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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: Dering
On 26th November 1619 [his father] Edward Dering 1st Baronet (age 21) and Elizabeth Tufton were married at St Dionis Backchurch. She the daughter of Nicholas Tufton 1st Earl of Thanet (age 41) and Frances Cecil Countess Isle Thanet (age 38).
After 24th January 1622 [his father] Edward Dering 1st Baronet (age 24) and [his mother] Anne Ashburnham Lady Dering (age 17) were married. She a second-cousin once-removed of the King's favourite George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham (age 29).
On 8th November 1625 Edward Dering 2nd Baronet was born to [his father] Edward Dering 1st Baronet (age 27) and [his mother] Anne Ashburnham Lady Dering (age 20) at Surrenden Dering, Pluckley.
On 1st February 1626 [his father] Edward Dering 1st Baronet (age 28) was created 1st Baronet Dering of Surrenden Dering in Kent. [his mother] Anne Ashburnham Lady Dering (age 21) by marriage Lady Dering of Surrenden Dering in Kent.
On or before 17th April 1628 [his mother] Anne Ashburnham Lady Dering (age 23) died. She was buried on 17th April 1628.
After 16th April 1629 [his father] Edward Dering 1st Baronet (age 31) and [his step-mother] Unton Gibbs Lady Dering were married. She by marriage Lady Dering of Surrenden Dering in Kent.
In 1640 Edward Dering 2nd Baronet (age 14) was admitted as as a fellow-commoner to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge University.
In 1642 Edward Dering 2nd Baronet (age 16) transferred to Emmanuel College, Cambridge University. He was awarded BA in 1643.
Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In 1644 [his father] Edward Dering 1st Baronet (age 46) died. His son Edward (age 18) succeeded 2nd Baronet Dering of Surrenden Dering in Kent.
In 1648 [his daughter] Elizabeth Dering was born to Edward Dering 2nd Baronet (age 22) and [his future wife] Mary Harvey Lady Dering (age 18). She married before 19th March 1665 Robert Southwell and had issue.
On 5th April 1648 Edward Dering 2nd Baronet (age 22) and Mary Harvey Lady Dering (age 18) were married. She by marriage Lady Dering of Surrenden Dering in Kent. They had seventeen children, of whom 10 survived to adulthood.
On 18th April 1650 [his son] Edward Dering 3rd Baronet was born to Edward Dering 2nd Baronet (age 24) and [his wife] Mary Harvey Lady Dering (age 20). He married before 23rd June 1679 Elizabeth Cholmley Lady Dering, daughter of William Cholmley 2nd Baronet and Katherine Savile Lady Cholmley, and had issue.
In April 1660 Edward Dering 2nd Baronet (age 34) was elected MP Kent.
Before 19th March 1665 [his son-in-law] Robert Southwell (age 29) and [his daughter] Elizabeth Dering (age 17) were married.
In 1670 Edward Dering 2nd Baronet (age 44) was elected MP East Retford.
In 1679 and 1681 Edward Dering 2nd Baronet (age 53) was elected MP Hythe.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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Before 23rd June 1679 [his son] Edward Dering 3rd Baronet (age 29) and [his daughter-in-law] Elizabeth Cholmley Lady Dering (age 15) were married.
John Evelyn's Diary. 1st May 1680. This afternoon came to visit me Sir Edward Deering (age 54), of Surrendon, in Kent, one of the Lords of the Treasury, with his [his daughter] daughter (age 32), married to my worthy friend, [his son-in-law] Sir Robert Southwell (age 44), Clerk of the Council, now Extraordinary-Envoy to the Duke of Brandenburgh, and other Princes in Germany, as before he had been in Portugal, being a sober, wise, and virtuous gentleman.
In 1681 [his daughter] Elizabeth Dering (age 33) died.
Before 12th July 1683 [his son-in-law] John Perceval 3rd Baronet (age 23) and [his daughter] Catherine Dering were married. A sibling marriage. John's sister Helena Perceval (age 28) was married to, or would marry, Catherine's brother [his son] Daniel Dering.
On 24th June 1684 Edward Dering 2nd Baronet (age 58) died. His son Edward (age 34) succeeded 3rd Baronet Dering of Surrenden Dering in Kent. [his daughter-in-law] Elizabeth Cholmley Lady Dering (age 20) by marriage Lady Dering of Surrenden Dering in Kent.
On 7th February 1704 [his former wife] Mary Harvey Lady Dering (age 74) died.
[his son] Daniel Dering was born to Edward Dering 2nd Baronet and Mary Harvey Lady Dering. He married Helena Perceval, daughter of John Perceval 1st Baronet and Catherine Southwell.
[his daughter] Catherine Dering was born to Edward Dering 2nd Baronet and Mary Harvey Lady Dering. She married before 12th July 1683 John Perceval 3rd Baronet, son of John Perceval 1st Baronet and Catherine Southwell, and had issue.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
[his daughter] Mary Dering was born to Edward Dering 2nd Baronet and Mary Harvey Lady Dering. She married before 1712 Thomas Knatchbull 3rd Baronet, son of Norton Knatchbull 1st Baronet and Dorothy Westrow, and had issue.
Kings Wessex: Great x 20 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 17 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 23 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 18 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 11 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 19 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 16 Grand Son of Louis VII King of the Franks
Kings France: Great x 19 Grand Son of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 24 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Father: Edward Dering 1st Baronet
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert Bell
GrandMother: Frances Bell
Great x 3 Grandfather: Nicholas Beaupre of Beaupre Hall in Outwell
Great x 2 Grandfather: Edmonde Beaupré of Beaupré Hall Norfolk
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Fotheringay
Great x 1 Grandmother: Dorothie Beaupré
Edward Dering 2nd Baronet 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Ashburnham
GrandFather: John Ashburnham
Mother: Anne Ashburnham Lady Dering 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Beaumont 
5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Beaumont 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Bassett 
13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Nicholas Beaumont of Coleorton in Leicestershire 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Clarke
Great x 3 Grandmother: Collette Clarke
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Beaumont 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Saunders of Welford in Northamptonshire
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Saunders
GrandMother: Elizabeth Beaumont 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Farnham
Great x 1 Grandmother: Katherine Farnham