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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Earl Tankerville is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically.
There have been three creations of Earl Tankerville:
1st. 1418. John Grey 1st Earl Tankerville. Forfeit. 12th October 1459. 12th October 1459 Battle of Ludford Bridge.
2nd. 11th June 1695. Ford Grey 1st Earl Tankerville. Extinct. 24th June 1701.
3rd. 1714. Charles Bennet 1st Earl Tankerville. Extant.
Earl Tankerville is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Forfeit Earldoms of England.
Summary
1418. John Grey 1st Earl Tankerville [aged 33] created.
22nd March 1421. Son Henry Grey 2nd Earl Tankerville [aged 3] succeeded. See Battle of Baugé.
13th January 1450. Son Richard Grey 3rd Earl Tankerville [aged 13] succeeded.
12th October 1459. Richard Grey 3rd Earl Tankerville forfeit. See 12th October 1459 Battle of Ludford Bridge.
In 1418 John Grey 1st Earl Tankerville [aged 33] was created 1st Earl Tankerville.
In 1418 John Grey 1st Earl Tankerville [aged 33] and Joan Charleton Countess Tankerville [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Countess Tankerville. She the daughter of Edward Charleton 5th Baron Cherleton [aged 48] and Eleanor Holland Countess March and Ulster. They were third cousins. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward I of England. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.
On 22nd March 1421 the Dauphin's [aged 18] French army and a Scottish army heavily defeated the English army at the Battle of Baugé. On the French side Étienne Vignolles "La Hire" fought. On the Scottish side John Stewart 2nd Earl Buchan [aged 40] and John Stewart of Darnley 1st Count Évreux [aged 41] fought. William Douglas [aged 37] was killed.
On the English side John Beaufort 1st Duke of Somerset [aged 18], Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter [aged 44], Thomas Beaufort Count Perche [aged 16] and John Holland 2nd Duke Exeter [aged 26] were captured. John Beaufort 1st Duke of Somerset would be captive for the next seventeen years. Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter was released in 1422. Thomas Beaufort Count Perche was released around 1427 in a prisoner exchange.
Thomas Lancaster 1st Duke of Clarence [aged 33] was killed in battle. Duke Clarence extinct.
John Lumley [aged 38] was killed in battle.
John Ros 7th Baron Ros Helmsley [aged 24] was killed in battle. His brother Thomas [aged 13] succeeded 8th Baron Ros Helmsley.
William Ros [aged 23], and Gilbert V Umfraville were killed.
John Grey 1st Earl Tankerville [aged 37] was killed in battle. His son Henry [aged 3] succeeded 2nd Earl Tankerville.
William Douglas 1st Lord Drumlanrig was present.
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Before 5th November 1436 Henry Grey 2nd Earl Tankerville [aged 18] and Antigone Lancaster Countess Tankerville [aged 14] were married. She by marriage Countess Tankerville. She the illegitmate daughter of Humphrey Lancaster 1st Duke Gloucester [aged 46]. He the son of John Grey 1st Earl Tankerville and Joan Charleton Countess Tankerville. They were third cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward I of England. She a granddaughter of King Henry IV of England.
On 13th January 1450 Henry Grey 2nd Earl Tankerville [aged 32] died. His son Richard [aged 13] succeeded 3rd Earl Tankerville.
Before 12th January 1458 Richard Grey 3rd Earl Tankerville [aged 21] and Margaret Tuchet Countess Tankerville [aged 27] were married. She by marriage Countess Tankerville. He the son of Henry Grey 2nd Earl Tankerville and Antigone Lancaster Countess Tankerville. They were second cousin once removed. He a great grandson of King Henry IV of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
On 12th October 1459 the Battle of Ludford Bridge nearly took place at Ludlow [Map]. In the event a large number of the Calais garrison led by Andrew Trollope refused to fight against King Henry VI of England and II of France [aged 37] who was present.
The Yorkist Richard Plantagenet 3rd Duke of York [aged 48], the future King Edward IV of England [aged 17], Edmund York 1st Earl of Rutland [aged 16], Richard "Kingmaker" Neville Earl Warwick, 6th Earl Salisbury [aged 30], Richard Neville Earl Salisbury [aged 59] left overnight before the battle.
John Dynham 1st Baron Dynham [aged 26] and Thomas Parr [aged 52] were present.
The Lancastrian army included Humphrey Stafford 1st Duke of Buckingham [aged 57] and William Fitzalan 9th or 16th Earl of Arundel [aged 41].
Richard Grey 3rd Earl Tankerville [aged 22] was present on the Yorkist side for which he was subsequently attainted. Earl Tankerville forfeit.
Earl Tankerville is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extinct Earldoms of England.
Summary
11th June 1695. Ford Grey 1st Earl Tankerville [aged 39] created.
24th June 1701. Ford Grey 1st Earl Tankerville extinct.
On 11th June 1695 Ford Grey 1st Earl Tankerville [aged 39] was created 1st Earl Tankerville. Mary Berkeley Countess Tankerville by marriage Countess Tankerville.
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.
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On 24th June 1701 Ford Grey 1st Earl Tankerville [aged 45] died without male issue. Earl Tankerville extinct. His brother Ralph [aged 40] succeeded 4th Baron Grey Werke in Northumberland.
Earl Tankerville is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extant Earldoms of England.
Summary
1714. Charles Bennet 1st Earl Tankerville [aged 40] created.
21st May 1722. Son Charles Bennet 2nd Earl Tankerville [aged 24] succeeded.
13th March 1753. Son Charles Bennet 3rd Earl Tankerville [aged 36] succeeded.
27th October 1767. Son Charles Bennet 4th Earl Tankerville [aged 23] succeeded.
10th December 1822. Son Charles Augustus Bennet 5th Earl Tankerville [aged 46] succeeded.
25th June 1859. Son Charles Bennet 6th Earl Tankerville [aged 49] succeeded.
18th December 1899. Son George Montagu Bennet 7th Earl Tankerville [aged 47] succeeded.
9th July 1931. Son Charles Bennet 8th Earl of Tankerville [aged 33] succeeded.
1971. Son Charles Bennett 9th Earl of Tankerville [aged 49] succeeded.
27th April 1980. Son Peter Bennett 10th Earl of Tankerville [aged 23] succeeded.
In 1714 Charles Bennet 1st Earl Tankerville [aged 40] was created 1st Earl Tankerville. His late wife Mary Grey Baroness Ossulston having been the daughter of the first and only Earl Tankerville of the second creation Ford Grey 1st Earl Tankerville.
On 21st May 1722 Charles Bennet 1st Earl Tankerville [aged 48] died. His son Charles [aged 24] succeeded 2nd Earl Tankerville, 3rd Baron Ossulston of Ossulston in Middlesex. Camilla Colville Countess Tankerville [aged 25] by marriage Countess Tankerville.
On 13th March 1753 Charles Bennet 2nd Earl Tankerville [aged 55] died. His son Charles [aged 36] succeeded 3rd Earl Tankerville, 4th Baron Ossulston of Ossulston in Middlesex. Alice Astley Countess Tankerville [aged 36] by marriage Countess Tankerville.
On 27th October 1767 Charles Bennet 3rd Earl Tankerville [aged 51] died. His son Charles [aged 23] succeeded 4th Earl Tankerville, 5th Baron Ossulston of Ossulston in Middlesex.
On 7th October 1771 Charles Bennet 4th Earl Tankerville [aged 27] and Emma Colebrooke Countess Tankerville [aged 19] were married at Gatton, Surrey. She by marriage Countess Tankerville. He the son of Charles Bennet 3rd Earl Tankerville and Alice Astley Countess Tankerville [aged 54].
On 10th December 1822 Charles Bennet 4th Earl Tankerville [aged 79] died. His son Charles [aged 46] succeeded 5th Earl Tankerville, 6th Baron Ossulston of Ossulston in Middlesex. Corisande Armandine Sophie Léonie Hélène Gramont Countess Tankerville [aged 40] by marriage Countess Tankerville.
On 25th June 1859 Charles Augustus Bennet 5th Earl Tankerville [aged 83] died. His son Charles [aged 49] succeeded 6th Earl Tankerville, 7th Baron Ossulston of Ossulston in Middlesex. Olivia Montagu Countess Tankerville [aged 28] by marriage Countess Tankerville.
On 18th December 1899 Charles Bennet 6th Earl Tankerville [aged 89] died. His son George [aged 47] succeeded 7th Earl Tankerville, 8th Baron Ossulston of Ossulston in Middlesex. Leonora Sophia van Marter Countess of Tancerville by marriage Countess Tankerville.
On 9th July 1931 George Montagu Bennet 7th Earl Tankerville [aged 79] died at Chillingham Castle, Northumberland [Map]. He was buried at St Peter's Church, Chillingham [Map]. His son Charles [aged 33] succeeded 8th Earl Tankerville, 9th Baron Ossulston of Ossulston in Middlesex.
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.
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In 1971 Charles Bennet 8th Earl of Tankerville [aged 73] died. His son Charles [aged 49] succeeded 9th Earl Tankerville, 10th Baron Ossulston of Ossulston in Middlesex.
On 27th April 1980 Charles Bennett 9th Earl of Tankerville [aged 58] died. His son Peter [aged 23] succeeded 10th Earl Tankerville, 11th Baron Ossulston of Ossulston in Middlesex.