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.
Paternal Family Tree: Berkeley
On 23rd July 1245 Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley was born to [his father] Maurice Berkeley 5th Baron Berkeley [aged 27] and [his mother] Isabella Plantagenet Baroness Berkeley at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He a great grandson of King John of England.
In 1247 [his father] Maurice Berkeley 5th Baron Berkeley [aged 29] and [his mother] Isabella Plantagenet Baroness Berkeley were married.
In or before 1268 Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 22] and Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley were married. She the daughter of William Ferrers 5th Earl of Derby and Margaret Quincy Countess Derby. They were half fifth cousins. He a great grandson of King John of England. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.
Around 1268 [his daughter] Alice Berkeley was born to Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 22] and [his wife] Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley at Berkeley Castle [Map]. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King John of England. She married Ralph Stourton and had issue.
Around 1268 [his daughter] Margaret Berkeley was born to Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 22] and [his wife] Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King John of England.
On 26th June 1269 [his brother-in-law] Robert Ferrers 6th Earl of Derby [aged 30] and Eleanor Bohun Countess Derby [aged 26] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. He the son of William Ferrers 5th Earl of Derby and Margaret Quincy Countess Derby. They were third cousin once removed. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.
In April 1271 [his son] Maurice Berkeley 7th and 2nd Baron Berkeley was born to Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 25] and [his wife] Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley at Berkeley Castle [Map]. He a great x 2 grandson of King John of England. He married (1) 1289 his fourth cousin once removed Eva Zouche and had issue (2) 1316 his third cousin once removed Isabella Clare Baroness Berkeley, daughter of Gilbert "Red Earl" Clare 7th Earl Gloucester 6th Earl Hertford and Alice or Alix Lusignan Countess Gloucester and Hertford.
On 16th October 1274 [his sister-in-law] Eleanor Ferrers Countess Winchester [aged 38] died.
Before 27th April 1279 [his brother-in-law] Robert Ferrers 6th Earl of Derby [aged 40] died. Earl Derby extinct. He was buried at St Thomas' Priory, Stafford [Map].
Around 1280 [his son] Thomas Berkeley was born to Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 34] and [his wife] Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley. He a great x 2 grandson of King John of England.
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Around 1281 [his daughter] Isabel Berkeley was born to Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 35] and [his wife] Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King John of England.
On 4th April 1281 [his father] Maurice Berkeley 5th Baron Berkeley [aged 63] died at Thornbury, Gloucestershire. He was buried at St Augustine's Abbey, Bristol [Map]. His son Thomas [aged 35] succeeded 6th Baron Berkeley Feudal. [his wife] Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley by marriage Baroness Berkeley Feudal.
In 1289 [his son] Maurice Berkeley 7th and 2nd Baron Berkeley [aged 17] and [his daughter-in-law] Eva Zouche [aged 8] were married. They were fourth cousin once removed. He a great x 2 grandson of King John of England.
In 1290 [his daughter] Alice Berkeley [aged 22] died.
On 24th June 1295 King Edward I of England [aged 56] created new baronies through writs for summons to his 36th Parliament
John Montfort 1st Baron Montfort [aged 31] was created 1st Baron Montfort. Alice Plaunche Baroness Montfort by marriage Baroness Montfort.
Walter Fauconberg 1st Baron Fauconberg [aged 75] was created 1st Baron Fauconberg.
Thomas Furnival 1st Baron Furnivall [aged 35] was created 1st Baron Furnivall. Joan Despencer Baroness Furnivall [aged 37] by marriage Baroness Furnivall.
Robert Fitzwalter 1st Baron Fitzwalter [aged 48] was created 1st Baron Fitzwalter. Eleanor Ferrers Baroness Fitzwalter by marriage Baroness Fitzwalter.
Ralph Basset 1st Baron Basset Drayton [aged 31] was created 1st Baron Basset Drayton. Hawise Grey Baroness Basset Drayton [aged 40] by marriage Baroness Basset Drayton.
The following Baronies may have been created at the 36th Parliament or the 37th Parliament summoned on 30th September 1295.
John Wake 1st Baron Wake of Liddell [aged 27] was created 1st Baron Wake of Liddell.
Andrew Astley 1st Baron Astley [aged 49] was created 1st Baron Astley.
Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 49] was created 1st Baron Berkeley. [his wife] Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley by marriage Baroness Berkeley.
Reginald Grey 1st Baron Grey of Wilton [aged 55] was created 1st Baron Grey of Wilton. Maud Fitzhugh Baroness Grey Wilton [aged 73] by marriage Baroness Grey of Wilton.
John Hastings 13th Baron Abergavenny 1st Baron Hastings [aged 33] was created 1st Baron Hastings by a summons to Parliament. Isabel Valence Baroness Bergavenny Baroness Hastings by marriage Baroness Hastings.
Ralph Neville 1st Baron Neville of Raby [aged 32] was created 1st Baron Neville Raby. Euphemia Clavering Baroness Neville Raby [aged 28] by marriage Baroness Neville Raby.
John Beke 1st Baron Beke [aged 72] was created 1st Baron Beke (although there is some doubt whether he was created Baron).
Fulk Fitzwarin 1st Baron Fitzwarin [aged 43] was created 1st Baron Fitzwarin.
On 22nd July 1298 King Edward I of England [aged 59] defeated the Scottish army led by William Wallace during the 22nd July 1298 Battle of Falkirk at Falkirk [Map] using archers to firstly attack the Scottish shiltrons with the heavy cavalry with infantry completing the defeat.
John de Graham [aged 31] and John Stewart of Bonkyll [aged 52] were killed.
The English were described in the Falkirk Roll that lists 111 men with their armorials including:
Guy Beauchamp 10th Earl Warwick [aged 26].
Walter Beauchamp [aged 55].
Roger Bigod 5th Earl Norfolk [aged 53].
Humphrey Bohun 3rd Earl Hereford 2nd Earl Essex [aged 49].
Robert Clifford 1st Baron Clifford [aged 24].
Hugh "Elder" Despencer 1st Earl Winchester [aged 37].
William Ferrers 1st Baron Ferrers of Groby [aged 26].
Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 52].
[his son] Maurice Berkeley 7th and 2nd Baron Berkeley [aged 27].
Henry Grey 1st Baron Grey of Codnor [aged 43].
Reginald Grey 1st Baron Grey of Wilton [aged 58].
John Grey 2nd Baron Grey of Wilton [aged 30].
John Mohun 1st Baron Dunster [aged 29].
Simon Montagu 1st Baron Montagu [aged 48].
William Ros 1st Baron Ros Helmsley [aged 43].
John Segrave 2nd Baron Segrave [aged 42].
Nicholas Segrave [aged 42].
Robert de Vere 6th Earl of Oxford [aged 41].
Alan Zouche 1st Baron Zouche Ashby [aged 30].
Thomas Plantagenet 2nd Earl of Leicester, 2nd Earl Lancaster, Earl of Salisbury and Lincoln [aged 20].
Henry Plantagenet 3rd Earl of Leicester 3rd Earl Lancaster [aged 17].
John Warenne 6th Earl of Surrey [aged 67].
Henry Percy 9th and 1st Baron Percy [aged 25].
Hugh Courtenay 1st or 9th Earl Devon [aged 21].
Richard Fitzalan 1st or 8th Earl of Arundel [aged 31].
Henry Beaumont Earl Buchan [aged 19].
John II Duke Brittany [aged 59].
Philip Darcy [aged 40].
Robert Fitzroger.
Robert Fitzwalter 1st Baron Fitzwalter [aged 51], or possiby a Roger Fitzwalter?.
Aymer de Valence 2nd Earl Pembroke [aged 23].
John Wake 1st Baron Wake of Liddell [aged 30], and.
Henry Lacy 4th Earl Lincoln, Earl Salisbury [aged 47].
William Scrope [aged 53] was knighted.
John Moels 1st Baron Moels [aged 29] fought.
John Lovell 1st Baron Lovel [aged 44] fought.
Before 9th March 1301 seven Earls and 96 Barons signed a letter to the Pope refuting the Pope's claim that Scotland was subject to the Pope's feudal overlordship. The letter was never sent. Those who signed include: John Warenne 6th Earl of Surrey [aged 70], Thomas Plantagenet 2nd Earl of Leicester, 2nd Earl Lancaster, Earl of Salisbury and Lincoln [aged 23], Ralph Monthermer 1st Earl of Gloucester and Hertford [aged 31], Humphrey Bohun 4th Earl Hereford 3rd Earl Essex [aged 25], Roger Bigod 5th Earl Norfolk [aged 56], Richard Fitzalan 1st or 8th Earl of Arundel [aged 34], Guy Beauchamp 10th Earl Warwick [aged 29], Aymer de Valence 2nd Earl Pembroke [aged 26], William Leybourne 1st Baron Leybourne [aged 59], Henry Plantagenet 3rd Earl of Leicester 3rd Earl Lancaster [aged 20], William Latimer 1st Baron Latimer of Corby [aged 58], Edmund Hastings, John Hastings 2nd Baron Hastings 14th Baron Abergavenny [aged 14], Edmund Mortimer 2nd Baron Mortimer of Wigmore [aged 50], Fulk Fitzwarin 2nd Baron Fitzwarin [aged 16], Henry Percy 9th and 1st Baron Percy [aged 27], Robert Fitzwalter 1st Baron Fitzwalter [aged 54], John Beauchamp 1st Baron Beauchamp Somerset [aged 26], William de Braose 2nd Baron de Braose 10th Baron Bramber [aged 41], John Botetort 1st Baron Botetort [aged 36], Reginald Grey 1st Baron Grey of Wilton [aged 61], John Moels 1st Baron Moels [aged 32], Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 55], Robert de Vere 5th Earl of Oxford, John Strange 1st Baron Strange Knockin [aged 48], Thomas Multon 1st Baron Multon [aged 25], Robert Clifford 1st Baron Clifford [aged 26], Walter Beauchamp [aged 58], Alan Zouche 1st Baron Zouche Ashby [aged 33], John Segrave 2nd Baron Segrave [aged 45], William Ferrers 1st Baron Ferrers of Groby [aged 29], Simon Montagu 1st Baron Montagu [aged 51], Piers Mauley, Ralph Neville 1st Baron Neville of Raby [aged 38], John Mohun 1st Baron Dunster [aged 32], Roger Scales 1st Baron Scales, Thomas Furnival 1st Baron Furnivall [aged 41], Hugh Bardolf 1st Baron Bardolf [aged 41], Gilbert Talbot 1st Baron Talbot [aged 24], William Deincourt 2nd Baron Deincourt, Edmund Stafford 1st Baron Stafford [aged 28], Walter Fauconberg 1st Baron Fauconberg [aged 81].
On 19th March 1309 [his wife] Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley died.
In 1316 [his son] Maurice Berkeley 7th and 2nd Baron Berkeley [aged 44] and [his daughter-in-law] Isabella Clare Baroness Berkeley [aged 53] were married. She the daughter of Gilbert "Red Earl" Clare 7th Earl Gloucester 6th Earl Hertford and Alice or Alix Lusignan Countess Gloucester and Hertford. They were third cousin once removed. He a great x 2 grandson of King John of England. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.
Around 1317 [his son] John Berkeley died.
Around 1320 [his daughter] Margaret Berkeley [aged 52] died.
On 23rd July 1321 Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley [aged 76] died at St Augustine's Abbey, Bristol [Map]. His son Maurice [aged 50] succeeded 7th Baron Berkeley Feudal, 2nd Baron Berkeley. Isabella Clare Baroness Berkeley [aged 59] by marriage Baroness Berkeley Feudal, Baroness Berkeley.
[his son] John Berkeley was born to Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley and Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley. He a great x 2 grandson of King John of England.
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.
[his son] Bishop James Berkeley was born to Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley and Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley. He a great x 2 grandson of King John of England.
Kings Wessex: Great x 7 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings England: Great Grand Son of King John of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 6 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 14 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 8 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 11 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
King Henry VII of England and Ireland [1]
Queen Catherine Howard of England [1]
Jane Grey I Queen England and Ireland [1]
George Wharton [8]
President George Washington [1]
Brigadier-General Charles Fitz-Clarence [30]
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom [130]
Queen Consort Camilla Shand [52]
Great x 4 Grandfather: Eadnoth the Constable aka Staller 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Harding Fitzharding
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Fitzharding 1st Baron Berkeley
Great x 3 Grandmother: Lavinda Unknown
Great x 1 Grandfather: Maurice Fitzharding aka Berkeley 2nd Baron Berkeley
Great x 2 Grandmother: Eva Unknown Baroness Berkeley
GrandFather: Thomas Berkeley 4th Baron Berkeley
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Berkeley
Great x 2 Grandfather: Roger Berkeley
Great x 1 Grandmother: Alice Berkeley Baroness Berkeley
Father: Maurice Berkeley 5th Baron Berkeley
Great x 1 Grandfather: Ralph Somery 1st Baron Dudley
GrandMother: Joan Somery Baroness Berkeley
Great x 1 Grandmother: Margaret Gras Baroness Dudley
Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Fulk "Young" King Jerusalem 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Geoffrey Plantagenet Duke Normandy
Great x 4 Grandmother: Ermengarde of Maine Countess of Anjou
Great x 2 Grandfather: King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: King Henry I "Beauclerc" England 
Son of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Empress Matilda Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Edith aka Matilda Dunkeld Queen Consort England 
Great x 1 Grandfather: King John of England Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William "Troubadour" Poitiers IX Duke Aquitaine
Great x 3 Grandfather: William "Saint" Poitiers X Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandmother: Philippa Rouerge Duchess Aquitaine
Great x 2 Grandmother: Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Aimery Chatellerault Viscount Châtellerault
Great x 3 Grandmother: Aenor Chatellerault Duchess Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandmother: Dangereuse Ile Bouchard Viscountess Chatellerault
GrandFather: Richard Fitzroy Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Fulk "Young" King Jerusalem
Great x 3 Grandfather: Geoffrey Plantagenet Duke Normandy
Great x 4 Grandmother: Ermengarde of Maine Countess of Anjou
Great x 2 Grandfather: Hamelin Warenne Earl of Surrey
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mistress Unknown
Great x 1 Grandmother: Adela Plantagenet
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Warenne 2nd Earl of Surrey 
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Warenne 3rd Earl of Surrey
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Isabella Warenne Countess Boulogne 4th Countess of Surrey
Great x 4 Grandfather: William "Talvas" Montgomery III Count Ponthieu
Great x 3 Grandmother: Adela Montgomery Countess of Salisbury and Surrey
Great x 4 Grandmother: Helie Burgundy Countess Ponthieu
Mother: Isabella Plantagenet Baroness Berkeley Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Fulbert de Dover
GrandMother: Rohese de Dover