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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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Paternal Family Tree: Luxemburg
In 1435 [his father] Louis Luxembourg I Count Saint Pol [aged 17] and [his mother] Jeanne of Bar Countess Soissons [aged 20] were married. He by marriage Count Soissons. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Robert of Bar Count Soissons Count Marle and [his grandmother] Jeanne Countess Marle, Soissons and Meaux. He the son of Peter Luxembourg I Count Saint Pol and Margherita Baux [aged 41]. They were half fifth cousin once removed. He a great x 5 grandson of King Henry III of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
Around 1440 Peter Luxembourg II Count Saint Pol and Soissons was born to Louis Luxembourg I Count Saint Pol [aged 22] and Jeanne of Bar Countess Soissons [aged 25]. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward III of England.
In 1452 [his future brother-in-law] Amadeus "Happy" Savoy IX Duke Savoy [aged 16] and Yolande Valois Duchess Savoy [aged 17] were married. She by marriage Duchess Savoy. She the daughter of Charles "Victorious" VII King France [aged 48] and Marie Valois Anjou Queen Consort France [aged 47]. He the son of [his future father-in-law] Louis Savoy I Count Savoy [aged 38] and Anne Cyprus Countess Savoy [aged 33]. They were second cousin once removed. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward I of England.
In December 1458 John IV Marquis of Montferrat [aged 45] and [his future wife] Margaret Savoy Countess Saint Pol [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Marchioness Montferrat. The difference in their ages was 25 years. She the daughter of [his future father-in-law] Louis Savoy I Count Savoy [aged 45] and Anne Cyprus Countess Savoy [aged 40]. They were first cousin once removed. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.
On 14th May 1462 [his mother] Jeanne of Bar Countess Soissons [aged 47] died. Her son [his brother] John succeeded Count Soissons.
After 14th May 1462 [his father] Louis Luxembourg I Count Saint Pol [aged 44] and [his step-mother] Maria Savoy [aged 14] were married. The difference in their ages was 30 years. She the daughter of [his future father-in-law] Louis Savoy I Count Savoy [aged 49] and Anne Cyprus Countess Savoy [aged 43]. He the son of [his grandfather] Peter Luxembourg I Count Saint Pol and [his grandmother] Margherita Baux [aged 68].
After 29th August 1464 Peter Luxembourg II Count Saint Pol and Soissons [aged 24] and Margaret Savoy Countess Saint Pol [aged 25] were married. She the daughter of Louis Savoy I Count Savoy [aged 51] and Anne Cyprus Countess Savoy. He the son of Louis Luxembourg I Count Saint Pol [aged 46] and Jeanne of Bar Countess Soissons. They were third cousin once removed. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.
On 19th December 1475 [his father] Louis Luxembourg I Count Saint Pol [aged 57] was beheaded at Paris [Map]. His son Peter [aged 35] succeeded II Count Saint Pol. [his wife] Margaret Savoy Countess Saint Pol [aged 36] by marriage Countess Saint Pol.
In or before 1476 [his brother-in-law] Philip "Landless" Savoy II Duke Savoy [aged 37] and Margaret Bourbon [aged 36] were married. She the daughter of Charles Bourbon I Duke Bourbon and Agnes Valois Duchess Bourbon [aged 68]. He the son of [his father-in-law] Louis Savoy I Count Savoy and Anne Cyprus Countess Savoy. They were second cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward I of England. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.
On 22nd June 1476 [his brother] John Luxembourg Count Soissons was killed at the Battle of Morat. His brother Peter [aged 36] succeeded Count Soissons.
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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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In 1478 Peter Luxembourg II Count Saint Pol and Soissons [aged 38] was appointed to the Order of the Golden Fleece.
In or before 1480 François Valois II Duke Longueville [aged 1] and [his sister-in-law] Agnes Savoy Duchess Longueville [aged 34] were married. The difference in their ages was 32 years; she, unusually, being older than him. She the daughter of [his father-in-law] Louis Savoy I Count Savoy and Anne Cyprus Countess Savoy. He the son of François Valois Duke Longueville [aged 32] and Agnès de Savoy Duchess Longueville. They were third cousin once removed. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.
On 25th October 1482 Peter Luxembourg II Count Saint Pol and Soissons [aged 42] died. His daughter [his daughter] Marie succeeded Countess Soissons.
On 9th March 1483 [his former wife] Margaret Savoy Countess Saint Pol [aged 43] died.
[his daughter] Francisca Luxemburg was born to Peter Luxembourg II Count Saint Pol and Soissons and Margaret Savoy Countess Saint Pol. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. She married Philip Cleves Lord Ravenstein.
[his daughter] Marie Luxembourg Countess Vendôme and Soissons was born to Peter Luxembourg II Count Saint Pol and Soissons and Margaret Savoy Countess Saint Pol. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. She married 1. 1484 her uncle Giacomo or Jacques Savoy Count Romont, son of Louis Savoy I Count Savoy and Anne Cyprus Countess Savoy 2. 1487 Francis Bourbon Count Vendôme and Soissons, son of John Bourbon VIII Count Vendôme and Isabelle Beauvau Countess Vendôme, and had issue.
Kings Wessex: Great x 13 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Godwinson: Great x 13 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 3 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 11 Grand Son of King Malcolm III of Scotland
Kings France: Great x 3 Grand Son of King John "The Good" II of France
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 17 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Kings Spain: Great x 9 Grand Son of Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon
Great x 4 Grandfather: Waleran II of Luxembourg
6 x Great Grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Luxembourg Lord of Ligby
7 x Great Grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Guy of Luxembourg I Count Saint Pol and Ligny
8 x Great Grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Guy of Dampierre Richebourg
6 x Great Grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alix Dampierre
7 x Great Granddaughter of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Luxembourg II Count of Brienne and Conversano
3 x Great Grandson of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Guy Chatillon IV Count Saint Pol 3 x Great Grandson of King Stephen I England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Jean Chatillon Count Saint Pol Great Grandson of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Marie Capet
Granddaughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Mathilde Chatillon Countess Saint Pol 2 x Great Granddaughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Jean Fiennes
4 x Great Grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Jeanne Fiennes
5 x Great Granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Isabelle Dampierre
5 x Great Granddaughter of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Grandfather: Peter Luxembourg I Count Saint Pol
4 x Great Grandson of King Henry III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Louis Count of Enghien
Great x 1 Grandmother: Margaret Brienne Countess of Brienne
Father: Louis Luxembourg I Count Saint Pol
5 x Great Grandson of King Henry III of England
Grandmother: Margherita Baux
5 x Great Granddaughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Romano Orsini
Great x 3 Grandfather: Count Roberto Orsini 2 x Great Grandson of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anastasia Montfort Great Granddaughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Count Nicholas Orsini 3 x Great Grandson of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Sueva del Balzo
Great x 1 Grandmother: Sueva Orsini 4 x Great Granddaughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Jeanne Sabran
Peter Luxembourg II Count Saint Pol and Soissons
3 x Great Grandson of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward of Bar Grandson of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry of Bar IV Count of Bar Great Grandson of King Louis IX of France
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Burgundy
Granddaughter of King Louis IX of France
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert of Bar 1st Duke of Bar 2 x Great Grandson of King Louis IX of France
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Dampierre Count Marle
6 x Great Grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Yolande Dampierre Countess of Bar
2 x Great Granddaughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Montfort
Great Granddaughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Henry of Bar Grandson of King John "The Good" II of France
Great x 4 Grandfather: King Philip "Fortunate" VI of France
Grandson of King Philip III of France
Great x 3 Grandfather: King John "The Good" II of France
son of King Philip "Fortunate" VI of France
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan "Lame" Burgundy Queen Consort France
Granddaughter of King Louis IX of France
Great x 2 Grandmother: Marie Valois Duchess Bar
daughter of King John "The Good" II of France
Great x 4 Grandfather: King John I of Bohemia
6 x Great Grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Bonne Luxembourg Queen Consort France
7 x Great Granddaughter of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia 7 x Great Granddaughter of King Harold II of England
Grandfather: Robert of Bar Count Soissons Count Marle Great Grandson of King John "The Good" II of France
Great x 4 Grandfather: William de Coucy 5 x Great Grandson of King David I of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandfather: Enguerrand 6th Lord de Coucy 6 x Great Grandson of King David I of Scotland
Great x 2 Grandfather: Enguerrand de Coucy 1st Earl Bedford 1st Count Soissons 7 x Great Grandson of King David I of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Leopold Habsburg I Duke Austria 13 x Great Grandson of King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex
Great x 3 Grandmother: Catherine Habsburg 14 x Great Granddaughter of King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex
Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Savoy Duchess Austria 15 x Great Granddaughter of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Great x 1 Grandmother: Marie de Coucy Countess Soissons Granddaughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: King Edward II of England
son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: King Edward III of England
son of King Edward II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Isabella of France Queen Consort England
daughter of King Philip IV of France
Great x 2 Grandmother: Isabella Countess Bedford and Soissons
daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William of Avesnes I Count Hainaut III Count Avesnes III Count Holland II Count Zeeland 4 x Great Grandson of King Stephen I England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Philippa of Hainaut Queen Consort England Great Granddaughter of King Philip III of France
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Valois Countess Zeeland Holland Avesnes and Hainaut
Granddaughter of King Philip III of France
Mother: Jeanne of Bar Countess Soissons 2 x Great Granddaughter of King John "The Good" II of France
Grandmother: Jeanne Countess Marle, Soissons and Meaux