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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On 24th April 1718 Nathaniel Hone the Elder was born.
Before 1751. Nathaniel Hone the Elder [aged 32]. Portrait of Mary Savile Countess Isle Thanet.
1755. Nathaniel Hone the Elder [aged 36]. Portrait of David Colyear [aged 19], Viscount Milsington.
David Colyear: In 1736 he was born to Charles Colyear 2nd Earl Portmore. In 1756 David Colyear died.
Around 1760. Nathaniel Hone the Elder [aged 41]. Self-portrait.
1761. Nathaniel Hone the Elder [aged 42]. Portrait of Nathaniel Curzon 1st Baron Scarsdale [aged 35] and his wife Caroline Colyear Baroness Scarsdale [aged 28].
1763. Nathaniel Hone the Elder [aged 44]. Portrait of Catherine Maria Fischer aka Kitty Fisher [aged 21].
Around 1763. Nathaniel Hone the Elder [aged 44]. Portrait of Catherine Maria Fischer aka Kitty Fisher [aged 21].
Before 1771. Nathaniel Hone the Elder [aged 52]. Portrait of Edward Finch-Hatton [aged 73].
Edward Finch-Hatton: In 1697 he was born to Daniel Finch 2nd Earl Nottingham 7th Earl Winchilsea and Anne Hatton Countess Nottingham and Winchelsea. In 1727 Edward Finch-Hatton was elected MP Cambridge University. On 9th September 1746 Edward Finch-Hatton and Elizabeth Palmer were married. He the son of Daniel Finch 2nd Earl Nottingham 7th Earl Winchilsea and Anne Hatton Countess Nottingham and Winchelsea. On 16th May 1771 Edward Finch-Hatton died.
1778. Nathaniel Hone the Elder [aged 59]. Self-portrait.
1778. Nathaniel Hone the Elder [aged 59]. Portrait of Sophia Susanna Noel.
Sophia Susanna Noel: she was born to Edward Noel 1st Viscount Wentworth. On 11th August 1777 Nathaniel Curzon 2nd Baron Scarsdale and she were married. On 28th June 1782 Sophia Susanna Noel died.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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Before 1784. Nathaniel Hone the Elder [aged 65]. Portrait of William Willoughby Cole 1st Earl Enniskillen [aged 47].
On 14th August 1784 Nathaniel Hone the Elder [aged 66] died.