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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Earl Aylesford is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically, Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extant Earldoms of England.
Summary
1714. Heneage Finch 1st Earl Aylesford [aged 65] created.
22nd July 1719. Son Heneage Finch 2nd Earl Aylesford [aged 36] succeeded.
29th June 1757. Son Heneage Finch 3rd Earl Aylesford [aged 41] succeeded.
9th May 1777. Son Heneage Finch 4th Earl Aylesford [aged 25] succeeded.
21st October 1812. Son Heneage Finch 5th Earl Aylesford [aged 26] succeeded.
3rd January 1859. Son Heneage Finch 6th Earl Aylesford [aged 34] succeeded.
10th January 1871. Son Heneage Finch 7th Earl Aylesford [aged 22] succeeded.
1885. Brother Charles Wightwick Finch 8th Earl of Aylesford [aged 34] succeeded.
1924. Grandson Captain Heneage Michael Charles Finch 9th Earl of Aylesford [aged 15] succeeded.
28th May 1940. Uncle Charles Daniel Finch-Knightley 10th Earl of Aylesford [aged 53] succeeded.
20th March 1958. Son Charles Finch-Knightley 11th Earl of Aylesford [aged 39] succeeded.
19th February 2008. Son Heneage Charles Finch-Knightley 12th Earl of Aylesford [aged 60] succeeded.
In 1714 Heneage Finch 1st Earl Aylesford [aged 65] was created 1st Earl Aylesford. Elizabeth Banks Countess Aylesford by marriage Countess Aylesford.
On 22nd July 1719 Heneage Finch 1st Earl Aylesford [aged 70] died. His son Heneage [aged 36] succeeded 2nd Earl Aylesford. Mary Fisher Countess Aylesford [aged 29] by marriage Countess Aylesford.
On 29th June 1757 Heneage Finch 2nd Earl Aylesford [aged 74] died. His son Heneage [aged 41] succeeded 3rd Earl Aylesford. Charlotte Seymour Countess Aylesford [aged 26] by marriage Countess Aylesford.
On 9th May 1777 Heneage Finch 3rd Earl Aylesford [aged 61] died. His son Heneage [aged 25] succeeded 4th Earl Aylesford.
On 18th November 1781 Heneage Finch 4th Earl Aylesford [aged 30] and Louisa Thynne Countess Aylesford [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Countess Aylesford. She the daughter of Thomas Thynne 1st Marquess of Bath [aged 47] and Elizabeth Bentinck Marchioness Bath [aged 46]. He the son of Heneage Finch 3rd Earl Aylesford and Charlotte Seymour Countess Aylesford [aged 51].
On 21st October 1812 Heneage Finch 4th Earl Aylesford [aged 61] died. His son Heneage [aged 26] succeeded 5th Earl Aylesford.
On 23rd April 1821 Heneage Finch 5th Earl Aylesford [aged 34] and Augusta Sophia Greville Countess Aylesford were married. She by marriage Countess Aylesford. She the daughter of George Greville 2nd Earl Warwick and Brooke and Henrietta Vernon Countess Warwick and Brooke [aged 60]. He the son of Heneage Finch 4th Earl Aylesford and Louisa Thynne Countess Aylesford [aged 61]. They were fourth cousin once removed.
On 3rd January 1859 Heneage Finch 5th Earl Aylesford [aged 72] died. His son Heneage [aged 34] succeeded 6th Earl Aylesford.
In 1871 Heneage Finch 7th Earl Aylesford [aged 22] and Edith Williams Countess Aylesford [aged 27] were married. She by marriage Countess Aylesford. He the son of Heneage Finch 6th Earl Aylesford [aged 46].
This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 10th January 1871 Heneage Finch 6th Earl Aylesford [aged 46] died. His son Heneage [aged 22] succeeded 7th Earl Aylesford.
In 1885 Heneage Finch 7th Earl Aylesford [aged 36] died. His brother Charles [aged 34] succeeded 8th Earl Aylesford.
In 1924 Charles Wightwick Finch 8th Earl of Aylesford [aged 73] died. His grandson Heneage [aged 15] succeeded 9th Earl Aylesford.
On 28th May 1940 Captain Heneage Michael Charles Finch 9th Earl of Aylesford [aged 31] was killed in action. His uncle Charles [aged 53] succeeded 10th Earl Aylesford.
On 20th March 1958 Charles Daniel Finch-Knightley 10th Earl of Aylesford [aged 71] died. His son Charles [aged 39] succeeded 11th Earl Aylesford.
On 19th February 2008 Charles Finch-Knightley 11th Earl of Aylesford [aged 89] died. His son Heneage [aged 60] succeeded 12th Earl Aylesford.