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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Paternal Family Tree: Capet
In or before 968 [his father] Hugh I King of the Franks [age 26] and [his mother] Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France [age 22] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] William "Towhead" III Duke Aquitaine and [his grandmother] Gerloc aka Adela Normandy Duchess Aquitaine. He the son of Hugh "Great" Capet Count Paris and Hedwig Saxon Ottonian.
On 27th March 972 Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks was born to [his father] Hugh I King of the Franks [age 31] and [his mother] Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France [age 27] at Orléans.
Around 983 Odo Blois I Count Blois [age 33] and [his future wife] Bertha Welf Queen Consort France [age 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Blois. She the daughter of Conrad I King Burgundy [age 58] and Mathilde Carolingian Queen Consort Burgundy [age 40]. He the son of Theobald "Trickster" Blois I Count Blois and Luitgarde Vermandois Duchess Normandy. They were sixth cousins.
Before 30th March 987 Arnulf II Count Flanders [age 27] and [his future wife] Rozala of Italy [age 37] were married. She by marriage Countess Flanders. He the son of Baldwin III Count Flanders and Matilda Billung Countess Flanders [age 47].
On 21st May 987 Louis "Do Nothing" V King West Francia [age 20] died without issue ending the Carolingian Dynasty. [his father] Hugh I King of the Franks [age 46] was elected King West Francia beginning the Capetian Dynasty.
On 3rd July 987 [his father] Hugh I King of the Franks [age 46] was crowned I King France: Capet. [his mother] Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France [age 42] by marriage Queen France: Capet.
On 30th December 987 Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [age 15] was crowned II King France: Capet.
In 988 Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [age 15] and Rozala of Italy [age 38] were married. They separated around the time of coronation. The difference in their ages was 22 years; she, unusually, being older than him. He the son of Hugh I King of the Franks [age 47] and Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France [age 43].
In 994 [his brother-in-law] Hugh Montdidier I Count Ponthieu and [his sister] Gisela Capet Countess Ponthieu [age 26] were married. She the daughter of [his father] Hugh I King of the Franks [age 53] and [his mother] Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France [age 49].
Around 994 [his brother-in-law] Hugh I Count Ponthieu and [his sister] Gisela Capet Countess Ponthieu [age 26] were married. She by marriage Countess Ponthieu. She the daughter of [his father] Hugh I King of the Franks [age 53] and [his mother] Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France [age 49].
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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Before 995 [his brother-in-law] Reginar Reginar IV Count Mons [age 44] and [his sister] Hedwig Capet Countess Mons [age 24] were married. She by marriage Countess Mons. The difference in their ages was 20 years. She the daughter of [his father] Hugh I King of the Franks [age 53] and [his mother] Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France [age 49]. He the son of Reginar Reginar III Count Hainaut.
On 24th October 996 [his father] Hugh I King of the Franks [age 55] died. His son Robert [age 24] succeeded II King France: Capet.
In 999 Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [age 26] and Bertha Welf Queen Consort France [age 35] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. They separated sometime before 1003 as a consequence of their consanguinity. She the daughter of Conrad I King Burgundy and Mathilde Carolingian Queen Consort Burgundy. He the son of Hugh I King of the Franks and Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France [age 54]. They were second cousins.
In 1002 [his sister] Gisela Capet Countess Ponthieu [age 34] died.
Around 1003 [his daughter] Hedwig Capet Couness Nevers was born to Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [age 30] and [his wife] Constance Arles Queen Consort France [age 17]. She married 25th January 1016 Renauld I Count of Nevers and had issue.
In 1003 [his wife] Rozala of Italy [age 53] died.
In 1003 Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [age 30] and Constance Arles Queen Consort France [age 17] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. She the daughter of William "Liberator" Arles 1st Count Provence 1st Count Arles and Adelaide Blanche Ingelger Queen Consort West Francia [age 63]. He the son of Hugh I King of the Franks and Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France [age 58].
Around 1004 [his step-son] Odo Blois II Count Blois [age 21] and Maud Normandy Countess Blois were married. She by marriage Countess Blois. She the daughter of Richard "Fearless" Normandy I Duke Normandy and Gunnora Countess Ponthieu. He the son of Odo Blois I Count Blois and [his wife] Bertha Welf Queen Consort France [age 40].
In 1004 [his mother] Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France [age 59] died.
On 11th July 1004 [his step-son] Theobald Blois II Count Blois [age 19] died. His brother Odo [age 21] succeeded II Count Blois.
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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On 21st July 1006 [his sister-in-law] Gisela Welf Duchess Bavaria died.
In 1007 [his step-son] Odo Blois II Count Blois [age 24] and Ermengarde Auvergne Countess Blois [age 37] were married. She by marriage Countess Blois. He the son of Odo Blois I Count Blois and [his wife] Bertha Welf Queen Consort France [age 43].
In 1007 [his son] Hugh Magnus Capet was born to Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [age 34] and [his wife] Constance Arles Queen Consort France [age 21].
On 4th May 1008 [his son] Henry I King of the Franks was born to Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [age 36] and [his wife] Constance Arles Queen Consort France [age 22] at Reims. He married (1) 1034 Matilda Brunonids Queen Consort France, daughter of Liudolf Brunonids Margrave Frisia (2) 19th May 1051 Anne of Kiev Queen Consort Francia and had issue.
In 1009 [his daughter] Adela Capet Duchess Normandy was born to Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [age 36] and [his wife] Constance Arles Queen Consort France [age 23]. She married (1) January 1027 her second cousin once removed Richard Normandy III Duke Normandy, son of Richard "Good" Normandy II Duke Normandy and Judith Penthièvre Duchess Normandy (2) 1028 her half third cousin twice removed Baldwin "The Good" V Count Flanders, son of Baldwin "Bearded" IV Count Flanders and Ogive Luxemburg Countess Flanders, and had issue.
On 16th January 1010 [his wife] Bertha Welf Queen Consort France [age 46] died.
In 1011 [his son] Robert I Duke Burgundy was born to Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [age 38] and [his wife] Constance Arles Queen Consort France [age 25]. He married (1) 1033 Helie Samur Duchess Burgundy and had issue (2) 1046 his second cousin Ermengarde Blanche Ingelger Duchess Burgundy, daughter of Fulk "Black" Ingelger III Count Anjou and Hildegarde Sundgau Countess Anjou, and had issue.
After 1013 [his sister] Hedwig Capet Countess Mons [deceased] died.
In 1014 [his daughter] Constance Capet was born to Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [age 41] and [his wife] Constance Arles Queen Consort France [age 28]. She married (1) Calvus Manasses Montdidier (2) Manasses Montdidier Count Dammartin and had issue.
On 25th January 1016 [his son-in-law] Renauld I Count of Nevers [age 11] and Hedwig Capet Couness Nevers [age 13] were married. She the daughter of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [age 43] and Constance Arles Queen Consort France [age 30].
Around 30th May 1018 [his brother-in-law] William "Pious" Arles 2nd Count Provence [age 37] died. His son William succeeded 4th Count Provence. His son Fulk succeeded 1st Count Provence. Hildegard Countess Provence by marriage Countess Provence.
On 17th September 1025 [his son] Hugh Magnus Capet [age 18] died at Compiègne, Oise.
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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In January 1027 [his son-in-law] Richard Normandy III Duke Normandy [age 25] and Adela Capet Duchess Normandy [age 18] were married. She by marriage Duchess Normandy. She the daughter of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [age 54] and Constance Arles Queen Consort France [age 41]. He the son of Richard "Good" Normandy II Duke Normandy and Judith Penthièvre Duchess Normandy. They were second cousin once removed.
In 1028 [his son-in-law] Baldwin "The Good" V Count Flanders [age 15] and Adela Capet Duchess Normandy [age 19] were married. She the daughter of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [age 55] and Constance Arles Queen Consort France [age 42]. He the son of Baldwin "Bearded" IV Count Flanders [age 48] and Ogive Luxemburg Countess Flanders. They were half third cousin twice removed.
On 20th July 1031 Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks [age 59] died at Melun, Seine et Marne. His son Henry [age 23] succeeded I King France: Capet.
In 1034 [his former wife] Constance Arles Queen Consort France [age 48] died.
John Evelyn's Diary. 24th December 1643. On Christmas eve, I went to see the Cathedral at Nôtre Dame [Map], erected by Philip Augustus, but begun by King Robert, son of [his father] Hugh Capet. It consists of a Gothic fabric, sustained with 120 pillars, which make two aisles in the church round about the choir, without comprehending the chapels, being 174 paces long, 60 wide, and 100 high. The choir is inclosed with stonework graven with the sacred history, and contains forty-five chapels chancelled with iron. At the front of the chief entrance are statues in relievo of the kings, twenty-eight in number, from Childebert to the founder, Philip; and above them are two high square towers, and another of a smaller size, bearing a spire in the middle, where the body of the church forms a cross. The great tower is ascended by 389 steps, having twelve galleries from one to the other. They greatly reverence the crucifix over the screen of the choir, with an image of the Blessed Virgin. There are some good modern paintings hanging on the pillars. The most conspicuous statute is the huge colossal one of St. Christopher; with divers other figures of men, houses, prospects and rocks, about this gigantic piece; being of one stone, and more remarkable for its bulk than any other perfection. This is the prime church of France for dignity, having archdeacons, vicars, canons, priests, and chaplains in good store, to the number of 127. It is also the palace of the archbishop. The young king was there with a great and martial guard, who entered the nave of the church with drums and fifes, at the ceasing of which I was entertained with the church music; and so I left him.
Kings Franks: Great x 6 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 3 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Agnes de la Marck Queen Consort Navarre [22]
Isabella Burgundy Queen Consort Germany [2]
Henry I King of the Franks [1]
Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [1]
Constance Burgundy Queen Consort Castile and Leon [1]
Adela Flanders Queen Consort Denmark [1]
Agnes Poitiers Queen Consort Aragon Queen Consort Pamplona [1]
Agnes Poitiers Queen Consort Aragon [1]
Afonso "Conqueror Founder Great" I King Portugal [1]
Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [1]
Isabelle Flanders Queen Consort France [2]
Isabella of Angoulême Queen Consort England [1]
Matilda Dammartin Queen Consort Portugal [1]
Joan Dammartin Queen Consort Castile and Leon [1]
Blanche Capet Queen Navarre [1]
Constance Hohenstaufen Queen Consort Aragon [1]
Maria of Brabant Queen Consort France [5]
Henry Luxemburg VII Holy Roman Emperor [3]
Margaret of Burgundy Queen Consort France [4]
Joan of Burgundy Queen Consort France [4]
Joan "Lame" Burgundy Queen Consort France [4]
Blanche of Burgundy Queen Consort France [4]
Philip "Noble" III King Navarre [3]
Joan Évreux Queen Consort France [3]
Philippa of Hainaut Queen Consort England [4]
Margaret Hainaut Holy Roman Empress [4]
King Robert II of Scotland [1]
Blanche Valois Holy Roman Empress Luxemburg [2]
Blanche Dampierre Queen Consort Norway and Sweden [6]
Joan Auvergne Queen Consort France [4]
Joanna Bourbon Queen Consort France [10]
Blanche Bourbon Queen Consort Castile [10]
Martha Armagnac Queen Consort Aragon [4]
Yolande of Bar Queen Consort Aragon [14]
King Richard II of England [1]
Philippa Lancaster Queen Consort Denmark [4]
Joan Beaufort Queen Consort Scotland [5]
Jacquetta of Luxemburg Duchess Bedford [10]
Margaret of Anjou Queen Consort England [5]
Mary of Guelders Queen Consort Scotland [22]
King Edward IV of England [16]
King Richard III of England [16]
Anne Neville Queen Consort England [21]
King Henry VII of England and Ireland [7]
Christina Queen Consort Denmark Norway and Sweden [2]
Bianca Maria Sforza Holy Roman Empress [20]
Anne of Brittany Queen Consort France [9]
Philip "Handsome Fair" King Castile [46]
Germaine Foix Queen Consort Aragon [22]
Marguerite Valois Orléans Queen Consort Navarre [50]
Queen Anne Boleyn of England [21]
Queen Jane Seymour [27]
Catherine Parr Queen Consort England [29]
Anne of Cleves Queen Consort England [45]
Mary of Guise Queen Consort Scotland [119]
Antoine King Navarre [84]
Catherine Medici Queen Consort France [14]
Queen Catherine Howard of England [17]
Maximilian Habsburg Spain II Holy Roman Emperor [23]
Jane Grey I Queen England and Ireland [39]
Louis VI Elector Palatine [22]
Louise Lorraine Queen Consort France [72]
King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland [4]
Maximilian "The Great" Wittelsbach I Duke Bavaria I Elector Bavaria [130]
Maria Anna Wittelsbach Holy Roman Empress [130]
Marie de Medici Queen Consort France [23]
Electress Louise Juliana of the Palatine Rhine [29]
Ferdinand of Spain II Holy Roman Emperor [75]
George Wharton [267]
Margaret of Austria Queen Consort Spain [75]
Anna of Austria Holy Roman Empress [79]
John George Wettin Elector Saxony [68]
Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg [68]
Eleonora Gonzaga Queen Consort Bohemia [141]
Maria Leopoldine Habsburg Spain Queen Consort Bohemia [75]
Hedwig Eleonora Queen Consort Sweden [68]
Marie Françoise Élisabeth of Savoy Queen Consort of Portugal [154]
Charlotte Amalie Hesse-Kassel Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [68]
Victor Amadeus King Sardinia [183]
Louise of Mecklenburg Güstrow Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [68]
Maria Anna Neuburg Queen Consort Spain [136]
Frederick I King Sweden [204]
Joseph I Holy Roman Emperor [136]
Charles Habsburg Spain VI Holy Roman Emperor [136]
Francis I Holy Roman Emperor [78]
Adolph Frederick King Sweden [68]
Elisabeth Therese Lorraine Queen Consort Sardinia [78]
President George Washington [11]
King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [140]
William Elector of Hesse [204]
Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England [72]
Caroline Matilda Hanover Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [140]
Marie Sophie Hesse-Kassel Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [204]
Caroline of Brunswick Queen Consort England [140]
Frederick William III King Prussia [68]
Frederica Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort Hanover [140]
Queen Fredrika Dorotea Vilhelmina [136]
King Christian I of Norway and VIII of Denmark [212]
Frederick William IV King Prussia [140]
Caroline Amalie Oldenburg Queen Norway [4]
William I King Prussia [140]
Frederick VII King of Denmark [352]
Queen Louise Hesse-Kassel of Denmark [416]
King Christian IX of Denmark [210]
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom [280]
Queen Sophia of Sweden and Norway [346]
Victoria Empress Germany Queen Consort Prussia [772]
King Edward VII of the United Kingdom [772]
Maria Christina of Austria Queen Consort Spain [204]
Brigadier-General Charles Fitz-Clarence [1039]
Victoria Mary Teck Queen Consort England [408]
Frederick Charles I King Finland [416]
Constantine I King Greece [210]
Alexandrine Mecklenburg-Schwerin Queen Consort Denmark [562]
Victoria Eugénie Mountbatten Queen Consort Spain [976]
Louise Mountbatten Queen Consort Sweden [1180]
Ingrid Bernadotte Queen Consort Denmark [912]
Philip Mountbatten Duke Edinburgh [1390]
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom [4253]
Sophia Glücksburg Queen Consort Spain [4]
Constantine II King Hellenes [4]
Carl XVI King Sweden [1898]
Queen Consort Camilla Shand [1473]
Diana Spencer Princess Wales [12830]
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert "Strong" 
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert I King West Francia
GrandFather: Hugh "Great" Capet Count Paris
Great x 4 Grandfather: Bernard King Lombardy
Great x 3 Grandfather: Pepin Vermandois I Count Vermandois
Great x 4 Grandmother: Cunigunda Laon Queen Consort Lombardy
Great x 2 Grandfather: Herbert Vermandois I Count Vermandois
Great x 1 Grandmother: Beatrice Vermandois
Father: Hugh I King of the Franks
Great x 1 Grandfather: Henry "Fowler" I King East Francia
GrandMother: Hedwig Saxon Ottonian
Great x 1 Grandmother: Matilda Ringelheim Queen Consort East Francia
Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks
Great x 3 Grandfather: Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 2 Grandfather: Ranulf II Duke Aquitaine
Great x 1 Grandfather: Ebles "Manzer aka Bastard" III Duke Aquitaine
GrandFather: William "Towhead" III Duke Aquitaine
Mother: Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France
Great x 1 Grandfather: Rollo Duke Normandy 
GrandMother: Gerloc aka Adela Normandy Duchess Aquitaine
Great x 1 Grandmother: Poppa Unknown Duchess Normandy