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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St Edburga's Church, Leigh is in Leigh, Worcestershire [Map], Churches in Worcestershire.
St Edburga's Church, Leigh [Map].
After 1606. St Edburga's Church, Leigh [Map]. Monument to Edmund Colles (age 78).
Edmund Colles: In 1528 he was born to William Colles and Margaret Hitch. In 1553 Edmund Colles was admitted as a member to the Inner Temple. On 19th December 1606 he died.
After 1615. St Edburga's Church, Leigh [Map]. Monument to William Colles and Mary Palmer.
William Colles: he was born to Edmund Colles. Before 1602 he and Mary Palmer were married. In 1615 he died.
Mary Palmer: she was born to Jerome Palmer and Eleanor Paget. In 1602 she died.
On 20th February 1640 Essex Devereux (age 25) drowned when attempting to cross the River Teme with a friend. He was buried at St Edburga's Church, Leigh [Map].
After 1656. St Edburga's Church, Leigh [Map]. Monument to Walter Devereux 5th Viscount Hereford (deceased) and Elizabeth Knightley Viscountess Hereford. Canopy suported on Ionic Capitals.
Elizabeth Knightley Viscountess Hereford: In 1588 she was born to Thomas Knightley and Elizabeth Schuckburgh. Before 1615 Walter Devereux 5th Viscount Hereford and she were married. On 8th June 1634 Elizabeth Knightley Viscountess Hereford died.
After 28th November 1828 St Edburga's Church, Leigh [Map]. Memorial to Mary Russell (deceased), wife of Rector of St Edburga's, Henry Barry Domvile.
Mary Russell: Around 1785 she was born to William Russell of Powich Court and Mary Cocks. On 28th November 1828 she died at Torquay, Devon.