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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Lamb
Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Meynell
In or before 1743 [his father] Matthew Lamb 1st Baronet [aged 37] and [his mother] Charlotte Coke [aged 23] were married. She brought Melbourne Hall, Derbyshire [Map] to the Lamb family.
On 29th January 1745 Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne was born to [his father] Matthew Lamb 1st Baronet [aged 40] and [his mother] Charlotte Coke [aged 26].
On 29th May 1766 [his brother-in-law] Henry Belasyse 2nd Earl Fauconberg [aged 24] and [his sister] Charlotte Lamb Countess Fauconberg [aged 23] were married. She by marriage Countess Fauconberg. He the son of Thomas Belasyse 1st Earl Fauconberg [aged 67].
On 6th November 1768 [his father] Matthew Lamb 1st Baronet [aged 63] died. His son Penistone [aged 23] succeeded 2nd Baronet Lamb of Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire.
On 13th April 1769 Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 24] and Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 17] were married.
On 3rd November 1769 [his uncle] Bishop Robert Lamb [aged 66] died unmarried. His younger brother [his father] Matthew Lamb 1st Baronet inherited his estate.
Around 1770 [his mother] Charlotte Coke [aged 50] died.
On 3rd May 1770 [his son] Peniston Lamb was born to Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 25] and [his wife] Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 18].
On 15th March 1779 [his son] William Lamb 2nd Viscount Melbourne was born to Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 34] and [his wife] Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 27]. He married 1805 Caroline Ponsonby aka Lamb, daughter of Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough.
The London Gazette 12146. 23rd December 1780. Also like Letters Patent, containing His Majesty's Grants of the Dignity of a Viscount of the said Kingdom unto the following Noblemen, and their Heirs Male, by the Names, Stiles and Titles as undermentioned, viz.
James Baron Lifford, His Majesty's Chancellor of Ireland, Viscount Lifford, of Lifford, in the County of Donegall.
Otway Lord Desart, Viscount Desart, of Desert, in the County of Kilkenny.
John Baron Erne [aged 49], Viscount Erne, of Crom Castle, in the County of Fermanagh. [Mary Caroline Hervey Countess Erne [aged 27] by marriage Viscountess Erne of Crom Castle in County Fermanagh.]
Barry Lord Farnham, Viscount Farnham, of Farnham, in the County of Cavan.
Simon Lord Irnham [aged 67], Viscount Carhampton, of Castlehaven, in the County of Cork.
Bernard Lord Bangor [aged 61], Viscoount Bangor, of Castleward, in the County of Downe. [Ann Bligh Viscountess Bangor by marriage Viscountess Bangor of Castleward in County Downe.]
Penyston Lord Melbourne [aged 35], Viscount Melbourne, of Kilmore, in the County of Cavan. [[his wife] Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 29] by marriage Viscountess Melbourne of Kilmore in County Cavan.]
James Lord Clifden [aged 46], Viscount Clifden, of Gowran, in the County of Kilkenny.
John Lord Naas [aged 80], Viscount Mayo, of Monecrouer.
On 17th April 1782 [his son] Frederick Lamb 3rd Viscount Melbourne was born to Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 37] and [his wife] Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 30]. His paternity is considered a matter of conjecture given that his mother is believed to have had numerous lovers? He married before 29th January 1853 Alexandrina Julia Gräfin von Maltzan.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 11th July 1784 [his son] George Lamb was born to Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 39] and [his wife] Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 32]. Some sources suggest his father may have been King George IV [aged 21] who became his godfather. He married 17th May 1809 Caroline St Jules, daughter of William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire and Elizabeth Christiana Hervey Duchess Devonshire.
On 21st April 1787 [his daughter] Emily Lamb Countess Cowper was born to Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 42] and [his wife] Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 35]. She married (1) 20th July 1805 Peter Nassau Clavering-Cowper 5th Earl Cowper, son of George Nassau Clavering-Cowper 3rd Earl Cowper and Hannah Anna Gore 3rd Countess Cowper, and had issue (2) 18th October 1865 Henry John Temple 3rd Viscount Palmerston, son of Henry Temple 2nd Viscount Palmerston and Mary Mee Viscountess Palmerston.
On 8th November 1787 John Eliot 1st Baronet [aged 51] died at Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire [Map], the seat of his friend Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 42]. He was buried at St Etheldreda's Church, Hatfield [Map]. Baronet Eliot of Pebbles extinct.
In 1790 [his sister] Charlotte Lamb Countess Fauconberg [aged 47] died.
Around 1790. Thomas Lawrence [aged 20]. Portrait of Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 44].
The Memoirs of Harriet Wilson Chapter 1. 1801. I was not depraved enough to determine immediately on a new choice, and yet I often thought about it. How indeed could I do otherwise, when the Honourable Frederick Lamb [aged 18] was my constant visitor, and talked to me of nothing else? However, in justice to myself, I must declare that the idea of the possibility of deceiving Lord Craven while I was under his roof, never once entered into my head. Frederick was then very handsome, and certainly tried with all his soul and with all his strength, to convince me that constancy to Lord Craven was the greatest nonsense in the world. I firmly believe that Frederick Lamb sincerely loved me, and deeply regretted that he had no fortune to invite me to share with him.
Lord Melbourne [aged 55], his father, was a good man. Not one of your stiff-laced, moralising fathers, who preach chastity and forbearance to their children. Quite the contrary, he congratulated his son on the lucky circumstance of his friend Craven having such a fine girl with him.
"No such thing," answered Frederick Lamb, "I am unsuccessful there. Harriette will have nothing at all to do with me."
"Nonsense!" rejoined Melbourne, in great surprise, "I never heard anything half so ridiculous in all my life. The girl must be mad! She looks mad. I thought so the other day, when I met her galloping about, with her feathers blowing, and her thick dark hair about her ears.
"I'll speak to Harriette for you," added his lordship, after a long pause, and then continued repeating to himself, in an undertone, "not have my son indeed! Six feet high! A fine, straight, handsome, noble young fellow! I wonder what she would have!"
In 1805 [his son] William Lamb 2nd Viscount Melbourne [aged 25] and [his daughter-in-law] Caroline Ponsonby aka Lamb [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough [aged 46] and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough [aged 43].
On 24th January 1805 [his son] Peniston Lamb [aged 34] died of tuberculosis unmarried.
On 20th July 1805 [his son-in-law] Peter Nassau Clavering-Cowper 5th Earl Cowper [aged 27] and [his daughter] Emily Lamb Countess Cowper [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Countess Cowper. He the son of George Nassau Clavering-Cowper 3rd Earl Cowper and Hannah Anna Gore 3rd Countess Cowper.
On 17th May 1809 [his son] George Lamb [aged 24] and [his daughter-in-law] Caroline St Jules were married. She the illegitmate daughter of William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire [aged 61] and Elizabeth Christiana Hervey Duchess Devonshire [aged 51].
In 1818 [his wife] Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne [aged 66] died.
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.
On 22nd July 1828 Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne [aged 83] died. His son William [aged 49] succeeded 2nd Viscount Melbourne of Kilmore in County Cavan, 3rd Baronet Lamb of Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire.
Adeline Horsey Recollections. Lord and Lady Palmerston gave delightful parties, to which I was often invited. Lady Palmerston was a daughter of the first Viscount Melbourne, and she married the fifth Earl Cowper as her first husband. It was generally known that she had been Palmerston's mistress for many years, but she was a charming woman and proved herself an ideal helpmeet to him. Her manner was most genial, and she always appeared grateful to her husband's friends for their support. She possessed that peculiar art of making each guest feel that he or she was the one particular person she wished most to see; so the dinners and receptions of this perfect hostess were always very pleasant functions.
GrandFather: Matthew Lamb of Southwell in Nottinghamshire
Father: Matthew Lamb 1st Baronet
Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Coke of Trusley
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Coke
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Coke
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Coke
GrandFather: Thomas Coke
Mother: Charlotte Coke
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Hale of King's Walden
GrandMother: Mary Hale
Great x 2 Grandfather: Isaac Meynell of Meynell Langley, Derbyshire
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Meynell