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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.

Biography of Adela Flanders Queen Consort Denmark 1064-1115

Paternal Family Tree: Flanders

Maternal Family Tree: Eilika Schweinfurt Duchess Saxony

Around 1050 Floris Gerulfing I Count Holland (age 24) and [her mother] Gertrude Billung Countess Holland (age 20) were married. She by marriage Countess Holland. She the daughter of [her grandfather] Bernard II Duke of Saxony (age 55) and [her grandmother] Eilika Schweinfurt Duchess Saxony. He the son of Dirk Gerulfing III Count Holland and Othelindis d Bernard Margrave Nordmark Count Holland.

In 1064 Adela Flanders Queen Consort Denmark was born to Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders (age 31) and Gertrude Billung Countess Holland (age 34).

Before 1065 [her father] Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders (age 31) and [her mother] Gertrude Billung Countess Holland (age 34) were married. She the daughter of [her grandfather] Bernard II Duke of Saxony and [her grandmother] Eilika Schweinfurt Duchess Saxony. He the son of [her grandfather] Baldwin "The Good" V Count Flanders (age 52) and [her grandmother] Adela Capet Duchess Normandy (age 55). They were second cousin twice removed.

In 1080 King Canute "The Holy" IV of Denmark (age 38) and Adela Flanders Queen Consort Denmark (age 16) were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Denmark. The difference in their ages was 22 years. She the daughter of Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders (age 47) and Gertrude Billung Countess Holland (age 50). He the son of King Sweyn II of Denmark.

On 17th April 1080 [her illegitimate brother-in-law] King Harald III of Denmark (age 40) died. [her husband] King Canute "The Holy" IV of Denmark (age 38) was appointed IV King Denmark.

In 1084 [her son] Charles Estrigen I Count Flanders was born to [her husband] King Canute "The Holy" IV of Denmark (age 42) and Adela Flanders Queen Consort Denmark (age 20).

1085 Domesday Book

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1085. In this year men reported, and of a truth asserted, that [her husband] Cnute, King of Denmark (age 43), son of King Sweyne, was coming hitherward, and was resolved to win this land, with the assistance of [her father] Robert, Earl of Flanders (age 52);106 for Cnute had Robert's daughter (age 21). When William, King of England (age 57), who was then resident in Normandy [Map] (for he had both England and Normandy), understood this, he went into England with so large an army of horse and foot, from France and Brittany, as never before sought this land; so that men wondered how this land could feed all that force. But the king left the army to shift for themselves through all this land amongst his subjects, who fed them, each according to his quota of land. Men suffered much distress this year; and the king caused the land to be laid waste about the sea coast; that, if his foes came up, they might not have anything on which they could very readily seize. But when the king understood of a truth that his foes were impeded, and could not further their expedition107, then let he some of the army go to their own land; but some he held in this land over the winter. Then, at the midwinter, was the king in Glocester [Map] with his council, and held there his court five days. And afterwards the archbishop and clergy had a synod three days. There was Mauritius chosen Bishop of London, William of Norfolk, and Robert of Cheshire. These were all the king's clerks. After this had the king a large meeting, and very deep consultation with his council, about this land; how it was occupied, and by what sort of men. Then sent he his men over all England into each shire; commissioning them to find out "How many hundreds of hides were in the shire, what land the king himself had, and what stock upon the land; or, what dues he ought to have by the year from the shire." Also he commissioned them to record in writing, "How much land his archbishops had, and his diocesan bishops, and his abbots, and his earls;" and though I may be prolix and tedious, "What, or how much, each man had, who was an occupier of land in England, either in land or in stock, and how much money it were worth." So very narrowly, indeed, did he commission them to trace it out, that there was not one single hide, nor a yard108 of land, nay, moreover (it is shameful to tell, though he thought it no shame to do it), not even an ox, nor a cow, nor a swine was there left, that was not set down in his writ. And all the recorded particulars were afterwards brought to him.109

Note 106. and of Clave Kyrre, King of Norway. Vid. "Antiq. Celto-Scand".

Note 107. Because there was a mutiny in the Danish fleet; which was carried to such a height, that the king, after his return to Denmark, was slain by his own subjects. Vid. "Antiq. Celto-Scand", also our "Chronicle" A.D. 1087.

Note 108. i.e. a fourth part of an acre.

Note 109. At Winchester; where the king held his court at Easter in the following year; and the survey was accordingly deposited there; whence it was called "Rotulus Wintoniae", and "Liber Wintoniae".

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On 10th July 1086 [her husband] King Canute "The Holy" IV of Denmark (age 44) was killed at St Alban's Priory Odense.

In 1093 [her father] Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders (age 60) died.

On 4th August 1113 [her mother] Gertrude Billung Countess Holland (age 83) died.

In April 1115 Adela Flanders Queen Consort Denmark (age 51) died.

Royal Ancestors of Adela Flanders Queen Consort Denmark 1064-1115

Kings Wessex: Great x 6 Grand Daughter of King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex

Kings Franks: Great x 8 Grand Daughter of Louis "Pious" King Aquitaine I King Franks

Kings France: Great Grand Daughter of Robert "Pious" II King France

Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 6 Grand Daughter of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine

Ancestors of Adela Flanders Queen Consort Denmark 1064-1115

Great x 4 Grandfather: Arnulf "Great" I Count Flanders

Great x 3 Grandfather: Baldwin III Count Flanders

Great x 4 Grandmother: Adela Vermandois Countess Flanders

Great x 2 Grandfather: Arnulf II Count Flanders

Great x 3 Grandmother: Matilda Billung Countess Flanders

Great x 4 Grandmother: Hildegard Westerburg Margrave Billung March

Great x 1 Grandfather: Baldwin "Bearded" IV Count Flanders

Great x 4 Grandfather: Adalbert I Margrave of Ivrea

Great x 3 Grandfather: Berengar II King of Italy

Great x 2 Grandmother: Rozala of Italy

Great x 4 Grandfather: Boso Unknown Margrave Tuscany

Great x 3 Grandmother: Willa Bosonids Queen Consort Italy

GrandFather: Baldwin "The Good" V Count Flanders

Great x 2 Grandfather: Frederick Luxemburg Ardennes

Great x 4 Grandfather: Eberhard IV Nordgau

Great x 3 Grandmother: Hedwig Nordgau

Great x 1 Grandmother: Ogive Luxemburg Countess Flanders

Great x 3 Grandfather: Heribert I Count Gleiberg Gleiburg

Great x 2 Grandmother: Ermentrude Gleiburg

Father: Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders

Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert I King West Francia

Great x 3 Grandfather: Hugh "Great" Capet Count Paris

Great x 4 Grandmother: Beatrice Vermandois

Great x 2 Grandfather: Hugh I King France

Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry "Fowler" I King East Francia

Great x 3 Grandmother: Hedwig Saxon Ottonian

Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert "Pious" II King France

Great x 2 Grandmother: Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France

Great x 4 Grandfather: Rollo Normandy Duke Normandy

Great x 3 Grandmother: Gerloc aka Adela Normandy Duchess Aquitaine

Great x 4 Grandmother: Poppa Unknown Duchess Normandy

GrandMother: Adela Capet Duchess Normandy

Great x 1 Grandmother: Constance Arles Queen Consort France

Great x 4 Grandfather: Fulk "Red" Ingelger 1st Count Anjou

Great x 3 Grandfather: Fulk "Good" Ingelger 2nd Count Anjou

Great x 4 Grandmother: Roscille Loches Countess Anjou

Great x 2 Grandmother: Adelaide Blanche Ingelger Queen Consort West Francia

Great x 4 Grandfather: Ratburnus I Viscount of Vienne

Great x 3 Grandmother: Gerberge Unknown Viscountess Anjou

Adela Flanders Queen Consort Denmark

Great x 1 Grandfather: Bernard I Duke of Saxony

Great x 2 Grandmother: Hildegard Westerburg Margrave Billung March

GrandFather: Bernard II Duke of Saxony

Mother: Gertrude Billung Countess Holland

Great x 1 Grandfather: Henry Schweinfurt

GrandMother: Eilika Schweinfurt Duchess Saxony