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: Onslow
On 11th July 1848 [his father] George Augustus Cranley Onslow (age 35) and [his mother] Mary Harriet Anne Loftus were married at St Nicholas' Church, Kenilworth.
On 7th March 1853 William Onslow 4th Earl Onslow was born to [his father] George Augustus Cranley Onslow (age 39) and [his mother] Mary Harriet Anne Loftus at Old Alresford, Hampshire.
In 1855 [his father] George Augustus Cranley Onslow (age 41) died.
In October 1870 Arthur George Onslow 3rd Earl Onslow (age 92) died. His great nephew William (age 17) succeeded 4th Earl Onslow, 4th Viscount Cranley, 7th Baron Onslow, 8th Baronet Onslow of West Clandon in Surrey, 9th Baronet Foote of London. [his future wife] Florence Coulston Gardner Countess Onslow (age 17) by marriage Countess Onslow.
In 1875 William Onslow 4th Earl Onslow (age 21) and Florence Coulston Gardner Countess Onslow (age 21) were married.
On 23rd August 1876 [his son] Richard William Alan Onslow 5th Earl Onslow was born to William Onslow 4th Earl Onslow (age 23) and [his wife] Florence Coulston Gardner Countess Onslow (age 23). He married 22nd February 1906 Violet Marcia Bampfylde Countess Onslow, daughter of Coplestone Richard Bampfylde 3rd Baron Poltimore and Margaret Harriet Beaumont Baroness Poltimore, and had issue.
On 22nd July 1881 [his daughter] Gwendolen Florence Mary Onslow Countess Iveagh was born to William Onslow 4th Earl Onslow (age 28) and [his wife] Florence Coulston Gardner Countess Onslow (age 28). She married before 15th October 1906 Rupert Edward Cecil Lee Guinness 2nd Earl Iveagh, son of Edward Guiness 1st Earl Iveagh and Adelaide "Dodo" Guinness, and had issue.
In 1885 [his daughter] Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow Countess Halifax was born to William Onslow 4th Earl Onslow (age 31) and [his wife] Florence Coulston Gardner Countess Onslow (age 31). She married 21st September 1909 Edward Frederick Lindley Wood 1st Earl Halifax, son of Charles Lindley Wood 2nd Viscount Halifax and Agnes Elizabeth Courtenay Viscountess Halifax, and had issue.
The London Gazette 25615. St. James's Palace, August 5, 1886. To be Lords in Waiting in Ordinary to Her Majesty:—
William Hillier (age 33), Earl of Onslow, in the room of William, Lord Kensington, resigned.
William Hale John Charles (age 46), Earl of Limerick, in the room of Henry James, Lord Hothfield, resigned.
John-Major (age 43), Lord Henniker, in the room of Thomas, Lord Ribblesdale, resigned.
John Adrian Louis, Earl of Hopetoun, in the room of Frederick Henry Paul, Lord Methuen, resigned.
William Buller Fullerton, Lord Elphinstone, in the room of Thomas John, Lord Thurlow, resigned.
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 13th November 1890 [his son] Victor Alexander Herbert Huia Onslow was born to William Onslow 4th Earl Onslow (age 37) and [his wife] Florence Coulston Gardner Countess Onslow (age 37). He married 3rd February 1919 Muriel Wheldale.
In 1903. John Collier (age 52). Portrait of William Onslow 4th Earl Onslow (age 49).
On 22nd February 1906 [his son] Richard William Alan Onslow 5th Earl Onslow (age 29) and [his daughter-in-law] Violet Marcia Bampfylde Countess Onslow (age 21) were married. He the son of William Onslow 4th Earl Onslow (age 52) and [his wife] Florence Coulston Gardner Countess Onslow (age 53).
Before 15th October 1906 [his son-in-law] Rupert Edward Cecil Lee Guinness 2nd Earl Iveagh (age 32) and [his daughter] Gwendolen Florence Mary Onslow Countess Iveagh (age 25) were married. She by marriage Countess Iveagh. She the daughter of William Onslow 4th Earl Onslow (age 53) and [his wife] Florence Coulston Gardner Countess Onslow (age 53). He the son of Edward Guiness 1st Earl Iveagh (age 58) and Adelaide "Dodo" Guinness (age 62).
On 21st September 1909 [his son-in-law] Edward Frederick Lindley Wood 1st Earl Halifax (age 28) and [his daughter] Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow Countess Halifax (age 24) were married. She the daughter of William Onslow 4th Earl Onslow (age 56) and [his wife] Florence Coulston Gardner Countess Onslow (age 56).
On 23rd October 1911 William Onslow 4th Earl Onslow (age 58) died at Hendon Barnet. His son Richard (age 35) succeeded 5th Earl Onslow, 5th Viscount Cranley, 8th Baron Onslow, 9th Baronet Onslow of West Clandon in Surrey, 10th Baronet Foote of London. [his daughter-in-law] Violet Marcia Bampfylde Countess Onslow (age 26) by marriage Countess Onslow.
On 3rd August 1934 [his former wife] Florence Coulston Gardner Countess Onslow (age 81) died.
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 27 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 15 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 23 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 20 Grand Son of Louis VII King of the Franks
Kings France: Great x 24 Grand Son of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 28 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Foot Onslow 
13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Arthur Onslow 14 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: George Onslow 1st Earl Onslow 15 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Onslow 2nd Earl Onslow 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Shelley 3rd Baronet 13 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Shelley 4th Baronet 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Gage Lady Shelley 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Henrietta Shelley Countess Onslow 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Pelham 1st Baron Pelham of Laughton 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Pelham Lady Shelley 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Grace Holles 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
GrandFather: Thomas Cranley Onslow 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Eaton Ellerker
Great x 1 Grandmother: Arabella Mainwaring Ellerker
Father: George Augustus Cranley Onslow 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
GrandMother: Susannah Elizabeth Hillier
William Onslow 4th Earl Onslow 15 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Mother: Mary Harriet Anne Loftus 