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All About History Books
The 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. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.
Around 1320 Bertrand Geusclin was born at Motte Broons.
On 29th September 1364 Battle of Auray decided the Breton Succession in favour of John Montfort V Duke Brittany (age 25). The Breton and English army was commanded by John Chandos (age 44) and included William Latimer 4th Baron Latimer of Corby (age 34), Miles Stapleton (age 44) and Hugh Calverley (age 40). Charles "Saint" Chatillon Duke Brittany (age 45) was killed. Bertrand Geusclin (age 44) surrendered.
On 3rd April 1367 the forces of Peter "Cruel" I King Castile (age 32) commanded by Edward "Black Prince" (age 36) defeated the army of Henry "Fratricide" II King Castile (age 33) at the Battle of Nájera at Nájera [Map]. The English forces included John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster (age 27), William Scrope, Peter Courtenay (age 21), John Devereux 1st Baron Devereux (age 30), John Savile of Shelley and Golcar (age 42), Bernard Brocas (age 37) and Thomas Banastre (age 33).
The forces of Henry "Fratricide" II King Castile included Bertrand Geusclin (age 47). The battle achieved little since Bertrand Geusclin escaped.
John Ferrers 4th Baron Ferrers of Chartley (age 36) was killed. His son Robert (age 9) succeeded 5th Baron Ferrers of Chartley. Margaret Despencer Baroness Ferrers of Chartley by marriage Baroness Ferrers of Chartley.
Edward "Black Prince" thereafter returned home, taking Peter's daughters Constance (age 13) and Isabella (age 12) as hostages to ensure Peter would pay the money owed to Edward. Constance married John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster, Isabella married Edmund of Langley 1st Duke of York (age 25).
On 14th March 1369 the army of Henry "Fratricide" II King Castile (age 35) defeated that of his half-brother Peter "Cruel" I King Castile (age 34) at the Battle of Montiel. Henry "Fratricide" II King Castile 1334-1379's army was commanded by Bertrand Geusclin (age 49). Peter "Cruel" I King Castile escaped to the castle of Montiel, La Mancha.
On 21st March 1373 John Devereux 1st Baron Devereux (age 36) was captured during the Battle of Chiset at Chizé at which the English were defeated by the French forces commanded by Bertrand Geusclin (age 53). The battle brought an end to English control in Poitou.
In 1380 Bertrand Geusclin (age 60) died at Châteauneuf de Randon.