Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall

The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

Biography of Eric II King Norway 1268-1299

Paternal Family Tree: Sverre

On 11th September 1261 [his father] King Magnus VI of Norway [aged 23] and [his mother] Queen Ingeborg of Norway [aged 17] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] King Eric IV of Denmark and [his grandmother] Jutta of Saxony [aged 38]. He the son of King Haakon IV of Norway [aged 57].

In 1268 Eric II King Norway was born to [his father] King Magnus VI of Norway [aged 29] and [his mother] Queen Ingeborg of Norway [aged 24].

On 9th May 1280 [his father] King Magnus VI of Norway [aged 42] died. His son Eric [aged 12] succeeded King Norway.

On 31st August 1281 Eric II King Norway [aged 13] and Margaret Dunkeld Queen Consort Norway [aged 20] were married at Bergen. She the daughter of King Alexander III of Scotland [aged 39] and Margaret Queen of Scotland. He the son of King Magnus VI of Norway and Queen Ingeborg of Norway [aged 37]. They were half fourth cousin once removed. She a granddaughter of King Henry III of England.

On 14th November 1282 [his brother-in-law] Alexander Dunkeld Prince Scotland [aged 18] and Margaret Dampierre Countess Guelders [aged 10] were married. She the daughter of Guy Dampierre Count Flanders [aged 56] and Isabelle Luxemburg Countess Flanders [aged 35]. He the son of [his father-in-law] King Alexander III of Scotland [aged 41] and Margaret Queen of Scotland. They were half third cousin once removed. He a grandson of King Henry III of England. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King William "Conqueror" I of England.

On 9th April 1283 [his daughter] Margaret "Maid of Norway" I Queen Scotland was born to Eric II King Norway [aged 15] and [his wife] Margaret Dunkeld Queen Consort Norway [aged 22] at Tønsberg. Her mother died in childbirth and was buried at Tønsberg. She a great granddaughter of King Henry III of England.

On 24th March 1287 or 26th March 1287 [his mother] Queen Ingeborg of Norway [aged 43] died.

On 26th September 1290 [his daughter] Margaret "Maid of Norway" I Queen Scotland [aged 7] died at St Margaret's Hope.

In 1293 Eric II King Norway [aged 25] and Isabel Bruce Queen Norway [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Queen Norway. She the daughter of Robert Bruce Earl Carrick [aged 49] and Marjorie Carrick 3rd Countess Carrick. He the son of King Magnus VI of Norway and Queen Ingeborg of Norway.

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 format.

In 1295 [his brother] King Haakon V [aged 24] and [his sister-in-law] Isabel Joigny were married. He the son of [his father] King Magnus VI of Norway and [his mother] Queen Ingeborg of Norway.

In 1296 [his brother-in-law] King Robert the Bruce I of Scotland [aged 21] and Isabella Mar [aged 43] were married. The difference in their ages was 21 years; she, unusually, being older than him. She the daughter of Donald Mar 7th Earl of Mar and Elen ferch Llewellyn Aberffraw Countess Huntingdon and Mar. He the son of [his father-in-law] Robert Bruce Earl Carrick [aged 52] and Marjorie Carrick 3rd Countess Carrick. They were fifth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England. She a great granddaughter of King John of England.

In 1297 [his daughter] Ingeborg Eriksdottir was born to Eric II King Norway [aged 29] and [his wife] Isabel Bruce Queen Norway [aged 25].

In 1299 [his brother] King Haakon V [aged 28] and [his sister-in-law] Euphemia of Rügen Queen Norway [aged 19] were married. He the son of [his father] King Magnus VI of Norway and [his mother] Queen Ingeborg of Norway.

On 15th July 1299 Eric II King Norway [aged 31] died. His brother Haakon [aged 29] succeeded V King Norway. Euphemia of Rügen Queen Norway [aged 19] by marriage Queen Norway.

In 1358 [his former wife] Isabel Bruce Queen Norway [aged 86] died.