Biography of Mary Kitson Countess Rivers 1567-1644

Maternal Family Tree: Katherine de la Pole 1416-1488

Before 7th May 1567 [her father] [her grandfather] Thomas Kitson (age 26) and [her mother] Elizabeth Cornwallis (age 26) were married. He the son of Thomas Kitson and [her grandmother] Margaret Donnington Countess Bath.

On 7th May 1567 Mary Kitson Countess Rivers was born to [her father] Thomas Kitson (age 26) and [her mother] Elizabeth Cornwallis (age 26).

In or before 1581 Thomas Darcy 1st Earl Rivers (age 15) and Mary Kitson Countess Rivers (age 13) were married.

In 1581 [her daughter] Elizabeth Darcy 1st Countess Rivers was born to [her husband] Thomas Darcy 1st Earl Rivers (age 16) and Mary Kitson Countess Rivers (age 13). She married 14th May 1602 Thomas Savage 1st Viscount Savage, son of John Savage 1st Baronet, and had issue.

In March 1581 [her father-in-law] John Darcy 2nd Baron Darcy (age 49) died. He was buried at St Osyth's Priory [Map]. His son [her husband] Thomas (age 16) succeeded 3rd Baron Darcy of Chiche. Mary Kitson Countess Rivers (age 13) by marriage Baroness Darcy of Chiche.

In 1586 [her son] Thomas Darcy was born to [her husband] Thomas Darcy 1st Earl Rivers (age 21) and Mary Kitson Countess Rivers (age 18) at St Osyth's Priory [Map]. He married 1613 Mary Fitz.

Around 1588 [her daughter] Mary Darcy was born to [her husband] Thomas Darcy 1st Earl Rivers (age 23) and Mary Kitson Countess Rivers (age 20).

The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy

The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

Around 1590 [her daughter] Susan Darcy was born to [her husband] Thomas Darcy 1st Earl Rivers (age 25) and Mary Kitson Countess Rivers (age 22).

In 1593 [her daughter] Penelope Darcy Lady Gage was born to [her husband] Thomas Darcy 1st Earl Rivers (age 28) and Mary Kitson Countess Rivers (age 25) at St Osyth's, Essex. She married (1) George Trenchard (2) 28th June 1611 John Gage 1st Baronet and had issue (3) 1642 William Hervey.

On 28th January 1601 [her father] Thomas Kitson (age 60) died.

On 14th May 1602 [her son-in-law] Thomas Savage 1st Viscount Savage (age 16) and [her daughter] Elizabeth Darcy 1st Countess Rivers (age 21) were married. She the daughter of [her husband] Thomas Darcy 1st Earl Rivers (age 37) and Mary Kitson Countess Rivers (age 35).

On 28th June 1611 [her son-in-law] John Gage 1st Baronet (age 41) and [her daughter] Penelope Darcy Lady Gage (age 18) were married. The difference in their ages was 23 years. She the daughter of [her husband] Thomas Darcy 1st Earl Rivers (age 46) and Mary Kitson Countess Rivers (age 44).

In 1612 [her daughter] Susan Darcy (age 22) died.

In 1613 [her son-in-law] Thomas Savage 1st Viscount Savage (age 27) was created 1st Baron Darcy of Chiche. He the son-in-law of the last Baron of the 1513 creation [her husband] Thomas Darcy 1st Earl Rivers (age 48).

Around 1613 [her son] Thomas Darcy (age 27) and [her daughter-in-law] Mary Fitz (age 16) were married. He the son of [her husband] Thomas Darcy 1st Earl Rivers (age 48) and Mary Kitson Countess Rivers (age 45).

Around 1613 [her son] Thomas Darcy (age 27) died.

On 5th July 1621 [her husband] Thomas Darcy 1st Earl Rivers (age 56) was created 1st Viscount Colchester with a special remainder to his grandson [her grandson] John Savage 2nd Earl Rivers (age 18). Mary Kitson Countess Rivers (age 54) by marriage Viscountess Colchester

On 4th November 1626 [her husband] Thomas Darcy 1st Earl Rivers (age 61) was created 1st Earl Rivers with a special remainder to his grandson [her grandson] John Savage 2nd Earl Rivers (age 23). Mary Kitson Countess Rivers (age 59) by marriage Countess Rivers.

William of Worcester's Chronicle of England

William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

In 1627 [her daughter] Mary Darcy (age 39) died.

In 1628 [her mother] Elizabeth Cornwallis (age 87) died.

On 25th February 1640 [her husband] Thomas Darcy 1st Earl Rivers (age 75) died at Winchester House Broad Street. His grandson [her grandson] John (age 37) succeeded 2nd Earl Rivers, 2nd Viscount Colchester. Baron Darcy of Chiche extinct.