Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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Paternal Family Tree: Gerard
On 16th September 1609 [his father] Gilbert Gerard 2nd Baron Gerard and [his mother] Eleanor Dutton [aged 12] were married at St Mary and All Saints' Church, Great Budworth.
On 4th March 1613 Dutton Gerard 3rd Baron Gerard was born to [his father] Gilbert Gerard 2nd Baron Gerard and [his mother] Eleanor Dutton [aged 16].
After 1617. Church of St John the Baptist, Ashley [Map]. Memorial to six Barons Gerard: [his grandfather] Thomas Gerard 1st Baron Gerard [aged 53], and [his father] Gilbert Gerard 2nd Baron Gerard, Dutton Gerard 3rd Baron Gerard [aged 3], [his son] Charles Gerard 4th Baron Gerard, [his grandson] Digby Gerard 5th Baron Gerard, Charles Gerard 6th Baron Gerard.
Thomas Gerard 1st Baron Gerard: Around 1564 he was born to Gilbert Gerard and Anne Ratclyffe at Gerard's Bromley, Staffordshire. Before 1588 Thomas Gerard 1st Baron Gerard and Alice Rivet were married. In 1603 Thomas Gerard 1st Baron Gerard was created 1st Baron Gerard of Gerard's Bromley. On 7th October 1617 Thomas Gerard 1st Baron Gerard died at Ashley, Staffordshire. His son Gilbert succeeded 2nd Baron Gerard of Gerard's Bromley.
Digby Gerard 5th Baron Gerard: On 17th July 1662 he was born to Charles Gerard 4th Baron Gerard and Jane Digby Baroness Gerard. On 28th December 1667 Charles Gerard 4th Baron Gerard died. His son Digby succeeded 5th Baron Gerard of Gerard's Bromley. After 3rd September 1678 Digby Gerard 5th Baron Gerard and Elizabeth Gerard Baroness Gerard were married. She by marriage Baroness Gerard of Gerard's Bromley. She the daughter of Charles Gerard 1st Earl Macclesfield and Jeanne de Civelle Countess Macclesfield. They were third cousin once removed. On 8th November 1684 Digby Gerard 5th Baron Gerard died. His second cousin once removed Charles succeeded 6th Baron Gerard of Gerard's Bromley.
On 7th October 1617 [his grandfather] Thomas Gerard 1st Baron Gerard [aged 53] died at Ashley, Staffordshire. His son [his father] Gilbert succeeded 2nd Baron Gerard of Gerard's Bromley.
On 11th May 1623 [his father] Gilbert Gerard 2nd Baron Gerard died. His son Dutton [aged 10] succeeded 3rd Baron Gerard of Gerard's Bromley.
After 11th May 1623, the date her first husband [his father] Gilbert Gerard 2nd Baron Gerard died, [his step-father] Robert Needham 2nd Viscount Kilmorey [aged 35] and [his mother] Eleanor Dutton [aged 26] were married.
After 18th May 1625 Dutton Gerard 3rd Baron Gerard [aged 12] and Mary Fane Baroness Gerard [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Baroness Gerard of Gerard's Bromley. She the daughter of Francis Fane 1st Earl of Westmoreland [aged 45] and Mary Mildmay Countess of Westmoreland [aged 43].
In 1626 James Home 2nd Earl of Home [aged 19] and [his sister-in-law] Grace Fane Countess Home were married. She by marriage Countess of Home. She the daughter of [his father-in-law] Francis Fane 1st Earl of Westmoreland [aged 45] and [his mother-in-law] Mary Mildmay Countess of Westmoreland [aged 44]. He the son of Alexander Home 1st Earl of Home and Mary Dudley Countess Home [aged 40]. They were sixth cousins.
On 6th July 1626 [his brother-in-law] Mildmay Fane 2nd Earl of Westmoreland [aged 24] and Grace Thornhurst Countess of Westmoreland [aged 22] were married. He the son of [his father-in-law] Francis Fane 1st Earl of Westmoreland [aged 46] and [his mother-in-law] Mary Mildmay Countess of Westmoreland [aged 44]. They were fourth cousins.
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 23rd March 1629 [his father-in-law] Francis Fane 1st Earl of Westmoreland [aged 49] died. His son [his brother-in-law] Mildmay [aged 27] succeeded 2nd Earl of Westmoreland, 5th Baron Despencer, 9th Baron Abergavenny, 7th Baron Abergavenny, 2nd Baron Burghesh in Suffolk. Grace Thornhurst Countess of Westmoreland [aged 25] by marriage Countess of Westmoreland.
Francis Fane [aged 18] inherited Fulbeck Hall. The Hall was confiscated from him during the Commonwealth; he bought it back.
In 1633 [his sister-in-law] Grace Fane Countess Home died at Apethorpe Hall, Northamptonshire.
In 1634 [his wife] Mary Fane Baroness Gerard [aged 28] died.
Around 1634 [his son] Charles Gerard 4th Baron Gerard was born to Dutton Gerard 3rd Baron Gerard [aged 20] and [his wife] Mary Fane Baroness Gerard [aged 28]. He married 28th November 1660 Jane Digby Baroness Gerard and had issue.
On 21st August 1636 Dutton Gerard 3rd Baron Gerard [aged 23] and Elisabeth O'Brien Baroness Gerard were married. She by marriage Baroness Gerard of Gerard's Bromley. She the daughter of Henry O'Brien 5th Earl Thomond [aged 48] and Mary Brereton Countess Thomond [aged 56].
In 1639 Edward Somerset 2nd Marquess Worcester [aged 36] and [his sister-in-law] Margaret O'Brien Marchioness of Worcester were married. She by marriage Marchioness Worcester. She the daughter of [his father-in-law] Henry O'Brien 5th Earl Thomond [aged 51] and [his mother-in-law] Mary Brereton Countess Thomond [aged 59]. He the son of Henry Somerset 1st Marquess Worcester [aged 62] and Anne Russell Countess Worcester [aged 61]. They were fourth cousins.
Before 1640. George Geldorp [aged 59]. Portrait of Dutton Gerard 3rd Baron Gerard [aged 26].
On 24th April 1640 Dutton Gerard 3rd Baron Gerard [aged 27] died. His son Charles [aged 6] succeeded 4th Baron Gerard of Gerard's Bromley.
Around 1657 [his former wife] Elisabeth O'Brien Baroness Gerard died.
[his daughter] Elizabeth Gerard was born to Dutton Gerard 3rd Baron Gerard and Elisabeth O'Brien Baroness Gerard. She married before 1687 her fourth cousin William Spencer, son of William Spencer 2nd Baron Spencer and Penelope Wriothesley Baroness Spencer Wormleighton.
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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[his daughter] Mary Gerard Lady Cope was born to Dutton Gerard 3rd Baron Gerard and Mary Fane Baroness Gerard. She married 1652 her first cousin Anthony Cope 4th Baronet, son of John Cope 3rd Baronet and Elizabeth Fane.
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Gerard
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Gerard
Great x 2 Grandfather: James Gerard of Astley
Great x 1 Grandfather: Gilbert Gerard
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Holcroft
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Holcroft
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Holcroft
GrandFather: Thomas Gerard 1st Baron Gerard
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Radclyffe
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Radclyffe
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Ratclyffe
Great x 1 Grandmother: Anne Ratclyffe
Father: Gilbert Gerard 2nd Baron Gerard
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Rivet
GrandMother: Alice Rivet
Dutton Gerard 3rd Baron Gerard
Mother: Eleanor Dutton 