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.

Biography of Henry Scott Tuke 1858-1929

Henry Scott Tuke is in Painters.

In 1853 [his father] Daniel Hack Tuke (age 25) and [his mother] Esther Maria Stickney (age 27) were married.

On 12th June 1858 Henry Scott Tuke was born to [his father] Daniel Hack Tuke (age 31) and [his mother] Esther Maria Stickney (age 32) at Lawrence Street, York.

1881. Henry Scott Tuke (age 22). Self-portrait.

1885. Henry Scott Tuke (age 26). "The silk gown", portrait of [his sister] Maria Tuke aka Sainsbury (age 23).

1885. Henry Scott Tuke (age 26). "All Hands to the Pumps".

On 5th March 1895 [his father] Daniel Hack Tuke (age 67) died.

1897. Henry Scott Tuke (age 38). Portrait of Ronald Leveson-Gower (age 51).

Ronald Leveson-Gower: On 2nd August 1845 he was born to George Sutherland Leveson-Gower 2nd Duke Sutherland and Harriet Elizabeth Georgiana Howard Duchess Sutherland. Coefficient of inbreeding 3.22%. On 9th March 1916 Ronald Leveson-Gower died.

1898. Henry Scott Tuke (age 39). Portrait of Margaret Muriel Lubbock (age 19).

Margaret Muriel Lubbock: On 3rd December 1878 she was born to Henry James Lubbock and Frances Mary Turton. On 17th July 1906 Ernest Tatham Richmond and she were married. He the son of William Blake Richmond and Clara Jane Richards. On 25th March 1959 Margaret Muriel Lubbock died.

In 1899 [his brother-in-law] Dr Harrington Sainsbury and [his sister] Maria Tuke aka Sainsbury (age 37) were married. They had four children.

1914. Henry Scott Tuke (age 55). "Four-Masted Barque".

The History of William Marshal, Earl of Chepstow and Pembroke, Regent of England. Book 1 of 2, Lines 1-10152.

The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

1914. Henry Scott Tuke (age 55). "Return from Fishing".

In 1917 [his mother] Esther Maria Stickney (age 91) died.

On 13th March 1929 Henry Scott Tuke (age 70) died at his cottage overlooking Swanpool in Falmouth, Cornwall. His sister [his sister] Maria Tuke aka Sainsbury (age 68) was present.