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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Viscount Lisle is in Viscountcies of England Alphabetically.
In 1451 John Talbot 1st Viscount Lisle [aged 25] was created 1st Viscount Lisle. Joan Cheddar Viscountess Lisle [aged 26] by marriage Viscountess Lisle.
On 17th July 1453 the Battle of Castillon, the last battle of the Hundred Years War, was fought at Castillon.
John "Old Talbot" Talbot 1st Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 70] was killed. His grandson Thomas [aged 4] succeeded 2nd Viscount Lisle, 2nd Baron Lisle. Margaret Herbert Viscountess Lisle by marriage Viscountess Lisle. On His son John [aged 35] succeeded 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, 2nd Earl Waterford, 7th Baron Furnivall, 11th Baron Strange Blackmere, 8th Baron Talbot. Elizabeth Butler Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 29] by marriage Countess of Shrewsbury Countess Waterford.
John Talbot 1st Viscount Lisle [aged 27] was killed. He the son of John "Old Talbot" Talbot 1st Earl of Shrewsbury.
Robert Hungerford 3rd Baron Hungerford 1st Baron Moleyns [aged 22] and John Foix 1st Earl Kendal [aged 43] were captured.
On 20th March 1470 the army of William Berkeley 1st Marquess Berkeley [aged 44] including Maurice Berkeley 3rd Baron Berkeley [aged 35] defeated the army of Thomas Talbot 2nd Viscount Lisle [aged 21] at Nibley Green, Berkeley.
Thomas Talbot 2nd Viscount Lisle was killed. Viscount Lisle extinct. Baron Lisle abeyant.
Ostensibly a battle of the Wars of the Roses it may also be considered a settling of the dispute over the ownership of Berkeley Castle [Map] which has passed with the Baron Berkeley Feudal to William Berkeley 1st Marquess Berkeley rather than with Baron Berkeley which was abeyant, and of which Thomas Talbot 2nd Viscount Lisle was a potential heir. Thomas Talbot 2nd Viscount Lisle was born to John Talbot 1st Viscount Lisle whose mother was Margaret Beauchamp Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford whose mother was Elizabeth Berkeley Countess Warwick who was a daughter of Thomas Berkeley 10th and 5th Baron Berkeley, Baron Lisle.
In 1483 Edward Grey 1st Viscount Lisle [aged 51] was created 1st Viscount Lisle. Elizabeth Talbot Viscountess Lisle by marriage Viscountess Lisle.
On 17th July 1492 Edward Grey 1st Viscount Lisle [aged 60] died at Astley, Warwickshire. He was buried at Church St Mary the Virgin, Astley. His son John [aged 11] succeeded 2nd Viscount Lisle.
Before 1504 John Grey 2nd Viscount Lisle [aged 22] and Muriel Howard Viscountess Lisle [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Viscountess Lisle. She the daughter of Thomas Howard 2nd Duke of Norfolk [aged 60] and Elizabeth Tilney Countess of Surrey. They were third cousins.
In 1504 John Grey 2nd Viscount Lisle [aged 23] died. Viscount Lisle extinct. Some sources suggest his daughter Elizabeth Grey Countess Devon inherited the Viscountcy whereas as others suggest she inherited the Barony only.
In 1513 Charles Brandon 1st Duke of Suffolk [aged 29] was betrothed to Elizabeth Grey Countess Devon [aged 7]. He was created 1st Viscount Lisle in recognition of the betrothal.
In May 1515 Charles Brandon 1st Duke of Suffolk [aged 31] and Mary Tudor Queen Consort France [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Duchess Suffolk. She had married Louis XII King France in Oct 1514; he had died on 01 Jan 1515. Around this time he surrendered the title Viscount Lisle which he had been created in anticipation of this marriage to Elizabeth Grey Countess Devon [aged 10] which never took place. She the daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland and Elizabeth York Queen Consort England. They were fifth cousins.
On 22nd August 1545 Charles Brandon 1st Duke of Suffolk [aged 61] died. His son Henry [aged 9] succeeded 2nd Duke Suffolk, 2nd Viscount Lisle.
On 14th July 1551 Henry Brandon 2nd Duke of Suffolk [aged 15] died of sweating sickness at the Bishop of Lincoln's Palace, Buckden [Map]. His brother Charles [aged 14] succeeded 3rd Duke Suffolk, 3rd Viscount Lisle.
Charles Brandon 3rd Duke of Suffolk died of sweating sickness an hour or so after his brother also at the Bishop of Lincoln's Palace, Buckden [Map]. Duke Suffolk, Viscount Lisle extinct.
They were buried at St Mary's Church, Buckden [Map]
Charles Brandon 3rd Duke of Suffolk: In 1537 he was born to Charles Brandon 1st Duke of Suffolk and Catherine Willoughby Duchess Suffolk. Henry Machyn's Diary. 22nd September 1551. The xxij day of September was the monyth['s mind of the] ij dukkes of Suffoke [Henry Brandon 2nd Duke of Suffolk and Charles Brandon 3rd Duke of Suffolk] in Chambryge-shyre, with [ij] standards, ij baners grett of armes and large, and banars rolles of dyver armes, with ij elmets, ij [swords, ij] targetts crownyd, ij cotes of armes, ij crests, and [ten dozen] of schochyons crounyd; and yt was grett pete of [their] dethe, and yt had plesyd God, of so nobull a stok they wher, for ther ys no more left of them.
In 1523 Arthur Plantagenet [aged 58] was created 1st Viscount Lisle. Elizabeth Grey Viscountess Lisle [aged 43] by marriage Viscountess Lisle.
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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In 1529 Arthur Plantagenet 1st Viscount Lisle [aged 64] and Honor Grenville Viscountess Lisle [aged 35] were married. She by marriage Viscountess Lisle. The difference in their ages was 29 years. He the illegitmate son of King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Waite.
On 3rd March 1542 Arthur Plantagenet 1st Viscount Lisle [aged 77] died at the Tower of London [Map]. Viscount Lisle extinct.
On 12th March 1542 John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland [aged 38] was created 1st Viscount Lisle.
Chronicle of Edward Hall [1496-1548]. 12th March 1542. And the twelve daye of the saied moneth, sir Jhon Dudley [aged 38] sonne and heire to the saied Lorde Lisles wife was at Westmynster created Viscount Lisle.
On 22nd August 1553 John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland [aged 49] was beheaded at Tower Hill [Map]. Duke Northumberland, Earl Warwick and Viscount Lisle forfeit. John Dudley 2nd Earl Warwick [aged 26], his son, was also attainted, with the Earldom of Warwick forfeit.
Thomas Palmer and John Gates [aged 49] were hanged, drawn and quartered.
In 1605 Robert Sidney 1st Earl of Leicester [aged 41] was created 1st Viscount Lisle. Barbara Gamage Countess Leicester [aged 42] by marriage Viscountess Lisle.
On 13th July 1626 Robert Sidney 1st Earl of Leicester [aged 62] died. His son Robert [aged 30] succeeded 2nd Earl of Leicester, 2nd Viscount Lisle. Dorothy Percy Countess Leicester [aged 28] by marriage Countess of Leicester.
On 2nd November 1677 Robert Sidney 2nd Earl of Leicester [aged 81] died. His son Philip [aged 58] succeeded 3rd Earl of Leicester, 3rd Viscount Lisle.
On 6th March 1698 Philip Sidney 3rd Earl of Leicester [aged 79] died. His son Robert [aged 49] succeeded 4th Earl of Leicester, 4th Viscount Lisle. Elizabeth Egerton Countess Leicester [aged 44] by marriage Countess of Leicester.
On 11th November 1702 Robert Sidney 4th Earl of Leicester [aged 53] died. His son Philip [aged 26] succeeded 5th Earl of Leicester, 5th Viscount Lisle.
On 24th July 1705 Philip Sidney 5th Earl of Leicester [aged 29] died. His brother John [aged 25] succeeded 6th Earl of Leicester, 6th Viscount Lisle.
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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On 27th September 1737 John Sidney 6th Earl of Leicester [aged 57] died at Penshurst Place, Kent [Map]. He was buried at St John the Baptist Church, Penshurst. His brother Jocelyn [aged 55] succeeded 7th Earl of Leicester, 7th Viscount Lisle.
On 7th July 1743 Jocelyn Sidney 7th Earl of Leicester [aged 61] died. Earl of Leicester and Viscount Lisle extinct. His will left everything to his illegitimate daughter Anne Sidney [aged 14] but was successfully contested by cousins.