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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Italian Lords Temporal is in Italy.
John Capet Duke Durazzo was appointed Count Gravina.
Count Roberto Orsini was appointed Count of Nola.
Count Nicholas Orsini was appointed Count of Nola.
On 18th December 1565 Francesco I de Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany [aged 24] and Joanna of Austria Grand Duchess Tuscany [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Grand Duchess Tuscany. She the daughter of Ferdinand I Holy Roman Emperor and Anne Jagiellon.
On 21st April 1574 Cosimo I de Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany [aged 54] died. His son Francesco [aged 33] succeeded I Grand Duke Tuscany.
Before 940 Boso Unknown Margrave Tuscany was appointed Margrave Tuscany.
On 22nd September 1433 Gianfrancesco I Marquess of Mantua [aged 38] was created 1 Marquess Mantua.
On 23rd September 1444 Gianfrancesco I Marquess of Mantua [aged 49] died. His son Ludovico [aged 32] succeeded III Marquess Mantua.
On 12th June 1478 Ludovico III Marquis of Mantua [aged 66] died. His son Frederico [aged 36] succeeded I Marquess Mantua.
On 14th July 1484 Frederico Gonzaga Marquess Mantua [aged 43] died. His son Francesco [aged 17] succeeded II Marquess Mantua.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 29th March 1519 Francesco Gonzaga II Marquess of Mantua [aged 52] died. Federico Gonzaga II Duke Mantua [aged 18] succeeded II Marquess Mantua.
In 1244 Manfred III Marquess Saluzzo died. His son Thomas [aged 5] succeeded 4th Marquess Saluzzo.
In 1296 Thomas I Marquess Saluzzo [aged 57] died. His son Manfred succeeded IV Marquess Saluzzo.