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.

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Biography of Walter Spencer-Stanhope 1827-1911

Maternal Family Tree: Jane Bond 1776

In 1822 [his father] John Spencer-Stanhope [aged 34] and [his mother] Elizabeth Wilhelmina Coke [aged 26] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Thomas Coke 1st Earl of Leicester [aged 67] and [his grandmother] Jane Dutton.

On 21st December 1827 Walter Spencer-Stanhope was born to [his father] John Spencer-Stanhope [aged 40] and [his mother] Elizabeth Wilhelmina Coke [aged 32].

Around 1852 Abel Hold [aged 37] moved to Cawthorne, South Yorkshire where he and Walter Spencer-Stanhope [aged 24] of nearby Cannon Hall, South Yorkshire became friends.

In 1856 Walter Spencer-Stanhope [aged 28] and Elizabeth Julia Buxton were married. They had eleven children.

On 10th January 1859 [his brother] John Roddam Spencer-Stanhope [aged 29] and [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth King [aged 23] were married. She the widow of Captain George Frederick Dawson. They lived at Hillhouse, Cawthorne until their house Sandroyd House, Cobham was completed.

Around 1863 [his son] Edward Spencer-Stanhope was born to Walter Spencer-Stanhope [aged 35] and [his wife] Elizabeth Julia Buxton.

In 1872 Walter Spencer-Stanhope [aged 44] was elected MP West Riding of Yorkshire which seat he held until 1880.

On 30th October 1873 [his mother] Elizabeth Wilhelmina Coke [aged 78] died.

On 8th November 1873 [his father] John Spencer-Stanhope [aged 86] died. Walter Spencer-Stanhope [aged 45] inherited Cannon Hall, South Yorkshire.

In September 1880 [his wife] Elizabeth Julia Buxton died.

Around 1906 [his son] Edward Spencer-Stanhope [aged 43] died.

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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On 2nd August 1908 [his brother] John Roddam Spencer-Stanhope [aged 79] died at the Villa Nutti, Bellosguardo [Map]. He was buried in the Cimitero degli Allori, Florence.

On 17th November 1911 Walter Spencer-Stanhope [aged 83] died.

Royal Ancestors of Walter Spencer-Stanhope 1827-1911

Kings Wessex: Great x 23 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England

Kings Gwynedd: Great x 19 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd

Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 25 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth

Kings Powys: Great x 20 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys

Kings Godwinson: Great x 23 Grand Son of King Harold II of England

Kings England: Great x 13 Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Kings Scotland: Great x 22 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland

Kings Franks: Great x 29 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor

Kings France: Great x 24 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks

Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 27 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine

Ancestors of Walter Spencer-Stanhope 1827-1911

Great x 1 Grandfather: Walter Stanhope

GrandFather: Walter Spencer-Stanhope

Great x 2 Grandfather: William Spencer of Cannon Hall

Great x 1 Grandmother: Ann Spencer

Father: John Spencer-Stanhope

Great x 2 Grandfather: Wingate Pulleine of Carleton Hall

Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Babington Pulleine

GrandMother: Mary Winifred Pulleine

Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Collingwood

Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Collingwood

Great x 2 Grandfather: Edward Collingwood of Byker and Dissington

Great x 1 Grandmother: Winifred Collingwood

Great x 3 Grandfather: John Roddam of Roddam and Chirton

Great x 2 Grandmother: Mary Roddam

Walter Spencer-Stanhope 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: William Roberts

Great x 3 Grandfather: Gabriel Roberts

Great x 4 Grandmother: Martha Dashwood

Great x 2 Grandfather: Lieutenant-Colonel Philip Roberts 15 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Francis Wenman 1st Baronet

Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Wenman 14 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Fettiplace 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England

Great x 1 Grandfather: Wenman Roberts aka Coke 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Coke 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Coke 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Osborne 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Coke 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: John Newton 3rd Baronet

Great x 3 Grandmother: Carey Newton 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Abigail Heveningham 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

GrandFather: Thomas Coke 1st Earl of Leicester 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: George Chamberlayne of Wardington

Great x 2 Grandfather: George Chamberlayne

Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Chamberlayne

Great x 3 Grandfather: Rear-Admiral Thomas Hardy

Great x 2 Grandmother: Constance Hardy

Mother: Elizabeth Wilhelmina Coke 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: James Naper

Great x 2 Grandfather: James Naper

Great x 1 Grandfather: James Lenox Dutton 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Ralph Dutton 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Ralph Dutton 1st Baronet 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Duncombe 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Dutton 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Peter Barwick

Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Barwick Lady Dutton

GrandMother: Jane Dutton 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: Christopher Bond

Great x 1 Grandmother: Jane Bond