The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 1 Chapters 1-60 1307-1342
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel offer one of the most vivid and immediate accounts of 14th-century Europe, written by a knight who lived through the events he describes, and experienced some of them first hand. Covering the early decades of the Hundred Years’ War, this remarkable chronicle follows the campaigns of Edward III of England, the politics of France and the Low Countries, and the shifting alliances that shaped medieval warfare. Unlike later historians, Jean le Bel writes with a strong sense of eyewitness authenticity, drawing on personal experience and the testimony of fellow soldiers. His narrative captures not only battles and sieges, but also the realities of military life, diplomacy, and the ideals of chivalry that governed noble society. A key source for Jean Froissart, Le Bel’s chronicle stands on its own as a compelling and insightful work, at once historical record and literary achievement. This translation builds on the 1905 edition published in French by Jules Viard, adding extensive translations from other sources Rymer's Fœdera, the Chronicles of Adam Murimuth, William Nangis, Walter of Guisborough, a Bourgeois of Valenciennes, Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke and Richard Lescot to enrich the original text and Viard's notes.
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Paternal Family Tree: Brienne
On 15th August 1209 [her future husband] Frederick I King Jerusalem II Holy Roman Emperor [aged 14] and Constance Barcelona [aged 30] were married at Messina, Sicily [Map]. She the daughter of Alfonso II King Aragon and Sancha Ivrea Queen Consort Aragon. He the son of Henry Hohenstaufen VI Holy Roman Emperor. They were third cousin once removed.
Before 1212 [her father] John de Brienne I King Jerusalem [aged 41] and [her mother] Maria the Marquise Unknown were married. He the son of [her grandfather] Erard Brienne II Count Brienne and [her grandmother] Agnès Montfaucon Countess Brienne.
In 1212 Isabella Brienne II Queen Jerusalem was appointed II King Jerusalem.
In 1212 Isabella Brienne II Queen Jerusalem was born to [her father] John de Brienne I King Jerusalem [aged 42] and [her mother] Maria the Marquise Unknown.
In 1214 [her father] John de Brienne I King Jerusalem [aged 44] and Stephanie Lambron were married. He the son of [her grandfather] Erard Brienne II Count Brienne and [her grandmother] Agnès Montfaucon Countess Brienne.
On 9th November 1225 Frederick I King Jerusalem II Holy Roman Emperor [aged 30] and Isabella Brienne II Queen Jerusalem [aged 13] were married. He by marriage John I King Jerusalem. She the daughter of John de Brienne I King Jerusalem [aged 55] and Maria the Marquise Unknown. He the son of Henry Hohenstaufen VI Holy Roman Emperor.
In November 1226 [her daughter] Margareta Hohenstaufen was born to [her husband] Frederick I King Jerusalem II Holy Roman Emperor [aged 31] and Isabella Brienne II Queen Jerusalem [aged 14]. She died aged less than one years old.
On 25th April 1228 [her son] Conrad Hohenstaufen King Germany was born to [her husband] Frederick I King Jerusalem II Holy Roman Emperor [aged 33] and Isabella Brienne II Queen Jerusalem [aged 16].
On 20th July 1235 [her husband] Frederick I King Jerusalem II Holy Roman Emperor [aged 40] and Isabella Plantagenet Holy Roman Empress [aged 21] were married at Worms Cathedral [Map]. She the daughter of King John of England and Isabella of Angoulême Queen Consort England [aged 47]. He the son of Henry Hohenstaufen VI Holy Roman Emperor. They were fourth cousin once removed.
On 13th December 1250 [her husband] Frederick I King Jerusalem II Holy Roman Emperor [aged 55] died. [her step-son] Henry VII King Germany was appointed VII King Germany.
[her father] John de Brienne I King Jerusalem and Beregaria Ivrea were married. The difference in their ages was 34 years. She the daughter of Alfonso IX King Leon and Berengaria Ivrea I Queen Castile. He the son of [her grandfather] Erard Brienne II Count Brienne and [her grandmother] Agnès Montfaucon Countess Brienne.
GrandFather: Erard Brienne II Count Brienne
Father: John de Brienne I King Jerusalem
Great x 1 Grandfather: Amadeus Montfaucon
GrandMother: Agnès Montfaucon Countess Brienne
Isabella Brienne II Queen Jerusalem
Mother: Maria the Marquise Unknown