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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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Dryden
In 1551 [his father] John Dryden of Canons Ashby (age 26) and [his step-mother] Elizabeth Cope (age 22) were married.
On 20th December 1553 Erasmus Dryden 1st Baronet was born to [his father] John Dryden of Canons Ashby (age 28).
On 21st January 1558 John Cope (age 54) died. [his father] John Dryden of Canons Ashby (age 33) and [his step-mother] Elizabeth Cope (age 29) inherited Canons Ashby House.
In 1571 Erasmus Dryden 1st Baronet (age 17) was admitted to Magdalen College, Oxford University.
In or before 1580 Erasmus Dryden 1st Baronet (age 26) and Frances Wilkes were married. They had 3 sons and 4 daughters.
Around 1580 [his son] John Dryden 2nd Baronet was born to Erasmus Dryden 1st Baronet (age 26) and [his wife] Frances Wilkes. He married (1) 8th October 1605 Priscilla Quarles (2) in or before 1631 Anne Parvish (3) 3rd July 1632 Honora Beville and had issue.
In 1583 [his daughter] Susannah Dryden was born to Erasmus Dryden 1st Baronet (age 29). She married 1609 John Pickering and had issue.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 30th September 1584 [his father] John Dryden of Canons Ashby (age 59) died.
In 1586 [his son] Erasmus Dryden was born to Erasmus Dryden 1st Baronet (age 32) and [his wife] Frances Wilkes. He married before 9th August 1631 Mary Pickering and had issue.
1590 [his son] William Dryden was born to Erasmus Dryden 1st Baronet (age 36) and [his wife] Frances Wilkes.
In 1599 Erasmus Dryden 1st Baronet (age 45) was appointed High Sheriff of Northamptonshire.
On 8th October 1605 [his son] John Dryden 2nd Baronet (age 25) and [his daughter-in-law] Priscilla Quarles (age 17) were married.
Before 1608 [his son-in-law] Edward Hartopp 1st Baronet (age 35) and [his daughter] Mary Dryden Lady Hartopp were married.
In 1609 [his son-in-law] John Pickering (age 24) and [his daughter] Susannah Dryden (age 26) were married.
In 1618 Erasmus Dryden 1st Baronet (age 64) was appointed High Sheriff of Northamptonshire.
On 16th November 1619 Erasmus Dryden 1st Baronet (age 65) was created 1st Baronet Dryden of Canons Ashby in Northamptonshire.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In or before 1631 [his son] John Dryden 2nd Baronet (age 50) and [his daughter-in-law] Anne Parvish (age 42) were married.
Before 9th August 1631 [his son] Erasmus Dryden (age 45) and [his daughter-in-law] Mary Pickering (age 39) were married.
On 22nd May 1632 Erasmus Dryden 1st Baronet (age 78) died. His son John (age 52) succeeded 2nd Baronet Dryden of Canons Ashby in Northamptonshire.
[his daughter] Mary Dryden Lady Hartopp was born to Erasmus Dryden 1st Baronet and Frances Wilkes. She married before 1608 Edward Hartopp 1st Baronet and had issue.
[his daughter] Dorothy Dryden was born to Erasmus Dryden 1st Baronet and Frances Wilkes. She married Edward Salwey and had issue.