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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Murray
Maternal Family Tree: Amy Fermor 1509-1580
On 5th April 1866 [his father] Charles Adolphus Murray 7th Earl Dunmore [aged 25] and [his mother] Gertrude Coke [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Thomas Coke 2nd Earl of Leicester [aged 43] and [his grandmother] Juliana Whitbread Countess Leicester [aged 40]. He the son of Alexander Murray 6th Earl Dunmore and Catherine Herbert Countess Dunmore [aged 51].
On 22nd April 1871 Alexander Murray 8th Earl of Dunmore was born to [his father] Charles Adolphus Murray 7th Earl Dunmore [aged 30] and [his mother] Gertrude Coke [aged 24].
On 30th May 1892 Alexander Murray 8th Earl of Dunmore [aged 21] was commissioned into the 16th Lancers and sent to India.
The London Gazette 26908. War Office, November 9, 1897
The Queen [aged 78] has been graciously pleased to signify Her intention to confer the decoration of the Victoria Cross on the undermentioned Officers, whose claims have been submitted for Her Majesty's approval, for their conspicuous bravery during the operations on the North-West Frontier of India, as recorded against their names:-
Regiment. Name. Acts of Courage for which recommended.
Indian Staff Corps. Major and Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Robert Bellew Adams and 16th Lancers Lieutenant Alexander Edward, Viscount Fincastle [aged 26].
During the fighting at Nawa Bali, in Upper Swat, on the 17th August, 1897, Lieutenant-Colonel R. B. Adams proceeded with Lieutenants H. L. S. MacLean and Viscount Fincastle, and five men of the Guides, under a very heavy and close fire, to the rescue of Lieutenant R. T. Greaves, Lancashire Fusiliers, who was lying disabled by a bullet wound and surrounded by the enemy's swordsmen. In bringing him under cover he (Lieutenant Greaves) was struck by a bullet and killed—Lieutenant MacLean was mortally wounded—whilst the horses of Lieutenant-Colonel Adams and Lieutenant Viscount Fincastle were shot, as well as two troop horses.
Indian Staff Corps. Lieutenant Edmond William Costello. On the night of the 26th July, 1897, at the Malakand, Lieutenant Costello went out from the hospital enclosure, and, with the assistance of two sepoys, brought in a wounded Lance-Halvidar who was lying 60 yards away in the open on the football ground. This ground was at the time overrun with swordsmen and swept by a heavy fire both from the enemy anj our own men who were holding the sapper lines.
Memorandum
Lieutenant Hector Lachlan Stewart Mac Lean, Indian Staff Corps, on account of his gallant conduct as recorded above, would have been recommended to Her Majesty for the Victoria Cross had he survived
The London Gazette 27399. 31st. Battalion, Captain A. E., Viscount Fincastle [aged 30], V.C., 16th Lancers, to Command the Battalion, with the temporary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. Dated 22nd January, 1902.
On 5th January 1904 Alexander Murray 8th Earl of Dunmore [aged 32] and Lucinda Dorothea Kemble Countess Dunmore [aged 26] were married. He the son of Charles Adolphus Murray 7th Earl Dunmore [aged 62] and Gertrude Coke [aged 57].
On 27th August 1907 [his father] Charles Adolphus Murray 7th Earl Dunmore [aged 66] died. His son Alexander [aged 36] succeeded 8th Earl Dunmore, 4th Baron Dunmore of Dunmore in the Forest of Athole in Perthshire. [his wife] Lucinda Dorothea Kemble Countess Dunmore [aged 29] by marriage Countess Dunmore.
On 3rd April 1908 [his son] Edward Murray was born to Alexander Murray 8th Earl of Dunmore [aged 36] and [his wife] Lucinda Dorothea Kemble Countess Dunmore [aged 30].
On 5th June 1940 [his son] Edward Murray [aged 32] was killed in action while serving as a Captain with 4th Bn. Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, he is buried at the London Cemetery and Extension on the Somme.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 28th November 1943 [his mother] Gertrude Coke [aged 96] died.
On 29th January 1962 Alexander Murray 8th Earl of Dunmore [aged 90] died. He was cremated at Golders Green Cemetery. His grandson John [aged 22] succeeded 9th Earl Dunmore, 5th Baron Dunmore of Dunmore in the Forest of Athole in Perthshire.
On 9th February 1966 [his former wife] Lucinda Dorothea Kemble Countess Dunmore [aged 88] died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 23 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 20 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 26 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 21 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 24 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 6 Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Kings Scotland: Great x 22 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 30 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 8 Grand Son of Henry IV King France
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 28 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Charles Murray 1st Earl Dunmore 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Murray 3rd Earl Dunmore 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Murray 4th Earl Dunmore 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: George Murray 5th Earl Dunmore 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Stewart 5th Earl Galloway 
10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Montgomerie Countess Galloway 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Charlotte Stewart Countess Dunmore 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Cochrane 4th Earl Dundonald 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
GrandFather: Alexander Murray 6th Earl Dunmore 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Hamilton Duke Hamilton, 1st Duke Brandon 
9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: James Hamilton 5th Duke Hamilton 2nd Duke Brandon 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Gerard Duchess Brandon 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Archibald Hamilton 9th Duke Hamilton 6th Duke Brandon 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Spencer 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Spencer Duchess Hamilton Duchess Brandon
Great x 1 Grandmother: Susan Hamilton Countess Dunmore 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Stewart 5th Earl Galloway 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Montgomerie Countess Galloway 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Harriet Stewart 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Cochrane 4th Earl Dundonald 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Father: Charles Adolphus Murray 7th Earl Dunmore 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Herbert 8th Earl Pembroke 5th Earl Montgomery 
9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Herbert 6th Earl Montgomery 9th Earl Pembroke 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Sawyer Countess Pembroke and Montgomery
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Herbert 10th Earl Pembroke 7th Earl Montgomery 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Fitzwilliam 5th Viscount Fitzwilliam 
14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Fitzwilliam Countess Pembroke and Montgomery 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Frances Shelley Viscountess Fitzwilliam 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Charles Spencer 3rd Earl of Sunderland 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Charles Spencer 3rd Duke of Marlborough 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Churchill Countess Sunderland 
15 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Spencer Countess Pembroke and Montgomery 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Trevor 2nd Baron Trevor Bromham 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Trevor Duchess of Marlborough
GrandMother: Catherine Herbert Countess Dunmore 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Semyon Romanovich Vorontsova
Great x 1 Grandmother: Yekaterina Semyonovna Vorontsova Countess Pembroke and Montgomery
Alexander Murray 8th Earl of Dunmore 6 x Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Gabriel Roberts
Great x 3 Grandfather: Lieutenant-Colonel Philip Roberts 15 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Wenman 14 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Wenman Roberts aka Coke 
10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Coke 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Coke 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Carey Newton 
11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Coke 1st Earl of Leicester 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Chamberlayne of Wardington
Great x 3 Grandfather: George Chamberlayne
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Chamberlayne
Great x 4 Grandfather: Rear-Admiral Thomas Hardy
Great x 3 Grandmother: Constance Hardy
GrandFather: Thomas Coke 2nd Earl of Leicester 4 x Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Anne Keppel 2nd Earl Albermarle 
Great x 3 Grandfather: George Keppel 3rd Earl Albermarle Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Lennox Countess Albermarle 
Grand Daughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Charles Keppel 4th Earl Albermarle 2 x Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Miller 4th Baronet
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Miller Countess Albermarle
Great x 1 Grandmother: Anne Amelia Keppel Countess Leicester 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Southwell 
11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Southwell 20th Baron Clifford 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward IV of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Katherine Watson 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward IV of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Southwell Countess Albermarle 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward IV of England
Mother: Gertrude Coke 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 3 Grandfather: Samuel Whitbread
Great x 2 Grandfather: Samuel Charles Whitbread
Great x 3 Grandmother: Harriet Hayton
Great x 1 Grandfather: Samuel Charles Whitbread 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Grey 1st Baronet 
12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Charles Grey 1st Earl Grey 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Hannah Wood
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Grey 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Grey
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Grey Countess Grey 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Ogle 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
GrandMother: Juliana Whitbread Countess Leicester 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Brand
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Brand Baron Dacre 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Caroline Pierrepont 
11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: General Henry Otway Trevor 21st Baron Dacre 20th Baron Multon 3 x Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Charles Trevor Roper 
Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 3 Grandmother: Gertrude Trevor Roper 19th Baroness Dacre of Gilsland 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Gertrude Trevor
Great x 1 Grandmother: Julia Brand 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 3 Grandfather: Reverend Maurice Crosbie
Great x 2 Grandmother: Pyne Crosbie Lady of the Bedchamber 14 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Cavendish 1st Baronet 
12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Pyne Cavendish 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Pyne 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England