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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Alport, Derbyshire is in Youlgreave, Derbyshire [Map].
The River Lathkill rises near Monyash, Derbyshire [Map] flowing through Lathkill Dale, Derbyshire [Map], where there are a number of seasonal springs, to Conksbury Bridge, Derbyshire [Map] then Alport, Derbyshire [Map] where it is joined by the River Bradford. After Alport, Derbyshire [Map] the River Lathkill flows east to a point around 600m south of Haddon Hall, Derbyshire [Map] where it joins the Derbyshire River Wye.
The River Bradford rises at Middleton-by-Youlgreave, Derbyshire [Map] from where it flows to Alport, Derbyshire [Map] where it joins the River Lathkill.
Lathkill Dale, Derbyshire [Map], in which the River Lathkill flows, extends from Monyash, Derbyshire [Map] to Alport, Derbyshire [Map] where the River Lathkill is joined by the River Bradford.
