. He the son of Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington [aged 69] and Catherine "Kitty" Pakenham Duchess Wellington.
On 26th September 1842 Richard Wellesley 1st Marquess Wellesley [aged 82] died at Kingston House Knightsbridge, Kensington. His brother William [aged 79] succeeded 3rd Earl Mornington, 3rd Viscount Wellesley of Dangan Castle. Katherine Forbes Countess Mornington [aged 81] by marriage Countess Mornington.
Adeline Horsey Recollections. After mamma's death I kept house for papa at 8 Upper Grosvenor Street. My brothers were rarely at home. William [aged 17] was educated at Eton [Map], and when he was sixteen years old the Duke of Wellington [aged 73] gave him a commission in the Grenadier Guards. Later he went through the Crimean War, and he retired from the Army in 1883, on account of ill-health, with the rank of Lieutenant-General.
Algernon [aged 16] entered the Navy in 1840 as a midshipman, and the same year took part in the operations on the coast of Syria. After the battle of Acre he received the Turkish medal and clasps: his promotion was rapid, and as Admiral, his flagship, the Shah, engaged the Huascar, which he forced to surrender to the Peruvian authorities.
Now that I was so much alone I occasionally found time hang heavy on my hands, and I welcomed any excitement as a break in the monotony, for of course our period of mourning prevented us entertaining or accepting invitations. One day my maid told me about a fortune-teller who had a wonderful gift for predicting the future. I was very much interested, and made up my mind to consult the oracle. My maid attempted to dissuade me, saying that the woman lived in Bridge Street, Westminster, which was not at all a nice neighbourhood. I have always had my own way and, disguised in a borrowed cloak, bonnet and thick veil, and accompanied by my protesting servant, I started off to Bridge Street late one November afternoon.
It was dusk when we reached Westminster and found Bridge Street, badly lighted and evil-smelling. We knocked at the door, stated whom we wished to see, and we were ushered through a dark passage into a dirty room reeking of tobacco.
The fortune-teller was a wrinkled old woman who was smoking a short clay pipe with evident enjoyment. When I told her what I had come for, she produced a greasy pack of cards, and after I had "crossed her pahn" she commenced to tell my future.
"Ah!" said she at last, and she looked curiously, "my pretty young lady, fate holds a great deal in store for you. You will not marry for several years, but when you do it will be to a widower - a man in a high position. You will suffer much unkindness before you experience real happiness, you will obtain much and lose much, you will marry again after your husband's death, and you will live to a great age".
I was quite impressed by my "fortune", but I was a little disappointed, for like most girls I had my day-dreams of a young husband, and the prospect of a widower was thus rather depressing.
Strangely enough, the prediction came true, for Lord Cardigan [aged 45] was a widower, and nearly all the men who proposed to me were widowers! I was asked in marriage by Lord Sherborne [aged 38], a widower with ten children; by the Duke of Leeds [aged 40], who was a widower with eleven children, and by Christopher Maunsell Talbot [aged 39], once Father of the House of Commons, also a widower with four children. Prince Soltykoff, the Duke of St. Albans [aged 41], Harry Howard, and Disraeli [aged 38] were other widowers who proposed to me, so I suppose I must have had some unaccountable fascination for bereaved husbands.
On 9th July 1844 Charles Wellesley [aged 36] and Augusta Sophia Anne Pierrepoint were married. He the son of Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington [aged 75] and Catherine "Kitty" Pakenham Duchess Wellington.
On 22nd February 1845 [his brother] William Wellesley aka Wellesley-Pole 3rd Earl Mornington [aged 81] died. His son [his nephew] William [aged 56] succeeded 4th Earl Mornington, 4th Viscount Wellesley of Dangan Castle. Helena Paterson Bligh Countess Mornington by marriage Countess Mornington.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 27th April 1847 [his brother] Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 74] died. His son [his nephew] Henry [aged 42] succeeded 2nd Baron Cowley.
On 14th September 1852 Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington [aged 83] died at Deal Castle [Map]. His son Arthur [aged 45] succeeded 2nd Duke Wellington, 2nd Viscount Wellington of Talavera. Elizabeth Hay Duchess Wellington [aged 31] by marriage Duchess Wellington.
George Gammon Adams [aged 31] took the death mask of the Duke of Wellington, the marble bust he executed from it being highly regarded by the Duke's heirs.
On 18th November 1852 Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington was buried at St Paul's Cathedral [Map].
Great x 1 Grandfather: Henry Colley
GrandFather: Richard Colley aka Wesley 1st Baron Mornington
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Ussher of Bridgefoot
Great x 1 Grandmother: Mary Ussher
Father: Garrett Wellesley 1st Earl Mornington
GrandMother: Elizabeth Sale
Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington
Great x 4 Grandfather: Moyses Hill Marshall of Ulster
Great x 3 Grandfather: Arthur Hill
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Hill
Great x 1 Grandfather: Michael Hill
GrandFather: Arthur Hill aka Hill-Trevor 1st Viscount Dungannon
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Trevor 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Trevor
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Trevor
Great x 1 Grandmother: Anne Trevor
Mother: Anne Hill Countess Mornington