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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Paternal Family Tree: Cromwell
1528 Sweating Sickness Outbreak
18 Apr 1540 Thomas Cromwell created Earl of Essex and Great Chamberlain
Around 1515 [his father] Thomas Cromwell 1st Earl Essex [aged 30] and [his mother] Elizabeth Wyckes [aged 26] were married.
Around 1520 Gregory Cromwell 1st Baron Cromwell Oakham was born to [his father] Thomas Cromwell 1st Earl Essex [aged 35] and [his mother] Elizabeth Wyckes [aged 31].
Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1528. 27th July 1528. R. O. 4560. John Chekyng To Cromwell.
His son Gregory [aged 8] is not now at Cambridge, but in the country, where he works and plays alternately. He is rather slow, but diligent. He had been badly tutored, and could hardly conjugate three verbs when committed to Chekyng's care, though he repeated the rules by rote. If this is Palgrave's style of teaching, does not believe he will ever make a scholar. Will have to unteach him nearly all he has learned. He is now studying the things most conducive to the reading of authors, and spends the rest of the day in forming letters. The plague, happily, is abating. Pembroke Hall, 27 July.
Hol., Lat., pp. 2. Add.: Clarissimo viro et domino suo optimo, D. Crumwello in ædibus Remi (Wolsey). Ex Cantabrigia.
Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1528. 8th November 1528. R. O. 4916. John Chekyng to Cromwell.
Various reports were spread here about Cromwell, which he is glad proved false. Gregory [aged 8] is well, et reliqui tui have now got cloaks to shield them from the cold. They have also a blazing fire to keep them comfortable. Little Gregory is becoming great in letters. Christopher does not require much stirring up. Acknowledges a bundle of cloth received yesterday from Cromwell. Pembroke Hall, 8 Nov.
P.S.—The plague which sent us into the country has nearly consumed our money.
Hol., Lat., p. 1. Add.: Suorum studiorum nequaquam vulgari patrono, D. Thomæ Crumwello, viro ut claro ita multis nominibus inclyto. Ex Cantabrigia.
In 1529 [his mother] Elizabeth Wyckes [aged 40] died.
Around 1531 Anthony Ughtred [aged 53] and [his future wife] Elizabeth Seymour Baroness Cromwell Oakham [aged 13] were married. The difference in their ages was 40 years.
On 4th June 1535 George Neville 5th and 3rd Baron Abergavenny [aged 66] made his will. It was proved on 4th July 1536. In summary:
To be buried at Birling, Kent
Executors to pay his debts and have wardship of Thomas Fenys (Fiennes) Lord Dacre [aged 20], John Semptleiger esq (married to his daughter Katherine Nevill [aged 15]), John Chayny [aged 22], son and heir of Thomas Chayny [aged 50], kt, and William Broke [aged 7], esq, son and heir of George Broke [aged 38], kt, Lord Cobham.
1,000 marks towards marriage of youngest daughter Ursula [aged 7].
Executors to levy (1) 1,000 marks to indemnify testator's friends and servants standing bound to the king for the wardship and marriage of Thomas [Fiennes] Lord Dacre, (2) £900 to discharge bonds made on marriage between William Broke and Dorothy Nevill [aged 10].
Executors: Henry Poole [aged 43], kt, Lord Montagu, George Neville's brothers Thomas [aged 60] and Edward [aged 64] Nevill, kts, Thomas Willoughbye [aged 49], kt, serjeant-at-law, and John Baker esq, recorder of London; to hold all property in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and London to uses declared in his will.
Annuity of £20 to George Nevill, son of Sir Edward Nevill.
Financial provision for his daughters in case of non-marriage or second marriages.
In default of male issue of testator's brother Sir Thomas Nevill, his daughter, George Neville's niece Margaret Nevill [aged 15], to hold for life the manors of Mereworth and West Peckham in Kent and 'the olde hay', with advowsons of Mereworth and Maplecombe, Kent and lands and tenements called Plaine Hamons; if she marries Gregory Cromewell [probably Gregory Cromwell 1st Baron Cromwell Oakham [aged 15], who she didn't marry], gent, he is to have use of these properties for life, with remainder to George Neville and his heirs
George Neville's debts to Lord Mountague to be paid; £60 to be paid to use of his servant James Barham; grant for lives to his present (and 4th) wife Mary Broke otherwise Mary Cobham and her unborn child by George Neville of the manors of Whalesbeech, Beverington Randeviles [Rodmell Beverington] and Grymers, Sussex.
Continues.
Around 1536 Gregory Cromwell 1st Baron Cromwell Oakham [aged 16] educated at Cambridge University.
On 3rd August 1537 Gregory Cromwell 1st Baron Cromwell Oakham [aged 17] and Elizabeth Seymour Baroness Cromwell Oakham [aged 19] were married at Mortlake, Richmond. He the son of Thomas Cromwell 1st Earl Essex [aged 52] and Elizabeth Wyckes.
On the night of the 24th and 25th October 1537 [his sister-in-law] Queen Jane Seymour [aged 28] died around two in the morning at Hampton Court Palace [Map] as a result of complications arising from childbirth.
In 1538 [his son] Henry Cromwell 2nd Baron Cromwell Oakham was born to Gregory Cromwell 1st Baron Cromwell Oakham [aged 18] and [his wife] Elizabeth Seymour Baroness Cromwell Oakham [aged 20]. He married before 1560 his sixth cousin Mary Paulett Baroness Cromwell Oakham, daughter of John Paulet 2nd Marquess Winchester and Elizabeth Willoughby, and had issue.
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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In 1539 [his son] Edward Cromwell was born to Gregory Cromwell 1st Baron Cromwell Oakham [aged 19] and [his wife] Elizabeth Seymour Baroness Cromwell Oakham [aged 21].
Around 1540 [his son] Thomas Cromwell was born to Gregory Cromwell 1st Baron Cromwell Oakham [aged 20] and [his wife] Elizabeth Seymour Baroness Cromwell Oakham [aged 22]. He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge University [Map].
On 18th April 1540 [his father] Thomas Cromwell [aged 55] was created 1st Earl Essex and appointed Lord Great Chamberlain.
On 1st May 1540 a tournament was held at Westminster [Map]. Gregory Cromwell 1st Baron Cromwell Oakham [aged 20], Thomas Poynings 1st Baron Poynings [aged 28], [his brother-in-law] Thomas Seymour 1st Baron Seymour [aged 32], John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland [aged 36], Richard Cromwell aka Williams [aged 45] and George Carew [aged 36] were challengers.
On 28th July 1540 [his father] Thomas Cromwell [aged 55] was beheaded at Tower Hill [Map]. Earl Essex, Baron Cromwell of Wimbledon in Surrey forfeit. He was buried at St Peter ad Vincula Church, Tower of London [Map].
On 18th December 1540 Gregory Cromwell 1st Baron Cromwell Oakham [aged 20] was created 1st Baron Cromwell Oakham. [his wife] Elizabeth Seymour Baroness Cromwell Oakham [aged 22] by marriage Baroness Cromwell Oakham.
Around 1541 [his daughter] Katherine Cromwell was born to Gregory Cromwell 1st Baron Cromwell Oakham [aged 21] and [his wife] Elizabeth Seymour Baroness Cromwell Oakham [aged 23]. She married before 1559 John Strode of Parnham and had issue.
Around 1544 [his daughter] Frances Cromwell was born to Gregory Cromwell 1st Baron Cromwell Oakham [aged 24] and [his wife] Elizabeth Seymour Baroness Cromwell Oakham [aged 26].
After 16th February 1547. The date uncertain but likely to be after the funeral of Henry VIII [deceased] King Edward VI of England and Ireland [aged 9] made a number of new appointments although given King Edward VI of England and Ireland was only nine years old at the time, the titles were, in effect, bestowed by [his brother-in-law] Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset [aged 47].
William Parr 1st Marquess Northampton [aged 35] was created 1st Marquess Northampton.
Thomas Seymour 1st Baron Seymour [aged 39] was created 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley and appointed Lord High Admiral.
New Garter Knights:
318th Henry Grey 1st Duke of Suffolk [aged 30].
319th Edward Stanley 3rd Earl of Derby [aged 37].
320th Thomas Seymour 1st Baron Seymour.
321st William Paget 1st Baron Paget Beaudasert [aged 41].
John Carey [aged 56] and Henry Huberthorne were knighted by King Edward VI of England and Ireland.
On 10th September 1547 an English army commanded by [his brother-in-law] Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset [aged 47] defeated a Scottish army commanded by James Hamilton 2nd Earl Arran [aged 31] and Archibald Douglas 6th Earl Angus [aged 58] at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh at Musselburgh.
The English army included John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland [aged 43], Francis Talbot 5th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 47], Miles Partridge and Thomas Wentworth 2nd Baron Wentworth [aged 22]. John Thynne [aged 32] and Edmund Brydges 2nd Baron Chandos [aged 25] were knighted.
William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley [aged 26] accompanied Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset.
Edward Shelley of Worminghurst Park [aged 44] was killed.
John Forbes 6th Lord Forbes [aged 82], Christopher Coningsby [aged 31] and Edward Clere were killed.
John Thynne was knighted after the battle.
George Sandes [aged 29] was killed.
The Scottish army included John Gordon 11th Earl Sutherland [aged 22] who commanded the Rearguard and Gilbert Kennedy 3rd Earl Cassilis [aged 32]. John Stewart, Robert Douglas [aged 41], John Livingston, Thomas Hamilton of Priestfield and Hugh Montgomerie were killed. John Hay 4th Lord Hay was captured but soon released.
Malcolm Fleming 3rd Lord Fleming [aged 53] was killed. His son James [aged 13] succeeded 4th Lord Fleming. Barbara Hamilton Lady Fleming by marriage Lord Fleming.
Robert Graham Master of Montrose and James Gordon of Lochinvar were killed.
On 4th July 1551 Gregory Cromwell 1st Baron Cromwell Oakham [aged 31] died of sweating sickness. His son Henry [aged 13] succeeded 2nd Baron Cromwell Oakham.
Henry Machyn's Diary. The vij day of July begane a nuw swet in London, and ... ded my lord Crumwell [deceased] in Leseter-shyre, and was bered [with a stand]ard, a baner of armes, and cote, elmett, sword, targett, and sc [ochyons, and] harold; and the sam tyme ded my lord Powes [deceased], and the x day [at W]ollwyche, sir John Lutterell [aged 32], knyght, a nobull captayne.
Note. Death of lord Cromwell. Gregory lord Cromwell died on the 4th of July 1551, and was buried at Laund in Leicestershire: his mural monument there is engraved in Nichols's History of that County, vol. iii. pl. xlv.
Note. Death of lord Powis. Edward third lord Grey of Powis. The funeral of his widow, a daughter of Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk, occurs in p. 163.
Note. Sir John Luttrell, of Dunster castle, co. Somerset, knighted at the taking of Leith in 1547, and made a knight banneret soon after, at the taking of Yester. Just before his death he had been divorced from his wife, for Strype notices "A Commission to sir William Petre, secretary, sir Richard Read, &c. upon due proof of the manifest adultery of the lady Mary Luttrel, to separate and divorce her from sir John Luttrel her husband. Dated in June, 1551." (Memorials, Book ii. chap. 29.) She was the daughter of sir John Griffith, K.B. and was remarried to James Godolphin, of Cornwall.
Around March 1554 John Paulet 2nd Marquess Winchester [aged 44] and [his former wife] Elizabeth Seymour Baroness Cromwell Oakham [aged 36] were married. He the son of William Paulet 1st Marquess Winchester [aged 71] and Elizabeth Capell Marchioness Winchester. They were fifth cousins.
On 19th March 1556 [his former wife] Elizabeth Seymour Baroness Cromwell Oakham [aged 38] died. She was buried at St Mary's Church, Basing.
Kings Wessex: Great x 20 Grand Son of King Edward "Elder" of the Anglo Saxons
Kings England: Great x 14 Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Kings Franks: Great x 23 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 18 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 22 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Cromwell 
8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Cromwell 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Cromwell 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Cromwell 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
GrandFather: Walter Cromwell 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Father: Thomas Cromwell 1st Earl Essex 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
GrandMother: Katherine Glossop
Gregory Cromwell 1st Baron Cromwell Oakham 14 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
GrandFather: Henry Wyckes
Mother: Elizabeth Wyckes