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: Bunbury
Before 29th November 1676 [his father] Henry Bunbury 2nd Baronet (age 19) and [his mother] Mary Eyton were married.
On 29th November 1676 Henry Bunbury 3rd Baronet was born to [his father] Henry Bunbury 2nd Baronet (age 19) and [his mother] Mary Eyton.
In 1682 [his grandfather] Thomas Bunbury 1st Baronet died. His son [his father] Henry (age 25) succeeded 2nd Baronet Bunbury of Bunbury in Oxfordshire and Stanney Hall in Cheshire.
In 1687 [his father] Henry Bunbury 2nd Baronet (age 30) died. His son Henry (age 10) succeeded 3rd Baronet Bunbury of Bunbury in Oxfordshire and Stanney Hall in Cheshire.
In 1699 Henry Bunbury 3rd Baronet (age 22) was appointed High Sheriff of Cheshire.
On 15th May 1699 Henry Bunbury 3rd Baronet (age 22) and Susannah Hanmer Lady Bunbury (age 22) were married. They had four sons and five daughters. She by marriage Lady Bunbury of Bunbury in Oxfordshire and Stanney Hall in Cheshire.
In January 1701 and December 1701 Henry Bunbury 3rd Baronet (age 24) was elected MP Chester. He was returned unopposed in 1702, 1705, 1708, 1710 and 1713. He was returned in an opposed election in the 1715 General Election. He was re-elected in 1722 but defeated in 1727.
On or before 9th February 1708 [his son] Charles Bunbury 4th Baronet was born to Henry Bunbury 3rd Baronet (age 31) and [his wife] Susannah Hanmer Lady Bunbury (age 31). He was baptised at Chester Cathedral [Map] on 9th February 1708.
Around 1710 [his son] William Bunbury 5th Baronet was born to Henry Bunbury 3rd Baronet (age 33) and [his wife] Susannah Hanmer Lady Bunbury (age 33).
In 1711 Henry Bunbury 3rd Baronet (age 34) was appointed Commissioner of the Revenue for Ireland.
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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On 12th February 1733 Henry Bunbury 3rd Baronet (age 56) died. His son Charles (age 25) succeeded 4th Baronet Bunbury of Bunbury in Oxfordshire and Stanney Hall in Cheshire.
On 23rd September 1744 [his former wife] Susannah Hanmer Lady Bunbury (age 68) died.
GrandFather: Thomas Bunbury 1st Baronet
Father: Henry Bunbury 2nd Baronet
Great x 1 Grandfather: Gerard Eyton of Eyton in Denbighshire
GrandFather: Kenrick Eyton
Mother: Mary Eyton
Great x 1 Grandfather: Peter Mutton of Llanerch
GrandMother: Eleanor Mutton
Great x 2 Grandfather: Edmund Williams
Great x 1 Grandmother: Eleanor Williams