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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Earl Selborne is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically, Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extant Earldoms of England.
Summary
29th December 1882. Roundell Palmer 1st Earl Selborne (age 70) created.
4th May 1895. Son William Palmer 2nd Earl Selborne (age 35) succeeded.
26th February 1942. Son Roundell Palmer 3rd Earl Selborne (age 54) succeeded.
3rd September 1971. Grandson John Palmer 4th Earl of Selborne (age 31) succeeded.
12th February 2021. Son William Palmer 5th Earl of Selborne (age 50) succeeded.
The London Gazette 25183. Whitehall, December 29, 1882. The Queen has been pleased to direct Letters Patent to be passed under the Great Seal granting the dignities of a Viscount and an Earl of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland unto the Right Honourable Roundell, Lord Selborne (age 70), Lord High Chancellor of that part of the said United Kingdom called Great Britain, and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the names, styles, and titles of Viscount Wolmer, of Blackmoor, in the county of Southampton, and Earl of Selborne, in the said county. [Laura Waldegrave Countess Selborne (age 61) by marriage Countess Selborne.]
On 4th May 1895 Roundell Palmer 1st Earl Selborne (age 82) died. His son William (age 35) succeeded 2nd Earl Selborne, 2nd Viscount Wolmer of Blackmoor in Hampshire. Beatrix Maud Gascoyne-Cecil Countess Selborne (age 37) by marriage Countess Selborne.
On 26th February 1942 William Palmer 2nd Earl Selborne (age 82) died. His son Roundell (age 54) succeeded 3rd Earl Selborne, 3rd Viscount Wolmer of Blackmoor in Hampshire. Grace Ridley Countess Selborne (age 53) by marriage Countess Selborne.
On 3rd September 1971 Roundell Palmer 3rd Earl Selborne (age 84) died. His grandson John (age 31) succeeded 4th Earl Selborne, 4th Viscount Wolmer of Blackmoor in Hampshire.
On 12th February 2021 John Palmer 4th Earl of Selborne (age 80) died. His son William (age 50) succeeded 5th Earl Selborne, 5th Viscount Wolmer of Blackmoor in Hampshire.