Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
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Paternal Family Tree: Knollys
Francis Knollys was appointed Treasurer of the Royal Household to King Henry VIII of England and Ireland.
Around 1510 [his father] Robert Knollys [aged 29] and [his mother] Lettice Peniston [aged 25] were married.
Around 1512 Francis Knollys was born to [his father] Robert Knollys [aged 31] and [his mother] Lettice Peniston [aged 27] at Rotherfield Greys, Oxfordshire.
Around 1521 [his father] Robert Knollys [aged 40] died. He was buried at St Helen's Church, Bishopsgate.
After 1521 [his step-father] Robert Lee [aged 38] and [his mother] Lettice Peniston [aged 36] were married.
On 19th May 1536 Queen Anne Boleyn of England [aged 35] was beheaded at Tower Green, Tower of London [Map]. Unusually a sword was used. Her execution was witnessed by Charles Brandon 1st Duke of Suffolk [aged 52], [his future wife] Catherine Carey [aged 12] and Henry Fitzroy 1st Duke Richmond and Somerset [aged 16]. Marquess Pembroke extinct.
She was buried at St Peter ad Vincula Church, Tower of London [Map]. There is myth that her corpse was subsequently removed for burial at the Boleyn family church Church of St Peter and St Paul, Salle [Map] as described in Agnes Strickland's 1852 Lives of the Queens of England Volume 4. Page 212.
On 26th April 1540 Francis Knollys [aged 28] and Catherine Carey [aged 16] were married.
Around 1541 [his daughter] Mary Knollys was born to Francis Knollys [aged 29] and [his wife] Catherine Carey [aged 17].
Around 1542 [his son] Henry Knollys was born to Francis Knollys [aged 30] and [his wife] Catherine Carey [aged 18]. He married 16th July 1566 Margaret Cave and had issue.
On 19th July 1543 [his mother-in-law] Mary Boleyn [aged 44] died. Her considerable wealth and properties were inherited by her two children from her first marriage [his wife] Catherine Carey [aged 19] and [his brother-in-law] Henry Carey 1st Baron Hunsdon [aged 17], and her second husband William Stafford [aged 35].
On 8th November 1543 [his daughter] Lettice Knollys Countess Essex and Leicester was born to Francis Knollys [aged 31] and [his wife] Catherine Carey [aged 19]. She married (1) 1561 her fourth cousin Walter Devereux 1st Earl Essex and had issue (2) 21st September 1578 her fifth cousin Robert Dudley 1st Earl of Leicester, son of John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland and Jane Guildford Duchess Northumberland, and had issue (3) April 1589 Christopher Blount, son of James Blount 6th Baron Mountjoy and Catherine Leigh Baroness Mountjoy.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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Around 1544 [his son] William Knollys 1st Earl Banbury was born to Francis Knollys [aged 32] and [his wife] Catherine Carey [aged 20]. He married (1) before 1595 Dorothy Braye Baroness Chandos and Knollys, daughter of Edmund Braye 1st Baron Braye and Jane Halwell Baroness Bray (2) 23rd December 1605 his third cousin once removed Elizabeth Howard Countess Banbury, daughter of Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk and Catherine Knyvet Countess Suffolk, and had issue.
In 1546 [his son] Edward Knollys was born to Francis Knollys [aged 34] and [his wife] Catherine Carey [aged 22].
In 1547 Francis Knollys [aged 35] was knighted.
In 1548 [his son] Richard Knollys was born to Francis Knollys [aged 36] and [his wife] Catherine Carey [aged 24]. He married in or before 1588 Joan Heigham and had issue.
In 1548 [his son] Robert Knollys was born to Francis Knollys [aged 36] and [his wife] Catherine Carey [aged 24]. He married after 1548 Catherine Vaughan and had issue.
After 1548 [his son] Robert Knollys and [his daughter-in-law] Catherine Vaughan were married.
On 15th June 1549 [his daughter] Elizabeth Knollys was born to Francis Knollys [aged 37] and [his wife] Catherine Carey [aged 25]. She married her fifth cousin once removed Thomas Leighton.
On 19th June 1555 [his daughter] Anne Knollys Baroness De La Warr was born to Francis Knollys [aged 43] and [his wife] Catherine Carey [aged 31]. She married 19th November 1571 Thomas West 2nd Baron De La Warr, son of William West 1st Baron De La Warr and Elizabeth Strange Baroness De La Warr, and had issue.
Before 10th July 1557 [his mother] Lettice Peniston [aged 72] died.
Before 10th July 1557 [his step-father] Thomas Tresham [aged 57] and [his mother] Lettice Peniston [aged 72] were married.
On 15th November 1558 John Digby died. He was buried at the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Coleshill [Map]. His son George Digby [aged 8] became a ward of Francis Knollys [aged 46].
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 21st October 1559 [his daughter] Catherine Knollys Baroness Offaly was born to Francis Knollys [aged 47] and [his wife] Catherine Carey [aged 35]. She married (1) October 1578 her sixth cousin Gerald Fitzgerald Baron Offaly, son of Gerald "Wizard Earl" Fitzgerald 11th Earl of Kildare and Mabel Browne Countess Kildare, and had issue (2) after June 1580 Philip Boteler and had issue.
Around 1561 [his son-in-law] Walter Devereux 1st Earl Essex [aged 19] and [his daughter] Lettice Knollys Countess Essex and Leicester [aged 17] were married. She by marriage Viscountess Hereford. They were fourth cousins.
On 9th May 1562 [his son] Dudley Knollys was born to Francis Knollys [aged 50] and [his wife] Catherine Carey [aged 38]. He died aged less than one years old.
In June 1562 [his son] Dudley Knollys died.
On 16th July 1566 [his son] Henry Knollys [aged 24] and [his daughter-in-law] Margaret Cave [aged 7] were married.
On 15th January 1569 [his wife] Catherine Carey [aged 45] died at Hampton Court Palace, Richmond [Map].
On 19th November 1571 [his son-in-law] Thomas West 2nd Baron De La Warr [aged 15] and [his daughter] Anne Knollys Baroness De La Warr [aged 16] were married.
On 21st September 1578 [his son-in-law] Robert Dudley 1st Earl of Leicester [aged 46] and [his daughter] Lettice Knollys Countess Essex and Leicester [aged 34] were married secretly much to the anguish of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland [aged 45] who developed a deep hatred of Lettice Knollys Countess Essex and Leicester. She by marriage Countess of Leicester. Roger North 2nd Baron North [aged 48] was present. He the son of John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland and Jane Guildford Duchess Northumberland. They were fifth cousins.
In October 1578 [his son-in-law] Gerald Fitzgerald Baron Offaly [aged 18] and [his daughter] Catherine Knollys Baroness Offaly [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Baroness Offaly. He the son of Gerald "Wizard Earl" Fitzgerald 11th Earl of Kildare [aged 53] and Mabel Browne Countess Kildare [aged 42]. They were sixth cousins.
In 1580 [his son] Edward Knollys [aged 34] died.
After June 1580 [his son-in-law] Philip Boteler [aged 20] and [his daughter] Catherine Knollys Baroness Offaly [aged 20] were married.
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.
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On 21st December 1582 Henry Knollys [aged 40] died. Monument at St Nicholas' Church, Stanford-on-Avon [Map].
The inscription: "Sacred to the Memory Here rest in Christ, awaiting the resurrection, Henry Knollys, son and heir of Francis Knollys [aged 70], Knight Bachelor, Privy Counsellor to Queen Elizabeth, Treasurer of her Household, and of Margaret [aged 23], his wife, daughter and heir of Ambrose Cave, Knight Bachelor, also a Privy Counsellor to Queen Elizabeth and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Margaret bore to Henry: Elizabeth [aged 3], wife of Henry Willoughby of Risley [aged 3], Baronet, and Laetitia, wife of William, Baron Paget of Beaudesert [aged 10]. Henry died .... Margaret .... To the best and most dearly loved parents, Elizabeth Willoughby, their daughter, set up this monument in loving devotion."
"Memoriæ Sacrum. Resurrectionem in Christo hic expectant Henricus Knollis filius et hæres Frangcisci Knollis Equitis avrati reginæ Elizabthæ a sanctioribus consiliis thesaurarii Hospitti eiusdem reginæ et margaretta vxor eius filia et hæres Ambrosh cave Equitis avrati Reginæ Elizabethæ a sanctioribus consiliis & ducatus Lancastriæ Cancellarii quæ eidem Henrico Peperit Elizabetham uxorem Henrici Willoughby de Risely Baroneetti & Lætitiam uxorem Guilielmi baronis Pagett de Beaudesert Henricus obit die .... Margarete .... Optimis & perquam Dilectis, Parentibus Elizabetha Willoughby, Filia Pietatis ergo hc monumentum, posuit"
Henry Knollys: he was appointed Esquire to the Body to Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland. Around 1542 he was born to Francis Knollys and Catherine Carey. On 16th July 1566 Henry Knollys and Margaret Cave were married.
Elizabeth Knollys: In 1579 she was born to Henry Knollys and Margaret Cave at Rotherfield Greys, Oxfordshire. After 6th February 1605 Henry Willoughby 1st Baronet and she were married.
Lettice Knollys Baroness Geneville Beaudasert: In 1583 she was born to Henry Knollys and Margaret Cave at Rotherfield Greys, Oxfordshire. Before 19th June 1602 William Paget 4th Baron Paget Beaudasert and she were married. She by marriage Baroness Paget Beaudasert. In 1655 Lettice Knollys Baroness Geneville Beaudasert died.
In or before 1588 [his son] Richard Knollys [aged 39] and [his daughter-in-law] Joan Heigham were married.
Around April 1589 [his son-in-law] Christopher Blount [aged 24] and [his daughter] Lettice Knollys Countess Essex and Leicester [aged 45] were married. The difference in their ages was 21 years; she, unusually, being older than him.
In 1593 [his daughter] Mary Knollys [aged 52] died.
On 23rd April 1593 Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland [aged 59] created three new Garter Knights..
380th Thomas Burgh 9th Baron Cobham 7th Baron Strabolgi 3rd Baron Burgh [aged 35].
381st Edmund Sheffield 1st Earl Mulgrave [aged 27].
382nd Francis Knollys [aged 81].
Before 1595 [his son] William Knollys 1st Earl Banbury [aged 50] and [his daughter-in-law] Dorothy Braye Baroness Chandos and Knollys [aged 70] were married. The difference in their ages was 20 years; she, unusually, being older than him.
In 1596 [his son] Thomas Knollys died.
In 1596 [his son] Francis Knollys died.
On 19th July 1596 Francis Knollys [aged 84] died.
[his son] Francis Knollys was born to Francis Knollys and Catherine Carey.
[his son] Thomas Knollys was born to Francis Knollys and Catherine Carey.
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Knollys 
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Knollys
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Knollys
GrandFather: Robert Knollys
Great x 2 Grandfather: William D'Oyley
Great x 1 Grandmother: Margaret Doyley
Father: Robert Knollys
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Troutbeck
GrandMother: Elizabeth Troutbeck
Mother: Lettice Peniston