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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Compton Verney Chapel is in Compton Verney House, Warwickshire.
On 26th March 1631 or 26th March 1632 Margaret Greville 14th Baroness Latimer 6th Baroness Willoughby of Broke [age 70] died. She was buried at Compton Verney Chapel [Map]. Her son Greville [age 45] succeeded 15th Baron Latimer of Corby, 7th Baron Willoughby Broke. Catherine Southwell Baroness Latimer and Willoughby Broke [age 38] by marriage Baroness Latimer of Corby, Baroness Willoughby Broke.
On 9th December 1648 Greville Verney 16th Baron Latimer 8th Baron Willoughby [age 28] died. He was buried at Compton Verney Chapel [Map]. His son Greville succeeded 17th Baron Latimer of Corby, 9th Baron Willoughby Broke.
In February 1649 Elizabeth Wenman Baroness Latimer and Willoughby Broke died from childbirth. Her husband had died a month before. Their son Greville Verney 17th Baron Latimer 9th Baron Willoughby was born posthumously on 26 Jan 1649. She was buried at Compton Verney Chapel [Map].
On 23rd July 1668 Greville Verney 17th Baron Latimer 9th Baron Willoughby [age 19] died. He was buried at Compton Verney Chapel [Map]. His son William succeeded 18th Baron Latimer of Corby, 10th Baron Willoughby Broke.
On 23rd August 1683 William Verney 18th Baron Latimer 10th Baron Willoughby [age 15] died. He was buried at Compton Verney Chapel [Map]. His great uncle Richard [age 62] succeeded 19th Baron Latimer of Corby, 11th Baron Willoughby Broke.
On 18th July 1711 Richard Verney 19th Baron Latimer 11th Baron Willoughby [age 90] died. He was buried at Compton Verney Chapel [Map]. His son George [age 51] succeeded 20th Baron Latimer of Corby, 12th Baron Willoughby Broke. Margaret Heath Baroness Latimer and Willoughby by marriage Baroness Latimer of Corby, Baroness Willoughby Broke.
On 26th December 1728 George Verney 20th Baron Latimer 12th Baron Willoughby [age 69] died. He was buried at Compton Verney Chapel [Map]. His son Richard [age 35] succeeded 21st Baron Latimer of Corby, 13th Baron Willoughby Broke.
In 1772 the old medieval church of Compton Murdak which stood a short way to the South East of Compton Verney House, Warwickshire near the lake was demolished to open up views from the house. An obelisk now marks the site of the original church and crypt.
Brown replaced it with a new chapel [Map] located on the slope to the north of the house, which was begun in 1776 and completed in 1780. It is a plain, Palladian-style Chapel built in 1776-9 to Brown's design to the north of the house, for a total cost of £981 10s 4d. The tombs of earlier Verneys were moved to the new chapel, along with a mixture of English heraldic and German Renaissance glass panels which had either decorated the old chapel or were collected by a stained-glass dealer during the 1770s. Today, it stands as a rare example of a building designed by Brown.
On 16th December 1852 Henry Peyto Verney 24th Baron Latimer 16th Baron Willoughby [age 79] died. He was buried at Compton Verney Chapel [Map]. His nephew Robert [age 43] succeeded 25th Baron Latimer of Corby, 17th Baron Willoughby Broke. He changed his surname from Barnard to Verney at this time as part of the settlement.
On 16th December 1923 Richard Verney 27th Baron Latimer 19th Baron Willoughby de Broke [age 54] died. He was buried at Compton Verney Chapel [Map]. His son John [age 27] succeeded 28th Baron Latimer of Corby, 20th Baron Willoughby Broke.