Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Cubitt
On 21st August 1890 [his father] Henry Cubitt 2nd Baron Ashcombe (age 23) and [his mother] Maud Marianne Calvert (age 25) were married.
On 16th January 1901 Major Archibald Edward Cubitt was born to [his father] Henry Cubitt 2nd Baron Ashcombe (age 33) and [his mother] Maud Marianne Calvert (age 35).
On 26th February 1917 [his grandfather] George Cubitt 1st Baron Ashcombe (age 88) died. His son [his father] Henry (age 49) succeeded 2nd Baron Ashcombe of Dorking in Surrey and Bodiam Castle in Sussex.
On 16th November 1920 [his brother] Roland Cubitt 3rd Baron Ashcombe (age 21) and [his sister-in-law] Sonia Rosemary Keppel (age 20) were married at the Royal Military Chapel, Wellington Barracks.
On 9th November 1926 Major Archibald Edward Cubitt (age 25) and Irene Helen Pratt (age 19) were married. She the daughter of John Pratt 4th Marquess Camden (age 54) and Joan Marion Neville Marchioness Camden (age 49).
On 20th July 1931 Gerard Henry Fleetwood Fuller 2nd Baronet (age 25) and [his sister-in-law] Fiona Pratt were married. They were divorced in 1944. She by marriage Lady Fuller of Neston Park in Corsham in Wiltshire. She the daughter of [his father-in-law] John Pratt 4th Marquess Camden (age 59) and [his mother-in-law] Joan Marion Neville Marchioness Camden (age 54).
In 1933 Major Archibald Edward Cubitt (age 31) and Irene Helen Pratt (age 26) were divorced.
On 25th September 1934 Major Archibald Edward Cubitt (age 33) and Sibell Margaret Norman (age 26) were married.
On 13th June 1936 [his son] Mark Robin Cubitt was born to Major Archibald Edward Cubitt (age 35) and [his wife] Sibell Margaret Norman (age 28).
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 30th May 1941 [his daughter] Priscilla Margaret Cubitt Countess Harrington was born to Major Archibald Edward Cubitt (age 40) and [his wife] Sibell Margaret Norman (age 33). She married 14th October 1964 William Stanhope 11th Earl of Harrington, son of Charles Stanhope 10th Earl of Harrington and Margaret Trelawney Seaton, and had issue.
On 15th December 1943 [his former father-in-law] John Pratt 4th Marquess Camden (age 71) died. His son [his former brother-in-law] John (age 44) succeeded 5th Marquess Camden, 5th Earl Brecknock, 6th Earl Camden, 6th Viscount Bayham of Bayham Abbey in Kent, 6th Baron Camden of Camden Place in Kent.
On 30th October 1944 Edward Agar 5th Earl Normanton (age 34) and [his former sister-in-law] Fiona Pratt Countess Normanton were married. She by marriage Countess Normanton. She the daughter of [his former father-in-law] John Pratt 4th Marquess Camden and [his former mother-in-law] Joan Marion Neville Marchioness Camden (age 67). He the son of Sidney James Agar 4th Earl Normanton and Amy Frederica Alice Byng Countess Normanton. They were fifth cousins.
On 7th March 1945 [his mother] Maud Marianne Calvert (age 79) died.
On 4th July 1947 [his brother] Roland Cubitt 3rd Baron Ashcombe (age 48) and [his sister-in-law] Sonia Rosemary Keppel (age 47) were divorced.
On 27th October 1947 [his father] Henry Cubitt 2nd Baron Ashcombe (age 80) died at Dorking, Surrey [Map]. His son [his brother] Roland (age 48) succeeded 3rd Baron Ashcombe of Dorking in Surrey and Bodiam Castle in Sussex.
Before 23rd June 1949, the date of her second marriage, Major Archibald Edward Cubitt (age 48) and Sibell Margaret Norman (age 41) were divorced.
On 23rd June 1949 Lieutenant-Colonel Ronald Dawnay (age 41) and [his former wife] Sibell Margaret Norman (age 41) were married. They were fifth cousin once removed.
On 28th October 1962 [his brother] Roland Cubitt 3rd Baron Ashcombe (age 63) died. His son [his nephew] Henry (age 38) succeeded 4th Baron Ashcombe of Dorking in Surrey and Bodiam Castle in Sussex.
On 14th October 1964 [his son-in-law] William Stanhope 11th Earl of Harrington (age 42) and [his daughter] Priscilla Margaret Cubitt Countess Harrington (age 23) were married. She by marriage Countess Harrington. He the son of Charles Stanhope 10th Earl of Harrington and Margaret Trelawney Seaton.
On 13th February 1972 Major Archibald Edward Cubitt (age 71) died.
In 1976 [his former wife] Irene Helen Pratt (age 69) died.
On 8th March 2010 [his former wife] Sibell Margaret Norman died.
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Cubitt
GrandFather: George Cubitt 1st Baron Ashcombe
Great x 1 Grandmother: Mary Anne Warner
Father: Henry Cubitt 2nd Baron Ashcombe
GrandFather: Archibald Motteux Calvert
Mother: Maud Marianne Calvert