Biography of William Bromley 1663-1737

Maternal Family Tree: Isabella Venables 1576-1599

In or before 1663 [his step-father] William Bromley and [his mother] Ursula Leigh were married.

In 1663 [his mother] Ursula Leigh died.

On or before 31st August 1663, the date he was baptised, William Bromley was born to [his step-father] William Bromley and [his mother] Ursula Leigh at Baginton Hall, Warwickshire.

In 1682 [his step-father] William Bromley died.

In or before 1685 William Bromley (age 21) and Catherine Cloberry were married.

On or before 16th December 1685, the date he was baptised, [his son] Cloberley Bromley was born to William Bromley (age 22) and [his wife] Catherine Cloberry. He married 25th March 1708 Dorothy Bromley.

Before 21st November 1689, the date of her husband's second marriage, [his wife] Catherine Cloberry 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.

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On 21st November 1689 William Bromley (age 26) and Trever Fortrey were married. There was no issue from the marriage.

In 1690 William Bromley (age 26) was elected Knight of the Shire Warwickshire.

Around 1691 [his wife] Trever Fortrey died.

Before 1692 William Bromley (age 28) and Cecilia Swan were married.

Before 12th January 1698, the date of her husband's fourth marriage, [his wife] Cecilia Swan died.

On or after 12th January 1698, the date of the licence, William Bromley (age 34) and Elizabeth Stawell were married.

Around 1699 [his son] William Bromley was born to William Bromley (age 35) and [his wife] Elizabeth Stawell. He married 7th July 1724 Lucy Throckmorton and had issue.

In March 1701 William Bromley (age 37) was elected MP Oxford University at a by-election. He continued to hold one of the university's two seats for the rest of his life.

In 1702 William Bromley (age 38) was Chairman of the Committee of Privileges and Elections of the House of Commons.

On 25th March 1708 [his son] Cloberley Bromley (age 22) and [his daughter-in-law] Dorothy Bromley were married.

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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On 25th November 1710 William Bromley (age 47) was appointed Speaker of the House of Commons which office he held until 1732

On 20th March 1711 [his son] Cloberley Bromley (age 25) died of smallpox. The House of Commons, on behalf of his father, the Speaker, William Bromley (age 47) adjourbed until the 26th of March.