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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Paternal Family Tree: Cecil
In 1541 [his father] William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley [aged 20] and [his mother] Mary Cheke were married.
On 5th May 1542 Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter was born to [his father] William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley [aged 21] and [his mother] Mary Cheke.
In February 1543 [his mother] Mary Cheke died.
On 21st December 1546 [his father] William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley [aged 26] and [his step-mother] Mildred Cooke Baroness Burghley [aged 20] were married.
On 4th June 1550 Robert Dudley 1st Earl of Leicester [aged 17] and Amy Robsart [aged 17] were married at Sheen Palace [Map]. King Edward VI of England and Ireland [aged 12] and [his father] William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley [aged 29] attended. He the son of John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland [aged 46] and Jane Guildford Duchess Northumberland [aged 41].
Around 1558 Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 15] educated at Trinity College, Cambridge University [Map].
On 15th January 1559 Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland [aged 25] was crowned I Queen of England by Bishop Owen Oglethorpe [aged 52] at Westminster Abbey [Map].
Margaret Audley Duchess Norfolk [aged 19] carried the train. Archbishop Nicholas Heath [aged 58] censed. Edward Dymoke [aged 51] attended as the Queen's Champion. Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk [aged 22], Francis Talbot 5th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 59], Henry Fitzalan 12th or 19th Earl of Arundel [aged 46], Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 16] and William Herbert 1st Earl Pembroke [aged 58] attended.
On 17th September 1563 Henry Manners 2nd Earl of Rutland [aged 36] died. He was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map]. His son Edward [aged 14] succeeded 3rd Earl of Rutland, 14th Baron Ros Helmsley. Edward Manners 3rd Earl of Rutland became a ward of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland [aged 30] and was specially under the charge of [his father] William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley [aged 43].
In or before 1566 Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 23] and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 17] were married.
In 1566 [his son] William Cecil 2nd Earl Exeter was born to Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 23] and [his wife] Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 18]. He married (1) January 1589 his fifth cousin Elizabeth Manners 15th Baroness Ros of Helmsley, daughter of Edward Manners 3rd Earl of Rutland and Isabel Holcroft Countess Rutland, and had issue (2) after 1591 his third cousin once removed Elizabeth Drury Countess Exeter and had issue.
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
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On 7th December 1570 [his son] Richard Cecil was born to Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 28] and [his wife] Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 22]. He married 1603 Elizabeth Cope, daughter of Anthony Cope 1st Baronet and Frances Lytton, and had issue.
On 25th February 1571 [his father] William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley [aged 50] was created 1st Baron Burghley. [his step-mother] Mildred Cooke Baroness Burghley [aged 45] by marriage Baroness Burghley.
On 29th February 1572 [his son] Edward Cecil 1st Viscount Wimbledon was born to Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 29] and [his wife] Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 24]. He married (1) 1601 Theodosia Noel and had issue (2) February 1618 his third cousin once removed Diana Drury Viscountess Wimbledon and had issue (3) 1635 his half fourth cousin twice removed Sophia Zouche.
On 22nd April 1577 [his father-in-law] John Neville 4th Baron Latimer of Snape [aged 57] died. He was buried at St Michaels Church, Well. Baron Latimer of Snape abeyant between daughters [his sister-in-law] Katherine Neville Countess Northumberland [aged 32], [his wife] Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 29], Lucy Neville [aged 28] and Elizabeth Neville [aged 27].
Around 1578 [his daughter] Elizabeth Cecil Lady Hatton was born to Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 35] and [his wife] Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 30]. She married (1) 1593 William Newport aka Hatton (2) after 27th June 1598 Edward Coke and had issue.
On 30th December 1578 [his son] Thomas Cecil was born to Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 36] and [his wife] Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 30]. He married before 3rd December 1662 Ann Lee.
On 28th February 1581 [his daughter] Frances Cecil Countess Isle Thanet was born to Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 38] and [his wife] Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 33]. She married before 3rd September 1602 her fourth cousin once removed Nicholas Tufton 1st Earl of Thanet, son of John Tufton 1st Baronet and Christian Browne, and had issue.
On 4th October 1581 Henry Wriothesley 2nd Earl of Southampton [aged 36] died. His son Henry [aged 7] succeeded 3rd Earl of Southampton. His wardship was sold by the Queen to her kinsman, Charles, Lord Howard of Effingham [aged 45], for £1000. Howard then transferred his wardship to [his father] William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley [aged 61].
On 28th February 1587 [his son-in-law] William Paulet 4th Marquess Winchester [aged 28] and Lucy Cecil Marchioness Winchester were married at St Martin in the Fields Church [Map]. She the daughter of Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 44] and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 39]. He the son of William Paulet 3rd Marquess Winchester [aged 55] and Agnes Howard Marchioness Winchester [aged 52]. They were half fourth cousins.
Tudor Tracts Chapter 20. Among these Officers of her House was [Monsieur Du Preau] a French Jesuit, her Confessor, with a golden crucifix about his neck; which he did wear openly: and being told, That the people murmured and disliked at it; he said, He would do it, though he died for it Thus we may see how obdurate their hearts are in malice; and how obstinate they shew themselves in the vain toys and superstitious trifles of their own imaginations.
Then [Richard Fletcher [aged 42]] the Dean [of Peterborough].
Next the two Bishops: [Richard Howland [aged 46]] of Peterborough, and [William Wickham, of] Lincoln.
[Charles Willoughby [aged 50],] the Lord Willoughby of Parham;
[Lewis Mordaunt [aged 48],] the Lord Mordaunt [of Turvey];
[Henry Compton,] the Lord Compton;
Sir Thomas Cecil [aged 45] [afterwards Lord Burlegh, and later Earl of Exeter]:
All four, in gowns, with White Staffs; representing the [Lord] Steward; [the Lord] Chamberlain; [the] Treasurer, and [the] Controller [of the Queen's Household].
After these, 16 Scots and Frenchmen; which had been Officers in her [Queen Mary's] House.
Then Sir Andrew Noel [aged 29] alone, carrying the Banner of Scotland.
Then [William, afterwards Sir William, Segar] Percullis the Herald [Portcullis Pursuivant] bearing the Crown [or Helmet] and Crest: thereon a red lion rampant crowned, holding a sword the point upward; the Helmet overmanteled guiles powdered ermine.
Then the Target [or Shield, borne by John Raven,] Rouge Dragon [Pursuivant];
The Sword by [Humphrey Hales] York [Herald];
The Coat of Arms by [Robert Glover,] Somerset Herald.
Then [Robert Cooke] Clarenceux [King at Arms] with a Gentleman at Arms [or rather a Gentleman Usher].
In 1588 Francis Fitton and [his sister-in-law] Katherine Neville Countess Northumberland [aged 43] were married. She the widow of Henry Percy 8th Earl of Northumberland.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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On 5th June 1588 [his half-sister] Anne Cecil Countess of Oxford [aged 31] died. She was buried at the Chapel of St Nicholas, Westminster Abbey [Map]. She shares a monument with her mother [his step-mother] Mildred Cooke Baroness Burghley [aged 62]. The monument rises to twenty-four feet, and is constructed of various coloured marbles, after a design of the Corinthian order. The Latin inscriptions, which are very long, were written by [his father] Lord Burleigh [aged 67] himself, and set forth the varied accomplishments and the virtues of the two ladies who are represented in effigy in the lower part of the monument. The figure of Lord Burleigh, in his robes, and in a kneeling attitude, appears in the upper part of the monument.
In 1589 [his half-brother] Robert Cecil 1st Earl Salisbury [aged 25] and [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth Brooke [aged 25] were married.
In January 1589 William Cecil 2nd Earl Exeter [aged 23] and Elizabeth Manners 15th Baroness Ros of Helmsley [aged 14] were married at Newark Castle, Nottinghamshire [Map]. She the daughter of Edward Manners 3rd Earl of Rutland and Isabel Holcroft Countess Rutland [aged 39]. He the son of Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 46] and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 41]. They were fifth cousins.
After 1591 William Cecil 2nd Earl Exeter [aged 25] and Elizabeth Drury Countess Exeter [aged 12] were married. He the son of Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 48] and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 43]. They were third cousin once removed.
Around 1593 [his son-in-law] William Newport aka Hatton [aged 33] and Elizabeth Cecil Lady Hatton [aged 15] were married. She the daughter of Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 50] and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 45].
On 28th October 1596 [his sister-in-law] Katherine Neville Countess Northumberland [aged 51] died.
After 27th June 1598 [his son-in-law] Edward Coke [aged 46] and Elizabeth Cecil Lady Hatton [aged 20] were married. The difference in their ages was 25 years. She the daughter of Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 56] and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 50].
On 4th August 1598 [his father] William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley [aged 77] died. His son Thomas [aged 56] succeeded 2nd Baron Burghley. He was buried at St Martin's Church, Stamford [Map] with a large free-standing Elizabethan Period monument under the north chapel arch, in coloured marbles with a figure on tomb chest under an arched canopy supported on paired columns. Attributed to Cornelius Cure. The emblem of the Knights of the Garter on William's left shoulder. Leg Garter. In his right-hand he is holding the Lord Treasurer Staff of Office; originally white.
The inscription on the monument is on contained within three panels: two on the south (Chancel) side, and one on the north (Chapel) side.
Sacred to God most good and great, and to memory. The most honourable and far renowned Lord William Cecil, Baron of Burghley, Lord High Treasurer of England, President of the Court of Wards, knight of the most noble order of the Garter, Privy Counsellor to the most serene Elizabeth, Queen of England, &c., and Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, under this tomb awaits the second coming of Christ: Who for the excellent endowments of the mind, was first made Privy Counsellor to Edward the sixth, King of England; afterwards to Queen Elizabeth: under whom being intrusted with the greatest and most weighty affairs of this kingdom, and above all others approved, in promoting the true religion, and providing for the safety and honour of the commonwealth; by his prudence, honesty, integrity, and great services to the nation, he obtained the highest honours: and when he had long enough to nature, long enough for glory, but not long enough to his country, quietly fell asleep in Christ. He had two wives: [his mother] Mary, sister of Sir [his uncle] John Cheeke, knight, of whom ie begat one son, Thomas, now Baron of Burghley; and [his step-mother] Mildred, daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke, knight, who bore to him Sir [his half-brother] Robert Cecil [aged 35], knight, Privy Counsellor to Queen Elizabeth and President of the Court of Wards; [his half-sister] Anne, married to [his former brother-in-law] Edward, Earl of Oxford [aged 48]; and Elizabeth [aged 34] to William Wentworth, eldest son of Baron Wentworth.
Mary Cheke: she was born to Peter Cheke. In 1541 William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley and she were married. In February 1543 Mary Cheke died.
Elizabeth Cecil: On 1st July 1564 she was born to William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley and Mildred Cooke Baroness Burghley. On 26th February 1582 William Wentworth and she were married.
Before 1601 [his son-in-law] Giles Alington [aged 28] and Dorothy Cecil were married. She the daughter of Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 58] and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 52].
In 1601 Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 58] was created 1st Earl Exeter. [his wife] Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 53] by marriage Countess Exeter.
In 1601 Edward Cecil 1st Viscount Wimbledon [aged 28] and Theodosia Noel [aged 16] were married. He the son of Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 58] and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 53].
In 1601 Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 58] was appointed 392nd Knight of the Garter by Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland [aged 67].
Before 3rd September 1602 [his son-in-law] Nicholas Tufton 1st Earl of Thanet [aged 24] and Frances Cecil Countess Isle Thanet [aged 21] were married. She the daughter of Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 60] and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 54]. They were fourth cousin once removed.
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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In 1603 Richard Cecil [aged 32] and Elizabeth Cope were married. He the son of Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 60] and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 55].
On 28th April 1603 Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland [deceased] was buried at Westminster Abbey [Map].
Helena Snakenbourg Marchioness Northampton [aged 54] was Chief Mourner in the procession since Arabella Stewart [aged 28] refused to take part. She was supported by Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 60] and Charles Howard 1st Earl Nottingham [aged 67].
George Bourchier [aged 68] carried the Standard of the Dragon.
Philip Herbert 4th Earl Pembroke 1st Earl Montgomery [aged 18] carried the Standard of the Greyhound.
Thomas Somerset carried the Standard of the Lyon.
William Segar [aged 49] carried the Sword of State as Norrey King of Arms.
Admiral Richard Leveson [aged 33] was one of the six knights who carried the canopy.
George Bourchier: George Bourchier and Martha Howard were married. The difference in their ages was 20 years. He the son of John Bourchier 2nd Earl Bath and Eleanor Manners Countess Bath. They were fifth cousin once removed. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England. In 1535 he was born to John Bourchier 2nd Earl Bath and Eleanor Manners Countess Bath. In 1605 George Bourchier died.
Thomas Somerset: he was born to Henry Somerset 1st Marquess Worcester and Anne Russell Countess Worcester. On 30th December 1648 Thomas Somerset died at Dunkirk.
In 1605 [his half-brother] Robert Cecil 1st Earl Salisbury [aged 41] was created 1st Earl Salisbury.
In 1609 [his wife] Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 61] died.
Before November 1609 Thomas Smith [aged 53] and [his future wife] Frances Brydges [aged 29] were married. The difference in their ages was 24 years.
In 1610 Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 67] and Frances Brydges Countess Exeter [aged 30] were married. She by marriage Countess Exeter. The difference in their ages was 37 years.
On 24th May 1612 [his half-brother] Robert Cecil 1st Earl Salisbury [aged 48] died at Marlborough, Wiltshire [Map]. His son [his nephew] William [aged 21] succeeded 2nd Earl Salisbury. Catherine Howard Countess Salisbury [aged 22] by marriage Countess Salisbury.
Before 1614 [his son-in-law] Edward Denny 1st Earl Norwich [aged 44] and Mary Cecil Countess Norwich were married. She the daughter of Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 71] and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter. They were half second cousin once removed.
In October 1614 [his daughter] Lucy Cecil Marchioness Winchester died.
In February 1618 Edward Cecil 1st Viscount Wimbledon [aged 45] and Diana Drury Viscountess Wimbledon were married. He the son of Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 75] and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter. They were third cousin once removed.
Before 1623. Unknown Painter. Portrait of Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 80].
On 8th February 1623 Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 80] died. He was buried at Chapel of St John the Baptist, Westminster Abbey [Map]. His son William [aged 57] succeeded 2nd Earl Exeter, 3rd Baron Burghley. Elizabeth Drury Countess Exeter [aged 45] by marriage Countess Exeter.
In 1663 [his former wife] Frances Brydges Countess Exeter [aged 83] died.
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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[his daughter] Lucy Cecil Marchioness Winchester was born to Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter. She married 28th February 1587 her half fourth cousin William Paulet 4th Marquess Winchester, son of William Paulet 3rd Marquess Winchester and Agnes Howard Marchioness Winchester, and had issue.
[his daughter] Catherine Cecil was born to Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter.
[his daughter] Dorothy Cecil was born to Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter. She married before 1601 Giles Alington and had issue.
[his daughter] Mary Cecil Countess Norwich was born to Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter. She married before 1614 her half second cousin once removed Edward Denny 1st Earl Norwich, son of Henry Denny and Honora Grey, and had issue.
[his daughter] Mildred Cecil was born to Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter and Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter.
Great x 3 Grandfather: Philip Cecil 
Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard Cecil
Great x 1 Grandfather: David Cecil
GrandFather: Richard Cecil
Great x 1 Grandmother: Alice Dicons
Father: William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Heckington
GrandMother: Jane Heckington
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert Cheke
GrandFather: Peter Cheke
Mother: Mary Cheke