Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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Paternal Family Tree: Capet
1079 William The Conqueror Battle with his son Robert Curthose
In 1034 [his father] Henry I King of the Franks [aged 25] and Matilda Brunonids Queen Consort France were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. She the daughter of Liudolf Brunonids Margrave Frisia [aged 31]. He the son of [his grandfather] Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks and [his grandmother] Constance Arles Queen Consort France [aged 48].
On 19th May 1051 [his father] Henry I King of the Franks [aged 43] and [his mother] Anne of Kiev Queen Consort Francia [aged 21] were married at Reims Cathedral, Reims. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. The difference in their ages was 21 years. He the son of [his grandfather] Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks and [his grandmother] Constance Arles Queen Consort France.
On 23rd May 1052 Philip I King of the Franks was born to Henry I King of the Franks [aged 44] and Anne of Kiev Queen Consort Francia [aged 22].
In 1059 Philip I King of the Franks [aged 6] was crowned I King France: Capet.
Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 1060. [his father] Henry [aged 51], king of the Franks, died, and was succeeded by his eldest son Philip [aged 7]. Duduc, bishop of Wells, died, and was succeeded by Giso, the king's chaplain; they were both natives of Lorraine. Kinsi, archbishop of York, died at York on the eleventh of the calends of January [22nd December]. His body was carried to the abbey of Peterborough Cathedral [Map], and buried there with great pomp. Aldred, bishop of Worcester, was elected his successor as archbishop of York at Christmas; and the see of Hereford, which had been entrusted to his administration on account of his great diligence, was given to Walter, a Lorrainer, and chaplain to queen Edgitha [aged 34].
On 4th August 1060 [his father] Henry I King of the Franks [aged 52] died. His son Philip [aged 8] succeeded I King France: Capet.
Around 1061 [his step-father] Ralph IV Count of Valois [aged 36] and [his mother] Anne of Kiev Queen Consort Francia [aged 31] were married. The marriage may have been bigamous, since he may have been still married to his second wife. He the son of Ralph III Count of Valois.
On 20th February 1071 Battle of Cassel was fought between uncle Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders [aged 38] and nephew Arnulf III Count Flanders [aged 16], supported by his mother Richilde Countess Flanders and Hainault and Philip I King of the Franks [aged 18], over the succession of Flanders.
Arnulf III Count Flanders was killed. His brother Baldwin [aged 15] succeeded II Count Hainault. Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders was appointed I Count Flanders.
William Fitzosbern 1st Earl Hereford [aged 51] was killed. His son Roger succeeded 2nd Earl Hereford.
Eustace II Count Boulogne [aged 56] and his son Eustace Flanders III Count Boulogne fought for Robert. During the battle Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders and Richilde Countess Flanders and Hainault were captured, and subsequently exchanged for each other.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1070. Earl Baldwin [aged 40] also died, and his son Arnulf [aged 15] succeeded to the earldom. Earl William [aged 50], in conjunction with the king of the Franks [aged 17], was to be his guardian; but Earl Robert [aged 37] came and slew his kinsman Arnulf and the earl, put the king to flight, and slew many thousands of his men.
History of the Dukes of Normandy by William of Jumieges. Finally, in the year of the Lord 1070, he [William FitzOsbern] went with Philip, King of the Franks [aged 18], into Flanders, wishing to assist Baldwin, nephew of Queen Matilda. But Robert the Frisian [aged 38], supported by the army of Emperor Henry, attacked with his forces1 at dawn on the tenth day before the Kalends of March [20th February 1071], on Septuagesima Sunday, catching them unprepared; and while Philip fled with the French, he [Robert] slew Baldwin [aged 16] [Arnulf2], his nephew, and Count William [aged 51] with his own men’s weapons. Now let us return to the course of our history.
Denique anno ab Incarnatione Domini 1070 cum Philippo rege Francorum Flandriam perrexit, volens Balduino Mathildis reginæ nepoti subvenire. Robertus autem Frisio cum exercitu Henrici imperatoris sociato cuneis suis, x Kal. Martii, Dominico Septuagesimæ imparatos mane præoccupavit et Philippo cum Francis fugiente, Balduinum nepotem suum, et Willelmum comitem telis suorum occidit. Postea Flandriæ ducatum diu tenuit, moriensque filiis suis, Roberto Hierosolymitano et Philippo dereliquit. Nunc ad ordinem historiæ redeamus.
Note 1. William was killed at the Battle of Cassel.
Note 2. It was Arnulf, Count of Flanders, son of Baldwin VI Count of Flanders that was killed by his uncle Robert the Frisian at the Battle of Cassel.
In 1072 Philip I King of the Franks [aged 19] and Bertha Gerulfing Queen Consort France [aged 17] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. She the daughter of Floris Gerulfing I Count Holland and Gertrude Billung Countess Holland [aged 42]. He the son of Henry I King of the Franks and Anne of Kiev Queen Consort Francia [aged 42]. They were half fourth cousin twice removed.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1074. This year King William [aged 46] went over sea to Normandy; and child Edgar [aged 23] came from Flanders into Scotland on St. Grimbald's mass-day; where King Malcolm [aged 42] and his sister Margaret [aged 29] received him with much pomp. At the same time sent Philip, the King of France [aged 21], a letter to him, bidding him to come to him, and he would give him the castle of Montreuil [Map]; that he might afterwards daily annoy his enemies. What then? King Malcolm and his sister Margaret gave him and his men great presents, and many treasures; in skins ornamented with purple, in pelisses made of martin-skins, of grey-skins, and of ermine-skins, in palls, and in vessels of gold and silver; and conducted him and his crew with great pomp from his territory. But in their voyage evil befel them; for when they were out at sea, there came upon them such rough weather, and the stormy sea and the strong wind drove them so violently on the shore, that all their ships burst, and they also themselves came with difficulty to the land. Their treasure was nearly all lost, and some of his men also were taken by the French; but he himself and his best men returned again to Scotland, some roughly travelling on foot, and some miserably mounted. Then King Malcolm advised him to send to King William over sea, to request his friendship, which he did; and the king gave it him, and sent after him. Again, therefore, King Malcolm and his sister gave him and all his men numberless treasures, and again conducted him very magnificently from their territory. The sheriff of York came to meet him at Durham, and went all the way with him; ordering meat and fodder to be found for him at every castle to which they came, until they came over sea to the king. Then King William received him with much pomp; and he was there afterwards in his court, enjoying such rights as he confirmed to him by law.
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 1075 [his mother] Anne of Kiev Queen Consort Francia [aged 45] died.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1076. This year also was Earl Waltheof beheaded at Winchester, Hampshire [Map], on the mass-day of St. Petronilla;99 and his body was carried to Croyland [Map], where he lies buried. King William [aged 48] now went over sea, and led his army to Brittany, and beset the castle of Dol; but the Bretons defended it, until the king [aged 23] came from France; whereupon William departed thence, having lost there both men and horses, and many of his treasures.
Note 99. This notice of St. Petronilla, whose name and existence seem scarcely to have been known to the Latin historians, we owe exclusively to the valuable MS. "Cotton Tiberius" B lv. Yet if ever female saint deserved to be commemorated as a conspicuous example of early piety and christian zeal, it must be Petronilla.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1077. This year were reconciled the king [aged 24] of the Franks and William, King of England [aged 49].
In 1078 [his daughter] Constance Capet Countess Champagne was born to Philip I King of the Franks [aged 25] and [his wife] Bertha Gerulfing Queen Consort France [aged 23]. She married (1) 1105 Prince Bohemond I of Antioch and had issue (2) before 14th September 1125 her fourth cousin once removed Hugh Blois Count Champagne, son of Theobald Blois III Count Blois and Adela Valois Countess Blois and Vermandois, and had issue.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1079. This year Robert [aged 28], the son of King William [aged 51], deserted from his father to his uncle Robert in Flanders [aged 46]; because his father would not let him govern his earldom in Normandy; which he himself, and also King Philip [aged 26] with his permission, had given him. The best men that were in the land also had sworn oaths of allegiance to him, and taken him for their lord. This year, therefore, Robert fought with his father, without Normandy, by a castle called Gerberoy; and wounded him in the hand; and his horse, that he sat upon, was killed under him; and he that brought him another was killed there right with a dart. That was Tookie Wiggodson. Many were there slain, and also taken. His son William [aged 23] too was there wounded; but Robert [aged 37] returned to Flanders. We will not here, however, record any more injury that he did his father.
In 1080 King Canute "The Holy" IV of Denmark [aged 38] and [his sister-in-law] Adela Flanders Queen Consort Denmark [aged 16] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Denmark. The difference in their ages was 22 years. She the daughter of Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders [aged 47] and [his mother-in-law] Gertrude Billung Countess Holland [aged 50]. He the son of King Sweyn II of Denmark.
On 1st December 1081 [his son] Louis VI King of the Franks was born to Philip I King of the Franks [aged 29] and [his wife] Bertha Gerulfing Queen Consort France [aged 26]. He married (1) 1104 Lucienne Rochefort (2) 1115 his fourth cousin twice removed Adelaide Savoy Queen Consort France, daughter of Humbert "Fat" Savoy II Count Savoy and Gisela Ivrea Countess Savoy, and had issue.
In 1083 [his son] Henry Capet died.
In 1083 [his son] Henry Capet was born to Philip I King of the Franks [aged 30] and [his wife] Bertha Gerulfing Queen Consort France [aged 28]. He died aged less than one years old.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1087. In the same year also, before the Assumption of St. Mary, King William [aged 59] went from Normandy [Map] into France with an army, and made war upon his own lord Philip, the king [aged 34], and slew many of his men, and burned the town of Mante, and all the holy minsters that were in the town; and two holy men that served God, leading the life of anachorets, were burned therein. This being thus done, King William returned to Normandy. Rueful was the thing he did; but a more rueful him befel. How more rueful? He fell sick, and it dreadfully ailed him. What shall I say? Sharp death, that passes by neither rich men nor poor, seized him also. He died in Normandy, on the next day after the Nativity of St. Mary, and he was buried at Caen in St. Stephen's minster [Map], which he had formerly reared, and afterwards endowed with manifold gifts. Alas! how false and how uncertain is this world's weal! He that was before a rich king, and lord of many lands, had not then of all his land more than a space of seven feet! and he that was whilom enshrouded in gold and gems, lay there covered with mould! He left behind him three sons; the eldest, called Robert [aged 36], who was earl in Normandy after him; the second, called William [aged 31], who wore the crown after him in England; and the third, called Henry [aged 19], to whom his father bequeathed immense treasure.
In 1089 Fulk "Réchin" Anjou 4th Count Anjou [aged 46] and [his future wife] Bertrade Montfort Queen Consort France [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Anjou. The difference in their ages was 27 years. He the son of Geoffrey "Ferréol" Anjou 2nd Count Gâtinais and Ermengarde Blanche Ingelger Duchess Burgundy.
In 1090 Henry Reginar III Count Louvain and [his sister-in-law] Gertrude Flanders Duchess Lorraine [aged 10] were married. She by marriage Countess Louvain. She the daughter of Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders [aged 57] and [his mother-in-law] Gertrude Billung Countess Holland [aged 60]. He the son of Henry Reginar II Count Louvain and Adela Thuringa Countess Louvain. They were half fourth cousins.
On 17th June 1091 [his brother-in-law] Dirk Gerulfing V Count Holland [aged 39] died. His son Floris [aged 6] succeeded II Count Holland.
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.
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In 1092 Roger Borsa [aged 31] and [his sister-in-law] Adela Flanders Queen Consort Denmark [aged 28] were married. She the daughter of Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders [aged 59] and [his mother-in-law] Gertrude Billung Countess Holland [aged 62].
On 15th May 1092 Philip I King of the Franks [aged 39] and Bertrade Montfort Queen Consort France [aged 22] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. They were married despite their both having living spouses: Bertha Gerulfing Queen Consort France [aged 37] and Fulk "Réchin" Anjou 4th Count Anjou [aged 49] respectively. He the son of Henry I King of the Franks and Anne of Kiev Queen Consort Francia. They were fourth cousin once removed.
In 1093 [his brother-in-law] Robert II Count Flanders [aged 28] succeeded II Count Flanders. Clementia Ivrea Countess Louvain and Flanders [aged 15] by marriage Countess Flanders.
In 1093 [his son] Philip Capet was born to Philip I King of the Franks [aged 40] and [his wife] Bertrade Montfort Queen Consort France [aged 23].
In 1094 [his wife] Bertha Gerulfing Queen Consort France [aged 39] died.
In 1095 [his daughter] Fleury Capet was born to Philip I King of the Franks [aged 42] and [his wife] Bertrade Montfort Queen Consort France [aged 25].
In 1097 [his son] Cecile Capet was born to Philip I King of the Franks [aged 44] and [his wife] Bertrade Montfort Queen Consort France [aged 27].
On 18th October 1101 [his brother] Hugh "Great" Capet [aged 44] died.
In 1104 Louis VI King of the Franks [aged 22] and Lucienne Rochefort [aged 16] were married. He the son of Philip I King of the Franks [aged 51] and Bertha Gerulfing Queen Consort France.
Around 1105 [his son-in-law] Prince Bohemond I of Antioch [aged 51] and Constance Capet Countess Champagne [aged 27] were married. The difference in their ages was 24 years. She the daughter of Philip I King of the Franks [aged 52] and Bertha Gerulfing Queen Consort France.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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On 23rd May 1107 [his son] Louis VI King of the Franks [aged 25] and [his daughter-in-law] Lucienne Rochefort [aged 19] were divorced.
On 30th July 1108 Philip I King of the Franks [aged 56] died. His son Louis [aged 26] succeeded VI King France: Capet.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1108. In this year was the King Henry [aged 40] on the Nativity at Westminster, and at Easter at Winchester, and by Pentecost at Westminster again. After this, before August, he went into Normandy. And Philip, the King of France [aged 55], died on the nones of August [30th July 1108], and his son Louis [aged 26] succeeded to the kingdom. And there were afterwards many struggles between the King of France and the King of England, while the latter remained in Normandy.
On 14th February 1117 [his former wife] Bertrade Montfort Queen Consort France [aged 47] died.
Kings Franks: Great x 8 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 5 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Blanche Capet Queen Consort Aragon [1]
Louis VI King of the Franks [1]
Violant Árpád Queen Consort Aragon [1]
Ottokar "Iron King" II King Bohemia [1]
Charles Martel King Hungary [1]
King Philip "Fortunate" VI of France [1]
Philippa of Hainaut Queen Consort England [1]
Margaret Hainaut Holy Roman Empress [1]
Eleanor of Sicily Queen Consort Aragon [1]
Isabeau Wittelsbach Queen Consort France [1]
Margaret of Anjou Queen Consort England [1]
Christina Queen Consort Denmark Norway and Sweden [2]
Anne of Cleves Queen Consort England [1]
Mary of Guise Queen Consort Scotland [2]
Maximilian Habsburg Spain II Holy Roman Emperor [1]
Louise Lorraine Queen Consort France [2]
Maximilian "The Great" Wittelsbach I Duke Bavaria I Elector Bavaria [9]
Maria Anna Wittelsbach Holy Roman Empress [9]
Marie de Medici Queen Consort France [1]
Electress Louise Juliana of the Palatine Rhine [2]
Ferdinand of Spain II Holy Roman Emperor [6]
Margaret of Austria Queen Consort Spain [6]
Anna of Austria Holy Roman Empress [7]
John George Wettin Elector Saxony [2]
Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg [2]
Eleonora Gonzaga Queen Consort Bohemia [13]
Maria Leopoldine Habsburg Spain Queen Consort Bohemia [6]
Hedwig Eleonora Queen Consort Sweden [2]
Marie Françoise Élisabeth of Savoy Queen Consort of Portugal [5]
Charlotte Amalie Hesse-Kassel Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [2]
Victor Amadeus King Sardinia [6]
Louise of Mecklenburg Güstrow Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [2]
Maria Anna Neuburg Queen Consort Spain [4]
Joseph I Holy Roman Emperor [4]
Charles Habsburg Spain VI Holy Roman Emperor [4]
Francis I Holy Roman Emperor [4]
Adolph Frederick King Sweden [2]
Elisabeth Therese Lorraine Queen Consort Sardinia [4]
King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [8]
Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England [6]
Caroline Matilda Hanover Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [8]
Marie Sophie Hesse-Kassel Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [6]
Caroline of Brunswick Queen Consort England [8]
Frederick William III King Prussia [2]
Frederica Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort Hanover [8]
Queen Fredrika Dorotea Vilhelmina [4]
King Christian I of Norway and VIII of Denmark [14]
Frederick William IV King Prussia [8]
Caroline Amalie Oldenburg Queen Norway [2]
Frederick VII King of Denmark [22]
Queen Louise Hesse-Kassel of Denmark [20]
King Christian IX of Denmark [9]
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom [16]
Queen Sophia of Sweden and Norway [15]
Victoria Empress Germany Queen Consort Prussia [46]
King Edward VII of the United Kingdom [46]
Maria Christina of Austria Queen Consort Spain [6]
Victoria Mary Teck Queen Consort England [12]
Frederick Charles I King Finland [20]
Constantine I King Greece [11]
Alexandrine Mecklenburg-Schwerin Queen Consort Denmark [33]
Victoria Eugénie Mountbatten Queen Consort Spain [52]
Louise Mountbatten Queen Consort Sweden [58]
Ingrid Bernadotte Queen Consort Denmark [54]
Philip Mountbatten Duke Edinburgh [69]
Sophia Glücksburg Queen Consort Spain [2]
Constantine II King Hellenes [2]
Carl XVI King Sweden [111]
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert "Strong" 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert I King West Francia
Great x 2 Grandfather: Hugh "Great" Capet Count Paris
Great x 4 Grandfather: Herbert Vermandois I Count Vermandois
Great x 3 Grandmother: Beatrice Vermandois
Great x 1 Grandfather: Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry "Fowler" I King East Francia
Great x 2 Grandmother: Hedwig Saxon Ottonian
Great x 3 Grandmother: Matilda Ringelheim Queen Consort East Francia
GrandFather: Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ranulf II Duke Aquitaine
Great x 3 Grandfather: Ebles "Manzer aka Bastard" III Duke Aquitaine
Great x 2 Grandfather: William "Towhead" III Duke Aquitaine
Great x 1 Grandmother: Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France
Great x 3 Grandfather: Rollo Duke Normandy 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Gerloc aka Adela Normandy Duchess Aquitaine
Great x 3 Grandmother: Poppa Unknown Duchess Normandy
Father: Henry I King of the Franks
Great x 2 Grandfather: Boson II Count Arles
Great x 1 Grandfather: William "Liberator" Arles 1st Count Provence 1st Count Arles
GrandMother: Constance Arles Queen Consort France
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ingelger
Great x 3 Grandfather: Fulk "Red" Ingelger 1st Count Anjou
Great x 4 Grandmother: Adelais Amboise
Great x 2 Grandfather: Fulk "Good" Ingelger 2nd Count Anjou
Great x 4 Grandfather: Warnerius Seigneur Loches
Great x 3 Grandmother: Roscille Loches Countess Anjou
Great x 1 Grandmother: Adelaide Blanche Ingelger Queen Consort West Francia
Great x 3 Grandfather: Ratburnus I Viscount of Vienne
Great x 2 Grandmother: Gerberge Unknown Viscountess Anjou
GrandFather: Yaroslav "The Wise" Rurik