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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Startley Hundred, Wiltshire is in Wiltshire.
Around 1488 Thomas Danvers was born to John Danvers (age 36) at Dauntsey, Wiltshire.
On 9th October 1532 Thomas Danvers (age 44) died at Dauntsey, Wiltshire.
On 28th June 1573 Henry Danvers 1st Earl Danby was born to John Danvers (age 33) and Elizabeth Neville (age 23) at Dauntsey, Wiltshire.
On 20th January 1644 Henry Danvers 1st Earl Danby (age 70) died at Earl of Danby's House Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire. He was reburied at St James' the Great Church, Dauntsey. Earl Danby extinct.
Before 21st November 1604 Francis Thynne (age 42) died. He was buried on 21st November 1604 at Draycott, Wiltshire.
On 15th July 1884 Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley (age 80) died at 20 Albermarle Street. He was buried at Draycott, Wiltshire. His son William (age 49) succeeded 2nd Earl Cowley, 2nd Viscount Dangan of Meath, 3rd Baron Cowley. Emily Gwendoline Williams Countess Cowley (age 45) by marriage Countess Cowley.
On 28th February 1895 William Henry Wellesley 2nd Earl Cowley (age 60) died at Shute Manor Draycott, Wiltshire. His son Henry (age 29) succeeded 3rd Earl Cowley, 3rd Viscount Dangan of Meath, 4th Baron Cowley. Violet Neville Countess Cowley (age 28) by marriage Countess Cowley.