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.
Paternal Family Tree: Wyntoun aka Seton
Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley was born to [his father] Alexander Seton and [his mother] Elizabeth Gordon.
In 1408 [his father] Alexander Seton (age 37) and [his mother] Elizabeth Gordon were married.
Around 8th January 1426 Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley and Egidia Hay were married.
After 1438 Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley and Elizabeth Crichton Countess Huntley (age 27) were married.
In 1439 [his mother] Elizabeth Gordon died.
Around 1441 [his father] Alexander Seton (age 70) died.
In 1449 Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley was created 1st Earl Huntley. [his wife] Elizabeth Crichton Countess Huntley (age 38) by marriage Countess Huntley.
On 18th May 1452 the Battle of Brechin was fought between supporters of King James II of Scotland (age 21) and his rellious nobility including the Black Douglases. Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley defeated the rebels led by Alexander Lindsay 4th Earl Crawford (age 29) on behalf on the King. John Lindsay (age 29), and the brothers [his brother] William Gordon and [his brother] Henry Gordon, were killed.
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.
Before 20th May 1455 [his son] George Gordon 2nd Earl Huntley was born to Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley and [his wife] Elizabeth Crichton Countess Huntley (age 45). He married (1) 20th May 1455 Elizabeth Dunbar, daughter of John Dunbar 1st Earl of Moray and Marjorie Stewart Countess Moray (2) 1458 Anabella Stewart, daughter of King James I of Scotland and Joan Beaufort Queen Consort Scotland, and had issue (3) 18th August 1471 Elizabeth Hay Countess Huntley, daughter of William Hay 1st Earl Erroll and Beatrice Douglas Countess Erroll, and had issue.
On 20th May 1455 [his son] George Gordon 2nd Earl Huntley and [his daughter-in-law] Elizabeth Dunbar were married. She the daughter of John Dunbar 1st Earl of Moray and Marjorie Stewart Countess Moray. He the son of Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley and [his wife] Elizabeth Crichton Countess Huntley (age 45).
In 1458 [his son] George Gordon 2nd Earl Huntley (age 2) and [his daughter-in-law] Anabella Stewart (age 22) were married. She the daughter of King James I of Scotland and Joan Beaufort Queen Consort Scotland. He the son of Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley and [his wife] Elizabeth Crichton Countess Huntley (age 47).
On 15th November 1461 [his son-in-law] Nicholas Hay 2nd Earl Erroll (age 25) and [his daughter] Elizabeth Gordon Countess Erroll were married. She by marriage Countess Erroll. She the daughter of Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley. He the son of William Hay 1st Earl Erroll (age 38) and Beatrice Douglas Countess Erroll.
Around 1469 [his son-in-law] John Kennedy 2nd Lord Kennedy (age 14) and [his daughter] Elizabeth Gordon Countess Erroll were married. She the daughter of Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley.
On 15th July 1470 Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley died. His son George (age 15) succeeded 2nd Earl Huntley. [his daughter-in-law] Anabella Stewart (age 34) by marriage Countess Huntley.
On 9th June 1479 [his former wife] Elizabeth Crichton Countess Huntley (age 69) died.
[his daughter] Catherine Gordon was born to Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley.
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
[his daughter] Christian Gordon Lady Forbes was born to Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley. She married William "Grey Willie" Forbes 3rd Lord Forbes and had issue.
[his daughter] Elizabeth Gordon Countess Erroll was born to Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley. She married (1) 15th November 1461 Nicholas Hay 2nd Earl Erroll, son of William Hay 1st Earl Erroll and Beatrice Douglas Countess Erroll (2) 1469 John Kennedy 2nd Lord Kennedy and had issue.
[his son] William Gordon was born to Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley.
[his son] Adam Gordon was born to Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley.
[his son] Alexander Gordon was born to Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley. He married Beatrix Hay, daughter of William Hay 1st Earl Erroll and Beatrice Douglas Countess Erroll.
[his son] Alexander Seton was born to Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley and Egidia Hay.
[his daughter] Margaret Gordon was born to Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley.
Kings Wessex: Great x 13 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 10 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 16 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 11 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings England: Great x 9 Grand Son of King John of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 12 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 21 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 14 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 18 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 1 Grandfather: Alan Wyntoun
GrandFather: William Seton 1st Lord Seton 7 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Alexander Seton
Great x 2 Grandfather: Alexander Seton
Great x 1 Grandmother: Margaret Seton 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Reginald 3rd Cheney
Great x 3 Grandfather: Freskin Cheney
Great x 2 Grandmother: Christian Cheney 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Comyn 3rd Earl Buchan 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Isabel Comyn 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Isabella Countess Buchan 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Father: Alexander Seton 8 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Alexander Gordon 1st Earl Huntley 9 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Adam Gordon
GrandFather: John Gordon
Mother: Elizabeth Gordon