The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 1 Chapters 1-60 1307-1342
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel offer one of the most vivid and immediate accounts of 14th-century Europe, written by a knight who lived through the events he describes, and experienced some of them first hand. Covering the early decades of the Hundred Years’ War, this remarkable chronicle follows the campaigns of Edward III of England, the politics of France and the Low Countries, and the shifting alliances that shaped medieval warfare. Unlike later historians, Jean le Bel writes with a strong sense of eyewitness authenticity, drawing on personal experience and the testimony of fellow soldiers. His narrative captures not only battles and sieges, but also the realities of military life, diplomacy, and the ideals of chivalry that governed noble society. A key source for Jean Froissart, Le Bel’s chronicle stands on its own as a compelling and insightful work, at once historical record and literary achievement. This translation builds on the 1905 edition published in French by Jules Viard, adding extensive translations from other sources Rymer's Fœdera, the Chronicles of Adam Murimuth, William Nangis, Walter of Guisborough, a Bourgeois of Valenciennes, Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke and Richard Lescot to enrich the original text and Viard's notes.
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Paternal Family Tree: Lyttelton
In or before 1505 [his father] Richard Littleton [aged 52] and [his mother] Alice Winnesbury [aged 52] were married.
In 1505 Edward Littleton was born to Richard Littleton [aged 53] and Alice Winnesbury [aged 53].
On 18th May 1516 [his father] Richard Littleton [aged 64] died.
by 1522 Edward Littleton [aged 17] was appointed Gentleman Usher. Around the same time he was appointed Constable of Stafford Castle.
Before 1523 Edward Littleton [aged 17] and Helen Swynnerton were married.
Around 1523 [his son] Edward Littleton of Pillaton Hall was born to Edward Littleton [aged 18] and [his wife] Helen Swynnerton at Pillaton Hall. He married in or before 1548 Alice Cockayne and had issue.
In 1523 Edward Littleton [aged 18] was appointed High Sheriff of Staffordshire.
In 1529 [his mother] Alice Winnesbury [aged 77] died. Her son Edward Littleton [aged 24] inherited Pillaton Hall.
Around July 1529 Edward Littleton [aged 24] was elected Knight of the Shire Staffordshire. His senior colleague was his neighbour John Giffard [aged 63].
Before April 1533 Edward Littleton [aged 28] and Isabel Wood were married.
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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In 1536 Edward Littleton [aged 31] was elected Knight of the Shire Staffordshire.
In 1537 [his daughter] Constance Littleton was born to Edward Littleton [aged 32]. Mother unclear. Either [his wife] Helen Swynnerton or Isabel Wood. The latter more likely since her marriage took place before Apr 1533. She married James Foljambe and had issue.
In 1539 Edward Littleton [aged 34] was appointed High Sheriff of Staffordshire.
On 9th May 1546 George Blagge [aged 34] was induced to deny the efficacy of the Mass, by trickery he alleged, while walking home after church. He was immediately summoned by Thomas Wriothesley [aged 40], the Lord Chancellor, and sent to Newgate Prison [Map]. At his trial at the Guildhall [Map], the main witnesses for the prosecution were Littleton [aged 41] and Sir Hugh Calverley [aged 42], MP for Cheshire. On their evidence, Blagge was sentenced to be burned for heresy the following Wednesday. Fortunately for him, the Lord Privy Seal, John Russell [aged 61], appealed on his behalf to the king [aged 54], who had not heard of the proceedings to that point. Henry immediately pardoned Blagge and ordered Wriothesley to release him.
In or before 1548 [his son] Edward Littleton of Pillaton Hall [aged 24] and [his daughter-in-law] Alice Cockayne [aged 12] were married.
Around April 1554 Edward Littleton [aged 49] was elected Knight of the Shire Staffordshire.
In 1555 Edward Littleton [aged 50] was elected Knight of the Shire Staffordshire.
Around 1558. St Michael's Church, Penkridge [Map]. Monument to Edward Littleton [aged 53] and his two wives Helen Swynnerton and Isabel Wood. His first wife Helen Swynnerton on his right with the simpler English gabled hood, his second wife on his wife with the later, more complex, French Hood. Armorials of Littleton, Wood and Swynnerton families. Sculpted by Richard and Gabriel Royley of Burton-upon-Trent.
Helen Swynnerton: she was born to Humphrey Swynnerton of Swynnerton. Before 1523 Edward Littleton and she were married.
Isabel Wood: Before April 1533 Edward Littleton and she were married.
On 20th October 1558 Edward Littleton [aged 53] died.
Great x 2 Grandfather: Guy de Westcote
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Westcote aka Lyttelton
GrandFather: Thomas Westcote
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Lyttelton III
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Lyttelton IV
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Lyttelton
Father: Richard Littleton
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Burley
Great x 3 Grandfather: Roger Burley
Great x 4 Grandmother: Amice Pembridge
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Burley
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Burley
GrandMother: Joan Burley
GrandFather: William Winnesbury
Mother: Alice Winnesbury