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: Knyvet
In 1539 Thomas Knyvet 4th Baron Berners was born to [his father] John Knyvet [aged 29].
Around 1560 [his son] Thomas Knyvet of Ashwellthorpe in Norfolk was born to Thomas Knyvet 4th Baron Berners [aged 21]. He married 1592 Elizabeth Bacon and had issue.
In 1561 [his grandmother] Joan Bourchier 3rd Baroness Berners died. Her grandson Thomas [aged 22] de jure 4th Baron Berners. He failed to formally claim the title Baron Berners until 1616, when the office of the Earl Marshall certified his "right and title to the Barony of Berners", but he died shortly thereafter, before the new king James I could confirm the title.
On 17th February 1561 [his father] John Knyvet [aged 51] died.
Around 1565. Unknown Painter. Portrait of Thomas Knyvet 4th Baron Berners [aged 26].
Around 1565. Unknown Painter. Portrait of Thomas Knyvet 4th Baron Berners [aged 26].
Before 22nd June 1578 Thomas Knyvet 4th Baron Berners [aged 39] and Muriel Parry [aged 30] were married.
On or before 22nd June 1578 [his daughter] Katherine Knyvet was born to Thomas Knyvet 4th Baron Berners [aged 39] and [his wife] Muriel Parry [aged 30]. On 22nd June 1578 she was baptised at Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk. She married 28th April 1603 her fourth cousin once removed Edmund Paston and had issue.
In 1579 [his daughter] Mary Knyvet was born to Thomas Knyvet 4th Baron Berners [aged 40] and [his wife] Muriel Parry [aged 31]. She married before October 1603 Thomas Holland of Quiddenham, Norfolk and had issue.
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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In 1592 [his son] Thomas Knyvet of Ashwellthorpe in Norfolk [aged 32] and [his daughter-in-law] Elizabeth Bacon [aged 16] were married.
On 28th April 1603 [his son-in-law] Edmund Paston [aged 18] and [his daughter] Katherine Knyvet [aged 24] were married. They were fourth cousin once removed.
Before October 1603 [his son-in-law] Thomas Holland of Quiddenham, Norfolk [aged 28] and [his daughter] Mary Knyvet [aged 24] were married.
In 1605 [his son] Thomas Knyvet of Ashwellthorpe in Norfolk [aged 45] died.
In 1605 [his daughter] Mary Knyvet [aged 26] died.
Before 9th February 1616 Thomas Knyvet 4th Baron Berners [aged 77] died. He was buried on 9th February 1616. His grandson Thomas [aged 19] de jure 5th Baron Berners. He would maintain his claim to the Barony for several years, but never succeed in obtaining it.
On 25th April 1616 [his former wife] Muriel Parry [aged 68] died.
[his daughter] Muriel Knyvet was born to Thomas Knyvet 4th Baron Berners and Muriel Parry. She married Edmund Bell and had issue.
Kings Wessex: Great x 15 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 12 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 18 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 13 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 16 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 6 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 14 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 22 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 16 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 19 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Knyvet 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Knyvet
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Clifton 
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Knyvet
Great x 1 Grandfather: Edmund Knyvet 8 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Reginald Grey 3rd Baron Grey Ruthyn 
5 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Grey 6 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Astley Baroness Grey Ruthyn 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Alice Grey 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
GrandFather: Edmund Knyvet Baron Berners 9 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Walter Tyrrell 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Tyrrell
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor Flambard
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Tyrrell
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Coggeshall
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alice Eleanor Coggeshall
Great x 1 Grandmother: Eleanor Tyrrell
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Darcy 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Darcy
Great x 4 Grandmother: Alice Tyrrell
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Darcy
Father: John Knyvet 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Bourchier 1st Count of Eu 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Bourchier 1st Baron Berners Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne of Gloucester Plantagenet Countess Eu and Stafford 
Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Humphrey Bourchier 2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margery Berners Baroness Berners
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Bourchier 2nd Baron Berners 3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Philip Tilney 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Frederick Tilney
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Tilney Countess of Surrey 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Lawrence Cheney
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Cheney 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Cockayne 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
GrandMother: Joan Bourchier 3rd Baroness Berners 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Howard 
3 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Howard 4 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Alice Tendring
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Howard 1st Duke of Norfolk 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Mowbray 1st Duke of Norfolk 
2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Mowbray Baroness Grey Ruthyn 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Fitzalan Duchess Norfolk 
2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Katherine Howard Baroness Berners 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Chedworth
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Chedworth Duchess Norfolk
Thomas Knyvet 4th Baron Berners 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England