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: Prideaux
Before 22nd February 1693 [his father] Humphrey Prideaux (age 44) and [his mother] Bridget Bokenham were married.
On or before 22nd February 1693 Edmund Prideaux was born to [his father] Humphrey Prideaux (age 44) and [his mother] Bridget Bokenham. He was christened at Soham Tony, Norfolk on 22nd February 1693
In 1700 [his mother] Bridget Bokenham died.
On 22nd May 1711 Edmund Prideaux (age 18) was admitted to Clare College, Cambridge University as a Fellow Commoner.
On 10th February 1712 Edmund Prideaux (age 18) entered Middle Temple.
On 17th April 1717 Edmund Prideaux (age 24) and Hannah Wrench (age 20) were married.
In 1719 [his son] Humphrey Prideaux was born to Edmund Prideaux (age 25) and [his wife] Hannah Wrench (age 22).
Vesta Monumenta. 1724.Plates 1.13 and 1.14: Engravings of St. Benet's Abbey Gatehouse [Map] (1 of 2) by George Vertue (age 40) after John Kirkpatrick and Edmund Prideaux (age 30). 205 x 389 mm and 206 x 318 mm. Published by the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1724.
Vesta Monumenta. 1724. Plate 1.15: Engraving of the Tomb of Robart Colles. Late fifteenth or early sixteenth-century chest tomb of Robart Colles in the Holy Innocents Church, Foulsham [Map]. Paneled sides around which runs the inscription "Robart Colles Cecili his vif." Engraving by George Vertue (age 40) after Edmund Prideaux (age 30). 204 x 328 mm.
On 1st November 1724 [his father] Humphrey Prideaux (age 76) died.
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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In 1st November 1724 [his father] Humphrey Prideaux (age 76) was appointed Dean of Norwich.
On 2nd February 1726 [his wife] Hannah Wrench (age 29) died.
In 1728 Edmund Prideaux (age 56) died. His cousin Edmund Prideaux (age 34) inherited Prideaux Place.
Around 1730 William Aikman (age 47). Portrait of Edmund Prideaux (age 36).
Vesta Monumenta. 1738. Plates 50 to 52. Three mid fourth-century CE Roman mosaic pavements at Wellow, Somerset [Map] the first of which was found by John Aubrey c. 1685. Further investigations of the site were carried out in 1737 by Edmund Prideaux (age 44) and James West, who found the second and third pavements, respectively. Engravings by George Vertue (age 54) after James Vertue (age 78) and James West.
James Vertue: In 1660 he was born.
In 1745 Edmund Prideaux (age 51) died.
Great x 3 Grandfather: Roger Prideaux
Great x 2 Grandfather: Nicholas Prideaux
Great x 1 Grandfather: Humphrey Pruideaux
GrandFather: Edmund Prideaux
Father: Humphrey Prideaux
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Moyle
GrandMother: Bridget Moyle
GrandFather: Anthony Bokenham of Helmingham in Suffolk
Mother: Bridget Bokenham