All About History Books on Amazon

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.

James Barry 4th Earl Barrymore 1667-1748

Paternal Family Tree: Barry

In 1667 James Barry 4th Earl Barrymore was born to Richard Barry 2nd Earl Barrymore [aged 36].

On 26th January 1688 [his future brother-in-law] Charles Boyle 2nd Earl Burlington [aged 20] and Juliana Noel Countess Burlington [aged 16] were married. She by marriage Countess Burlington. They were sixth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.

In 1694 [his father] Richard Barry 2nd Earl Barrymore [aged 63] died. His son [his brother] Laurence [aged 30] succeeded 3rd Earl Barrymore.

Before 1696 James Douglas 2nd Duke Queensberry [aged 33] and [his future sister-in-law] Mary Boyle Duchess Queensbury [aged 31] were married. She by marriage Duchess Queensberry. He the son of William Douglas 1st Duke Queensberry and Isabel Douglas Countess Queensberry.

In 1699 Henry Petty 1st Earl Shelburne [aged 23] and [his future sister-in-law] Arabella Boyle Countess Shelburne [aged 28] were married. He the son of William Petty and Elizabeth Waller 1st Baroness Shelburne [aged 63].

On 17th April 1699 [his brother] Laurence Barry 3rd Earl Barrymore [aged 35] died. His brother James [aged 32] succeeded 4th Earl Barrymore.

Before 1703 James Barry 4th Earl Barrymore [aged 35] and Elizabeth Boyle Countess Barrymore [aged 40] were married. She by marriage Countess Barrymore. He the son of Richard Barry 2nd Earl Barrymore. They were second cousins. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.

In 1703 [his wife] Elizabeth Boyle Countess Barrymore [aged 41] died.

In June 1706 James Barry 4th Earl Barrymore [aged 39] and Elizabeth "Bessy" Savage Countess Barrymore were married. She by marriage Countess Barrymore. She the daughter of Richard Savage 4th Earl Rivers [aged 52]. He the son of Richard Barry 2nd Earl Barrymore.

On 18th April 1708 [his daughter] Penelope Barry was born to James Barry 4th Earl Barrymore [aged 41] and [his wife] Elizabeth "Bessy" Savage Countess Barrymore. She married 1726 James Cholmondeley, son of George Cholmondeley 2nd Earl Cholmondeley and Elisabeth van Ruytenburgh Baroness Newborough and Newburgh.

All About History Books on Amazon

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.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

On 12th July 1716 James Barry 4th Earl Barrymore [aged 49] and Anne Chichester Countess Barrymore were married at St Anne's Church, Soho [Map]. She by marriage Countess Barrymore. She the daughter of Arthur Chichester 3rd Earl Donegal and Catherine Forbes [aged 26]. He the son of Richard Barry 2nd Earl Barrymore.

On 25th April 1717 [his son] James Barry 5th Earl Barrymore was born to James Barry 4th Earl Barrymore [aged 50] and [his wife] Anne Chichester Countess Barrymore. He married 8th June 1738 his third cousin Margaret Davys Countess Barrymore, daughter of Paul Davys 1st Viscount Mount Cashell and Catherine MacCarty Viscountess Mount Cashel, and had issue.

Before 1st June 1723 Frederick Nassau [aged 41] and [his wife] Elizabeth "Bessy" Savage Countess Barrymore were married. She the daughter of [his father-in-law] Richard Savage 4th Earl Rivers.

In 1726 [his son-in-law] James Cholmondeley [aged 17] and Penelope Barry [aged 17] were married. She the daughter of James Barry 4th Earl Barrymore [aged 59] and Elizabeth "Bessy" Savage Countess Barrymore. He the son of George Cholmondeley 2nd Earl Cholmondeley [aged 60] and Elisabeth van Ruytenburgh Baroness Newborough and Newburgh.

On 8th June 1738 James Barry 5th Earl Barrymore [aged 21] and Margaret Davys Countess Barrymore were married. He the son of James Barry 4th Earl Barrymore [aged 71] and Anne Chichester Countess Barrymore. They were third cousins.

On 23rd June 1746 [his wife] Elizabeth "Bessy" Savage Countess Barrymore died.

On 5th January 1748 James Barry 4th Earl Barrymore [aged 81] died. His son James [aged 30] succeeded 5th Earl Barrymore. Margaret Davys Countess Barrymore by marriage Countess Barrymore.

Ancestors of James Barry 4th Earl Barrymore 1667-1748

Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard de Barry of Rathbury in Barry Roe

Great x 3 Grandfather: James Barry 4th Viscount Buttivant 10 x Great Grandson of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Isabel Fitzgerald 9 x Great Granddaughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: David Barry 5th Viscount Buttevant 11 x Great Grandson of King Edward I of England

Great x 1 Grandfather: David Barry 12 x Great Grandson of King Edward I of England

Grandfather: David Barry 1st Earl Barrymore 10 x Great Grandson of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Power 1st Baron Power 6 x Great Grandson of King Edward I of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: John Power 3rd Baron Power 7 x Great Grandson of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Butler 7 x Great Granddaughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard Power 4th Baron Power 8 x Great Grandson of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: James Fitzgerald 13th Earl Desmond 6 x Great Grandson of King Edward I of England

Great x 3 Grandmother: Eleanor Fitzgerald 7 x Great Granddaughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: More O'Carroll

Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Power 9 x Great Granddaughter of King Edward I of England

Father: Richard Barry 2nd Earl Barrymore 11 x Great Grandson of King Edward I of England

Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Boyle 1st Earl Cork

Grandmother: Alice Boyle Countess Barrymore

Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Fenton

Great x 2 Grandfather: Geoffrey Fenton

Great x 1 Grandmother: Catherine Fenton Countess Cork

James Barry 4th Earl Barrymore 12 x Great Grandson of King Edward I of England

James Barry 4th Earl Barrymore 1667-1748

Royal Ancestors of James Barry 4th Earl Barrymore 1667-1748

Ancestors of James Barry 4th Earl Barrymore 1667-1748