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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In April 1917 CRW aka Christopher Nevinson was appointed an official war artist by the Department of Information. Wearing the uniform of a war correspondent, he visited the Western Front from 5 July to 4 August 1917, a period which included the start of the Battle of Passchendaele on 31 July. Nevinson was billeted with other visitors in the Château d'Harcourt, south of Caen.
CRW aka Christopher Nevinson. "Banking at 400 Feet".
In 1884 [his father] Henry Nevinson (age 27) and [his mother] Margaret Wynne Jones (age 25) were married.
On 13th August 1889 CRW aka Christopher Nevinson was born to [his father] Henry Nevinson (age 32) and [his mother] Margaret Wynne Jones (age 31).
Around 1900. CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 10). "The Weir, Charenton".
Around 1900. CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 10). Portrait of Elizabeth Darley.
1911-1912. CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 21). "The Railway Bridge, Charenton".
1911. CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 21). Self-portrait.
1913. CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 23). "The Arrival".
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 1st November 1915 CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 26) and Kathleen Knowlman were married at Hampstead Town Hall. After a week-long honeymoon, he reported back to the RAMC but was invalided out of the service in January 1916 with acute rheumatic fever.
1916. CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 26). "A Taube".
1916. CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 26). "The Doctor".
1917. CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 27). Portrait of Edith Sitwell (age 29).
1917. CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 27). "A Group of Soldiers".
1917. CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 27). "After The Push".
1917. CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 27). "Paths of Glory".
1917. CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 27). "Building Aircraft: Acetylene Welder".
1917. CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 27). "War Profiteers".
1918. CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 28). "The Harvest of Battle".
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 8th June 1932 [his mother] Margaret Wynne Jones (age 74) died.
In 1933 [his father] Henry Nevinson (age 76) and [his step-mother] Evelyn Jane Sharp (age 63) were married.
1940. CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 50). "Anti-aircraft Defences" depicting anti-aircraft batteries and London Blitz spotlights.
On 9th November 1941 [his father] Henry Nevinson (age 85) died.
On 7th October 1946 CRW aka Christopher Nevinson (age 57) died.