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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Earl Beverley is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically, Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extant Earldoms of England.
Summary
1790. Algernon Percy 1st Earl Beverley (age 39) created.
21st October 1830. Son George Percy 5th Duke Northumberland (age 52) succeeded.
22nd August 1867. Son Algernon George Percy 6th Duke Northumberland (age 57) succeeded.
2nd January 1899. Son Henry George Percy 7th Duke Northumberland (age 52) succeeded.
14th May 1918. Son Alan Ian Percy 8th Duke Northumberland (age 38) succeeded.
23rd August 1930. Son Henry George Alan Percy 9th Duke Northumberland (age 18) succeeded.
21st May 1940. Brother Hugh Algernon Percy 10th Duke Northumberland (age 26) succeeded.
11th October 1988. Son Henry Percy 11th Duke of Northumberland (age 35) succeeded.
31st October 1995. Brother Ralph Percy 12th Duke of Northumberland (age 38) succeeded.
In 1790 Algernon Percy 1st Earl Beverley (age 39) was created 1st Earl Beverley. Isabella Susan Burrell Countess Beverley (age 39) by marriage Countess Beverley.
On 21st October 1830 Algernon Percy 1st Earl Beverley (age 80) died. His son George (age 52) succeeded 2nd Earl Beverley.
On 22nd August 1867 George Percy 5th Duke Northumberland (age 89) died. His son Algernon (age 57) succeeded 6th Duke Northumberland, 3rd Earl Beverley, 9th Baronet Smithson of Stanwick in Yorkshire. Louisa Drummond Duchess Northumberland by marriage Duchess Northumberland.
On 2nd January 1899 Algernon George Percy 6th Duke Northumberland (age 88) died. He was buried at Northumberland Vault, Crypt, Westminster Abbey. His son Henry (age 52) succeeded 7th Duke Northumberland, 4th Earl Beverley, 10th Baronet Smithson of Stanwick in Yorkshire. Edith Campbell Duchess Northumberland (age 49) by marriage Duchess Northumberland.
On 14th May 1918 Henry George Percy 7th Duke Northumberland (age 71) died. He was buried at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Lesbury [Map]. His son Alan (age 38) succeeded 8th Duke Northumberland, 5th Earl Beverley, 11th Baronet Smithson of Stanwick in Yorkshire. Helen Gordon-Lennox Duchess Northumberland (age 31) by marriage Duchess Northumberland.
On 23rd August 1930 Alan Ian Percy 8th Duke Northumberland (age 50) died. His son Henry (age 18) succeeded 9th Duke Northumberland, 6th Earl Beverley, 12th Baronet Smithson of Stanwick in Yorkshire.
On 21st May 1940 Henry George Alan Percy 9th Duke Northumberland (age 27) was killed in action at Pecq in Belgium, serving with the 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards, in a brave charge against overwhelming odds that was described as suicidal. His body is interred in the Esquelmes War Cemetery. His brother Hugh (age 26) succeeded 10th Duke Northumberland, 7th Earl Beverley, 13th Baronet Smithson of Stanwick in Yorkshire.
On 11th October 1988 Hugh Algernon Percy 10th Duke Northumberland (age 74) died. His son Henry (age 35) succeeded 11th Duke Northumberland, 8th Earl Beverley, 10th Baron Percy, 14th Baronet Smithson of Stanwick in Yorkshire.
On 31st October 1995 Henry Percy 11th Duke of Northumberland (age 42) died from an overdose of amphetamines. He was unmarried. His brother Ralph (age 38) succeeded 12th Duke Northumberland, 9th Earl Beverley, 11th Baron Percy, 15th Baronet Smithson of Stanwick in Yorkshire.