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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On 27th December 1783 Bishop John Kaye was born.
In 1811 Bishop John Kaye (age 27) was elected Fellow of the Royal Society.
In 1815 Bishop John Kaye (age 31) and Eliza Mortlock were married. They had three daughters and one son, William Frederic John Kaye, who was later ordained to the priesthood and was appointed Archdeacon of Lincoln in 1863.
In 1820 Bishop John Kaye (age 36) was appointed Bishop of Bristol.
In 1827 Bishop John Kaye (age 43) was translated to Bishop of Lincoln in which office he served for twenty-six years until his death in 1853.
In 1851 Bishop John Kaye (age 67) commissioned the building of St Mary's Church, Riseholme; the Bishops official residence Riseholme Hall was nearby.
On 18th February 1853 Bishop John Kaye (age 69) died at Riseholme Hall, Lincolnshire. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Riseholme.