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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Earl Bedford is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically.
There have been three creations of Earl Bedford:
1st. 1138. Hugh Beaumont. Extinct. 1138.
2nd. 1366. Enguerrand de Coucy 1st Earl Bedford 1st Count Soissons. Extinct. 18th February 1397. Battle of Nicopolis.
3rd. 19th January 1550. John Russell 1st Earl Bedford. Extant.
Earl Bedford is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extinct Earldoms of England.
In 1138 Hugh Beaumont [aged 32] was created 1st Earl Bedford. There is some doubt as to whether this creation existed.
After 1138 Hugh Beaumont [deceased] died. Earl Bedford extinct.
Earl Bedford is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extinct Earldoms of England.
Summary
1366. Enguerrand de Coucy 1st Earl Bedford 1st Count Soissons [aged 26] created.
18th February 1397. Enguerrand de Coucy 1st Earl Bedford 1st Count Soissons extinct. See Battle of Nicopolis.
In 1366 Enguerrand de Coucy 1st Earl Bedford 1st Count Soissons [aged 26] was created 1st Earl Bedford. Isabella Countess Bedford and Soissons [aged 33] by marriage Countess Bedford.
On 26th August 1377 Enguerrand de Coucy 1st Earl Bedford 1st Count Soissons [aged 37] renounced his title Earl Bedford following the accession of King Richard II of England [aged 10].
On 18th February 1397 Enguerrand de Coucy 1st Earl Bedford 1st Count Soissons [aged 57] died whilst a prisoner following the Battle of Nicopolis without male issue. Earl Bedford extinct. His daughter Marie [aged 30] succeeded Countess Soissons.
Earl Bedford is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extant Earldoms of England.
Summary
19th January 1550. John Russell 1st Earl Bedford [aged 65] created.
14th March 1555. Son Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford [aged 28] succeeded.
28th July 1585. Grandson Edward Russell 3rd Earl Bedford [aged 12] succeeded.
3rd May 1627. First Cousin Francis Russell 4th Earl Bedford [aged 34] succeeded.
9th May 1641. Son William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 24] succeeded.
7th September 1700. Grandson Wriothesley Russell 2nd Duke Bedford [aged 19] succeeded.
26th May 1711. Son Wriothesley Russell 3rd Duke Bedford [aged 3] succeeded.
23rd October 1732. Brother John Russell 4th Duke Bedford [aged 22] succeeded.
5th January 1771. Grandson Francis Russell 5th Duke Bedford [aged 5] succeeded.
2nd March 1802. Brother John Russell 6th Duke Bedford [aged 35] succeeded.
20th October 1839. Son Francis Russell 7th Duke Bedford [aged 51] succeeded.
14th May 1861. Son William Russell 8th Duke Bedford [aged 51] succeeded.
27th May 1872. First Cousin Francis Russell 9th Duke Bedford [aged 52] succeeded.
14th January 1891. Son George William Sackville Russell 10th Duke Bedford [aged 38] succeeded.
23rd March 1893. Brother Herbrand Arthur Russell 11th Duke Bedford [aged 35] succeeded.
27th August 1940. Son Hastings William Russell 12th Duke Bedford [aged 51] succeeded.
9th October 1953. Son John Ian Robert Russell 13th Duke Bedford [aged 36] succeeded.
25th October 2002. Son Henry Robin Ian Russell 14th Duke Bedford [aged 62] succeeded.
13th June 2003. Son Andrew Ian Henry Russell 15th Duke Bedford [aged 41] succeeded.
On 19th January 1550 John Russell 1st Earl Bedford [aged 65] was created 1st Earl Bedford. Anne Sapcote Countess Bedford [aged 71] by marriage Countess Bedford.
On 14th March 1555 John Russell 1st Earl Bedford [aged 70] died. His son Francis [aged 28] succeeded 2nd Earl Bedford, 2nd Baron Russell of Cheneys. Margaret St John Countess Bedford [aged 22] by marriage Countess Bedford.
On 25th June 1566 Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford [aged 39] and Bridget Hussey Countess Bedford [aged 40] were married. She by marriage Countess Bedford. He the son of John Russell 1st Earl Bedford and Anne Sapcote Countess Bedford.
On 28th July 1585 Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford [aged 58] died. His grandson Edward [aged 12] succeeded 3rd Earl Bedford, 3rd Baron Russell of Cheneys.
On 12th December 1594 Edward Russell 3rd Earl Bedford [aged 21] and Lucy Harrington Countess Bedford [aged 14] were married at St Dunstan's Church Stepney. She by marriage Countess Bedford. She brought an enormous dowry of £10000 and the estate of Minster Lovell, Oxfordshire [Map].
This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
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On 3rd May 1627 Edward Russell 3rd Earl Bedford [aged 54] died at Moor Park, Hertfordshire. His first cousin Francis [aged 34] succeeded 4th Earl Bedford, 4th Baron Russell of Cheneys. Catherine Brydges Countess Bedford [aged 47] by marriage Countess Bedford.
On 9th May 1641 Francis Russell 4th Earl Bedford [aged 48] died. His son William [aged 24] succeeded 5th Earl Bedford, 5th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 3rd Baron Russell of Thornhaugh. Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 25] by marriage Countess Bedford.
On 7th September 1700 William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 84] died at Bedford House Covent Garden. His grandson Wriothesley [aged 19] succeeded 2nd Duke Bedford, 2nd Marquess Tavistock, 6th Earl Bedford, 6th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 4th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 2nd Baron Howland of Streatham.
On 26th May 1711 Wriothesley Russell 2nd Duke Bedford [aged 30] died. His son Wriothesley [aged 3] succeeded 3rd Duke Bedford, 3rd Marquess Tavistock, 7th Earl Bedford, 7th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 5th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 3rd Baron Howland of Streatham.
On 23rd October 1732 Wriothesley Russell 3rd Duke Bedford [aged 24] died at A Coruña. He was buried at Bedford Chapel, St Michael's Church, Chenies. His brother John [aged 22] succeeded 4th Duke Bedford, 4th Marquess Tavistock, 8th Earl Bedford, 8th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 6th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 4th Baron Howland of Streatham. Diana Spencer Duchess Bedford [aged 22] by marriage Duchess Bedford.
On 5th January 1771 John Russell 4th Duke Bedford [aged 60] died at Woburn, Bedfordshire. He was buried at Bedford Chapel, St Michael's Church, Chenies. His grandson Francis [aged 5] succeeded 5th Duke Bedford, 5th Marquess Tavistock, 9th Earl Bedford, 9th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 7th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 5th Baron Howland of Streatham.
On 2nd March 1802 Francis Russell 5th Duke Bedford [aged 36] died unmarried at Woburn, Bedfordshire. He was buried at Bedford Chapel, St Michael's Church, Chenies. His brother John [aged 35] succeeded 6th Duke Bedford, 6th Marquess Tavistock, 10th Earl Bedford, 10th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 8th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 6th Baron Howland of Streatham.
On 20th October 1839 John Russell 6th Duke Bedford [aged 73] died. His son Francis [aged 51] succeeded 7th Duke Bedford, 7th Marquess Tavistock, 11th Earl Bedford, 11th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 9th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 7th Baron Howland of Streatham. Anna Maria Stanhope Duchess Bedford [aged 56] by marriage Marchioness Tavistock.
On 14th May 1861 Francis Russell 7th Duke Bedford [aged 73] died. His son William [aged 51] succeeded 8th Duke Bedford, 8th Marquess Tavistock, 12th Earl Bedford, 12th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 10th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 8th Baron Howland of Streatham.
On 27th May 1872 William Russell 8th Duke Bedford [aged 62] died. His first cousin Francis [aged 52] succeeded 9th Duke Bedford, 9th Marquess Tavistock, 13th Earl Bedford, 13th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 11th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 9th Baron Howland of Streatham
On 14th January 1891 Francis Russell 9th Duke Bedford [aged 71] shot himself as a result of insanity at 81 Eaton Square, Belgravia. His son George [aged 38] succeeded 10th Duke Bedford, 10th Marquess Tavistock, 14th Earl Bedford, 14th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 12th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 10th Baron Howland of Streatham. Adeline Marie Somers Duchess Bedford [aged 38] by marriage Duchess Bedford.
Monument in the Bedford Chapel, St Michael's Church, Chenies erected by Elizabeth Sackville-West Duchess Bedford [aged 72] in 1892.
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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On 23rd March 1893 George William Sackville Russell 10th Duke Bedford [aged 40] died. George William Sackville Russell 10th Duke Bedford was buried at Bedford Chapel, St Michael's Church, Chenies. His brother Herbrand [aged 35] succeeded 11th Duke Bedford, 11th Marquess Tavistock, 15th Earl Bedford, 15th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 13th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 11th Baron Howland of Streatham. Mary Caurroy Tribe Duchess Bedford [aged 27] by marriage Duchess Bedford.
On 27th August 1940 Herbrand Arthur Russell 11th Duke Bedford [aged 82] died. His son Hastings [aged 51] succeeded 12th Duke Bedford, 12th Marquess Tavistock, 16th Earl Bedford, 16th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 14th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 12th Baron Howland of Streatham. Louisa Crommelin Roberta Jowitt Whitwell Duchess Bedford by marriage Duchess Bedford.
On 9th October 1953 Hastings William Russell 12th Duke Bedford [aged 64] died. His son John [aged 36] succeeded 13th Duke Bedford, 13th Marquess Tavistock, 17th Earl Bedford, 17th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 15th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 13th Baron Howland of Streatham. Lydia Yarde-Buller Duchess Bedford [aged 35] by marriage Duchess Bedford.
On 25th October 2002 John Ian Robert Russell 13th Duke Bedford [aged 85] died at Santa Fe. His son Henry [aged 62] succeeded 14th Duke Bedford, 14th Marquess Tavistock, 13th Marquess Tavistock, 18th Earl Bedford, 18th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 16th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 14th Baron Howland of Streatham. Henrietta Joan Tiarks Duchess Bedford [aged 62] by marriage Duchess Bedford.
On 13th June 2003 Henry Robin Ian Russell 14th Duke Bedford [aged 63] died. His son Andrew [aged 41] succeeded 15th Duke Bedford, 15th Marquess Tavistock, 19th Earl Bedford, 19th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 17th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 15th Baron Howland of Streatham.