Marriage Age Gap Greater Than Forty Years

Marriage Age Gap Greater Than Forty Years is in Marriages with Large Age Gaps.

In 1096 Robert Beaumont 1st Earl of Leicester Count Meulan [aged 56] and Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey [aged 11] were married. She by marriage Countess of Leicester. The difference in their ages was 45 years. She the daughter of Hugh "Great" Capet [aged 39] and Adelaide I Countess Vermandois.

In or before 1156 Hugh Bigod 1st Earl Norfolk [aged 60] and Gundred Beaumont Countess Norfolk [aged 20] were married. The difference in their ages was 40 years. She the daughter of Roger Beaumont 2nd Earl Warwick and Gundred Warenne Countess Warwick.

Around 1242 Hugh de Lacy [aged 66] and Emmeline Riddlesford [aged 19] were married. The difference in their ages was 47 years.

In 1252 Roger de Quincy 2nd Earl Winchester [aged 57] and Eleanor Ferrers Countess Winchester [aged 16] were married. She by marriage Countess Winchester. The difference in their ages was 41 years. She the daughter of William Ferrers 5th Earl of Derby [aged 59] and Sibyl Marshal [aged 51]. He the son of Saer Quincy 1st Earl Winchester and Margaret Beaumont Countess Winchester. They were third cousin once removed. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

After 1256 Philip Basset [aged 72] and Ela Longespée [aged 32] were married. The difference in their ages was 40 years. They were first cousin twice removed. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England. She a great granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

After 20th January 1325 Thomas Blount 1st Baron Blount [aged 62] and Juliana Leybourne Countess Huntingdon [aged 22] were married. The difference in their ages was 40 years.

In or after 1356 Alan Buxhull [aged 33] and Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury were married. She reputed to be the richest woman in England at the time. The difference in their ages was 41 years.

On 16th January 1401 Stephen "Magnificient Fop" Wittelsbach III Duke Bavaria [aged 64] and Elisabeth de la Marck Duchess Bavaria [aged 23] were married at Cologne. She by marriage Duchess Bavaria. The difference in their ages was 41 years. She the daughter of Adolph de la Marck and Margaret Jülich Countess Cleves and Mark [aged 51]. He the son of Stephen Wittelsbach II Duke Bavaria and Elisabeth Barcelona Duchess Bavaria.

After 12th May 1427 William Granville [aged 45] and Philippa Bonville [aged 1] were married. The difference in their ages was 44 years. They were fifth cousin once removed. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward I of England. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

The History of William Marshal, Earl of Chepstow and Pembroke, Regent of England. Book 1 of 2, Lines 1-10152.

The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.

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On 11th May 1433 William Wittelsbach III Duke Bavaria [aged 58] and Margarethe of Cleves [aged 17] were married. The difference in their ages was 41 years. She the daughter of Adolph de la Marck I Duke Cleves [aged 59] and Marie Valois Duchess Cleves [aged 40]. He the son of John Wittelsbach II Duke Bavaria and Catherine Gorizia Duchess Bavaria. They were half second cousin once removed. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

Before 22nd May 1441 James Douglas 1st Lord Dalkeith [aged 71] and Janet Borthwick [aged 28] were married. The difference in their ages was 43 years.

Before 1458 William Botreaux 3rd Baron Botreaux [aged 68] and Margaret Ros Baroness Botreaux Baroness Burgh [aged 27] were married. She by marriage Baroness Botreaux. The difference in their ages was 40 years. She the daughter of Thomas Ros 8th Baron Ros Helmsley and Eleanor Beauchamp Duchess Somerset [aged 49].

Marriage of John Woodville and Catherine Neville

In January 1465 John Woodville [aged 20] and Katherine Neville Duchess Norfolk [aged 65] were married. Described as a 'Diabolical Marriage' by opponents of the Woodvilles. He being nineteen, she sixty-five. His first wife, her fourth husband. Regarded as an example of the Woodville family increasing their wealth and power. See Woodville Marriages The difference in their ages was 45 years; she, unusually, being older than him. She the daughter of Ralph Neville 1st Earl of Westmoreland and Joan Beaufort Countess of Westmoreland. He the son of Richard Woodville 1st Earl Rivers [aged 60] and Jacquetta of Luxemburg Duchess Bedford [aged 50]. They were fifth cousin once removed. She a great granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

In or before 1500 Thomas Wortley [aged 66] and Catherine Fitzwilliam [aged 26] were married. The difference in their ages was 40 years.

Before 1504 William Fairfax of Steeton [aged 67] and Elizabeth Fairfax [aged 23] were married. The difference in their ages was 44 years.

In or before 1511 Robert Clere [aged 65] and Alice Boleyn [aged 23] were married. The difference in their ages was 41 years.

After 8th April 1527 Giles Greville [aged 61] and Anne Reade [aged 17] were married. The difference in their ages was 44 years.

Around 1531 Anthony Ughtred [aged 53] and Elizabeth Seymour Baroness Cromwell Oakham [aged 13] were married. The difference in their ages was 40 years.

In or before 1540 William Copley [aged 67] and Margaret Savage [aged 19] were married. The difference in their ages was 48 years.

In 1550 Albert "The Elder" Hohenzollern I Duke Prussia [aged 59] and Anna Maria Guelph Duchess Prussia [aged 17] were married. The difference in their ages was 41 years. She the daughter of Eric "The Elder" Guelph I Duke Brunswick-Lüneburg. He the son of Frederick Hohenzollern I Margrave Brandenburg-Ansbach and Sophia Jagiellon Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach. They were fifth cousins.

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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In or before 1554 Richard Lyster [aged 21] and Isabel Lister [aged 67] were married. The difference in their ages was 46 years; she, unusually, being older than him.

After 1573 Archbishop Henry Ussher [aged 23] and Mary Smith were married. The difference in their ages was 40 years.

On 12th December 1574 Thomas Fane [aged 64] and Mary Neville 7th and 5th Baroness Abergavenny 3rd Baroness Despencer [aged 20] were married at Birling, Kent [Map]. The difference in their ages was 44 years.

Around 1595 John Bridgeman [aged 58] and Frances Daunt [aged 17] were married at Owlpen, Gloucestershire. The difference in their ages was 41 years.

Before 15th February 1616 George Carey [aged 75] and Lettice Rich [aged 27] were married. The difference in their ages was 48 years. She the daughter of Robert Rich 1st Earl Warwick [aged 56] and Penelope Devereux Countess Devonshire.

On 26th April 1620 Henry Montagu 1st Earl Manchester [aged 57] and Margaret Crouch Countess Manchester [aged 15] were married. She by marriage Viscountess Mandeville. The difference in their ages was 42 years.

In 1622 James Balfour 1st Baron Balfour [aged 55] and Anne Blayney [aged 15] were married. The difference in their ages was 40 years.

In 1622 Anthony Ashley 1st Baronet [aged 61] and Lady Philippa Sheldon [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Lady Ashley of Wimborne St Giles in Dorset. The difference in their ages was 42 years.

In 1635 Edward Cecil 1st Viscount Wimbledon [aged 62] and Sophia Zouche [aged 17] were married. The difference in their ages was 45 years. He the son of Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter. They were half fourth cousin twice removed.

In 1638 Bishop John Leslie [aged 66] and Katherine Cunningham [aged 18] were married. The difference in their ages was 48 years.

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.

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Around February 1646 Theobald Gorges [aged 63] and Anne Gage [aged 21] were married at St Bartholomew the Less. The difference in their ages was 41 years. He the son of Thomas Gorges of Longford Castle and Helena Snakenbourg Marchioness Northampton.

In 1648 Robert Howard [aged 64] and Catherine Neville [aged 22] were married. The difference in their ages was 41 years. He the son of Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk and Catherine Knyvet Countess Suffolk. They were sixth cousins.

In or before 1655 John Tracy 2nd Viscount Tracy [aged 61] and Dorothy Cocks [aged 19] were married. The difference in their ages was 42 years.

On 21st February 1660 Robert Sutton 1st Baron Lexinton [aged 65] and Mary St Leger Baroness Lexington [aged 20] were married. She by marriage Baroness Lexinton of Aram in Nottinghamshire. The difference in their ages was 45 years.

After 1661 George Blount [aged 11] and Mary O'Brien Viscountess Cullen [aged 52] were married. The difference in their ages was 41 years; she, unusually, being older than him. She the daughter of Henry O'Brien 5th Earl Thomond and Mary Brereton Countess Thomond.

Before 23rd February 1666 Hugh Hamilton 1st Viscount of Glenawly [aged 66] and Susanna Balfour [aged 26] were married. The difference in their ages was 40 years.

On 2nd June 1680 John Maynard [aged 76] and Mary Upton [aged 30] were married. The difference in their ages was 46 years.

Before 8th May 1682 James Howard 3rd Earl Suffolk [aged 63] and Anne Montagu Countess Suffolk [aged 15] were married. She by marriage Countess Suffolk. The difference in their ages was 47 years. She the daughter of Robert Montagu 3rd Earl Manchester [aged 48] and Anne Yelverton Countess Manchester [aged 52]. He the son of Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk and Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk.

On 16th July 1695 Thomas Coventry 1st Earl Coventry [aged 66] and Elizabeth Grimes Countess Coventry [aged 25] were married. The difference in their ages was 41 years.

In 1758 Anthony Duncombe 1st Baron Feversham [aged 63] and Anne Hales Baroness Feversham Downton [aged 22] were married. She by marriage Baroness Feversham Downton in Wiltshire. The difference in their ages was 41 years.

On 6th October 1759 William Stanhope [aged 57] and Anne Hussey Delaval [aged 16] were married. His third wife. The difference in their ages was 41 years. He the son of Philip Stanhope 3rd Earl Chesterfield and Elizabeth Savile.

Before 1791 Thomas Adderley [aged 78] and Margaretta Bourke [aged 35] were married. The difference in their ages was 43 years.

Before 1800 John Acton 6th Baronet [aged 63] and Mary-Ann Acton Lady Acton [aged 17] were married. She by marriage Lady Acton of Aldenham Hall. The difference in their ages was 45 years. They were uncle and niece.

On 30th November 1811 Thomas Maynard Haselrigge 10th Baronet [aged 83] and Letitia Wodehouse Lady Haselrigge [aged 37] were married at Wymondham, Norfolk [Map]. The difference in their ages was 45 years.

In June 1815 William Jackson Hooker [aged 29] and Mary Palgrave [aged 71] were married. They had five children. The difference in their ages was 41 years; she, unusually, being older than him.

Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses

Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.

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Around 1816 Thomas Coutts [aged 80] and Harriet Mellon Duchess St Albans [aged 38] were married. The difference in their ages was 42 years.

In 1822 Thomas Coke 1st Earl of Leicester [aged 67] and Anne Amelia Keppel Countess Leicester [aged 19] were married. The difference in their ages was 48 years. She the daughter of William Charles Keppel 4th Earl Albermarle [aged 49] and Elizabeth Southwell Countess Albermarle.

Before 5th November 1830 George James Cholmondeley [aged 78] and Mary Elizabeth Townshend Countess Romney [aged 30] were married. The difference in their ages was 47 years.

On 18th August 1852 Henry Holland 1st Baronet [aged 63] and Elizabeth Margaret HIbbert Lady Holland [aged 18] were married. The difference in their ages was 45 years.

In 1857 William Fox-Strangways 4th Earl of Ilchester [aged 61] and Sophia Penelope Sheffield Countess Ilchester [aged 15] were married. The difference in their ages was 46 years. He the son of Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester and Maria Digby Countess Ilchester. They were third cousins.

On 25th November 1858 Henry Holland 1st Baronet [aged 70] and Margaret Jean Trevelyan Lady Holland [aged 23] were married. She by marriage Lady Holland of Sandlebridge. The difference in their ages was 46 years.

On 12th September 1863 Thomas Grosvenor 2nd Earl Wilton [aged 63] and Susan Isabel Elton Smith Countess Wilton [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Countess Wilton. The difference in their ages was 42 years. He the son of Robert Grosvenor 1st Marquess Westminster and Eleanor Egerton Marchioness Westminster.

On 19th January 1867 William Jolliffe 1st Baron Hylton [aged 66] and Sophia Penelope Sheffield Countess Ilchester [aged 25] were married. She by marriage Baroness Hylton of Hylton in County Durham. The difference in their ages was 41 years.

On 21st August 1869 Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt [aged 75] and Frank Armstrong Crawford [aged 30] were married. She signed a pre-nuptial agreement, agreeing to receive $500,000 in bonds after his death. Confederate Generals Braxton Bragg and his brother, Thomas Bragg, both attended the wedding. The difference in their ages was 44 years.

On 16th December 1896 George Truefitt [aged 72] and Constance Lever [aged 26] were married some three months after the death of his first wife Mary Haywood. The difference in their ages was 45 years.

In 1898 Charles Tennant 1st Baronet [aged 74] and Marguerite Agaranthe Miles [aged 30] were married. The difference in their ages was 44 years.

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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On 23rd April 1927 Alexander Cowan McCorquodale [aged 69] and Barbara Cartland [aged 25] were married. The difference in their ages was 43 years.

In 1975 Massey Lopes 2nd Baron Roborough [aged 71] and Sarah Violet Astor [aged 22] were married. The difference in their ages was 49 years.

Edward Griffin and Elizabeth Palmer were married. The difference in their ages was 40 years.