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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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Around 1595 John Felton was born.
The Cádiz expedition of 1625 was a naval expedition against Spain by English and Dutch forces led by George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham (age 33).
The expedition left Plymouth, Devon [Map] on 6th October 1625.
In November 1625 the fleet attempted, unsuccessfully, to capture Cádiz.
In December 1625 the English returned home having achieved nothing other than spending £250,000, losing 62 out of 105 ships and 7000 English troops.
John Felton (age 30) served.
In 1626 John Felton (age 31) served as a lieutenant in Ireland.
Around May 1627 John Felton (age 32) petitioned to be appointed a captain on
On 12th July 1627 George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham (age 34) led an English force of 100 ships and 6,000 soldiers to capture the city of Saint-Martin-de-Ré on the Île de Ré.
In August 1627 more troops, including the newly promoted Lieutenant John Felton (age 32), arrived.
On 3rd September 1627 two thousand Irish troops arrived under Ralph Bingley (age 57)
On 27th October 1627 a final assault was attempted; it failed because the attackers' siege ladders were shorter than the walls of the fortress.
In November 1627 George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham retreated and returned to England having lost thousands of his men.
On 23rd August 1628 George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham (age 35) was murdered at Greyhound Pub, Portsmouth by a disgruntled soldier John Felton (age 33). He was buried at Westminster Abbey [Map]. His son George succeeded 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 2nd Marquess of Buckingham, 2nd Earl Buckingham.
Felton was considered a hero by many who blamed Buckingham for the failures of the 1625 Cádiz Expedition and 1627 Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré. Felton was subsequently hanged.
On 13th November 1628 Thomas Richardson (age 59) ruled that it was illegal to use the rack to elicit confession from John Felton (age 33), the murderer of Duke of Buckingham. His opinion had the concurrence of his colleagues and marks a significant point in the history of English criminal jurisprudence.
On 29th November 1628 John Felton (age 33) was hanged at Tyburn [Map] for having murdered the Duke of Buckingham.