Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Ruddock
In 1766 Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners was born to Francis Gray and Elizabeth Ruddock at Lehena.
On 12th January 1790 William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet [aged 23] and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 24] were married. He the son of John Manners [aged 59] and Louisa Tollemache 7th Countess Dysart [aged 44].
In 1791 [her daughter] Louisa Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet [aged 24] and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 25]. She married in or before 1820 Joseph Burke 11th Baronet and had issue.
In 1792 [her daughter] Catherine Camilla Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet [aged 25] and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 26].
In 1793 Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 27] published Poems by Lady Manners.
In 1793 [her daughter] Emily Frances Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet [aged 26] and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 27].
1794. Thomas Lawrence [aged 24]. Portrait of Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 28].
On 18th November 1794 [her son] Lionel Tollemache 8th Earl Dysart was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet [aged 28] and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 28]. He married 1819 Maria Elizabeth Toone Countess Dysart and had issue.
In 1796 [her son] Felix Thomas Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet [aged 29] and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 30].
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In 1797 [her son] Arthur Caesar Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet [aged 30] and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 31].
In 1799 [her daughter] Caroline Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet [aged 32] and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 33].
In 1800 [her daughter] Catherine Octavia Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet [aged 33] and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 34].
On 15th August 1802 Aubrey Beauclerk 6th Duke St Albans [aged 36] and [her sister-in-law] Louisa Grace Manners Duchess St Albans [aged 25] were married. She by marriage Duchess St Albans. She the daughter of [her father-in-law] John Manners and [her mother-in-law] Louisa Tollemache 7th Countess Dysart [aged 57]. He the son of Aubrey Beauclerk 5th Duke St Albans and Catherine Ponsonby Duchess St Albans. They were half third cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland.
On 19th September 1802 [her son] Hugh Francis Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet [aged 36] and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 36] at Petersham, Surrey.
On 16th April 1804 [her son] Frederick James Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet [aged 37] and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 38]. He married (1) 26th August 1831 Sarah-Maria Bomford and had issue (2) 4th September 1847 Isabella Anne Forbes and had issue.
In 1805 [her son] Algernon Gray Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet [aged 38] and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 39].
In 1807 [her daughter] Laura Maria Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet [aged 40] and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 41].
On 19th February 1816 [her sister-in-law] Louisa Grace Manners Duchess St Albans [aged 39] died. The same day her son Aubrey Beauclerk 7th Duke St Albans died. His uncle William [aged 49] succeeded 8th Duke St Albans, 8th Earl Burford, 8th Baron Heddington, 5th Baron Vere of Hanworth in Middlesex. Maria Janetta Nelthorpe Duchess St Albans by marriage Duchess St Albans. Both at the home of her sister Laura Manners Countess Stair and her husband John Dalrymple 7th Earl of Stair [aged 31] at Portman Square Marylebone.
In 1819 [her son] Lionel Tollemache 8th Earl Dysart [aged 24] and [her daughter-in-law] Maria Elizabeth Toone Countess Dysart were married.
Westminster Chronicle of King Richard II, 1381-1394
The Westminster Chronicle is one of the most vivid and important narrative sources for the reign of Richard II. Written by an anonymous chronicler closely connected with Westminster Abbey, it covers the years 1381 to 1394, from the Peasants’ Revolt to the political tensions, court ceremonies, diplomatic negotiations, royal progresses, and public crises of Richard’s later reign. Rich in detail the chronicle records major events such as the conflicts between the King and Lords Appellant, King and the City of London, negotiations with France and Scotland, the death and funeral of Queen Anne of Bohemia, the illness of Charles VI of France, and the changing fortunes of leading nobles including John of Gaunt, Thomas of Gloucester, Robert de Vere, and the Earl of Arundel. The Chronicle offers readers a remarkable window into late fourteenth-century England, combining political observation, courtly spectacle, urban drama, ecclesiastical affairs, and moral judgement. It is an essential source for anyone interested in medieval monarchy, London, Westminster, and the troubled reign of Richard II.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In or before 1820 [her son-in-law] Joseph Burke 11th Baronet [aged 33] and [her daughter] Louisa Tollemache [aged 28] were married.
On 9th March 1821 Wilbrahim Tollemache 6th Earl Dysart [aged 81] died. His sister [her mother-in-law] Louisa [aged 75] succeeded 7th Countess Dysart. Baronet Talmash of Helmingham in Suffolk extinct. Her grandson [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet [aged 54] assumed the name Tollemache.
In 1825 [her daughter] Caroline Tollemache [aged 26] died.
On 18th April 1830 [her daughter] Louisa Tollemache [aged 39] died.
On 26th August 1831 [her son] Frederick James Tollemache [aged 27] and [her daughter-in-law] Sarah-Maria Bomford were married.
On 11th March 1833 [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet [aged 66] died. His son Lionel [aged 38] succeeded 2nd Baronet Tollemache of Hanby Hall in Lincolnshire.
On 5th October 1843 [her son] Felix Thomas Tollemache [aged 47] died.
On 4th September 1847 [her son] Frederick James Tollemache [aged 43] and [her daughter-in-law] Isabella Anne Forbes were married.
In 1848 [her son] Arthur Caesar Tollemache [aged 51] died.
On 21st March 1852 Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners [aged 86] died.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Poems by Lady Manners. Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners. Second edition. London: John Bell, 1793. 126p.