The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Sassoon
In 1818 [his father] David Sassoon (age 25) and [his mother] Hannah Joseph were married. They had two sons and two daughters.
On 25th July 1818 Albert aka Abdullah Sassoon 1st Baronet was born to [his father] David Sassoon (age 25) and [his mother] Hannah Joseph at Baghdad.
In 1826 [his mother] Hannah Joseph died.
In 1828 [his father] David Sassoon (age 35) and [his step-mother] Farha Hyeem (age 16) were married. They had six sons and three daughters.
On 9th December 1839 [his daughter] Aziza Abraham Sassoon was born to Albert aka Abdullah Sassoon 1st Baronet (age 21).
On 20th June 1856 [his son] Edward Albert Sassoon 2nd Baronet was born to Albert aka Abdullah Sassoon 1st Baronet (age 37) in Bombay, India. He married 19th October 1887 Aline Caroline de Rothschild and had issue.
Before 7th November 1864. [his father] David Sassoon (age 72), seated, with his sons Elias David, Albert Abdallah (age 46) and [his half-brother] Sassoon David (age 32).
Sassoon David Sassoon: In August 1832 he was born to David Sassoon and Farha Hyeem at Bombay, India. In 1858 Sassoon David Sassoon travelled to London where he opened a bank on Leadenhall Street [Map]. On 24th June 1867 Sassoon David Sassoon died.
On 7th November 1864 [his father] David Sassoon (age 72) died.
In 1866 Albert aka Abdullah Sassoon 1st Baronet (age 47) was made a Companion of the Order of the Star of India.
In 1872 Albert aka Abdullah Sassoon 1st Baronet (age 53) was made a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath.
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.
In 1873 Albert aka Abdullah Sassoon 1st Baronet (age 54) received the freedom of the City of London.
On 19th October 1887 [his son] Edward Albert Sassoon 2nd Baronet (age 31) and [his daughter-in-law] Aline Caroline de Rothschild (age 19) were married two days before her twentieth birthday in a ceremony in the synagogue at the Rue de la Victoire in Paris. The couple set up home at 25 Kensington Gore, where Aline, a talented artist, set up her own studio.
The London Gazette 26019. Whitehall, January 31, 1890. THE Queen has been pleased to direct Letters Patent to be passed under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland granting the dignity of a Baronet of the said United Kingdom unto Sir Albert Abdallah David Sassoon (age 71), of Kensington-gore, in the parish of St. Mary Abbots,. Kensington, in the county of London, and of Eastern-terrace, in the borough of Brighton, in the county of Sussex, Knight, Companion of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten.
In 1896 [his daughter] Aziza Abraham Sassoon (age 56) died.
On 24th October 1896 Albert aka Abdullah Sassoon 1st Baronet (age 78) died. His son Edward (age 40) succeeded 2nd Baronet Sassoon of Kensington-gore in London.
Albert aka Abdullah Sassoon 1st Baronet
Mother: Hannah Joseph