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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Count Anjou is in Counts of France.
In 942 Fulk "Red" Ingelger 1st Count Anjou (age 72) died. His son Fulk (age 37) succeeded 2nd Count Anjou, 2nd Viscount Anjou.
In 960 Fulk "Good" Ingelger 2nd Count Anjou (age 55) died. His son Geoffrey (age 21) succeeded 1st Count Anjou.
On 21st July 987 Geoffrey "Greygown" Ingelger 1st Count Anjou (age 48) died. His son Fulk (age 17) succeeded III Count Anjou.
In December 1005 Fulk "Black" Ingelger III Count Anjou (age 35) and Hildegarde Sundgau Countess Anjou were married. She by marriage Countess Anjou. He the son of Geoffrey "Greygown" Ingelger 1st Count Anjou and Adele Vermandois Countess Anjou.
On 21st June 1040 Fulk "Black" Ingelger III Count Anjou (age 70) died. His son Geoffrey succeeded II Count Anjou. Agnes Ivrea Duchess Aquitaine by marriage Countess Anjou.
After 1050 Geoffrey "Martel" II Count Anjou and Grécie Langeais Countess Anjou were married. She by marriage Countess Anjou. He the son of Fulk "Black" Ingelger III Count Anjou and Hildegarde Sundgau Countess Anjou.
In 1060 Geoffrey "Martel" II Count Anjou died without issue. Geoffrey "Bearded" Count Anjou 3rd Count Gâtinais (age 20) succeeded Count Anjou.
Around 1068 Fulk "Réchin" Anjou 4th Count Anjou (age 25) and Hildegarde Beaugency Countess Anjou (age 24) were married. She by marriage Countess Anjou. He the son of Geoffrey "Ferréol" Anjou 2nd Count Gâtinais and Ermengarde Blanche Ingelger Duchess Burgundy (age 50).
Before 1072 Fulk "Réchin" Anjou 4th Count Anjou (age 28) and Ermengarde Bourbon Countess Anjou (age 21) were married. She by marriage Countess Anjou. He the son of Geoffrey "Ferréol" Anjou 2nd Count Gâtinais and Ermengarde Blanche Ingelger Duchess Burgundy (age 53).
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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Around 1076 Fulk "Réchin" Anjou 4th Count Anjou (age 33) and Orengarde Chatellailon Countess Anjou were married. She by marriage Countess Anjou. He the son of Geoffrey "Ferréol" Anjou 2nd Count Gâtinais and Ermengarde Blanche Ingelger Duchess Burgundy (age 58).
In 1089 Fulk "Réchin" Anjou 4th Count Anjou (age 46) and Bertrade Montfort Queen Consort France (age 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 1096 Geoffrey "Bearded" Count Anjou 3rd Count Gâtinais (age 56) died. His brother Fulk (age 53) succeeded 4th Count Anjou.
On 14th April 1109 Fulk "Réchin" Anjou 4th Count Anjou (age 66) died. In 1109 His son Fulk (age 20) succeeded V Count Anjou.
In 1110 Fulk "Young" King Jerusalem (age 21) and Ermengarde of Maine Countess of Anjou were married. She by marriage Countess Anjou. She the daughter of Elias I Count Maine and Matilda Chateau Du Loir Countess Maine. He the son of Fulk "Réchin" Anjou 4th Count Anjou and Bertrade Montfort Queen Consort France (age 40). They were third cousin twice removed.
In 1129 Fulk "Young" King Jerusalem (age 40) travelled to Jerusalem [Map] on pilgrimage. His son Geoffrey Plantagenet Duke Normandy (age 15) was appointed Count Anjou.
On 2nd June 1129 Fulk "Young" King Jerusalem (age 40) and Melisende Queen of Jerusalem (age 24) were married at Jerusalem [Map]. She by marriage Countess Anjou. Her father (age 54) had written to Fulk "Young" King Jerusalem requesting the marriage since he had no male heirs. She the daughter of Baldwin II King Jerusalem. He the son of Fulk "Réchin" Anjou 4th Count Anjou and Bertrade Montfort Queen Consort France.
Fulk "Red" Ingelger 1st Count Anjou was created 1st Count Anjou, 1st Viscount Anjou.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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Geoffrey "Greygown" Ingelger 1st Count Anjou and Adele Vermandois Countess Anjou were married. She by marriage Countess Anjou. She the daughter of Robert Vermandois Count Meaux Count Châlons. He the son of Fulk "Good" Ingelger 2nd Count Anjou and Gerberge Unknown Viscountess Anjou.
Fulk "Black" Ingelger III Count Anjou and Elisabeth Vendome Countess Anjou were married. She by marriage Countess Anjou. She the daughter of Bouchard Vendome Count Vendôme. He the son of Geoffrey "Greygown" Ingelger 1st Count Anjou and Adele Vermandois Countess Anjou.
Fulk "Red" Ingelger 1st Count Anjou and Roscille Loches Countess Anjou were married. She by marriage Countess Anjou.