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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Paternal Family Tree: Stanhope
Before 18th March 1748 [his father] Arthur Charles Stanhope (age 32) and [his step-mother] Mary Thornhagh were married.
On 25th August 1750 [his father] Arthur Charles Stanhope (age 35) and [his mother] Margaret Headlam (age 21) were married.
On 10th November 1755 Philip Stanhope 5th Earl Chesterfield was born to [his father] Arthur Charles Stanhope (age 40) and [his mother] Margaret Headlam (age 26).
On 3rd January 1764 [his mother] Margaret Headlam (age 35) died.
In 1767 [his father] Arthur Charles Stanhope (age 51) and [his step-mother] Frances Board (age 20) were married. The difference in their ages was 31 years.
On 9th March 1770 [his father] Arthur Charles Stanhope (age 54) died.
On 24th May 1773 Philip Stanhope 4th Earl Chesterfield (age 78) died at Chesterfield House. His third cousin once removed Philip (age 17) succeeded 5th Earl Chesterfield, 5th Baron Stanhope of Shelford in Nottinghamshire.
On 20th August 1777 Philip Stanhope 5th Earl Chesterfield (age 21) and Anne Thistlethwayte Countess Chesterfield were married. She by marriage Countess Chesterfield.
Around 1778 Thomas Gainsborough (age 50). Portrait of Philip Stanhope 5th Earl Chesterfield (age 22).
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.
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Around 1781 [his daughter] Harriet Stanhope was born to Philip Stanhope 5th Earl Chesterfield (age 25) and [his wife] Anne Thistlethwayte Countess Chesterfield.
In October 1798 [his wife] Anne Thistlethwayte Countess Chesterfield died.
On 2nd May 1799 Philip Stanhope 5th Earl Chesterfield (age 43) and Henrietta Thynne (age 36) were married at Grosvenor Street. She the daughter of Thomas Thynne 1st Marquess of Bath and Elizabeth Bentinck Marchioness Bath (age 63).
In 1803 [his daughter] Harriet Stanhope (age 22) died.
In 1805 King George III of Great Britain and Ireland (age 66) created new Garter Knights as follows:
628th George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery (age 45),
629th George Finch 9th Earl Winchilsea 4th Earl Nottingham (age 52),
630th Philip Stanhope 5th Earl Chesterfield (age 49),
631st George Legge 3rd Earl Dartmouth (age 49).
On 23rd May 1805 [his son] George Stanhope 6th Earl Chesterfield was born to Philip Stanhope 5th Earl Chesterfield (age 49) and [his wife] Henrietta Thynne (age 42). He married 1830 his fourth cousin Anne Weld-Forester Countess Chesterfield, daughter of Cecil Weld-Forester 1st Baron Forester and Katherine Mary Manners Baroness Forester, and had issue.
On 31st May 1813 [his wife] Henrietta Thynne (age 50) died.
On 29th August 1815 Philip Stanhope 5th Earl Chesterfield (age 59) died at Chesterfield House. His son George (age 10) succeeded 6th Earl Chesterfield, 6th Baron Stanhope of Shelford in Nottinghamshire.
[his daughter] Georgiana Stanhope was born to Philip Stanhope 5th Earl Chesterfield and Henrietta Thynne. She married 14th November 1820 Frederick Richard West.
Kings Wessex: Great x 22 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 20 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 26 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 21 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 22 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 12 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 28 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 23 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 26 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Stanhope 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Philip Stanhope 1st Earl Chesterfield 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Cordelia Alington
Great x 2 Grandfather: Arthur Stanhope 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Francis Hastings 
7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Catherine Hastings Countess Chesterfield 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Sarah Harrington 
Great x 1 Grandfather: Charles Stanhope 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
GrandFather: Michael Stanhope 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Father: Arthur Charles Stanhope 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
GrandMother: Penelope Lovell 
Philip Stanhope 5th Earl Chesterfield 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
GrandFather: Charles Headlam of Kexby in Yorkshire
Mother: Margaret Headlam