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: Knatchbull
In 1698 [his father] Edward Knatchbull 4th Baronet (age 24) and [his mother] Alice Wyndham Lady Knatchbull (age 21) were married. They had eight children, three daughters and five sons.
On 12th December 1704 Edward Knatchbull 7th Baronet was born to [his father] Edward Knatchbull 4th Baronet (age 30) and [his mother] Alice Wyndham Lady Knatchbull (age 28).
After 12th December 1711 [his grandfather] Thomas Knatchbull 3rd Baronet (deceased) died. His son [his father] Edward (age 37) succeeded 4th Baronet Knatchbull of Mersham Hatch in Kent. [his mother] Alice Wyndham Lady Knatchbull (age 35) by marriage Lady Knatchbull of Mersham Hatch in Kent.
On 15th April 1723 [his mother] Alice Wyndham Lady Knatchbull (age 47) died.
In 1727 Edward Knatchbull 7th Baronet (age 22) was elected MP Armagh Borough which seat he held until 1760.
On 3rd April 1730 [his father] Edward Knatchbull 4th Baronet (age 56) died. His son [his brother] Wyndham (age 30) succeeded 5th Baronet Knatchbull of Mersham Hatch in Kent.
Before 1760 Edward Knatchbull 7th Baronet (age 55) and Grace Legge were married.
Around 1760 [his son] Edward Knatchbull 8th Baronet was born to Edward Knatchbull 7th Baronet (age 55) and [his wife] Grace Legge.
On 26th September 1763 Wyndham Knatchbull-Wyndham 6th Baronet (age 26) died unmarried. His uncle Edward (age 58) succeeded 7th Baronet Knatchbull of Mersham Hatch in Kent.
Before 1770. Francis Cotes (age 43). Portrait of Edward Knatchbull 7th Baronet (age 65).
On 21st November 1789 Edward Knatchbull 7th Baronet (age 84) died. His son Edward (age 29) succeeded 8th Baronet Knatchbull of Mersham Hatch in Kent.
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 17 Grand Son of Louis VII King of the Franks
Kings France: Great x 20 Grand Son of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 24 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Knatchbull
Great x 1 Grandfather: Norton Knatchbull 1st Baronet 8 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Astley of Hilmorton and Melton Constable
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Astley
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Wood aka Wode
Great x 2 Grandmother: Eleanor Astley 7 x Great Grand Daughter of
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Grey 
5 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Grey 6 x Great Grand Daughter of
GrandFather: Thomas Knatchbull 3rd Baronet 9 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Westrow
Great x 1 Grandmother: Dorothy Westrow
Father: Edward Knatchbull 4th Baronet 10 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 3 Grandfather: Anthony Dering of Surrenden Dering in Pluckley in Kent
Great x 2 Grandfather: Edward Dering 1st Baronet
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Bell
Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Bell
Great x 4 Grandmother: Dorothie Beaupré
Great x 1 Grandfather: Edward Dering 2nd Baronet 11 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Ashburnham
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Ashburnham
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Ashburnham Lady Dering 10 x Great Grand Daughter of
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Beaumont 
8 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Beaumont 9 x Great Grand Daughter of
Great x 4 Grandmother: Katherine Farnham
GrandMother: Mary Dering 12 x Great Grand Daughter of
Great x 2 Grandfather: Daniel Harvey
Great x 1 Grandmother: Mary Harvey Lady Dering
Edward Knatchbull 7th Baronet 11 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Wyndham 
7 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Wyndham 8 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Wyndham of Orchard 9 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Wadham
Great x 3 Grandmother: Florence Wadham
Great x 1 Grandfather: Wadham Wyndham 10 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Portman 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Portman
Great x 2 Grandmother: Joan Portman
GrandFather: Colonel John Wyndham 11 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 2 Grandfather: George Clarke of Watford Manor in Northamptonshire
Great x 1 Grandmother: Barbara Clarke
Mother: Alice Wyndham Lady Knatchbull 12 x Great Grand Daughter of
GrandMother: Alice Fownes