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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Paternal Family Tree: Maude
On 8th July 1811 [his father] Cornwallis Maude 3rd Viscount Hawarden [aged 31] and [his mother] Jane Crawfurd Bruce were married. She by marriage Viscountess Hawarden.
On 4th April 1817 Cornwallis Maude 1st Earl Montalt was born to Cornwallis Maude 3rd Viscount Hawarden [aged 37] and Jane Crawfurd Bruce.
On 19th December 1831 [his brother-in-law] Charles Anderson-Pelham 2nd Earl Yarborough [aged 22] and [his sister] Maria Adelaide Maude Countess Yarborough [aged 17] were married. He the son of Charles Anderson-Pelham 1st Earl Yarborough [aged 50].
On 24th March 1845 Cornwallis Maude 1st Earl Montalt [aged 27] and Clementina Elphinstone-Fleming Viscountess Hawarden [aged 22] were married.
On 15th January 1846 [his daughter] Isabella Grace Maude was born to Cornwallis Maude 1st Earl Montalt [aged 28] and [his wife] Clementina Elphinstone-Fleming Viscountess Hawarden [aged 23]. She married 28th January 1869 Reginald Charles Abbot 3rd Baron Colchester, son of Charles Abbot 2nd Baron Colchester.
On 5th September 1846 Charles Anderson-Pelham 1st Earl Yarborough [aged 65] died aboard his yacht at Vigo. His son [his brother-in-law] Charles [aged 37] succeeded 2nd Earl Yarborough, 3rd Baron Yarborough. [his sister] Maria Adelaide Maude Countess Yarborough [aged 31] by marriage Countess Yarborough.
On 9th October 1849 [his brother-in-law] Charles Cornwallis Neville 5th Baron Braybrooke [aged 26] and [his sister] Florence Maude Baroness Braybrooke were married.
On 24th March 1852 [his mother] Jane Crawfurd Bruce died.
On 22nd October 1852 [his son] Captain Cornwallis Maude was born to Cornwallis Maude 1st Earl Montalt [aged 35] and [his wife] Clementina Elphinstone-Fleming Viscountess Hawarden [aged 30]. He married 28th February 1878 his half third cousin Eva Henrietta Brooke and had issue.
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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On 12th October 1856 [his father] Cornwallis Maude 3rd Viscount Hawarden [aged 76] died. His son Cornwallis [aged 39] succeeded 4th Viscount Hawarden, 4th Baron Montalt of Hawarden in Tipperary, 6th Baronet of Dundrum in Tipperary.
On 4th February 1861 Richard Cornwallis Neville 4th Baron Braybrooke [aged 40] died at Audley End House, Saffron Walden [Map]. His brother [his brother-in-law] Charles [aged 37] succeeded 5th Baron Braybrooke of Braybrooke in Northamptonshire. [his sister] Florence Maude Baroness Braybrooke by marriage Baroness Braybrooke of Braybrooke in Northamptonshire.
On 19th January 1865 [his wife] Clementina Elphinstone-Fleming Viscountess Hawarden [aged 42] died.
On 28th January 1869 [his son-in-law] Reginald Charles Abbot 3rd Baron Colchester [aged 27] and Isabella Grace Maude [aged 23] were married. She the daughter of Cornwallis Maude 1st Earl Montalt [aged 51] and Clementina Elphinstone-Fleming Viscountess Hawarden.
On 7th August 1869 [his brother-in-law] William Monson 1st Viscount Oxenbridge [aged 40] and [his sister] Maria Adelaide Maude Countess Yarborough [aged 54] were married. She by marriage Baroness Monson of Burton in Lincolnshire.
The London Gazette 24071. 2nd March 1874. St. James's Palace, March 2, 1874.
The Queen [aged 54] has been pleased to appoint to be Lords in Waiting in Ordinary to Her Majesty:-
Charles Adolphus, Earl of Dunmore [aged 32], in the room of Gavin, Earl of Breadalbane [aged 22], resigned.
Robert, Earl of Roden [aged 27], in the room of Valentine Augustus, Earl of Kenmare [aged 48], resigned.
Cornwallis, Viscount Hawarden [aged 56], in the room of Albert Edmund, Earl of Morley [aged 30], resigned.
William, Lord Bagot [aged 62], in the room of Thomas, Lord Camoys [aged 76], resigned.
Dudley Charles, Lord De Ros [aged 46], in the room of Charles, Lord Lurgan, resigned.
William Buller Fullerton, Lord Elphinstone [aged 45], in the room of Frederick Henry Paul, Lord Methuen [aged 56], resigned.
Thomas, Lord Walsingham [aged 30], in the room of Arthur, Lord Wrottesley [aged 49], resigned.
On 10th April 1875 [his son-in-law] Gerald Richard Brooke [aged 22] and Kathleen Maude were married. She the daughter of Cornwallis Maude 1st Earl Montalt [aged 58] and Clementina Elphinstone-Fleming Viscountess Hawarden. They were half third cousins.
On 28th February 1878 Captain Cornwallis Maude [aged 25] and Eva Henrietta Brooke were married. He the son of Cornwallis Maude 1st Earl Montalt [aged 60] and Clementina Elphinstone-Fleming Viscountess Hawarden. They were half third cousins.
The London Gazette 24843. St. James's Palace, May 10, 1880. THE Queen has been pleased to appoint to be Lords in Waiting in Ordinary to Her Majesty:-
Frederick Henry Paul [aged 62], Lord Methuen in the room of William, Lord Bagot [aged 69], resigned.
Lawrance [aged 35], Earl of Zetland, in the room of Charles Adolphus [aged 39], Earl of Dunmore, resigned.
William [aged 46], Earl of Listowel, in the room of Dudley Charles FitzGerald [aged 53], Lord de Ros, resigned.
Thomas [aged 25], Lord Ribblesdale, in the room of William Buller Fullerton [aged 51], Lord Elphinstone, resigned.
Charles Douglas Richard [aged 39], Lord Sudeley, in the room of John Major [aged 37], Lord Henniker, resigned.
Arthur [aged 55], Lord Wrottesley, in the room of Cornwallis [aged 63], Viscount Hawarden, resigned.
On 27th February 1881 was the final and decisive battle of the First Boer War that was a resounding victory for the Boers. General George Pomeroy aka Colley [aged 45], who commanded, and [his son] Captain Cornwallis Maude [aged 28] were killed.
On 17th July 1886 [his son-in-law] Seymour Coghill Hort Bushe and Kathleen Maude were married. She the daughter of Cornwallis Maude 1st Earl Montalt [aged 69] and Clementina Elphinstone-Fleming Viscountess Hawarden.
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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On 13th August 1886 [his brother-in-law] William Monson 1st Viscount Oxenbridge [aged 57] was created 1st Viscount Oxenbridge of Burton in Lincolnshire. [his sister] Maria Adelaide Maude Countess Yarborough [aged 71] by marriage Viscountess Oxenbridge of Burton in Lincolnshire.
On 9th September 1886 Cornwallis Maude 1st Earl Montalt [aged 69] was created 1st Earl de Montalt of Dundrum in Tipperary.
On 24th December 1897 [his sister] Maria Adelaide Maude Countess Yarborough [aged 83] died.
On 9th January 1905 Cornwallis Maude 1st Earl Montalt [aged 87] died.
[his daughter] Kathleen Maude was born to Cornwallis Maude 1st Earl Montalt and Clementina Elphinstone-Fleming Viscountess Hawarden. She married (1) 10th April 1875 her half third cousin Gerald Richard Brooke (2) 17th July 1886 Seymour Coghill Hort Bushe.
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert Maude 1st Baronet
GrandFather: Cornwallis Maude 1st Viscount Hawarden
Father: Cornwallis Maude 3rd Viscount Hawarden
Great x 4 Grandfather: Charles Monck 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Blennerhassett Monck
Great x 2 Grandfather: Charles Monck of St Stephen's Green, Dublin
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Monck of Kildare Street Dublin
GrandMother: Anne Isabella Monck Viscountess Hawarden
Cornwallis Maude 1st Earl Montalt
GrandFather: Patrick Craufurd Bruce of Taplow Lodge in Buckinghamshire
Mother: Jane Crawfurd Bruce