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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In 1787 William James Chaplin was born in Rochester, Kent [Map].
Before 1840 William James Chaplin (age 52) was a stage coach proprietor who developed a large coaching business before the arrival of the railways. He had over ninety coaches in service earning £500,000.
In 1840 William James Chaplin (age 53) was appointed Deputy Chairman of the London and Southampton Railway.
Before 23rd July 1840 William James Chaplin (age 53) and Elizabeth Alston were married.
On 23rd July 1840 [his son] Colonel John Worthy Chaplin was born to William James Chaplin (age 53) and [his wife] Elizabeth Alston at Ewhurst Park, Hampshire. He was educated at Harrow School. He married 22nd August 1871 Isabel Thompson and had issue.
In 1843 William James Chaplin (age 56) was appointed Chairman of the London and Southampton Railway which position he held until 1858 excepting 1853-1854.
In January 1847 William James Chaplin (age 60) was elected MP Salisbury at a by-election which seat he held until 1857.
On 24th April 1859 William James Chaplin (age 72) died.