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 29th January 1743 [his father] Charles Egleton and [his mother] Sarah Kent (age 34) were married.
After 29th January 1743 Charles Egleton aka Kent 1st Baronet was born to [his father] Charles Egleton and [his mother] Sarah Kent (age 34).
On 8th October 1759 [his grandfather] Samuel Kent (age 76) died. His estates, including Fornham Hall, Suffolk, passed to his son [his uncle] Thomas Kent, then, in 1762, to his [his mother] daughter's (age 51) son Charles Egleton aka Kent 1st Baronet (age 16) who changed his surname from Egleton to Kent.
In 1769 [his father] Charles Egleton died.
On 20th May 1771 Charles Egleton aka Kent 1st Baronet (age 28) and Mary Wordsworth Lady Kent (age 20) were married.
Around 1775 Charles Egleton aka Kent 1st Baronet (age 31) employed the architect James Wyatt to design and build Fornham Hall, Suffolk.
In 1781 Charles Egleton aka Kent 1st Baronet (age 37) was appointed High Sheriff of Suffolk.
On 16th August 1782 Charles Egleton aka Kent 1st Baronet (age 39) was created 1st Baronet Kent of Fornham. [his wife] Mary Wordsworth Lady Kent (age 31) by marriage Lady Kent of Fornham.
In 1784 [his son] Charles Kent 2nd Baronet was born to Charles Egleton aka Kent 1st Baronet (age 40) and [his wife] Mary Wordsworth Lady Kent (age 33). He married before 1819 Sophia Margaret Lygon Lady Kent, daughter of William Lygon 1st Earl Beauchamp and Catherine Denn Countess Beauchamp, and had issue.
Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.
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On 4th December 1790 [his mother] Sarah Kent (age 82) died.
On 14th March 1811 Charles Egleton aka Kent 1st Baronet (age 68) died. His son Charles (age 27) succeeded 2nd Baronet Kent of Fornham.
On 17th September 1817 [his former wife] Mary Wordsworth Lady Kent (age 66) died.
[his daughter] Mary Kent Lady Thorold was born to Charles Egleton aka Kent 1st Baronet and Mary Wordsworth Lady Kent. She married 1st October 1811 John Hayford Thorold 10th Baronet, son of John Thorold 9th Baronet and Jane Hayford Lady Thorold, and had issue.
Father: Charles Egleton
Charles Egleton aka Kent 1st Baronet
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Kent of Southwark
GrandFather: Samuel Kent
Mother: Sarah Kent
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Dean of London
GrandMother: Sarah Dean