John Dee | Timeline

John Dee (13 July 1527 – 1608 or 1609) was an Anglo-Welsh mathematician, astronomer, astrologer and occult philosopher, and an advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. He spent much time on alchemy, divination, and Hermetic philosophy. He also advocated turning England's imperial expansion into a "British Empire", a term he is credited with coining. (Intro from Wikipedia)

July 13, 1527 - London - John Dee is born

January(?) 1(?), 1535 - Chelmsford - John Dee attends the Chelmsford Chantry School from 1535

November 1(?), 1542 - Cambridge - 15-year-old John Dee enters St.John's College, Cambridge

January(?) 1(?), 1546 - Cambridge - Graduates from St.John's College as a Bachelor of Arts

October(?) 1(?), 1546 - Cambridge - Becomes a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, on its founding by King Henry VIII =(START)

January(?) 1(?), 1547 - Cambridge - John Dee stages a version of "Pax Aristophanes", an ancient Greek comedy, at Trinity College. The main character Trygaeus flies up to the palace of the gods on the back of a gigantic dung beetle. The actor was carried up to the roof by a mechanical beetle built by Dee. He is accused of sorcery for the first time.

January(?) 1(?), 1548 - Louvain | Brussels - Studies at Louvain and Brussels. Becomes friend with cartographers Gerardus Mercator and Abraham Ortelius

January(?) 1(?), 1549(?) - Paris - Lecture in Paris on Euclid

January(?) 1(?), 1552 - London - Meets Gerolamo Cardano in London. Together they investigate a purported perpetual motion machine, as well as a gem supposed to have magical properties

January(?) 1(?), 1553 - Upton-upon-Severn - Becomes Rector at Upton-upon-Severn

January(?) 1(?), 1554 - Upton-upon-Severn - John Dee declines an offer of a readership in mathematics at Oxford University

January(?) 1(?), 1555 - London - Dee becomes a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers

June(?) 1(?), 1555 - London(?) - Dee is arrested and charged with "calculating" for having cast horoscopes of Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth. The charges are expanded to treason against Mary

January(?) 1(?), 1556 - Dee presents Queen Mary with a visionary plan for the preservation of old books, manuscripts and records and the founding of a national library

January(?) 1(?), 1557 - Mortlake, London - Expanding his library at his house

January(?) 1(?), 1558 - Becomes Queen Elizabeth's trusted advisor on scientific and astrological matters. He chooses Elizabeth's coronation date
January 15, 1559 - Westminster Abbey, London - Elizabeth is crowned Queen of England in a date chosen by John Dee

January(?) 1(?), 1564 - Dee writes the hermetic work "Monas Hieroglyphica", a cabalistic interpretation of a glyph of his own design meant to express the mystical unity of all creation

January(?) 1(?), 1565 - John Dee marries Katherine Constable

January(?) 1(?), 1570 - Dee publishes a "mathematical preface" to Henry Billingsley's English translation of Euclid's "Elements"

October 1(?), 1574 - Letter to William Cecil seeking patronage
March 16, 1575 - Mortlake, London - Katherine Constable dies on the day Queen Elizabeth goes to John Dee's house to visit his library

January(?) 1(?), 1577 - Mortlake, London - Dee publishes "General and Rare memorials pertayning to the Perfect Arte of Navigation"
January 16, 1577 - Mortlake, London - Dee is visited by the Earl of Leicester and Phillip Sydney
January 22, 1577 - Mortlake, London - Dee is visited by the Earl of Bedford
November 6, 1577 - Mortlake, London - Dee is visited by Sir Humphrey Gilbert
November 22, 1577 - Windsor - John Dee rides to Windsor to meet Queen Elizabeth
November 25, 1577 - Windsor - Meeting with Queen Elizabeth
November 28, 1577 - Windsor - Meeting with Queen Elizabeth; then with Sir Francis Walsingham
December 1, 1577 - Windsor - Speaks with Sir Christopher Hatton, who was being made a Knight that day
February 5, 1578 - London(?) - 51-year-old John Dee marries 23-year-old Jane Fromond
August 15, 1578 - Norwich - Dee goes to Norwich with his work "Imperium Brytanicum"
August 23, 1578 - Mortlake, London - Returns to London
August 31, 1578 - Cheyham (S. of London) - Visit to his Father-in-Law, Mr.Fromond
September 1, 1578 - Mortlake, London - Returns to London
October 8, 1578 - Richmond - Conference with Queen Elizabeth at Richmond
October 28, 1578 - Richmond - Sir Francis Walsingham and the Earl of Leicester summon John Dee to meet the Queen
November 4, 1578 - Richmond(?) - John Dee is directed by Sir Francis Walsingham and the Earl of Leicester to travel to the Continent
November 7, 1578 - Gravesend - Dee reaches Gravesend
November 9, 1578 - Gravesend - Departs to Hamburg
November 14, 1578 - Hamburg - John Dee arrives in Hamburg
December 11, 1578 - Frankfurt an der Oder, E-SE of Berlin - John Dee reaches Frankfurt an der Oder
March 1(?), 1579 - England - In his diary, John Dee describes the weather of March in England
July 13, 1579 - Mortlake, London - Son Arthur Dee is born
October 18, 1579 - Mortlake, London - Diary: "Mr.Adrian Gilbert and John Davis reconciled themselves to me, and disclosed some of Emery (Molyneux) his most unhonest, hypocritical, and devilish dealings and devises against me and other, and likewise of that errant strompet her abominable wordes and deeds; and John Davis said that he might curse the time that ever he knew Emery, and so much followed his wicked counsayle and advyse, so just is God"
June 3, 1580 - Mortlake, London - Diary: "Mr.Adrian Gilbert and John Davis rode homeward into Devonshire"
August 28, 1580 - Mortlake, London - Diary: "my dealing with Sir Humfrey Gilbert for his graunt of discovery"
September 10, 1580 - Mortlake, London - Diary: "Sir Humfry Gilbert graunted me my request to him, made by letter, for the royaltyes of discovery all to the North above the parallell of the 50 degree of latitude"
September 13, 1580 - John Cooke's house, "Wichcross Strete", London - Dinner with Humphrey Gilbert
September 17, 1580 - Mortlake, London - Queen Elizabeth goes to Mortlake in her coach, looking for John Dee at his house
October 3, 1580 - Richmond - Diary: "I delivered my two rolls of the Quene’s Majesties title unto herself in the garden at Richemond, who appointed after dynner to heare furder of the matter"
October 10, 1580 - Mortlake, London - Queen Elizabeth goes to Mortlake in her coach, looking for John Dee at his house, offering him confort while his mother is dying
June 7, 1581 - Mortlake, London - Daughter Katharina is born
June 17, 1581 - Mortlake, London - John Dee is visited by John Hawkins (although Dee describes Hawkins as "young Hawkins", he also writes that he had been with Francis Drake, so we concluded he means the father (John) and not the son (Richard), although John Hawkins was only 5 years older than John Dee)
March 1(?), 1582 - Mortlake, London - Meets Renaissance occultist and spirit medium Edward Kelley, who knocks at his door under the name Edward Talbot
October 12, 1582 - Tunbridge Wells - Dee rides to Tunbrige Wells
October 13, 1582 - Slaugham (near Crawley) - Dee rides to Slaugham
October 15, 1582 - Mortlake, London - Returns home to London
January 23, 1583 - Mortlake, London - Diary: "The Right Honorable Mr.Secretary Walsingham came to my house, where by good luck he found Mr.Adrian Gilbert, and so we talk was begone of Northwest Straights discovery"
January 24, 1583 - Mortlake, London - Diary: "I, Mr.Adrian Gilbert, and John Davis, went by appointment to Mr.Secretary to Mr.Beale his house, where only we four were secret, and we made Mr.Secretary privy of the NW passage, and all charts and rutters were agreed upon in general"
February 2, 1583 - Mortlake, London - Son Roland Dee is baptized
February 11, 1583 - Mortlake, London - Diary: "the Quene lying at Richemond went to Mr. Secretary Walsingham to dynner; she coming by my dore gratiously called me to her, and so I went by her horse side as far as where Mr. Hudson dwelt"
February 18, 1583 - Mortlake, London - Walsingham visits John Dee
March 6, 1583 - London - Diary: "I and Mr.Adrian Gilbert and John Davis did meet with Mr.Alderman Barnes, Mr.Tounson and Mr.Young, and Mr.Hudson about the NW passage"
April 18, 1583 - Greenwich - Queen Elizabeth leaves Richmond and goes to Greenwich. Calls for John Dee
May 13, 1583 - Greenwich - Meets the Polish nobleman Albert Laski at the Earl of Leicester's chamber in the court at Greenwich
May 18, 1583 - Mortlake, London - Albert Laski visits John Dee
June 15, 1583 - Mortlake, London - Albert Laski and Sir Philip Sydney visit John Dee
June 19, 1583 - Mortlake, London - Albert Laski visits John Dee
July 31, 1583 - Mortlake, London - Queen Elizabeth leaves Greenwich and goes to John Dee's house
September 21, 1583 - Gravesend - Departs to Poland with his new master, Albert Laski, aswell as Edward Kelley and their families
September 3, 1584 - Prague, Bohemia - Dee and Kelley's audience with Emperor Rudolf II in Prague Castle
May 27, 1585 - Niepolomice, near Kraków - Dee and Kelley's audience with the Polish King, Stefan Batory, at the Royal Castle
October 26, 1586 - Třeboň, Bohemia - Dee and Kelley arrive at Třeboň, from Prague
November 8, 1586 - Třeboň, Bohemia - While Kelley goes to Prague, Dee receives a Prince from Prague
December 8, 1586 - Třeboň, Bohemia - Edward Garland arrives at Třeboň, from the Emperor of Moscovia
December 12, 1586 - While in Třeboň(?) - King Stephen Batory dies in Grodno (Belarus). People in his court believe that his death was John Dee's revenge
December 19, 1586 - Třeboň(?) - Kelley performs his first alchemical transmutation
December 31, 1586 - Třeboň, Bohemia - Kelley goes to Prague
February 9, 1587 - Třeboň, Bohemia - Albert Laski arrives from Vienna
February 12, 1587 - Kraków, Poland - Albert Laski and John Dee go to Kraków, Poland
March 14, 1587 - Reichenstein (Zloty Stok, Poland) - Laski and Dee reach Reichenstein on their way back to Třeboň
March 23, 1587 - Třeboň, Bohemia - Laski and Dee return to Třeboň
March 27, 1587 - Prague(?) - Dee and Kelley are required to defend themselves in hearing with the papal nuncio, Germanico Malaspina, bishop of San Severo
May 22, 1587 - Třeboň, Bohemia - During a spiritual conference in Bohemia, Kelley informs Dee that the angel Uriel had ordered the men to share all their possessions, including their wives
June 14, 1587 - Třeboň, Bohemia - John Dee attends Edward Kelley's marriage
July 11, 1587 - Třeboň, Bohemia - Conference with Albert Laski and Edward Kelley
October 26, 1587 - Třeboň, Bohemia - Edward Kelley returns from Prague
December 1, 1587 - Třeboň, Bohemia - Albert Laski arrives at Třeboň for a 10-day stay
January 19, 1588 - Třeboň, Bohemia - Edward Kelley returns from Krumlov
February 28, 1588 - Třeboň, Bohemia - Son Theodorus Trebonianus Dee is born (it is possible that this child was Kelley's)
March 6, 1588 - Neuhaus (Jindřichův Hradec, Bohemia) - Dinner in Neuhaus Castle
March 11, 1589 - Třeboň, Bohemia - Departs to England
March 18, 1589 - Nuremberg - On his way back to England
March 26, 1589 - Frankfurt - John Dee reaches Frankfurt-am-Main
April 19, 1589 - Bremen - John Dee arrives at Bremen
July 6, 1589 - Bremen - John Dee is visited by Mr.Hart, the Minister of the English company there and his deputy
December 2, 1589 - Gravesend - John Dee returns to England
December 3, 1589 - Stratford - Staying at Mr.Young's house for a few days
December 19, 1589 - Richmond - Visit to Queen Elizabeth at Richmond
December 25, 1589 - Mortlake, London - Returns to his house and finds it vandalized, his library ruined and many of his prized books and instruments stolen
December 29, 1589 - Mortlake, London - Adrian Gilbert visits John Dee, offering his help to recover stolen items
March 5, 1590 - Mortlake, London - Daughter Madinia Newton is baptized at Mortlake
March 17, 1590 - Mortlake, London - Letter from Edward Kelley in Prague
May 18, 1590 - Mortlake, London - Thomas Cavendish visits John Dee
November 27, 1590 - Richmond - Queen Elizabeth summons John Dee to Richmond
December 4, 1590 - Mortlake, London - Queen Elizabeth goes to Mortlake in her coach, wearing a mask, to leave a message with John Dee
December 14, 1590 - Mortlake, London - Queen Elizabeth looks for John Dee at his house in Mortlake
December 14, 1591 - Whitehall - Meeting with the Lord Treasurer at the Court in Whitehall
January 1, 1592 - Mortlake, London - Daughter Frances is born
March 6, 1592 - (While in Mortlake) - The Queen grants his "sute" to Dr. Aubrey
March 9, 1592 - Whitehall(?) - Privy seal at night
March 16, 1592 - Whitehall(?) - The Great Seal
May 3, 1592 - Westminster - Places his son Arthur at Westminster School under the tuition of Edward Grant
May 16, 1592 - Harfelde - Rides to Harfelde to Lord Anderson, Lord Justice of the Common Pleas
July 23, 1592 - Greenwich - Dee begins having kidney stone pains. Next day a doctor helps him with a glister
August 6, 1592 - Nonsuch - Goes to the Court at Nonsuch
August 8, 1592 - Mortlake, London - Kidney stones pains for the second time
August 9, 1592 - Mortlake, London - John Dee is invited to dinner at Mr.Maynard's with the Lord Treasurer, Sir Robert Cecil and Sir Thomas Cisell
August 17, 1592 - Micheam - Goes to Micheam to Mr.Kemp
September 19, 1592 - Morlake, London - Dee has "intolerable pains" in his calfs for some minutes. He drinks his drink for the kidney stones, although he propbably had cramps in both legs
November 9, 1592 - Mortlake, London - Dee gets the Queen's grant of his supplication for commissioners
November 22, 1592 - Mortlake, London - Dee is visited by the Queen's commissioners, Mr. Secretary Wolly and Sir Thomas George
December 1, 1592 - Mortlake, London - John Dee is informed that Queen Elizabeth granted him 100 marks
February 15, 1593 - Mortlake, London - The Queen accepts a letter from Dee thanking her for granting him 100 marks
May 3, 1594 - Greenwich - Queen Elizabeth summons John Dee to Greenwich
June 3, 1594 - Thisellworth - John Dee, his wife and children, are received by Queen Elizabeth at Thisellworth
June 6, 1594 - Mortlake, London - Supper with the Lord Archbishop
June 15, 1594 - Mortlake, London - More kidney stones pains
January 8, 1595 - Mortlake, London - Queen Elizabeth appoints Dee Warden of Christ's College, Manchester
August 12, 1595 - Mortlake, London - Receives letters from Edward Kelley in Prague, with an invitation by the Emperor for John Dee to enter his service
September 13, 1595 - Russell House - Dinner with the Earl of Derby
September 26, 1595 - Russell House - Dinner with the Earl of Derby
October 9, 1595 - Durham House - Dinner with Sir Walter Raleigh
November 25, 1595 - Mortlake, London - John Dee receives news that Edward Kelley was slain in Bohemia (it is believed that he died of injuries in late 1597/early 1598 while trying to escape from prison)
February 15, 1596 - Manchester - John Dee arrives at Manchester
May 7, 1596 - Salford - John Dee takes formal possession of the wardenship of Christ's college, Manchester
August 13, 1596 - York - Rides to York
August 20, 1596 - Manchester - Returns to Manchester
June 10, 1600 - London - Departs to Manchester with his family
July 3, 1600 - Manchester - the Commission set uppon in the Chapter Howse
January(?) 1(?), 1601 - Manchester - Theodorus Trebonianus Dee dies
March 1(?), 1604 - Manchester - Jane Fromond dies of the bubonic plague
January(?) 1(?), 1605 - London - Returns to London from Manchester
January(?) 1(?), 1609(?) - Mortlake, London - John Dee dies, aged 81 =(END)

Gilles de Raïs | Timeline

Gilles de Raïs(*)

Gilles de Raïs (or Gilles de Retz) (5 September 1404 – 26 October 1440), Baron de Rais, was a knight and lord from Brittany, Anjou and Poitou, a leader in the French army, and a companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc. He is best known for his reputation and later conviction as an occultist,  confessed kidnapper, torturer and serial killer of children. (Intro based on Wikipedia)

(*) No picture of Gilles de Raïs has survived. The only historically correct portrait available today, here used with permition from www.galleryhistoricalfigures.com, is this incredible work of art by artist-historian George Stuart. 

September 4, 1404 - Champtocé-sur-Loire, Anjou - Gilles de Montmorency-Laval is born

January(?) 1(?), 1407 - Champtocé-sur-Loire - Younger brother René is born

October 30(?), 1415 - Champtocé-sur-Loire - His parents die. Gilles and his brother René are placed under the tutelage of their maternal grandfather, Jean de Craon

January 14, 1417 - Vannes - Jean de Craon arranges a marriage for Gilles to a rich heiress of Normandy, Jeanne Paynel, however, the Paris Parliament prohibits the marriage until Jeanne Paynel reaches majority

November 28, 1419 - Vannes - Jean de Craon arranges a marriage for Gilles to Béatrice de Rohan, niece of Duke Jean V of Brittany, but it has no follow-up

May 8, 1420 - Champtoceaux, Anjou - The Siege of Champtoceaux begins - 15 year old Gilles goes to war for the first time with Jean de Craon =(START)

July 5, 1420 - Champtoceaux, Anjou - End of the Siege of Champtoceaux - Decisive victory for the bretons
July 12, 1420 - Nantes - Duke Jean V thanks Jean de Craon and "his little son Rays" for "their good and worthy services"
November 30, 1420 - ? - Gilles de Raïs marries her cousin Catherine de Thouars of Brittany, heiress of La Vendée and Poitou. Their union is annulled and declared incestuous by the Church
April 24, 1422 - ? - The papal delegate addresses Hardouin de Bueil, bishop of Angers, so that the latter prounounces a sentence of separation against Gilles and Catherine, but he imposes on them a penance before absolving them of the crime of incest and allows their marriage in proper form
June 26, 1422 - Château de Chalonnes-sur-Loire - Hardouin de Bueil marries Gilles and Catherine
September 26, 1423 - La Brossinière - Battle of La Gravelle - French victory
August 17, 1424 - N of Verneuil-sur-Avre, Normandy - Battle of Verneuil - Decisive english victory
January 16, 1425 - ? - Baron Gilles de Raïs is rewarded with a royal gift of 200 "livres"
September 1(?), 1425 - Saumur - Gilles de Raïs is introduced to the court of Charles VII
October 7, 1425 - Saumur - Charles VII signs an Alliance Treaty with Jean V of Brittany in the presence of the Dowager Duchess of Anjou
March 1(?), 1426 - Saint-James de Beuvron - The Constable of Richemont suffers a bitter blow against the english under the walls of Saint-James de Beuvron. Gilles de Raïs participates in the battle
September 1(?), 1426 - near Mount Saint-Michel - The Constable of Richemont fails again in a skirmish against the english in front of Mount Saint-Michel
January 15, 1427 - Pontorson, Normandy - Talbot and Warwick lay siege to the norman city of Pontorson, fortified and occupied by the breton men-at-arms of the Constable of Richemont
April 1(?), 1427 - Ramefort | Malicorne - Gilles de Raïs assaults the fortresses of Ramefort (Formerly Rainefort, Rennefort, Ramessort or Romfort, according to the fluctuating spelling) and Malicorne. He spares the english, but not men "from the french language"
May 8, 1427 - Pontorson, Normandy - Surrender of Pontorson to the english
June 19, 1427 - Sablé-sur-Sarthe - Yolande of Aragon establishes his advisor Jean de Craon lieutenant general in Anjou and Maine. Probably on this occasion, the lord of La Suze endows his grandson with a military mentor in the person of Guillaume de la Jumellière, lord of Martigné-Briant, also advisor of Yolande of Aragon to the ducal court of Anjou. The curative influence of his family seems to consolidate Gilles' commitment in the war against the English at the edge of Maine, resulting in the appointment of the young baron as captain of the place of Sablé in the name of the duke of Anjou
September 8, 1427 - ? - Jean V of Brittany, himself in the grip of the English assaults, negotiates in July 1427 with the duke of Bedford, regent of the kingdom of France. On the 8th of September, 1427, the Duke of Brittany proceeded to a new revival of the alliance by recognizing the Treaty of Troyes and ordering his vassals to cease the fight against the English troops. With his cousins ​​Laval and Viscount Rohan, Gilles de Raïs is one of the most notable Breton lords to disobey his overlord by remaining faithful to the king of France
December(?) 1(?), 1427 - Le Lude, Pays-de-la-Loire - Battle for the Château du Lude, where he takes the english captain, Blackburn, prisoner
January(?) 1(?), 1429 - ? - Daughter Marie is born
March 1(?), 1429 - Chinon - Jeanne d'Arc arrives at Chinon to meet with the Dauphin and to be examined by church officials in Poitiers. "When Joan appeared at Chinon, Charles wanted to test her claim to be able to recognise him despite never having seen him, and so he disguised himself as one of his courtiers. He stood in their midst when Joan entered the chamber in which the court was assembled. Joan identified Charles immediately. She bowed low to him and embraced his knees, declaring "God give you a happy life, sweet King!" Despite attempts to claim that another man was in fact the king, Charles was eventually forced to admit that he was indeed such. Thereafter Joan referred to him as "Dauphin" or "Noble Dauphin" until he was crowned in Reims four months later. After a private conversation between the two (Charles later stated that Joan knew secrets about him that he had voiced only in silent prayer to God), Charles became inspired and filled with confidence" (Wikipedia).
April 8, 1429 - Chinon(?) - In a letter dated April 8, 1429, signed by his hand and with his seal, the young baron formed an alliance with his cousin Georges I of La Trémoille, pledging to serve him with all his power. to death and for life, to all and against all lords and others, without any one except ..., in the good grace and love of the king. The grand chamberlain pursues his strategy of bilateral alliances with members of the nobility in order to "stabilize his policy", to maintain his fragile situation with the king and to guard against the plots fomented by the constable of Richemont and his allies
April 25, 1429 - Blois - Jeanne d'Arc arrives at Blois to find ready a convoy of food, weapons and ammunition and a strong escort commanded by Gilles de Rais and Jean de Brosse, Marshal Boussac
April 27, 1429 - Blois - The convoy sets off, following the River Loire on the left bank
April 29, 1429 - Blois - Gilles de Raïs returns to Blois to gather more troops
May 4, 1429 - Orléans - Gilles de Raïs returns to Orléans with the rest of the troops gathered at Blois. The Armagnacs attack and capture the outlying fortress of Saint Loup

Siege of Orléans, 1429

May 5, 1429 - Orléans - The Armagnacs capture the fortress of Saint-Jean-le-Blanc
May 7, 1429 - Orléans - The Armagnac troops, led by Jeanne, attack the main english stronghold, called "Les Tourelles". Jeanne is wounded by an arrow, but later returns to lead the assault
May 8, 1429 - Orléans - The english retreat from Orléans
June 11, 1429 - Jargeau - Battle of Jargeau (11 and 12), the french recapture the district after Orléans
June 15, 1429 - Meung-sur-Loire - Battle of Meung-sur-Loire - French Victory
June 16, 1429 - Beaugency - Battle of Beaugency (16 and 17) - French Victory
June 18, 1429 - Patay, N of Orléans - Battle of Patay - Decisive french victory
July 17, 1429 - Reims - De Raïs is chosen as one of four lords for the honor of bringing the Holy Ampulla from the Abbey of Saint-Remy to Notre-Dame de Reims for the consecration of Charles VII as King of France. On the same day, he was officially created a Marshal of France
August 15, 1429 - Montépilloy - The french and the anglo-burgundian armies arrive to Montépilloy facing each other
August 26, 1429 - Montépilloy - Battle of Montépilloy
September 3, 1429 - Paris - Joan of Arc accompanied by the Dukes of Alençon and Bourbon, the counts of Vendôme and Laval, Marshals Gilles de Rais and La Hire and their troops, lodge in the village of La Chapelle
September 8, 1429 - Paris - End of the siege of Paris. Jeanne d'Arc is wounded - English victory
September 21, 1429 - Gien, E-SE of Orléans - The french army withraws to the Loire and is dismissed
June 11, 1430 - Janneyrias, near Lyon - Battle of Anthon - defeat against the army of the province of Dauphiné
December 26, 1430 - Louviers (28km from Rouen) - De Raïs is spotted at Louviers, which can be interpreted as a desire or plan to release Jeanne d'Arc
February 22, 1431 - Champtocé-sur-Loire, Anjou - Meeting with Duke Jean V at Champtocé castle (until 24th)
July 1(?), 1432 - Lagny-sur-Marne - The english lay siege to Lagny
August 20, 1432 - Lagny-sur-Marne - End of the Siege of Lagny-sur-Marne - the english return to Paris
November 1(?), 1432 - Château de Tiffauges(?) - His grandfather Jean de Craon dies - A turning point in his life as shortly after he starts kidnapping, torturing and killing young children in horrific ways
March 1(?), 1433 - ? - De Raïs sells to Duke Jean V of Brittany the places of Mauléon, Saint-Etienne-de-Mer-Morte, Loroux-Bottereau, Pornic and Champtocé-sur -Loire
January 25, 1434 - Nantes - He obtains the seigniory of La Suze with his brother René before the ducal court in Nantes

A romantic 1835 vision
of the Maréchal de France
and later, serial killer

February 1(?), 1434 - Sillé-le-Guillaume, Sarthe - The english threaten Sillé - De Raïs and both his Laval cousins participate in a military expedition led by the Constable of Richemont
August 15, 1434 - Grancey-le-Château-Neuvelle, Bourgogne - Probably already ruined by his expenses, Gilles de Raïs hardly tries to prevent the troops of Duke Philip of Burgundy from seizing Grancey. After the fall of this city, King Charles VII summons his marshal and threatens to remove his office
September 1(?), 1434 - Orléans - De Raïs moves to Orléans and begins squandering his fortune, mostly in festivities and theatre personnel 
May 8, 1435 - Orléans - His play, "Le Mistère du Siège d'Orléans" is first performed
June 1(?), 1435 - (While in Orléans) - Family members gather to put a curb on Gilles. They appeal to Pope Eugene IV to disavow the Chapel of the Holy Innocents (which he refuses to do) and carry their concerns to the king
July 2, 1435 - (While in Orléans) - A royal edict is proclaimed in Orléans, Tours, Angers, Pouzauges and Champtocé-sur-Loire denouncing Gilles as a spendthrift and forbidding him from selling any further property. No subject of Charles VII is allowed to enter into any contract with him, and those in command of his castles are forbidden to dispose of them. Gilles' credit falls immediately and his creditors press upon him. He borrows heavily, using his art objets, manuscripts, books and clothing as security
September(?) 1(?), 1435 - Orléans - De Raïs leaves Orléans. The town is littered with precious objects he is forced to leave behind
January(?) 1(?), 1436 - Château de Tiffauges - Needing money to continue his lifestyle, De Raïs turns his interest to alchemy and black magic.
January(?) 1(?), 1437 - Château de Tiffauges | Machecoul - Forty naked bodies of children are discovered in Machecoul
January(?) 1(?), 1438 - Château de Tiffauges - According to the testimony at his trial in 1440, from the priest Eustache Blanchet and the cleric François Prelati, de Rais sent out Blanchet to seek individuals who knew alchemy and demon summoning. Blanchet contacted Prelati in Florence and persuaded him to take service with his Master. Having reviewed the magical books of Prelati and a traveling Breton, de Rais chose to initiate experiments, the first taking place in the lower hall of his castle at Tiffauges, attempting to summon a demon named Barron. De Raïs provided a contract with the demon for riches that Prelati was to give to the demon at a later time
January 15, 1439 - Nantes - Gilles de Raïs retains his property of Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte by agreeing with his younger brother
January(?) 1(?), 1440(?) - Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte - Gilles alienates again Saint-Etienne-de-Mer-Morte following a transaction with Geoffroy Le Ferron, treasurer and man of confidence of Duke Jean V of Brittany. The ducal officer entrusts the administration of the chatellenie to his brother Jean Le Ferron, clerk tonsured. However, the Baron de Raïs again tries to reclaim the castle, this time to sell it to his cousin, the sire of Vieillevigne. Jean Le Ferron opposes it
May 15, 1440 - Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte - In retaliation, on the day of Pentecost or the day after this religious holiday, Gilles de Raïs ambushes a troop of fifty to sixty men in a wood near Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte. He enters the parish church in arms and interrupts the high mass of Jean Le Ferron, insulting him and threatening to kill him with a guisarme if he doesn't leave the sanctuary. After opening the doors of the castle of Saint-Etienne-de-Mer-Morte to his attackers, Jean Le Ferron is incarcerated there with Jean Rousseau, sergeant-general of the duchy of Brittany.
In this way, Gilles de Rais commits sacrilege by violating ecclesiastical immunities, and on the other hand, he holds hands with ducal servants in the diocese of the bishop of Nantes, Jean de Malestroit, the influential chancellor of Jean V of Brittany.
The Breton duke condemns his vassal to make the fortress to Jean Le Ferron under penalty of having to pay a fine of 50,000 gold crowns. Gilles de Rais then sends his prisoner to Tiffauges, located outside the Breton jurisdiction. His act prompts an investigation by the Bishop of Nantes, during which evidence of Gilles' crimes is uncovered
July 1(?), 1440 - Josselin - De Raïs goes to Josselin to meet his sovereign Jean V of Brittany
July 29, 1440 - (While in Château de Tiffauges) - The Bishop of Nantes releases his findings, and subsequently obtains the prosecutorial cooperation of De Raïs's former protector, John VI, Duke of Brittany
August 1(?), 1440 - Château de Tiffauges - Gilles de Raïs murders his last victims, the son of Éonnet de Villeblanche and his wife Macée
September 15, 1440 - Nantes - De Raïs and his servants Poitou and Henriet are arrested following a secular investigation which parallels the findings of the investigation from the Bishop of Nantes. De Raïs's prosecution would likewise be conducted by both secular and ecclesiastical courts, on charges which included murder, sodomy and heresy
September 18, 1440 - (While in Nantes) - The cleric Jean de Touscheronde begins to collect the testimony of the parents of missing children
September 19, 1440 - Nantes - De Raïs appears before the officials of Nantes and the ecclesiastical court.
October 8, 1440 - Nantes - After days hearing the testimonies of missing children's parents, De Raïs is accused of Rebellion, Pact with the Devil and Sodomy
October 13, 1440 - Nantes - Gilles de Raïs is excommunicated
October 16, 1440 - Nantes - Francesco Prelati, a tuscan cleric, and Eustache Blanchet, both servants of Gilles de Raïs, appear before the ecclesiastical court. These two servants of the Lord of Rais affirm that their master indulged in alchemy in order to find the philosopher's stone. To this end, the baron sent to seek in the kingdom of France and abroad "masters who intermingle the art of arquemie", a charge that will later be taken by the heirs of Gilles in the memoir to demonstrate his prodigality. Blanchet thus recruited Prelati in 1438, during a trip to Florence. In addition to the alchemical experiments, Prelati claims to have tried to invoke a familiar demon named "Barron" at Tiffauges Castle, in the presence of Gilles de Rais. The cleric also claims to have interviewed Barron in a meadow near Josselin, therefore not far from the castle where was held the July 1440 interview between the Duke Jean V of Brittany and Gilles de Rais
October 21, 1440 - Nantes - After De Raïs admits to the charges. the court cancels a plan to torture him into confessing. Peasants of the neighboring villages had earlier begun to make accusations that their children had entered Gilles' castle begging for food and had never been seen again. The transcript, which includes testimony from the parents of many of these missing children as well as graphic descriptions of the murders provided by Gilles' accomplices, is said to be so lurid that the judges order the worst portions to be stricken from the record
October 23, 1440 - Nantes - The secular court hears the confessions of Poitou and Henriet and condemns them both to death, followed by Gilles' death sentence on 25 October. De Raïs is allowed to make confession, and his request to be buried in the church of the monastery of Notre-Dame des Carmes in Nantes is granted
October 26, 1440 - Nantes - Gilles de Raïs is garrotted, then burned in a pyre. His family is allowed to remove the body to bury it before it is completely destroyed by fire =(END)