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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Joseph Highmore is in Painters.
On 13th June 1692 Joseph Highmore was born.
In 1700 Joseph Highmore (age 7). Portrait of Sackville Tufton 7th Earl of Thanet (age 11).
Sackville Tufton 7th Earl of Thanet: On 11th May 1688 he was born to Sackville Tufton and Elizabeth Wilbrahim. In 1722 Sackville Tufton 7th Earl of Thanet and Mary Savile Countess Isle Thanet were married. She the daughter of William Savile 2nd Marquess Halifax and Mary Finch Duchess Roxburghe. They were fourth cousin twice removed. On 30th July 1729 Thomas Tufton 6th Earl of Thanet died. Baron de Clifford abeyant. His nephew Sackville succeeded 7th Earl of Thanet, 7th Baron Tufton, 8th Baronet Tufton of Hothfield. Mary Savile Countess Isle Thanet by marriage Countess of Thanet. On 4th December 1753 Sackville Tufton 7th Earl of Thanet died. His son Sackville succeeded 8th Earl of Thanet, 8th Baron Tufton, 9th Baronet Tufton of Hothfield.
Before 14th December 1702 Joseph Highmore (age 10). Portrait of Willoughby Aston 2nd Baronet (age 62) and Mary Offley (age 53).
Willoughby Aston 2nd Baronet: On 5th July 1640 he was born to Thomas Aston 1st Baronet and Anne Willoughby Lady Aston. On 24th March 1645 Thomas Aston 1st Baronet died. His son Willoughby succeeded 2nd Baronet Aston of Aston. Before 17th January 1665 Willoughby Aston 2nd Baronet and Mary Offley were married. They were half fourth cousin once removed. On 14th December 1702 Willoughby Aston 2nd Baronet died. His son Thomas succeeded 3rd Baronet Aston of Aston.
Mary Offley: On 3rd February 1649 she was born to John Offley and Mary Broughton. On 22nd January 1711 she died.
After 21st March 1726 Joseph Highmore (age 33). Portrait of Elizabeth Rooper Lady Dryden.
Elizabeth Rooper Lady Dryden: On 22nd September 1726 John Dryden 7th Baronet and she were married. She by marriage Lady Dryden of Canons Ashby in Northamptonshire. On 7th May 1791 she died.
Around 1727. Joseph Highmore (age 34). Portrait of Frederica Schomberg Countess Holderness and Fitzwalter (age 40).
Around 1727. Joseph Highmore (age 34). Portrait of John Sidney 6th Earl of Leicester (age 46).
John Sidney 6th Earl of Leicester: On 14th February 1680 he was born to Robert Sidney 4th Earl of Leicester and Elizabeth Egerton Countess Leicester at Penshurst Place, Kent [Map]. On 24th July 1705 Philip Sidney 5th Earl of Leicester died. His brother John succeeded 6th Earl of Leicester, 6th Viscount Lisle. On 27th September 1737 John Sidney 6th Earl of Leicester died at Penshurst Place, Kent [Map]. He was buried at St John the Baptist Church, Penshurst. His brother Jocelyn succeeded 7th Earl of Leicester, 7th Viscount Lisle.
1730. Joseph Highmore (age 37). Portrait of Francis Godolphin 2nd Earl Godolphin (age 51).
Before 17th January 1733. Joseph Highmore (age 40). Portrait of George Byng 1st Viscount Torrington (age 69).
In 1738. Joseph Highmore (age 45). Portrait of John Barnard (age 53).
John Barnard: Around 1685 he was born. On 28th August 1764 he died.
In 1740. Joseph Highmore (age 47). Portrait of John Montagu 4th Earl Sandwich (age 21).
In 1743 Joseph Highmore (age 50). Portrait of Jane Warburton Duchess of Argyll. Note. Wikipedia describes this painting as by 'Joseph Wigmore' an otherwise unknown painter.
Jane Warburton Duchess of Argyll: she was born to Thomas Warburton of Winnington Hall and Anne Williams. On 6th June 1717 John Campbell 2nd Duke Argyll and she were married. She by marriage Duchess Argyll. They had four daughters. He the son of Archibald Campbell 1st Duke Argyll and Elizabeth Tollemache Duchess Argyll. In 1767 she died.
In 1744. Joseph Highmore (age 51). Portrait of the Vigor family including Jane Goodwin (age 45) seated left.
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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1745. Joseph Highmore (age 52). Portrait of Anne Furnese (age 33).
Anne Furnese: In 1712 she was born to Robert Furnese 2nd Baronet and Anne Balam. Before 21st December 1732 John St John 2nd Viscount St John and she were married. In March 1735 Robert Furnses 3rd Baronet died unmarried. Baronet Furnese of Waldershare in Kent extinct. His estates were shared between his three sisters Anne Furnese, Catherine Furnese Countess Guilford and Rockingham and Selina Furnese. On 11th July 1747 she died.
1745. Joseph Highmore (age 52). Portrait of John St John 2nd Viscount St John (age 42) in Coronation Robes.
Around 1745. Joseph Highmore (age 52). Self-Portrait.
In 1746. Joseph Highmore (age 53). Portrait of Anne Eliza Gamon Duchess Chandos (age 9).
Anne Eliza Gamon Duchess Chandos: In 1737 she was born to Richard Gamon. In 1777 James Brydges 3rd Duke Chandos and she were married. She by marriage Duchess Chandos. Her first husband had left her all his property in Jamaica making her a wealthy widow. He the son of Henry Brydges 2nd Duke Chandos and Mary Bruce. On 29th September 1789 James Brydges 3rd Duke Chandos died without male issue. Duke Chandos, Marquess Carnarvon, Earl Carnarvon, Viscount Wilton, Baron Chandos of Sudeley and Baronet Brydges of Wilton in Herefordshire extinct. His wife Anne Eliza Gamon Duchess Chandos had pulled away a chair, whether inadvertently or deliberately is unknown, he was about to sit in causing him injuries from which he ultimately died. She was, thereafter, declared a lunatic and confined to their London home, 2 Queen Anne Street aka Chandos House Marylebone. In 1813 she died.
Before 13th October 1746. Attributed to Joseph Highmore (age 54). Portrait belived to be of Theophilus Hastings 9th Earl Huntingdon (age 49).
Before 9th January 1777. Joseph Highmore (age 84). Portrait of Frances Maria Fountayne (age 26).
Frances Maria Fountayne: On 8th August 1750 she was born to Very Reverend John Fountayne. On 27th February 1773 William Tatton Egerton and she were married. On 9th January 1777 she died.
On 3rd March 1780 Joseph Highmore (age 87) died.