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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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Paternal Family Tree: Hanover
Maternal Family Tree: Anne Eleonore Hesse Darmstadt Duchess Brunswick-Lüneburg 1601-1659
In 1617 [his father] George Hanover Duke Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 34) and [his mother] Anne Eleonore Hesse Darmstadt Duchess Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 15) were married. She by marriage Duchess Brunswick Lüneburg.
On 20th November 1629 Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg was born to [his father] George Hanover Duke Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 47) and [his mother] Anne Eleonore Hesse Darmstadt Duchess Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 28).
On 12th April 1641 [his father] George Hanover Duke Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 59) died. His son [his brother] Christian (age 19) succeeded Duke Brunswick Lüneburg.
In 1643 [his brother-in-law] Frederick III King of Denmark (age 33) and [his sister] Sophie Amalie Hanover Queen Consort Denmark (age 14) were married. She the daughter of [his father] George Hanover Duke Brunswick-Lüneburg and [his mother] Anne Eleonore Hesse Darmstadt Duchess Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 41). He the son of Christian IV King of Denmark (age 65). They were sixth cousins.
On 28th February 1648 Christian IV King of Denmark (age 70) died. His son [his brother-in-law] Frederick (age 38) succeeded III King of Denmark. [his sister] Sophie Amalie Hanover Queen Consort Denmark (age 19) by marriage Queen Consort Denmark.
On 30th September 1658 Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 28) and Electress Sophia Palatinate Simmern (age 27) were married. She the daughter of Frederick Palatinate Simmern V Elector Palatine Rhine and Princess Elizabeth Stewart Queen Bohemia (age 62). He the son of George Hanover Duke Brunswick-Lüneburg and Anne Eleonore Hesse Darmstadt Duchess Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 57).
On 6th May 1659 [his mother] Anne Eleonore Hesse Darmstadt Duchess Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 57) died.
On 28th May 1660 [his son] King George I was born to Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 30) and [his wife] Electress Sophia Palatinate Simmern (age 29). He a great grandson of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland. He married (1) 21st November 1682 his first cousin Sophia Dorothea of Celle, daughter of George Wilhelm Hanover Duke Brunswick-Lüneburg and Eleonore Esmier D'Olbreuse Duchess Brunswick-Lüneburg, and had issue.
In 1661 [his son] Frederick Augustus Hanover was born to Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 31) and [his wife] Electress Sophia Palatinate Simmern (age 30). He a great grandson of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
In 1665 [his brother] Christian Ludwig Hanover Duke Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 43) died. His brother [his brother] George (age 40) succeeded Duke Brunswick Lüneburg.
On 3rd June 1665 at the Battle of Lowestoft an English fleet commanded by King James II of England Scotland and Ireland (age 31), [his brother-in-law] Prince Rupert Palatinate Simmern 1st Duke Cumberland (age 45) and Edward Montagu 1st Earl Sandwich (age 39) defeated a Dutch Fleet.
Richard Boyle was killed.
Charles Maccarthy Viscount Muskerry was killed.
Charles Berkeley 1st Earl Falmouth (age 35) was killed by a cannonball aboard the Royal Charles. Earl Falmouth extinct, Baron Botetourt Langport in Somerset extinct. His father Charles (age 65) succeeded 2nd Viscount Fitzhardinge of Berehaven in Kerry. Penelope Godolphin Viscountess Fitzhardinge by marriage Viscountess Fitzhardinge of Berehaven in Kerry. Possibly the only occasion when a father has succeeded his son.
Charles Weston 3rd Earl of Portland (deceased) was killed by a cannon shot. On 13th June 1665 His uncle Thomas (age 55) succeeded 4th Earl of Portland, 4th Baron Weston of Nayland in Suffolk.
Thomas Allin 1st Baronet (age 53) was present.
Admiral Jeremy Smith commanded the Mary.
Captain George Batts fought. He was assigned to Sir George Ayscue's (age 49) division in the Blue Squadron.
James Ley 3rd Earl Marlborough (age 47) was killed at the Battle of Lowestoft commanding Old James attempting to recover a captured ship. His half brother William (age 53) succeeded 4th Earl Marlborough.
In 1666 [his son] Maximilian Hanover was born to Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 36) and [his wife] Electress Sophia Palatinate Simmern (age 35). He a great grandson of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
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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Before 1668 James Hayes (age 30) was appointed Secretary to [his brother-in-law] Prince Rupert Palatinate Simmern 1st Duke Cumberland (age 48).
On 30th October 1668 [his daughter] Sophia Charlotte Hanover Queen Consort Prussia was born to Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 38) and [his wife] Electress Sophia Palatinate Simmern (age 38). She a great granddaughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland. She married before 1685 her second cousin Frederick I King Prussia and had issue.
In 1669 [his son] Charles Philip Hanover was born to Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 39) and [his wife] Electress Sophia Palatinate Simmern (age 38). He a great grandson of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
In 1671 [his son] Christian Henry Hanover was born to Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 41) and [his wife] Electress Sophia Palatinate Simmern (age 40). He a great grandson of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
On 17th September 1674 [his son] Ernest Augustus Hanover 1st Duke of York and Albany was born to Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 44) and [his wife] Electress Sophia Palatinate Simmern (age 43). He a great grandson of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
In 1675 [his illegitimate daughter] Sophia Charlotte Hanover Countess of Darlington and Leinster was born illegitimately to Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 45). She married 1701 Johan Adolf Von Kielmansegg and had issue.
On 2nd April 1676 [his brother] George Wilhelm Hanover Duke Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 52) and [his sister-in-law] Eleonore Esmier D'Olbreuse Duchess Brunswick-Lüneburg were married. She by marriage Duchess Brunswick Lüneburg. He the son of [his father] George Hanover Duke Brunswick-Lüneburg and [his mother] Anne Eleonore Hesse Darmstadt Duchess Brunswick-Lüneburg.
On 21st November 1682 [his son] George Louis of Hanover (age 22) and [his daughter-in-law] Sophia Dorothea of Celle (age 16) were married. The marriage had been arranged by their respective fathers Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 53) and [his brother] George Wilhelm Hanover Duke Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 58), and his mother [his wife] Electress Sophia Palatinate Simmern (age 52). She the illegitmate daughter of George Wilhelm Hanover Duke Brunswick-Lüneburg and [his sister-in-law] Eleonore Esmier D'Olbreuse Duchess Brunswick-Lüneburg. He the son of Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg and Electress Sophia Palatinate Simmern. They were first cousins. He a great grandson of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
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 29th November 1682 [his brother-in-law] Prince Rupert Palatinate Simmern 1st Duke Cumberland (age 62) died without legitimate issue at Westminster [Map]. Duke Cumberland and Earl Holderness extinct. He was buried in the Crypt, Westminster Abbey.
Before 1685 [his son-in-law] Frederick I King Prussia (age 27) and [his daughter] Sophia Charlotte Hanover Queen Consort Prussia (age 16) were married. She the daughter of Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 55) and [his wife] Electress Sophia Palatinate Simmern (age 54). He the son of Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 64) and Luise Henriette Orange Nassau. They were second cousins. She a great granddaughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
In 20th February 1685 [his sister] Sophie Amalie Hanover Queen Consort Denmark (age 56) died.
In 1690 [his son] Charles Philip Hanover (age 21) died.
In 1690 [his son] Frederick Augustus Hanover (age 29) died.
In 1690 [his brother] George Wilhelm Hanover Duke Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 65) was appointed 500th Knight of the Garter by King William III of England, Scotland and Ireland (age 39) and Mary Stewart II Queen England Scotland and Ireland (age 27).
On 19th December 1692 Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 63) was elected Elector Brunswick Lüneburg.
On 28th December 1694 the marriage of the future [his son] King George I (age 34) and [his daughter-in-law] Sophia Dorothea of Celle (age 28) was dissolved. Sophia Dorothea was named as the guilty party for "maliciously leaving her husband". She was forbidden to remarry or to see her children again; her name was removed from official documents, she was stripped of her title of Electoral Princess. She was imprisoned for life.
On 23rd January 1698 Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 68) died.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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On 8th June 1714 [his former wife] Electress Sophia Palatinate Simmern (age 83) died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 18 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Godwinson: Great x 17 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 13 Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 17 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 14 Grand Son of Louis VII King of the Franks
Kings France: Great x 18 Grand Son of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 22 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg 
13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Louis II Landgrave of Hesse 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William II Landgrave of Hesse 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Landgrave Philip I of Hesse 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Landgrave George I of Hesse Darmstadt 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Albert III Duke Saxony 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: George Duke of Saxony 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Christine of Saxony 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Casimir IV King Poland
Great x 3 Grandmother: Barbara Jagiellon 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elisabeth Habsburg Queen Consort Poland 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
GrandFather: Landgrave Louis V of Hesse-Darmstadt 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Mother: Anne Eleonore Hesse Darmstadt Duchess Brunswick-Lüneburg 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England