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: Hanbury aka Hanbury-Tracy
On 25th August 1831 [his father] Thomas Charles Hanbury-Tracy 2nd Baron Sudeley [aged 30] and [his mother] Emma Elizabeth Alicia Dawkins-Pennant Baroness Sudeley were married.
On 3rd July 1840 Charles Hanbury Tracy 4th Baron Sudeley was born to [his father] Thomas Charles Hanbury-Tracy 2nd Baron Sudeley [aged 39] and [his mother] Emma Elizabeth Alicia Dawkins-Pennant Baroness Sudeley.
On 10th February 1858 [his grandfather] Charles Hanbury-Tracy 1st Baron Sudeley [aged 79] died. His son [his father] Thomas [aged 57] succeeded 2nd Baron Sudeley of Toddington in Gloucestershire. [his mother] Emma Elizabeth Alicia Dawkins-Pennant Baroness Sudeley by marriage Baroness Sudeley of Toddington in Gloucestershire.
In 1863 Charles Hanbury Tracy 4th Baron Sudeley [aged 22] was elected MP Montgomery which seat he held until 1877 when he succeeded his brother as Baron Sudeley.
On 19th February 1863 [his father] Thomas Charles Hanbury-Tracy 2nd Baron Sudeley [aged 62] died. His son [his brother] Sudeley [aged 25] succeeded 3rd Baron Sudeley of Toddington in Gloucestershire.
In 1868 Charles Hanbury Tracy 4th Baron Sudeley [aged 27] and Ada Maria Tollemache Baroness Sudeley [aged 19] were married.
On 25th January 1869 [his daughter] Eva Isabella Hanbury-Tracy was born to Charles Hanbury Tracy 4th Baron Sudeley [aged 28] and [his wife] Ada Maria Tollemache Baroness Sudeley [aged 20]. She married 24th August 1889 Henry Torrens Anstruther.
On 19th April 1870 [his son] William Hanbury-Tracy 5th Baron Sudeley was born to Charles Hanbury Tracy 4th Baron Sudeley [aged 29] and [his wife] Ada Maria Tollemache Baroness Sudeley [aged 21]. He married (1) 24th August 1905 Edith Celandine Cecil.
On 11th April 1871 [his son] Algernon Hanbury-Tracy was born to Charles Hanbury Tracy 4th Baron Sudeley [aged 30] and [his wife] Ada Maria Tollemache Baroness Sudeley [aged 22].
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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In 1877 [his daughter] Alice Eve Hanbury-Tracy was born to Charles Hanbury Tracy 4th Baron Sudeley [aged 36] and [his wife] Ada Maria Tollemache Baroness Sudeley [aged 28]. She married 1898 Bertram William Keppel.
On 28th April 1877 Sudeley Hanbury-Tracy 3rd Baron Sudeley [aged 40] died unmarried. His brother Charles [aged 36] succeeded 4th Baron Sudeley of Toddington in Gloucestershire. Ada Maria Tollemache Baroness Sudeley [aged 28] by marriage Baroness Sudeley of Toddington in Gloucestershire.
The London Gazette 24843. St. James's Palace, May 10, 1880. THE Queen has been pleased to appoint to be Lords in Waiting in Ordinary to Her Majesty:-
Frederick Henry Paul [aged 62], Lord Methuen in the room of William, Lord Bagot [aged 69], resigned.
Lawrance [aged 35], Earl of Zetland, in the room of Charles Adolphus [aged 39], Earl of Dunmore, resigned.
William [aged 46], Earl of Listowel, in the room of Dudley Charles FitzGerald [aged 53], Lord de Ros, resigned.
Thomas [aged 25], Lord Ribblesdale, in the room of William Buller Fullerton [aged 51], Lord Elphinstone, resigned.
Charles Douglas Richard [aged 39], Lord Sudeley, in the room of John Major [aged 37], Lord Henniker, resigned.
Arthur [aged 55], Lord Wrottesley, in the room of Cornwallis [aged 63], Viscount Hawarden, resigned.
In 1882 [his son] Felix Charles Hanbury-Tracy was born to Charles Hanbury Tracy 4th Baron Sudeley [aged 41] and [his wife] Ada Maria Tollemache Baroness Sudeley [aged 33].
The London Gazette 25488. St. James's Palace, July 6, 1885. THE Queen has been pleased to appoint George William [aged 47], Earl of Coventry, to be Captain of Her Majesty's Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms, in the room of Charles Robert, Lord Carrington, G.C.M.G., resigned.
The Queen has also been pleased to appoint George Florance, Lord Boston, to be one of Her Majesty's Lords in Waiting in Ordinary, in the room of Charles Douglas Richard [aged 45], Lord Sudeley, resigned.
The London Gazette 25558. St. James's Palace, February 10, 1886. THE Queen has been pleased to make the following appointments in Her Majesty's Household:— .
Valentine Augustus [aged 60], Earl of Kenmare, K.P., to be Lord Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household, in the room of Edward [aged 48], Earl of Lathom, resigned.
Charles Douglas Richard [aged 45], Lord Sudeley to be Captain of Her Majesty's Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, in the room of George William [aged 47], Earl of Coventry, resigned.
William John, Lord Monson to be Captain of Her Majesty's Guard of Yeomen of the Guard, in the room of George William [aged 61], Viscount Barrington, resigned.
The Honourable Charles Robert Spencer [aged 28], M.P., to be one of the Grooms in Waiting in Ordinary to Her Majesty, in the room of Sir Henry Fletcher [aged 50], Bart., M.P., resigned.
The London Gazette 25615. St. James's Palace, August 5, 1886. THE Queen has been pleased to make the following Appointments in Her Majesty's Household:
Edward, Earl of Lathom, to be Lord Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household, in the room of Valentine Augustus, Earl of Kenmare, K.P., resigned.
William Heneage, Viscount Lewisham, to be Vice-Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household, in the room of Frederick Edward Gould, Viscount Kilcoursie, M.P., resigned.
George William [aged 62], Viscount Barrington, to be Captain of Her Majesty's Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms, in the room of Charles Douglas Richard [aged 46], Lord Sudeley, resigned.
Algernon Hawkins Thomond, Earl of Kintore, to be Captain of Her Majesty's Guard of Yeomen of the Guard, in the room of William John, Lord Monson, resigned.
On 14th July 1888 [his mother] Emma Elizabeth Alicia Dawkins-Pennant Baroness Sudeley died.
On 24th August 1889 [his son-in-law] Henry Torrens Anstruther [aged 28] and [his daughter] Eva Isabella Hanbury-Tracy [aged 20] were married.
In 1898 [his son-in-law] Bertram William Keppel [aged 22] and [his daughter] Alice Eve Hanbury-Tracy [aged 21] were married.
On 24th August 1905 [his son] William Hanbury-Tracy 5th Baron Sudeley [aged 35] and [his daughter-in-law] Edith Celandine Cecil [aged 19] were married.
On 19th December 1914 [his son] Felix Charles Hanbury-Tracy [aged 32] died. He was seriously wounded during an attack on the German trenches at Fromelles, in December 1914, but stoically refused to be carried back from the firing line, on account of the great risk to the stretcher-bearers. News of his fate was confirmed during the Christmas Truce, in the so-called "information interviews," when German officers told their British counterparts that he had subsequently been brought into the German trenches seriously wounded. He had died two days later and been buried in the German Cemetery at Fromelles.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 3rd December 1915 Algernon Hanbury-Tracy [aged 44] died from wounds. He was buried at the Church of St Peter Petersham, Surrey. The inscription on his grave reads: "Sacred to the memory of Algernon Henry Charles Hanbury-Tracy CMG. Major Royal Horse Guards 2nd son of the 4th Baron Sudely and grandson of the Honourable Frederick Tollemache. Died Dec 3 1915 aged 44 years. Served his country with distinction in East Africa 1897-1899, South Africa 1899-1900, Somaliland 1901."
In 1922 [his son] William Hanbury-Tracy 5th Baron Sudeley [aged 51] and [his daughter-in-law] Edith Celandine Cecil [aged 35] were divorced.
On 9th December 1922 Charles Hanbury Tracy 4th Baron Sudeley [aged 82] died at Reston Lodge, Petersham. His son William [aged 52] succeeded 5th Baron Sudeley of Toddington in Gloucestershire.
On 6th January 1928 [his former wife] Ada Maria Tollemache Baroness Sudeley [aged 79] died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 25 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 20 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 26 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 21 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 25 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 15 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 24 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 31 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 25 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 29 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Hanbury
GrandFather: Charles Hanbury-Tracy 1st Baron Sudeley
Father: Thomas Charles Hanbury-Tracy 2nd Baron Sudeley 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Tracy 3rd Viscount Tracy 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Tracy 4th Viscount Tracy 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Leigh Viscountess Tracy
Great x 2 Grandfather: Charles Tracy 5th Viscount Tracy 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Leigh
Great x 3 Grandmother: Jane Leigh Viscountess Tracy
Great x 1 Grandfather: Henry Tracy 8th Viscount Tracy 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Pakington 3rd Baronet 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Pakington 4th Baronet
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Keyt Lady Pakington
Great x 2 Grandmother: Frances Pakington
GrandMother: Henrietta Susanna Tracy 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Charles Hanbury Tracy 4th Baron Sudeley 15 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
GrandFather: George Hay Dawkins-Pennant
Mother: Emma Elizabeth Alicia Dawkins-Pennant Baroness Sudeley
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Maude 1st Baronet
Great x 1 Grandfather: Cornwallis Maude 1st Viscount Hawarden
GrandMother: Sophia Maria Maude
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Vernon 
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Vernon of Caldewell
Great x 2 Grandfather: Bowater Vernon
Great x 1 Grandmother: Letitia Vernon
Great x 4 Grandfather: Francis Cornwallis
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Cornwallis of Abermarles
Great x 2 Grandmother: Jane Cornwallis