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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Cust
On 16th October 1770 [his father] Brownlow Cust 1st Baron Brownlow [aged 25] and Jocosa Drury Lady Cust [aged 21] were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square. She by marriage Lady Cust of Stamford in Lincolnshire.
In 1775 [his father] Brownlow Cust 1st Baron Brownlow [aged 30] and [his mother] Frances Bankes Baroness Brownlow were married. She by marriage Lady Cust of Stamford in Lincolnshire.
On 23rd January 1787 William Cust was born to Brownlow Cust 1st Baron Brownlow [aged 42] and Frances Bankes Baroness Brownlow.
On 25th December 1807 [his father] Brownlow Cust 1st Baron Brownlow [aged 63] died. His son [his brother] John [aged 28] succeeded 2nd Baron Brownlow of Belton in Lincolnshire, 5th Baronet Cust of Stamford in Lincolnshire, and inherited Belton House [Map]. Monument in St Peter and St Paul Church, Belton [Map] sculpted by Richard "The Elder" Westmacott [aged 60].
On 24th July 1810 [his brother] John Cust 1st Earl Brownlow [aged 30] and [his sister-in-law] Amelia Sophia Hume [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Baroness Brownlow of Belton in Lincolnshire.
In 1816 William Cust [aged 28] was elected MP Lincolnshire.
In 1818 William Cust [aged 30] was elected MP Clitheroe.
Before 1819 [his brother] John Cust 1st Earl Brownlow [aged 39] and [his sister-in-law] Caroline Fludyer Countess Brownlow [aged 24] were married. She by marriage Countess Brownlow.
In 1819 William Cust [aged 31] and Sophia Newnham were married.
In 1822 William Cust [aged 34] was elected MP Chiltern Hundreds.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 21st February 1828 [his son] Arthur Purey Cust was born to William Cust [aged 41] and [his wife] Sophia Newnham. He married 6th June 1854 Emma Bess Bligh, daughter of Edward Bligh 5th Earl Darnley and Emma Jane Parnell Countess Darnley.
On 17th July 1828 [his brother] John Cust 1st Earl Brownlow [aged 48] and [his sister-in-law] Emma Sophie Edgecumbe Countess Brownlow [aged 36] were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square. She by marriage Countess Brownlow. She the daughter of Richard Edgecumbe 2nd Earl of Mount Edgcumbe [aged 63] and Sophia Hobart Countess Mount Edgcumbe.
On 3rd March 1845 William Cust [aged 58] died.
In January 1884 [his former wife] Sophia Newnham died.
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Cust 1st Baronet
Great x 2 Grandfather: Pury Cust
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Pury
Great x 3 Grandmother: Beatrice Pury Lady Dering
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Cust 2nd Baronet
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Woodcock
Great x 2 Grandmother: Ursula Woodcock
GrandFather: John Cust 3rd Baronet
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Brownlow 1st Baronet 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Brownlow 2nd Baronet
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Duncombe 
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Brownlow 4th Baronet
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Freke of Stretton in Dorset
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Freke Lady Brownlow
Great x 1 Grandmother: Anne Brownlow Lady Cust
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Mason
Great x 2 Grandmother: Dorothy Mason Baroness Brownlow
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Long 2nd Baronet
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anna Margaret Long
Father: Brownlow Cust 1st Baron Brownlow
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Payne
GrandMother: Etheldreda Payne Lady Cust
Great x 2 Grandfather: Martin Folkes 
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Folkes
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Hovell 
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Hovell of Hillington
Great x 4 Grandmother: Dorothy Chicheley 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Dorothy Hovell
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Lilly of South Lynn
Great x 3 Grandmother: Ethelreda Lilly
GrandFather: Henry Bankes
Mother: Frances Bankes Baroness Brownlow