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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In 1616 Bishop Walter Blandford was born at Melbury Abbas, Dorset.
After 1648 Bishop Walter Blandford (age 32) was appointed Chaplain to John Lovelace 2nd Baron Lovelace (age 31).
In November 1665 Bishop Walter Blandford (age 49) was appointed Bishop of Oxford.
In 1668 Bishop Walter Blandford (age 52) was appointed Clerk of the Closet.
In 1671 Bishop Walter Blandford (age 55) was appointed Bishop of Worcester.
John Evelyn's Diary. 6th October 1672. Dr. Thistlethwaite preached at Whitehall on Rev. v. 2, - a young, but good preacher. I received the blessed Communion, Dr. Blandford (age 56), Bishop of Worcester, and Dean of the Chapel, officiating. Dined at my Lord Clifford's (age 42), with Lord Mulgrave (age 24), Sir Gilbert Talbot (age 41), and Sir Robert Holmes (age 50).
In 1675 Bishop Walter Blandford (age 59) died.