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.
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Paternal Family Tree: Estridsen
Before 1159 [his father] Valdemar "Great" I King of Denmark [aged 27] and [his mother] Sophia of Minsk [aged 18] were married.
On 9th May 1170 King Valdemar II of Denmark was born to [his father] Valdemar "Great" I King of Denmark [aged 39] and [his mother] Sophia of Minsk [aged 30].
On 12th May 1182 [his father] Valdemar "Great" I King of Denmark [aged 51] died. His son [his brother] Canute [aged 19] succeeded VI King of Denmark.
On 15th August 1193 [his brother-in-law] King Philip II of France [aged 27] and [his half-sister] Ingeborg Estridsen Queen Consort France [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort of France. She the daughter of [his father] Valdemar "Great" I King of Denmark. He the son of Louis VII King of the Franks and Adèle Queen of the Franks.
Around November 1193 [his brother-in-law] King Philip II of France [aged 28] and [his half-sister] Ingeborg Estridsen Queen Consort France [aged 19] marriage annulled on the spurious grounds of her consanguinity with his first wife Isabelle Flanders Queen Consort France. She was kept, more or less, a prisoner for the remainder of her life being held in difference French castles.
On 5th May 1198 [his mother] Sophia of Minsk [aged 58] died.
On 12th November 1202 Canute VI King of Denmark [aged 39] died. In 1202 His brother Valdemar [aged 32] succeeded I King of Denmark.
In 1205 King Valdemar II of Denmark [aged 34] and Dagmar of Bohemia [aged 19] were married. He the son of Valdemar "Great" I King of Denmark and Sophia of Minsk.
Around 1209 [his son] Valdemar the Young King of Denmark was born to King Valdemar II of Denmark [aged 38] and [his wife] Dagmar of Bohemia [aged 23]. He married 24th June 1229 Eleanor of Portugal Queen Consort Denmark, daughter of Alfonso "Fat" II King Portugal and Urraca Ivrea Queen Consort Portugal.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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On 24th May 1212 [his wife] Dagmar of Bohemia [aged 26] died.
In 1214 King Valdemar II of Denmark [aged 43] and Berengaria Burgundy Queen Consort Denmark [aged 16] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Denmark. The difference in their ages was 27 years. She the daughter of Sancho "Populator" I King Portugal and Dulce Barcelona Queen Consort Portugal. He the son of Valdemar "Great" I King of Denmark and Sophia of Minsk.
In 1215 Henry I King Castile [aged 10] and [his sister-in-law] Mafalda Burgundy Queen Consort Castile [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Castile. She the daughter of Sancho "Populator" I King Portugal and Dulce Barcelona Queen Consort Portugal. He the son of Alfonso VIII King Castile and Eleanor Plantagenet Queen Consort Castile. They were second cousin once removed. He a grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
Around 1216 [his son] King Eric IV of Denmark was born to King Valdemar II of Denmark [aged 45] and [his wife] Berengaria Burgundy Queen Consort Denmark [aged 18]. He married 17th November 1239 Jutta of Saxony and had issue.
In 1218 [his son] King Abel of Denmark was born to King Valdemar II of Denmark [aged 47] and [his wife] Berengaria Burgundy Queen Consort Denmark [aged 20].
In 1219 [his son] King Christopher I of Denmark was born to King Valdemar II of Denmark [aged 48] and [his wife] Berengaria Burgundy Queen Consort Denmark [aged 21].
On 27th March 1221 [his wife] Berengaria Burgundy Queen Consort Denmark [aged 23] died.
On 24th June 1229 Valdemar the Young King of Denmark [aged 20] and Eleanor of Portugal Queen Consort Denmark [aged 18] were married. She the daughter of Alfonso "Fat" II King Portugal and Urraca Ivrea Queen Consort Portugal. He the son of King Valdemar II of Denmark [aged 59] and Dagmar of Bohemia.
On 28th November 1231 [his son] Valdemar the Young King of Denmark [aged 22] died in a hunting accident at Refsnæs, near Kalundborg.
On 29th July 1237 [his half-sister] Ingeborg Estridsen Queen Consort France [aged 63] died.
On 17th November 1239 King Eric IV of Denmark [aged 23] and Jutta of Saxony [aged 16] were married. He the son of King Valdemar II of Denmark [aged 69] and Berengaria Burgundy Queen Consort Denmark.
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.
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On 28th March 1241 King Valdemar II of Denmark [aged 70] died.
Great x 1 Grandfather: Eric I King of Denmark
GrandFather: Canute Lavard
Mother: Sophia of Minsk