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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.
Skelton is in North Yorkshire.
See: Skelton Castle [Map].
Around 1070 Robert Bruce 1st Lord Annandale 1st Lord Skelton was born at Skelton.
Around 1127 Adam Bruce was born to Adam Bruce 2nd Lord Skelton (age 22) at Skelton.
On 4th February 1160 Isabel Bruce was born to Adam Bruce (age 33) at Skelton. She married (1) Roger Maudit (2) before 29th September 1198 Henry Percy, son of Jocelin Percy and Agnes Percy 4th Baroness Percy Topcliffe.
Around 1185 Peter Bruce was born to Peter Bruce (age 15) and Juetta Flamville (age 48) at Skelton. He married (1) Johanna Lacy, daughter of John Fitzrichard 6th Baron Halton and Alice Essex (2) Hawise Lancaster and had issue.
Around 1185 Peter Brus was born at Skelton.
On 11th March 1196 Adam Bruce (age 69) died at Skelton.
Around 1319 Walter Fauconberg 4th Baron Fauconberg was born to John Fauconberg 3rd Baron Fauconberg (age 28) at Skelton. He married (1) Maud Pateshull Baroness Fauconberg and had issue (2) before 20th July 1345 Isabel Bigod.
Skelton Castle is also in Castles in North Yorkshire.
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.
Around 1105 Adam Bruce 2nd Lord Skelton was born to Robert Bruce 1st Lord Annandale 1st Lord Skelton (age 35) and Agnes Paynel Lady Annandale Lady Skelton at Skelton Castle [Map].
Around 1143 Adam Bruce 2nd Lord Skelton (age 38) died at Skelton Castle [Map].
In 1170 Peter Bruce was born to Adam Bruce (age 43) at Skelton Castle [Map]. He married Juetta Flamville and had issue.
Around 1192 Agnes Bruce was born to Peter Bruce (age 22) and Juetta Flamville (age 55) at Skelton Castle [Map]. She married William Lancaster.
Around 1206 Juetta Flamville (age 69) died at Skelton Castle [Map].
Around 1221 Peter Bruce was born to Peter Bruce (age 36) and Hawise Lancaster at Skelton Castle [Map]. He married Hilaria Mauley and had issue.
Around 1239 Agnes Bruce was born to Peter Bruce (age 18) and Hilaria Mauley (age 18) at Skelton Castle [Map]. She married before November 1242 Walter Fauconberg 1st Baron Fauconberg and had issue.
On 18th September 1272 Peter Bruce (age 51) died at Skelton Castle [Map].
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough. In the same year died Sir Walter de Faucomberge (age 84) the elder, who had married Agnes, sister of Peter de Brus, to whom as her share fell the castle of Skelton [Map]. He died on the Feast of the Commemoration of All Souls [2nd November 1304], that is, in the night between the feast of All Saints and the feast of All Souls, and was buried at Killing in Howdenshire, in the church of the holy nuns [Map], which had been founded by his ancestors.
Eodem anno obiit dominus Walterus de Faucomberge primus, qui duxerat Agnetem sororem Petri de Brus, cui in partem suam cecidit castrum de Skelton, die scilicet Commemorationis Animarum, inter sanctos festi præcedentis et sanctas animas festi subsequentis media quasi nocte numeratus, sepultusque est apud Killing in Howdernes in ecclesia sanctarum monialium, quæ erat ex fundatione antecessorum suorum.