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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Biography of Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford -1143

Paternal Family Tree: Gloucester

Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford was appointed Constable of England.

Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford succeeded Lord Brecknock Brecon. Sibyl Neufmarché Countess Hereford by marriage Lord Brecknock Brecon.

Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford was born to [his father] Walter Gloucester and [his mother] Emme or Bertha Balun.

Around May 1121 Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford and Sibyl Neufmarché Countess Hereford (age 21) were married. The marriage had been personally arranged by King Henry I "Beauclerc" England (age 53).

Around 1123 [his daughter] Margaret Gloucester was born to Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford and [his wife] Sibyl Neufmarché Countess Hereford (age 23). She married Humphrey Bohun, son of Humphrey Bohun 2nd Baron Trowbridge and Maud of Salisbury 2nd Baroness Trowbridge, and had issue.

Before 1125 [his son] Roger Fitzmiles 2nd Earl Hereford was born to Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford and [his wife] Sibyl Neufmarché Countess Hereford (age 24). He married 1136 Cecilia Fitzjohn Countess Hereford.

Around 1129 Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford was appointed High Sheriff of Gloucester.

Around 1129 [his father] Walter Gloucester died.

In 1136 [his son] Roger Fitzmiles 2nd Earl Hereford (age 11) and [his daughter-in-law] Cecilia Fitzjohn Countess Hereford (age 16) were married. He the son of Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford and [his wife] Sibyl Neufmarché Countess Hereford (age 36).

Around May 1136 Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford founded Llanthony Secunda Priory, Gloucestershire [Map], literally Llanthony Second, as a refuge for the monks of Llanthony Priory [Map] who were suffering repeated attacks from the Welsh.

Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans

Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.

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In 1141 Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford was created 1st Earl Hereford. [his wife] Sibyl Neufmarché Countess Hereford (age 41) by marriage Countess Hereford.

On 24th December 1143 Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford was accidentally shot and killed whilst hunting in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. He was buried in the Chapter House, Llanthony Secunda Priory, Gloucestershire. His son Roger (age 18) succeeded 2nd Earl Hereford, Baron Abergavenny Feudal Creation. [his daughter-in-law] Cecilia Fitzjohn Countess Hereford (age 23) by marriage Countess Hereford.

After 24th December 1143 [his former wife] Sibyl Neufmarché Countess Hereford (deceased) died at Llanthony Secunda Priory, Gloucestershire [Map] where she had resided since her husband's death. She was buried in Llanthony Secunda Priory, Gloucestershire [Map].

In 1151 [his son] Roger Fitzmiles 2nd Earl Hereford (age 26) founded Flaxley Abbey [Map] believed to be at the location where his father Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford died.

In 1151 [his son] Roger Fitzmiles 2nd Earl Hereford (age 26) founded the Cistercia Flaxby Abbey [Map] on the spot where his father Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford had been accidentally kiled whilst hunting. The Monks came from Bordesley Abbey, Worcestershire [Map].

[his son] Mahel Gloucester was born to Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford and Sibyl Neufmarché Countess Hereford.

[his son] William Gloucester was born to Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford and Sibyl Neufmarché Countess Hereford.

[his daughter] Bertha Gloucester Baroness Bramber was born to Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford and Sibyl Neufmarché Countess Hereford. She married before 1144 William de Braose 3rd Baron Bramber, son of Phillip de Braose 2nd Baron Bramber and Aenor Totnes Baroness Bramber, and had issue.

[his daughter] Lucy Gloucester was born to Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford and Sibyl Neufmarché Countess Hereford.

[his son] Henry Fitzmiles Baron Abergavenny was born to Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford and Sibyl Neufmarché Countess Hereford at Gloucester [Map].

[his son] Walter Fitzmiles Baron Abergavenny was born to Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford and Sibyl Neufmarché Countess Hereford.

Biography of Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford -1143

Royal Descendants of Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford -1143
Number after indicates the number of unique routes of descent. Descendants of Kings and Queens not included.

Ancestors of Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford -1143

Biography of Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford -1143

Royal Descendants of Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford -1143Number after indicates the number of unique routes of descent. Descendants of Kings and Queens not included.

Ancestors of Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford -1143

Royal Descendants of Miles Gloucester 1st Earl Hereford -1143
Number after indicates the number of unique routes of descent. Descendants of Kings and Queens not included.