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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Earl Montgomery is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically, Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extant Earldoms of England.
Summary
1605. Philip Herbert 4th Earl Pembroke 1st Earl Montgomery [aged 20] created. See Marriage of Philip Herbert and Susan Howard.
23rd January 1650. Son Philip Herbert 5th Earl Pembroke 2nd Earl Montgomery [aged 29] succeeded.
11th December 1669. Son William Herbert 6th Earl Pembroke 3rd Earl Montgomery [aged 28] succeeded.
8th July 1674. Half Brother Philip "Infamous Earl" Herbert 7th Earl Pembroke 4th Earl Montgomery [aged 22] succeeded.
28th August 1683. Brother Thomas Herbert 8th Earl Pembroke 5th Earl Montgomery [aged 27] succeeded.
22nd January 1733. Son Henry Herbert 6th Earl Montgomery 9th Earl Pembroke [aged 39] succeeded.
9th January 1749. Son Henry Herbert 10th Earl Pembroke 7th Earl Montgomery [aged 14] succeeded.
26th January 1794. Son George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 34] succeeded.
26th October 1827. Son Robert Henry Herbert 12th Earl Pembroke 9th Earl Montgomery [aged 36] succeeded.
25th April 1862. Nephew George Robert Charles Herbert 13th Earl Pembroke 10th Earl Montgomery [aged 11] succeeded.
3rd May 1895. Brother Sidney Herbert 14th Earl Pembroke 11th Earl Montgomery [aged 42] succeeded.
30th March 1913. Son Reginald Herbert 15th Earl Pembroke 12th Earl Montgomery [aged 32] succeeded.
13th January 1960. Son Sidney Herbert 16th Earl of Pembroke, 13th Earl of Montgomery [aged 54] succeeded.
16th March 1969. Son Henry Herbert 17th Earl of Pembroke, 14th Earl of Montgomery [aged 29] succeeded.
7th October 2003. Son William Herbert 18th Earl of Pembroke, 15th Earl of Montgomery [aged 25] succeeded.
In 1605 Philip Herbert 4th Earl Pembroke 1st Earl Montgomery [aged 20] was created 1st Earl Montgomery. Susan Vere Countess Montgomery [aged 17] by marriage Countess Montgomery.
Before 1650 Philip Herbert 5th Earl Pembroke 2nd Earl Montgomery [aged 28] and Catherine Villiers Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 28] were married. She by marriage Countess Pembroke, Countess Montgomery. He the son of Philip Herbert 4th Earl Pembroke 1st Earl Montgomery [aged 65] and Susan Vere Countess Montgomery.
On 23rd January 1650 Philip Herbert 4th Earl Pembroke 1st Earl Montgomery [aged 65] died at Whitehall Palace [Map]. He was buried at Salisbury Cathedral [Map]. His son Philip [aged 29] succeeded 5th Earl Pembroke, 2nd Earl Montgomery.
On 11th December 1669 Philip Herbert 5th Earl Pembroke 2nd Earl Montgomery [aged 48] died. His son William [aged 28] succeeded 6th Earl Pembroke, 3rd Earl Montgomery.
On 8th July 1674 William Herbert 6th Earl Pembroke 3rd Earl Montgomery [aged 33] died. His half brother Philip [aged 22] succeeded 7th Earl Pembroke, 4th Earl Montgomery.
On 17th December 1674 Philip "Infamous Earl" Herbert 7th Earl Pembroke 4th Earl Montgomery [aged 22] and Henrietta Kéroualle Countess Pembroke and Montgomery were married. She by marriage Countess Pembroke, Countess Montgomery. He the son of Philip Herbert 5th Earl Pembroke 2nd Earl Montgomery and Catherine Villiers Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 53].
On 28th August 1683 Philip "Infamous Earl" Herbert 7th Earl Pembroke 4th Earl Montgomery [aged 31] died. He was buried at Salisbury Cathedral [Map]. His brother Thomas [aged 27] succeeded 8th Earl Pembroke, 5th Earl Montgomery.
In 1684 Thomas Herbert 8th Earl Pembroke 5th Earl Montgomery [aged 28] and Margaret Sawyer Countess Pembroke and Montgomery were married. She by marriage Countess Pembroke, Countess Montgomery. He the son of Philip Herbert 5th Earl Pembroke 2nd Earl Montgomery and Catherine Villiers Countess Pembroke and Montgomery.
In 1708 Thomas Herbert 8th Earl Pembroke 5th Earl Montgomery [aged 52] and Barabra Slingsby [aged 40] were married. She by marriage Countess Pembroke, Countess Montgomery. Her third marriage. He the son of Philip Herbert 5th Earl Pembroke 2nd Earl Montgomery and Catherine Villiers Countess Pembroke and Montgomery.
Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.
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After 1st August 1721 Thomas Herbert 8th Earl Pembroke 5th Earl Montgomery [aged 65] and Mary Howe Countess Pembroke and Montgomery were married. She by marriage Countess Pembroke, Countess Montgomery. He the son of Philip Herbert 5th Earl Pembroke 2nd Earl Montgomery and Catherine Villiers Countess Pembroke and Montgomery. They were fourth cousin twice removed.
On 22nd January 1733 Thomas Herbert 8th Earl Pembroke 5th Earl Montgomery [aged 77] died. His son Henry [aged 39] succeeded 6th Earl Montgomery, 9th Earl Pembroke.
On 28th August 1733 Henry Herbert 6th Earl Montgomery 9th Earl Pembroke [aged 40] and Mary Fitzwilliam Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 25] were married. She by marriage Countess Pembroke, Countess Montgomery. He the son of Thomas Herbert 8th Earl Pembroke 5th Earl Montgomery and Margaret Sawyer Countess Pembroke and Montgomery. They were half sixth cousins.
On 9th January 1749 Henry Herbert 6th Earl Montgomery 9th Earl Pembroke [aged 55] died at Pembroke House Whitehall Palace. His son Henry [aged 14] succeeded 10th Earl Pembroke, 7th Earl Montgomery.
On 23rd March 1756 Henry Herbert 10th Earl Pembroke 7th Earl Montgomery [aged 21] and Elizabeth Spencer Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Pembroke, Countess Montgomery. She the daughter of Charles Spencer 3rd Duke of Marlborough [aged 49] and Elizabeth Trevor Duchess of Marlborough [aged 43]. He the son of Henry Herbert 6th Earl Montgomery 9th Earl Pembroke and Mary Fitzwilliam Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 48]. They were fourth cousin twice removed.
On 26th January 1794 Henry Herbert 10th Earl Pembroke 7th Earl Montgomery [aged 59] died. His son George [aged 34] succeeded 11th Earl Pembroke8th Earl Montgomery.
On 25th January 1808 George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 48] and Yekaterina Semyonovna Vorontsova Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 23] were married. She by marriage Countess Pembroke, Countess Montgomery. The difference in their ages was 25 years. He the son of Henry Herbert 10th Earl Pembroke 7th Earl Montgomery and Elizabeth Spencer Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 70].
On 26th October 1827 George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 68] died. His son Robert [aged 36] succeeded 12th Earl Pembroke, 9th Earl Montgomery.
On 25th April 1862 Robert Henry Herbert 12th Earl Pembroke 9th Earl Montgomery [aged 70] died. His nephew George [aged 11] succeeded 13th Earl Pembroke, 10th Earl Montgomery.
On 8th May 1877 George Robert Charles Herbert 13th Earl Pembroke 10th Earl Montgomery [aged 26] and Gertrude Frances Chetwynd-Talbot Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 37] were married. She by marriage Countess Pembroke, Countess Montgomery. She the daughter of Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot 3rd Earl Talbot 18th Earl of Shrewsbury and Sarah Elizabeth Beresford Countess Talbot Shrewsbury Waterford [aged 69].
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 3rd May 1895 George Robert Charles Herbert 13th Earl Pembroke 10th Earl Montgomery [aged 44] died in Frankfurt. His brother Sidney [aged 42] succeeded 14th Earl Pembroke, 11th Earl Montgomery, 3rd Baron Herbert Lea. Beatrix Louisa Lambton Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 36] by marriage Countess Pembroke, Countess Montgomery.
On 30th March 1913 Sidney Herbert 14th Earl Pembroke 11th Earl Montgomery [aged 60] died in Rome, Italy [Map]. His son Reginald [aged 32] succeeded 15th Earl Pembroke, 12th Earl Montgomery, 4th Baron Herbert Lea. Beatrice Eleanor Paget Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 29] by marriage Countess Pembroke, Countess Montgomery.
On 13th January 1960 Reginald Herbert 15th Earl Pembroke 12th Earl Montgomery [aged 79] died. His son Sidney [aged 54] succeeded 16th Earl Pembroke, 13th Earl Montgomery, 5th Baron Herbert Lea.
On 16th March 1969 Sidney Herbert 16th Earl of Pembroke, 13th Earl of Montgomery [aged 63] died. His son Henry [aged 29] succeeded 17th Earl Pembroke, 14th Earl Montgomery, 6th Baron Herbert Lea. Clare Pelly Countess of Pembroke and Montgomery by marriage Countess Pembroke, Countess Montgomery.
In 1988 Henry Herbert 17th Earl of Pembroke, 14th Earl of Montgomery [aged 48] and Miranda Kendall Oram Countess Pembroke and Montgomery were married. She by marriage Countess Pembroke, Countess Montgomery. He the son of Sidney Herbert 16th Earl of Pembroke, 13th Earl of Montgomery and Mary Dorothea Hope Countess Pembroke and Montgomery.
On 7th October 2003 Henry Herbert 17th Earl of Pembroke, 14th Earl of Montgomery [aged 64] died. His son William [aged 25] succeeded 18th Earl Pembroke, 15th Earl Montgomery, 7th Baron Herbert Lea