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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Maternal Family Tree: Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury 1364-1424
In or after 1356 Alan Buxhull [aged 33] and Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury were married. She reputed to be the richest woman in England at the time. The difference in their ages was 41 years.
In 1364 Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury was born to [her father] Adam Francis [aged 38].
Before 1372 [her husband] John Aubrey died.
Before 1372 John Aubrey and Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury [aged 7] were married.
Before 4th May 1375 [her father] Adam Francis [aged 49] died.
In 1381 [her husband] Alan Buxhull [aged 58] died.
Before 13th June 1388 John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury [aged 38] and Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury [aged 24] were married.
On 13th June 1388 [her son] Thomas Montagu 1st Count Perche 4th Earl Salisbury was born to [her husband] John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury [aged 38] and Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury [aged 24]. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward I of England. He married (1) before 1407 his half third cousin once removed Eleanor Holland, daughter of Thomas Holland 2nd Earl Kent and Alice Fitzalan Countess Kent, and had issue (2) after 1421 Alice Chaucer Duchess Suffolk.
In 1389 [her father-in-law] John Montagu 1st Baron Montagu, Baron Monthermer [aged 59] died. His son [her husband] John [aged 39] succeeded 2nd Baron Montagu.
In 1389 [her son] Richard Montagu was born to [her husband] John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury [aged 39] and Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury [aged 25]. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward I of England.
In 1395 [her mother-in-law] Margaret Monthermer Baroness Montagu 3rd Baroness Monthermer died. In 1395 Her son [her husband] John [aged 45] succeeded 4th Baron Monthermer. Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury [aged 31] by marriage Baroness Monthermer.
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.
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On 3rd June 1397 William Montagu 2nd Earl Salisbury [aged 68] died. His nephew [her husband] John [aged 47] succeeded 3rd Earl Salisbury, 5th Baron Montagu. Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury [aged 33] by marriage Countess Salisbury.
Before 7th January 1400 [her daughter] Elizabeth Montagu Baroness Willoughby Eresby was born to [her husband] John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury [aged 50] and Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury [aged 36]. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward I of England. She married before 21st February 1421 her half fifth cousin once removed Robert Willoughby 6th Baron Willoughby, son of William Willoughby 5th Baron Willoughby and Lucy Strange Baroness Willoughby Eresby, and had issue.
Before 7th January 1400 [her son] Robert Montagu was born to [her husband] John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury [aged 50] and Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury [aged 36]. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward I of England.
Before 7th January 1400 [her daughter] Anne Montagu Duchess Exeter was born to [her husband] John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury [aged 50] and Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury [aged 36]. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward I of England. She married (1) before 1431 Richard Hankford and had issue (2) after 25th October 1439 her half third cousin once removed John Holland 2nd Duke Exeter, son of John Holland 1st Duke Exeter and Elizabeth Lancaster Duchess Exeter.
Before 7th January 1400 [her daughter] Margaret Montagu Baroness Ferrers Groby was born to [her husband] John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury [aged 50] and Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury [aged 36]. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward I of England. She married before 18th May 1445 her half third cousin once removed William Ferrers 5th Baron Ferrers of Groby, son of Henry Ferrers 4th Baron Ferrers of Groby and Joan Hoo Baroness Ferrers Groby.
On 7th January 1400 at Cirencester, Gloucestershire [Map] Ralph Lumley 1st Baron Lumley [aged 40] was beheaded by the townspeople following an unsuccessful attempt to seize the town. Baron Lumley forfeit.
Thomas Holland 1st Duke Surrey [aged 26] was beheaded. He had to forfeit the honours and estates he had gained after the arrests of Gloucester and Arundel: Duke Surrey extinct. He retained those he had received before: His brother Edmund [aged 16] succeeded 4th Earl Kent, 3rd Baron Holand, 8th Baron Wake of Liddell. He was buried, or re-buried, at his foundation Mount Grace Priory, North Yorkshire [Map].
[her husband] John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury [aged 50] was captured, tried and beheaded. Earl Salisbury, Baron Montagu, Baron Montagu, Baron Monthermer forfeit.
Bernard Brocas [aged 46] was captured.
Before 1407 Thomas Montagu 1st Count Perche 4th Earl Salisbury [aged 18] and Eleanor Holland [aged 20] were married. She the daughter of Thomas Holland 2nd Earl Kent and Alice Fitzalan Countess Kent [aged 56]. He the son of John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury and Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury [aged 42]. They were half third cousin once removed. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward I of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.
After 1421 Thomas Montagu 1st Count Perche 4th Earl Salisbury [aged 32] and Alice Chaucer Duchess Suffolk [aged 17] were married. She by marriage Countess Salisbury. He the son of John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury and Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury [aged 57].
Before 21st February 1421 [her son-in-law] Robert Willoughby 6th Baron Willoughby [aged 36] and Elizabeth Montagu Baroness Willoughby Eresby [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Baroness Willoughby de Eresby. She the daughter of John Montagu 3rd Earl Salisbury and Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury [aged 57]. They were half fifth cousin once removed. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.
On 30th July 1424 Maud Francis Countess of Salisbury [aged 60] died.