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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Baron Ward of Birmingham is in Baronies of England Alphabetically, Baronies of England Chronologically, Extant Baronies of England.
Summary
23rd March 1644. Humble Ward 1st Baron Ward of Birmingham Baron Dudley [aged 30] created.
14th October 1670. Son Edward Ward 7th Baron Dudley 2nd Baron Ward [aged 39] succeeded.
1701. Grandson Edward Ward 8th Baron Dudley 3rd Baron Ward [aged 17] succeeded.
28th March 1704. Son Edward Ward 9th Baron Dudley 4th Baron Ward succeeded.
16th June 1704. Uncle William Ward 10th Baron Dudley 5th Baron Ward [aged 18] succeeded.
1740. First Cousin Once Removed John Ward 1st Viscount Dudley and Ward [aged 35] succeeded.
6th May 1774. Son John Ward 2nd Viscount Dudley and Ward [aged 49] succeeded.
10th October 1788. Brother William Ward 3rd Viscount Dudley and Ward [aged 38] succeeded.
25th April 1823. Son John Ward 1st Earl of Dudley [aged 41] succeeded.
6th March 1833. Second Cousin William Humble Ward 10th Baron Ward [aged 52] succeeded.
6th December 1835. Son William Ward 1st Earl of Dudley [aged 18] succeeded.
7th May 1885. Son William Humble Ward 2nd Earl of Dudley [aged 17] succeeded.
29th June 1932. Son William Humble Eric Ward 3rd Earl of Dudley [aged 38] succeeded.
26th December 1969. Son William Ward 4th Earl of Dudley [aged 49] succeeded.
16th November 2013. Son William Ward 5th Earl of Dudley [aged 66] succeeded.
On 23rd March 1644 Humble Ward 1st Baron Ward of Birmingham Baron Dudley [aged 30] was created 1st Baron Ward of Birmingham.
On 14th October 1670 Humble Ward 1st Baron Ward of Birmingham Baron Dudley [aged 56] died. His son Edward [aged 39] succeeded 2nd Baron Ward of Birmingham.
In 1701 Edward Ward 7th Baron Dudley 2nd Baron Ward [aged 70] died. His grandson Edward [aged 17] succeeded 3rd Baron Ward of Birmingham, 8th Baron Dudley.
On 28th March 1704 Edward Ward 8th Baron Dudley 3rd Baron Ward [aged 20] died of smallpox. His son Edward succeeded 4th Baron Ward of Birmingham, 9th Baron Dudley posthumously.
On 16th June 1704 Edward Ward 9th Baron Dudley 4th Baron Ward was born to Edward Ward 8th Baron Dudley 3rd Baron Ward and Diana Howard. His father had died three months before. On 6th September 1731 Edward Ward 9th Baron Dudley 4th Baron Ward died unmarried. His uncle William [aged 18] succeeded 10th Baron Dudley, 5th Baron Ward of Birmingham.
In 1740 William Ward 10th Baron Dudley 5th Baron Ward [aged 54] died unmarried.
Ferdinando Dudley Lea 11th Baron Dudley [aged 29] succeeded 11th Baron Dudley.
John Ward 1st Viscount Dudley and Ward [aged 35] succeeded 6th Baron Ward of Birmingham.
On 6th May 1774 John Ward 1st Viscount Dudley and Ward [aged 70] died. His son John [aged 49] succeeded 2nd Viscount Dudley and Ward of Dudley in Worcestershire, 7th Baron Ward of Birmingham.
On 10th October 1788 John Ward 2nd Viscount Dudley and Ward [aged 63] died. His brother William [aged 38] succeeded 3rd Viscount Dudley and Ward of Dudley in Worcestershire, 8th Baron Ward of Birmingham.
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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On 25th April 1823 William Ward 3rd Viscount Dudley and Ward [aged 73] died. His son John [aged 41] succeeded 4th Viscount Dudley and Ward of Dudley in Worcestershire, 9th Baron Ward of Birmingham.
On 6th March 1833 John Ward 1st Earl of Dudley [aged 51] died. Earl of Dudley of Dudley Castle in Staffordshire and Viscount Dudley and Ward of Dudley in Worcestershire extinct. His second cousin William [aged 52] succeeded 10th Baron Ward of Birmingham.
On 6th December 1835 William Humble Ward 10th Baron Ward [aged 54] died. His son William [aged 18] succeeded 11th Baron Ward of Birmingham.
On 24th April 1851 William Ward 1st Earl of Dudley [aged 34] and Selina Constance de Burgh Baroness Ward [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Baroness Ward of Birmingham; she died seven months later.
On 7th May 1885 William Ward 1st Earl of Dudley [aged 68] died at Dudley House Park Lane. His son William [aged 17] succeeded 2nd Earl of Dudley of Dudley Castle in Staffordshire, 12th Baron Ward of Birmingham.
On 29th June 1932 William Humble Ward 2nd Earl of Dudley [aged 65] died. He was buried at the Earl of Dudley's Memory Garden, St Michael's Church, Himley [Map]. His son William [aged 38] succeeded 3rd Earl of Dudley of Dudley Castle in Staffordshire, 13th Baron Ward of Birmingham.
On 26th December 1969 William Humble Eric Ward 3rd Earl of Dudley [aged 75] died. He was buried at the Earl of Dudley's Memory Garden, St Michael's Church, Himley [Map]. His son William [aged 49] succeeded 4th Earl of Dudley of Dudley Castle in Staffordshire, 14th Baron Ward of Birmingham. Maureen Swanson Countess of Dudley [aged 37] by marriage Countess of Dudley of Dudley Castle in Staffordshire.
On 16th November 2013 William Ward 4th Earl of Dudley [aged 93] died. He was buried at the Earl of Dudley's Memory Garden, St Michael's Church, Himley [Map]. His son William [aged 66] succeeded 5th Earl of Dudley of Dudley Castle in Staffordshire, 15th Baron Ward of Birmingham.