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: Cavendish
Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne 1751-1818
William Cavendish educated at Trinity College, Cambridge University [Map].
William Cavendish educated at Eton College [Map].
In 1917 [his father] Edward William Spencer Cavendish 10th Duke Devonshire (age 21) and [his mother] Mary Alice Gascoyne-Cecil Duchess Devonshire (age 21) were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] James Gascoyne-Cecil 4th Marquess Salisbury (age 55) and [his grandmother] Cicely Anne Gore Marchioness Salisbury (age 49). He the son of [his grandfather] Victor Christian William Cavendish 9th Duke Devonshire (age 48) and [his grandmother] Evelyn Emily Mary Petty-Fitzmaurice Duchess Devonshire (age 46).
On 10th December 1917 William Cavendish was born to [his father] Edward William Spencer Cavendish 10th Duke Devonshire (age 22) and [his mother] Mary Alice Gascoyne-Cecil Duchess Devonshire (age 22).
On 6th May 1938 [his grandfather] Victor Christian William Cavendish 9th Duke Devonshire (age 69) died at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire [Map]. He was buried at Cavendish Plot, St Peter's Church, Edensor [Map]. His son [his father] Edward (age 43) succeeded 10th Duke Devonshire, 13th Earl Devonshire, 5th Earl Burlington, 13th Baron Cavendish Hardwick. [his mother] Mary Alice Gascoyne-Cecil Duchess Devonshire (age 42) by marriage Duchess Devonshire. On 2nd April 1960 [his grandmother] Evelyn Emily Mary Petty-Fitzmaurice Duchess Devonshire (age 67) died. Both the Duke and Duchess were buried in the Cavendish Plot, St Peter's Church, Edensor [Map].
Evelyn Emily Mary Petty-Fitzmaurice Duchess Devonshire: On 27th August 1870 she was born to Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice 5th Marquess Lansdowne. On 30th July 1892 Victor Christian William Cavendish 9th Duke Devonshire and she were married. She by marriage Duchess Devonshire. She the daughter of Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice 5th Marquess Lansdowne. They were fifth cousins.
On 19th April 1941 [his brother] Andrew Cavendish 11th Duke Devonshire (age 21) and [his sister-in-law] Deborah Mitford (age 21) were married. He the son of [his father] Edward William Spencer Cavendish 10th Duke Devonshire (age 45) and [his mother] Mary Alice Gascoyne-Cecil Duchess Devonshire (age 45).
At the commencement of their honeymoon Deborah 'stopped the car when starting on her honeymoon and registered at a small Labour Exchange for National Service,' as per The Sketch.
In 1942 [his father] Edward William Spencer Cavendish 10th Duke Devonshire (age 46) was appointed 892nd Knight of the Garter by King George VI of the United Kingdom (age 46).
On 6th May 1944 William Cavendish (age 26) and Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy (age 24) were married at Chelsea Register Office. She the daughter of Joseph Patrick Kennedy (age 55) and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald (age 53). He the son of Edward William Spencer Cavendish 10th Duke Devonshire (age 49) and Mary Alice Gascoyne-Cecil Duchess Devonshire (age 48).
The Duke of Devonshire and the bride's eldest brother Joseph P. Kennedy Jr (age 28), a lieutenant in the United States Navy, signed the marriage register. The Duke of Rutland (age 24) served as best man.
The photos, from left to right, Mary, Duchess of Devonshire, the groom William, Marquess of Hartington, the bride Kathleen Kennedy, Joseph Kennedy, Edward, 10th Duke of Devonshire.
Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy: On 20th February 1920 she was born to Joseph Patrick Kennedy and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald at Brookline Massachusetts. On 13th May 1948 Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy and William Henry Lawrence Peter Wentworth-Fitzwilliam 8th and 6th Earl Fitzwilliam died in a plane crash at the Plateau du Coiron, Saint-Bauzile during the course of their journey from Paris [Map] to the French Riviera for a vacation aboard a de Havilland DH.104 Dove.. His first cousin once removed Eric succeeded 9th Earl Fitzwilliam, 7th Earl Fitzwilliam, 11th Baron Fitzwilliam of Liffer in Donegal. His wealth, estimated at 45 million pounds, including half of the Wentworth Woodhouse estate, the Coolattin estate in County Wicklow, Ireland, and a large part of the Fitzwilliam art collection went to his daughter Ann Juliet Dorothea Maud Wentworth-Fitzwilliam Marchioness Bristol.
Joseph Patrick Kennedy: On 25th July 1915 he was born to Joseph Patrick Kennedy and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald. On 12th August 1944 Joseph Patrick Kennedy was killed at Blythburgh, Suffolk when his plane exploded over the English Channel during a top-secret mission.
On 9th September 1944 William Cavendish (age 26) was killed in action by a sniper whilst leading a company trying to capture the town of Heppen in Belgium. He was buried at the Leopoldsburg War Cemetery.
After 1945. Holy Trinity Church, Ashford-in-the-Water [Map]. Memorial to William Cavendish, Sampson Lynes Gratton and Robert Harris. And War Memorial for the First World War.
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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After 1945. St Peter's Church, Edensor [Map]. Memorial to those who fell in the Second World War including William Cavendish, heir to the Duke of Devonshire.
On 13th May 1948 [his former wife] Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy (age 28) and William Henry Lawrence Peter Wentworth-Fitzwilliam 8th and 6th Earl Fitzwilliam (age 37) died in a plane crash at the Plateau du Coiron, Saint-Bauzile during the course of their journey from Paris [Map] to the French Riviera for a vacation aboard a de Havilland DH.104 Dove.. His first cousin once removed Eric (age 64) succeeded 9th Earl Fitzwilliam, 7th Earl Fitzwilliam, 11th Baron Fitzwilliam of Liffer in Donegal. His wealth, estimated at 45 million pounds, including half of the Wentworth Woodhouse estate, the Coolattin estate in County Wicklow, Ireland, and a large part of the Fitzwilliam art collection went to his daughter Ann Juliet Dorothea Maud Wentworth-Fitzwilliam Marchioness Bristol (age 13).
Kings Wessex: Great x 24 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 21 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 22 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 25 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 14 Grand Son of King Edward IV of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 23 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 31 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 17 Grand Son of Charles "Beloved Mad" VI King France
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 28 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Augustus Henry Cavendish 1st Earl Burlington 
8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Cavendish 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Compton Countess Burlington 
12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Cavendish 7th Duke Devonshire 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 3 Grandmother: Louisa O'Callaghan
Great x 1 Grandfather: Edward Cavendish 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Frederick Howard 5th Earl Carlisle 
11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: George Howard 6th Earl Carlisle 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Caroline Leveson-Gower Countess Carlisle 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 2 Grandmother: Blanche Georgiana Howard 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 3 Grandmother: Georgiana Cavendish Countess Carlisle 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire 
10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
GrandFather: Victor Christian William Cavendish 9th Duke Devonshire 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Lascelles 1st Earl Harewood 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Lascelles 2nd Earl Harewood
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Chaloner Baroness Harewood
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Lascelles
Great x 3 Grandmother: Henrietta Sebright Countess Harewood
Great x 1 Grandmother: Emma Elizabeth Lascelles 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Frederick Howard 5th Earl Carlisle 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: George Howard 6th Earl Carlisle 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Caroline Leveson-Gower Countess Carlisle 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 2 Grandmother: Caroline Georgiana Howard 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 3 Grandmother: Georgiana Cavendish Countess Carlisle 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Father: Edward William Spencer Cavendish 10th Duke Devonshire 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Petty 1st Marquess Lansdowne
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice 3rd Marquess Lansdowne 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Louisa Fitzpatrick Marchioness Lansdowne 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Thomas Petty-Fitzmaurice 4th Marquess Lansdowne 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester 
12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Louisa Emma Fox-Strangways Marchioness of Lansdowne 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Theresa O'Grady Countess of Ilchester
Great x 1 Grandfather: Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice 5th Marquess Lansdowne 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Charles Joseph Comte de Flahaut
Great x 2 Grandmother: Emily Jane de Flahaut Marchioness Lansdowne 20 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Keith Elphinstone 1st Viscount Keith 18 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Mercer Elphinstone Countess Flahaut and 2nd Baroness Keith 19 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jane Mercer
GrandMother: Evelyn Emily Mary Petty-Fitzmaurice Duchess Devonshire 15 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
William Cavendish 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Cecil 6th Earl of Salisbury 
8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward IV of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: James Cecil 1st Marquess Salisbury 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward IV of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Keet Countess of Salisbury
Great x 2 Grandfather: James Brownlow William Gascoyne-Cecil 2nd Marquess Salisbury 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Wills Hill 1st Marquess Downshire
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Amelia Hill Marchioness Salisbury 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaretta Fitzgerald 
9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert Gascoyne-Cecil 3rd Marquess Salisbury 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Bamber Gascoigne "The Elder"
Great x 3 Grandfather: Bamber "The Younger" Gascoyne
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Green
Great x 2 Grandmother: Frances Mary Gascoyne Marchioness Salisbury
Great x 4 Grandfather: Chase Price
Great x 3 Grandmother: Sarah Bridget Frances Price
Great x 4 Grandmother: Susan Evelyn
GrandFather: James Gascoyne-Cecil 4th Marquess Salisbury 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward IV of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Georgina Alderson Marchioness of Salisbury
Mother: Mary Alice Gascoyne-Cecil Duchess Devonshire 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Arthur Saunders Gore 2nd Earl Arran 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William John Gore 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Annesley 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Philip Gore 4th Earl Arran 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Hales 4th Baronet 18 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Caroline Hales 19 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Arthur Saunders Gore 5th Earl Arran 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Francis Patrick Napier
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Marianne Napier Countess Arran
GrandMother: Cicely Anne Gore Marchioness Salisbury 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Jocelyn 2nd Earl Roden 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Jocelyn 3rd Earl Roden 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Jocelyn 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Stapleton 12th Baron Despencer 
9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Maria Frances Catherine Stapleton Countess Roden 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Eliot Baroness Despencer
Great x 1 Grandmother: Edith Jocelyn 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Nassau Clavering-Cowper 3rd Earl Cowper 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Peter Nassau Clavering-Cowper 5th Earl Cowper 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Hannah Anna Gore 3rd Countess Cowper
Great x 2 Grandmother: Frances Elizabeth Cowper 14 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne
Great x 3 Grandmother: Emily Lamb Countess Cowper 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England