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: Somery
Around 1181 [his father] Ralph Somery 1st Baron Dudley (age 25) and [his mother] Margaret Gras Baroness Dudley were married.
Around 1190 Roger Somery 2nd Baron Dudley was born to [his father] Ralph Somery 1st Baron Dudley (age 34) and [his mother] Margaret Gras Baroness Dudley.
On 29th September 1194 [his father] Ralph Somery 1st Baron Dudley (age 38) was created 1st Baron Dudley of Somery. [his mother] Margaret Gras Baroness Dudley by marriage Baroness Dudley of Somery.
In 1211 [his father] Ralph Somery 1st Baron Dudley (age 55) died at Dudley, Staffordshire. His son Roger (age 21) succeeded 2nd Baron Dudley of Somery.
Before 1218 [his brother-in-law] Thomas Berkeley 4th Baron Berkeley (age 47) and [his sister] Joan Somery Baroness Berkeley (age 22) were married. The difference in their ages was 25 years.
In 1220 Robert Berkeley 3rd Baron Berkeley (age 55) died. His brother [his brother-in-law] Thomas (age 50) succeeded 4th Baron Berkeley Feudal. [his sister] Joan Somery Baroness Berkeley (age 25) by marriage Baroness Berkeley Feudal.
Around 1225 [his daughter] Margaret Somery Baroness Basset Drayton was born to Roger Somery 2nd Baron Dudley (age 35) and [his future wife] Nicole D'Aubigny Baroness Dudley (age 15) in Dudley, Worcestershire. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England. She married (1) Ralph Basset and had issue (2) in or after 1292 Ralph Cromwell and had issue.
Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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Around 1227 [his daughter] Mabel Somery was born to Roger Somery 2nd Baron Dudley (age 37) and [his future wife] Amabilia Chaucombe Baroness Dudley at Dudley, Staffordshire.
In 1232 [his daughter] Joan Somery was born to Roger Somery 2nd Baron Dudley (age 42) and [his future wife] Nicole D'Aubigny Baroness Dudley (age 22) at Dudley, Staffordshire. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England. She married John Strange and had issue.
In or before 1237 [his daughter] Matilda Somery was born to Roger Somery 2nd Baron Dudley (age 46) and [his future wife] Nicole D'Aubigny Baroness Dudley (age 26). She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.
Before 1240 Roger Somery 2nd Baron Dudley (age 49) and Nicole D'Aubigny Baroness Dudley (age 29) were married. She by marriage Baroness Dudley of Somery. The difference in their ages was 20 years. She the daughter of William D'Aubigny 3rd Earl Lincoln 3rd Earl of Arundel and Mabel Gernon Countess Lincoln and Arundel.
Around 1240 [his wife] Nicole D'Aubigny Baroness Dudley (age 30) died at Dudley Castle [Map].
After 1240 Roger Somery 2nd Baron Dudley (age 50) and Amabilia Chaucombe Baroness Dudley were married. She by marriage Baroness Dudley of Somery.
In 1250 [his son] John Somery was born to Roger Somery 2nd Baron Dudley (age 60) and [his wife] Amabilia Chaucombe Baroness Dudley at Dudley, Staffordshire.
On 24th June 1255 [his son] Roger Somery 3rd Baron Dudley was born to Roger Somery 2nd Baron Dudley (age 65) and [his wife] Amabilia Chaucombe Baroness Dudley at Dinas Powys. He married before March 1279 Agnes Unknown Baroness Dudley and had issue.
In 1262 Roger Somery 2nd Baron Dudley (age 72) rebuilt Dudley Castle [Map].
On 31st October 1266 the Dictum of Kenilworth was issued. The Dictum was a peace agreement between King Henry III of England (age 59) and the rebels who were besieged in the impregnable Kenilworth Castle [Map]. The committee included: Bishop Walter Branscombe (age 46), Archbishop Walter Giffard (age 41), Bishop Nicholas Ely, Gilbert de Clare 8th Earl Gloucester 7th Earl Hertford, Humphrey Bohun 2nd Earl Hereford 1st Earl Essex (age 62), Philip Basset (age 82), John Balliol (age 58), Robert Walerand, Alan Zouche (age 63), Roger Somery 2nd Baron Dudley (age 76), and Warin Bassingbourne.
Robert Ferrers 6th Earl of Derby (age 27) and Henry Hastings (age 31) were fined seven times their annual income. The Dictum, however, required the rebels to pay their fines before being restored to their lands; something of a Catch-22 since if they weren't restored to their lands, they would have no income to pay the fine.
In 1267 [his daughter] Cecilia Somery was born to Roger Somery 2nd Baron Dudley (age 77) and [his wife] Amabilia Chaucombe Baroness Dudley.
In 1270 [his daughter] Katherine Somery was born to Roger Somery 2nd Baron Dudley (age 80) and [his wife] Amabilia Chaucombe Baroness Dudley at Dudley, Staffordshire.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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On 26th August 1273 Roger Somery 2nd Baron Dudley (age 83) died at Dudley Castle [Map]. His son Roger (age 18) succeeded 3rd Baron Dudley of Somery. [his future daughter-in-law] Agnes Unknown Baroness Dudley by marriage Baroness Dudley of Somery.
[his son] Ralph Somery was born to Roger Somery 2nd Baron Dudley and Nicole D'Aubigny Baroness Dudley at Dudley, Staffordshire. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England. He married Margaret Unknown and had issue.
Queen Anne Boleyn of England [2]
Catherine Parr Queen Consort England [2]
Queen Catherine Howard of England [1]
Maximilian Habsburg Spain II Holy Roman Emperor [1]
Jane Grey I Queen England and Ireland [3]
Maximilian "The Great" Wittelsbach I Duke Bavaria I Elector Bavaria [1]
Maria Anna Wittelsbach Holy Roman Empress [1]
Marie de Medici Queen Consort France [1]
Ferdinand of Spain II Holy Roman Emperor [2]
George Wharton [13]
Margaret of Austria Queen Consort Spain [2]
Anna of Austria Holy Roman Empress [2]
John George Wettin Elector Saxony [1]
Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg [1]
Eleonora Gonzaga Queen Consort Bohemia [2]
Maria Leopoldine Habsburg Spain Queen Consort Bohemia [2]
Hedwig Eleonora Queen Consort Sweden [1]
Charlotte Amalie Hesse-Kassel Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [1]
Louise of Mecklenburg Güstrow Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [1]
Maria Anna Neuburg Queen Consort Spain [2]
Joseph I Holy Roman Emperor [2]
Charles Habsburg Spain VI Holy Roman Emperor [2]
Adolph Frederick King Sweden [1]
King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [2]
Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England [1]
Caroline Matilda Hanover Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [2]
Marie Sophie Hesse-Kassel Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [3]
Caroline of Brunswick Queen Consort England [2]
Frederick William III King Prussia [1]
Frederica Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort Hanover [2]
Queen Fredrika Dorotea Vilhelmina [2]
King Christian I of Norway and VIII of Denmark [3]
Frederick William IV King Prussia [2]
Frederick VII King of Denmark [5]
Queen Louise Hesse-Kassel of Denmark [6]
King Christian IX of Denmark [3]
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom [4]
Queen Sophia of Sweden and Norway [5]
Victoria Empress Germany Queen Consort Prussia [11]
King Edward VII of the United Kingdom [11]
Maria Christina of Austria Queen Consort Spain [3]
Brigadier-General Charles Fitz-Clarence [57]
Victoria Mary Teck Queen Consort England [6]
Frederick Charles I King Finland [6]
Alexandrine Mecklenburg-Schwerin Queen Consort Denmark [8]
Victoria Eugénie Mountbatten Queen Consort Spain [14]
Louise Mountbatten Queen Consort Sweden [17]
Ingrid Bernadotte Queen Consort Denmark [13]
Philip Mountbatten Duke Edinburgh [20]
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom [221]
Carl XVI King Sweden [27]
Queen Consort Camilla Shand [83]