Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall

The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.

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Biography of Marie Coucy 1218-1285

In 1201 [her father] Enguerrand Coucy III Lord Coucy [aged 19] and Beatrix Vignory Lady Coucy were married. She by marriage Lord Coucy.

In 1204 [her father] Enguerrand Coucy III Lord Coucy [aged 22] and Matilda Welf Countess Perche [aged 32] were married. She by marriage Lord Coucy. She the daughter of Henry "Lion" Welf XII Duke Saxony III Duke Bavaria and Matilda Plantagenet Duchess Saxony. They were half fifth cousins. She a granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

Around 1218 Marie Coucy was born to [her father] Enguerrand Coucy III Lord Coucy [aged 36] and [her mother] Marie Montmirail Lady Coucy.

On 21st June 1221 [her future husband] King Alexander II of Scotland [aged 22] and Joan Plantagenet Queen of Scotland [aged 10] were married at York Minster [Map]. She by marriage Queen Consort Scotland. She the daughter of King John of England and Isabella of Angoulême Queen Consort England [aged 33]. He the son of King William I of Scotland and Ermengarde Beaumont Sarthe Queen Consort Scotland [aged 51]. They were half third cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

In 1239 King Alexander II of Scotland [aged 40] and Marie Coucy [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Scotland. He the son of King William I of Scotland and Ermengarde Beaumont Sarthe Queen Consort Scotland. They were third cousin once removed. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

On 4th September 1241 [her son] King Alexander III of Scotland was born to [her husband] King Alexander II of Scotland [aged 43] and Marie Coucy [aged 23] at Roxburgh Castle, Roxburgh. He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England. He married (1) 25th December 1251 his half fourth cousin Margaret Queen of Scotland, daughter of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence Queen Consort England, and had issue (2) 15th October 1285 his half second cousin twice removed Yolande of Dreux Queen of Scotland, daughter of Robert Capet IV Count Dreux and Beatrice Montfort Countess Dreux.

In 1242 [her father] Enguerrand Coucy III Lord Coucy [aged 60] died from a fall from a horse onto his sword.

On 17th November 1244 [her sister-in-law] Marjorie Dunkeld Countess Pembroke [aged 44] died.

On 6th July 1249 [her husband] King Alexander II of Scotland [aged 50] died at Kerrera. He was buried at Melrose Abbey, Melrose. His son Alexander [aged 7] succeeded King Scotland.

Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke

Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.

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On 25 or 26th December 1251 King Alexander III of Scotland [aged 10] and Margaret Queen of Scotland [aged 11] were married at York Minster [Map]. She by marriage Queen Consort Scotland. The couple \remained in York until Jan 1252 after which they travelled to Edinburgh. She the daughter of King Henry III of England [aged 44] and Eleanor of Provence Queen Consort England [aged 28]. He the son of King Alexander II of Scotland and Marie Coucy [aged 33]. They were half fourth cousins. He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.