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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Esquire to the Body is in Royal Household.
In 1441 John Norreys [aged 41] was appointed Esquire to the Body.
In 1460 John Cheney 1st Baron Cheyne [aged 18] was appointed Esquire to the Body to Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England [aged 23].
Before December 1462 Thomas Burgh 1st Baron Burgh of Gainsborough [aged 31] was appointed Esquire to the Body to King Edward IV of England [aged 20], and to the Privy Council.
In 1469 William Norreys [aged 28] was appointed Esquire to the Body to King Edward IV of England [aged 26].
On 27th October 1485 Thomas Lovell was appointed Esquire to the Body to King Henry VII of England and Ireland [aged 28].
In 1509 Edward Chamberlayne [aged 25] was appointed Esquire to the Body.
In 1509 Giles Strangeways [aged 22] was appointed Esquire to the Body.
In or before 1522 Francis Bryan [aged 31] was appointed Esquire to the Body.
Before 1525 Robert Tyrwhitt Master [aged 21] was appointed Esquire to the Body.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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Before 1528 William Carey [aged 27] was appointed Esquire to the Body to King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
Before 1528 Thomas Morgan [aged 45] was appointed Esquire to the Body to King Henry VIII of England and Ireland [aged 36].
In 1533 George Harper [aged 29] was appointed Esquire to the Body.
Before 1534 Edward Rogers [aged 35] was appointed Esquire to the Body.
In 1539 Richard Manners [aged 30] was appointed Esquire to the Body to King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
In 1541 Robert Oxenbridge [aged 33] was appointed Esquire to the Body.
On 5th January 1656 Sharington Talbot was appointed Esquire to the Body to King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 25].
William Parr 1st Baron Parr of Horton was appointed Esquire to the Body to King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
Edward Neville was appointed Esquire to the Body to King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
William Parr 1st Baron Parr of Horton was appointed Esquire to the Body to King Henry VIII of England and Ireland.
Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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Henry Knollys was appointed Esquire to the Body to Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland.
Ambrose Willoughby was appointed Esquire to the Body to Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland.
