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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: Capell
On 12th July 1882 [his father] George Capell 7th Earl of Essex (age 24) and [his mother] Ellenor Harriet Maria Harford (age 22) were married.
On 21st February 1884 Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex was born to [his father] George Capell 7th Earl of Essex (age 26) and [his mother] Ellenor Harriet Maria Harford (age 23).
On 31st December 1885 [his mother] Ellenor Harriet Maria Harford (age 25) died.
On 11th September 1892 Arthur Algernon Capell 6th Earl Essex (age 89) died. His grandson [his father] George (age 34) succeeded 7th Earl Essex, 8th Baron Capell Hadham.
On 14th December 1893 [his father] George Capell 7th Earl of Essex (age 36) and [his step-mother] Adele Beach Grant Countess Essex (age 27) were married at St Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map]. She by marriage Countess Essex. Her uncle Richard Suydam Grant gave her away since her father David Beach Grant had died five years before.
On 28th September 1905 Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex (age 21) and Mary Eveline Stewart Freeman were married. He the son of George Capell 7th Earl of Essex (age 47) and Ellenor Harriet Maria Harford.
In 1906 [his son] Reginald George de Vere Capell 9th Earl of Essex was born to Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex (age 21) and [his wife] Mary Eveline Stewart Freeman.
2nd December 1910. Bassano Ltd. Photograph of Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex (age 26) with his son [his son] Reginald George de Vere Capell 9th Earl of Essex (age 4).
Reginald George de Vere Capell 9th Earl of Essex: In 1906 he was born to Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex and Mary Eveline Stewart Freeman. On 8th December 1966 Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex died. His son Reginald succeeded 9th Earl Essex, 10th Baron Capell Hadham. In 1981 Reginald George de Vere Capell 9th Earl of Essex died. His third cousin once removed Robert succeeded 10th Earl Essex, 11th Baron Capell Hadham.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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2nd December 1910. Bassano Ltd. Photograph of Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex (age 26), [his wife] Mary Eveline Stewart Freeman and their son [his son] Reginald George de Vere Capell 9th Earl of Essex (age 4).
Mary Eveline Stewart Freeman: she was born to William Russell Stewart Freeman. On 28th September 1905 Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex and she were married. He the son of George Capell 7th Earl of Essex and Ellenor Harriet Maria Harford. In 1925 Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex and Mary Eveline Stewart Freeman were divorced. On 30th October 1955 she died.
On 25th September 1916 [his father] George Capell 7th Earl of Essex (age 58) died at his home Stanley House having been run over by a taxi. His son Algernon (age 32) succeeded 8th Earl Essex, 9th Baron Capell Hadham.
In 1925 Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex (age 40) and Mary Eveline Stewart Freeman were divorced.
On 10th February 1926 Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex (age 41) and Alys Montgomery Falkiner Countess of Essex were married at the Saint Albans registry office. She by marriage Countess Essex. He the son of George Capell 7th Earl of Essex and Ellenor Harriet Maria Harford.
Before 10th December 1950 Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex (age 66) and Alys Montgomery Falkiner Countess of Essex were divorced.
On 10th December 1950 Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex (age 66) and Zara Mildred Carlson Countess of Essex were married. She by marriage Countess Essex. He the son of George Capell 7th Earl of Essex and Ellenor Harriet Maria Harford.
On 30th October 1955 [his former wife] Mary Eveline Stewart Freeman died.
In 1957 Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex (age 72) and Zara Mildred Carlson Countess of Essex were divorced.
In 1957 Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex (age 72) and Christine Mary Davis Countess of Essex were married. She by marriage Countess Essex. He the son of George Capell 7th Earl of Essex and Ellenor Harriet Maria Harford.
On 8th December 1966 Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex (age 82) died. His son Reginald (age 60) succeeded 9th Earl Essex, 10th Baron Capell Hadham.
In 1977 [his former wife] Alys Montgomery Falkiner Countess of Essex died.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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In 1985 [his former wife] Christine Mary Davis Countess of Essex died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 25 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 22 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 28 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 23 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 24 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 6 Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Kings Scotland: Great x 24 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 21 Grand Son of Louis VII King of the Franks
Kings France: Great x 8 Grand Son of Henry IV King France
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 29 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Capell 3rd Earl Essex 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Anne Capell 4th Earl Essex 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Russell Countess Essex 
10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry IV of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Thomas Capell 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Bladen
Great x 3 Grandmother: Harriet Bladen Countess Essex
Great x 1 Grandfather: Arthur Algernon Capell 6th Earl Essex 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Nicholas Bayly 2nd Baronet Bayly of Plas Newydd in Anglesey 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Bayly-Paget 1st Earl Uxbridge 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Caroline Paget Lady Plas Newydd Anglesey 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Caroline Paget 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Very Reverend Arthur Champagné
Great x 3 Grandmother: Jane Champagné Countess Uxbridge
GrandFather: Arthur de Vere Capell 4 x Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Vere Beauclerk 1st Baron de Vere 
Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 3 Grandfather: Aubrey Beauclerk 5th Duke St Albans Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Chambers Baroness Spencer 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Beauclerk 8th Duke St Albans 2 x Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough 
12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Catherine Ponsonby Duchess St Albans 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry IV of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Caroline Cavendish Countess Bessborough 
11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry IV of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Caroline Janetta Beauclerk Countess Essex 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Nelthorpe of Little Grimsby Hall in Lincolnshire
Great x 2 Grandmother: Maria Janetta Nelthorpe Duchess St Albans
Father: George Capell 7th Earl of Essex 5 x Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Algernon George de Vere Capell 8th Earl of Essex 6 x Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
GrandFather: William Henry Harford of Oldtown House in Almondsbury
Mother: Ellenor Harriet Maria Harford