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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Paternal Family Tree: Bohemia
Around 1233 Ottokar "Iron King" II King Bohemia was born to [his father] King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia (age 28).
On 25th October 1251 Ottokar "Iron King" II King Bohemia (age 18) and Kunigunda Rostislavna Přemyslovna (age 6) were married.
On 11th February 1252 Ottokar "Iron King" II King Bohemia (age 19) and Margarete von Babenberg (age 48) were married. The difference in their ages was 29 years; she, unusually, being older than him.
In 1253 Ottokar "Iron King" II King Bohemia (age 20) was appointed II King Bohemia.
On 23rd September 1253 [his father] King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia (age 48) died.
In 1262 [his son] Henry Přemyslid was born to Ottokar "Iron King" II King Bohemia (age 29) and [his wife] Kunigunda Rostislavna Přemyslovna (age 17). He died aged one in 1263.
In 1263 [his son] Henry Přemyslid (age 1) died.
In January 1265 [his son] Kunigundem Boleslaus II Přemyslid was born to Ottokar "Iron King" II King Bohemia (age 32) and [his wife] Kunigunda Rostislavna Přemyslovna (age 20).
On 29th October 1266 [his wife] Margarete von Babenberg (age 62) died.
On 5th September 1269 [his daughter] Agnes Přemyslid Duchess Austria was born to Ottokar "Iron King" II King Bohemia (age 36) and [his wife] Kunigunda Rostislavna Přemyslovna (age 24). She married 1289 Rudolf Habsburg II Duke Austria and had issue.
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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On 17th September 1271 [his son] King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia and Poland was born to Ottokar "Iron King" II King Bohemia (age 38) and [his wife] Kunigunda Rostislavna Přemyslovna (age 26). He married 24th January 1285 Queen Judith of Bohemia and Poland and had issue.
On 26th August 1278 Ottokar "Iron King" II King Bohemia (age 45) died. His son Wenceslaus (age 6) succeeded II King Bohemia.
On 9th September 1285 [his former wife] Kunigunda Rostislavna Přemyslovna (age 40) died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 12 Grand Son of King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex
Kings Godwinson: Great x 5 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings Franks: Great x 14 Grand Son of Louis "Pious" King Aquitaine I King of the Franks
Kings France: Great x 7 Grand Son of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 12 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
GrandFather: King Ottokar I of Bohemia
Father: King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia
Great x 2 Grandfather: King Géza II of Hungary
Great x 1 Grandfather: King Béla III of Hungary
Great x 4 Grandfather: Vladimir Rurikid
Great x 3 Grandfather: Mstislav I of Kiev
Great x 4 Grandmother: Gytha Godwinson
Great x 2 Grandmother: Euphrosyne of Kiev
GrandMother: Constance of Hungary
Great x 2 Grandfather: Raynald of Châtillon
Great x 1 Grandmother: Agnes of Antioch
Great x 4 Grandfather: Prince Bohemond I of Antioch
Great x 3 Grandfather: Prince Bohemond II of Antioch
Great x 4 Grandmother: Constance Capet Countess Champagne 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Princess Constance of Antioch
Great x 4 Grandfather: Baldwin II King Jerusalem
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alice of Antioch