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: Digby
Maternal Family Tree: Audrey Saunders 1551 1588
In 1686 [his father] William Digby 5th Baron Digby [aged 24] and [his mother] Jane Noel Baroness Digby were married. She by marriage Baroness Digby of Geashill in County Offaly. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Edward Noel 1st Earl Gainsborough [aged 45] and [his grandmother] Elizabeth Wriothesley Countess Gainsborough [aged 40]. They were fifth cousins.
Before 10th May 1697 Wriothesley Digby was born to William Digby 5th Baron Digby [aged 36] and Jane Noel Baroness Digby.
On 9th March 1714 Wriothesley Digby [aged 16] was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford University.
In 1716 Wriothesley Digby [aged 18] was awarded Bachelor of Arts at Magdalen College, Oxford University.
In 1725 Wriothesley Digby [aged 27] admitted at Inner Temple.
Around 1747 Wriothesley Digby [aged 49] and Mary Cotes [aged 31] were married. They were fifth cousin once removed.
Before 1st January 1752 [his daughter] Frances Digby was born to Wriothesley Digby [aged 54] and [his wife] Mary Cotes [aged 36]. She married 20th February 1780 Richard Aubrey, son of Thomas Aubrey 5th Baronet and Martha Carter Lady Aubrey, and had issue.
On 27th November 1752 [his father] William Digby 5th Baron Digby [aged 91] died at Sherborne, Dorset [Map]. His grandson Edward [aged 22] succeeded 6th Baron Digby of Geashill in County Offaly.
In 1758 [his daughter] Elizabeth Digby was born to Wriothesley Digby [aged 60] and [his wife] Mary Cotes [aged 42]. She married 7th April 1786 William Mills and had issue.
On 12th May 1767 Wriothesley Digby [aged 70] died.
Before 3rd October 1782 [his former wife] Mary Cotes [aged 67] 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] Mary Digby was born to Wriothesley Digby and Mary Cotes. She married 26th October 1778 Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Somerville and had issue.
Kings Wessex: Great x 20 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 17 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 21 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 18 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 10 Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 15 Grand Son of King William I of Scotland
Kings France: Great x 13 Grand Son of King Philip IV of France
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 24 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Kings Spain: Great x 17 Grand Son of Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Digby 
Great x 3 Grandfather: George Digby 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Throckmorton 
5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Digby 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Anthony Heveningham 
10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Abigail Heveningham 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Shelton 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert Digby 1st Baron Digby 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Gerald "Wizard Earl" Fitzgerald 11th Earl of Kildare 
5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Gerald Fitzgerald Baron Offaly 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mabel Browne Countess Kildare 
5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Lettice Fitzgerald 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Francis Knollys 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Catherine Knollys Baroness Offaly 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Carey 
5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
GrandFather: Kildare Digby 2nd Baron Digby 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard Boyle 1st Earl Cork 
Great x 1 Grandmother: Sarah Boyle Baroness Digby
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Fenton
Great x 3 Grandfather: Geoffrey Fenton
Great x 2 Grandmother: Catherine Fenton Countess Cork
Father: William Digby 5th Baron Digby 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Wriothesley Digby 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Andrew Noel 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Andrew Noel
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Hopton
Great x 2 Grandfather: Edward Noel 2nd Viscount Campden 20 x Great Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Harrington 
18 x Great Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mabel Harrington 19 x Great Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 4 Grandmother: Lucy Sidney 
Great x 1 Grandfather: Baptist Noel 3rd Viscount Campden 21 x Great Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Hicks
Great x 3 Grandfather: Baptist Hicks 1st Viscount Campden
Great x 2 Grandmother: Juliana Hicks Viscountess Campden
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard May
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth May Viscountess Campden
GrandFather: Edward Noel 1st Earl Gainsborough 22 x Great Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Wotton 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Wotton 1st Baron Wotton
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Wotton 2nd Baron Wotton
Great x 1 Grandmother: Hester Wotton Viscountess Campden
Mother: Jane Noel Baroness Digby 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Wriothesley 1st Earl of Southampton 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Wriothesley 2nd Earl of Southampton
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jane Cheney Countess Southampton
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Wriothesley 3rd Earl of Southampton 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Anthony Browne 1st Viscount Montagu 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Browne Countess Southampton 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jane Radclyffe 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Wriothesley 4th Earl of Southampton 2nd Earl Chichester 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Vernon 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Vernon 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Vernon Countess Southampton 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Devereux 
5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Devereux 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Dorothy Hastings 
5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
GrandMother: Elizabeth Wriothesley Countess Gainsborough 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Leigh
Great x 3 Grandfather: Francis Leigh 20 x Great Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 4 Grandmother: Frances Harrington 19 x Great Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 2 Grandfather: Francis Leigh 1st Earl Chichester 21 x Great Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Egerton 1st Viscount Brackley 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Egerton
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Ravenscroft
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Leigh Countess Southampton 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Boteler 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Boteler 1st Baron Boteler 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Waller
Great x 2 Grandmother: Audrey Boteler Countess Chichester 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Villiers of Brokesby 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Villiers Baroness Boteler Brantfield
Great x 4 Grandmother: Audrey Saunders