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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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Marquess Westminster is in Marquessates of England Alphabetically, Marquessates of England Chronologically, Extant Marquessates of England.
Summary
1831. Robert Grosvenor 1st Marquess Westminster (age 63) created.
17th February 1845. Son Richard Grosvenor 2nd Marquess Westminster (age 50) succeeded.
31st October 1869. Son Hugh Lupus Grosvenor 1st Duke Westminster (age 44) succeeded.
22nd December 1899. Grandson Hugh "Bendor" Grosvenor 2nd Duke Westminster (age 20) succeeded.
19th July 1953. First Cousin William Grosvenor 3rd Duke Westminster (age 58) succeeded.
22nd February 1963. Half First Cousin Gerald Hugh Grosvenor 4th Duke Westminster (age 56) succeeded.
25th February 1967. Brother Robert George Grosvenor 5th Duke Westminster (age 56) succeeded.
19th February 1979. Son Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor 6th Duke Westminster (age 27) succeeded.
9th August 2016. Son Hugh Grosvenor 7th Duke of Westminster (age 25) succeeded.
In 1831 Robert Grosvenor 1st Marquess Westminster (age 63) was created 1st Marquess Westminster. Eleanor Egerton Marchioness Westminster (age 60) by marriage Marchioness Westminster.
On 17th February 1845 Robert Grosvenor 1st Marquess Westminster (age 77) died at Eaton Hall, Cheshire [Map]. He was buried at Grosvenor Vault, St Mary's Church, Eccleston. His son Richard (age 50) succeeded 2nd Marquess Westminster, 3rd Earl Grosvenor, 9th Baronet Grosvenor of Eaton in Cheshire. Elizabeth Mary Leveson-Gower Marchioness Westminster (age 48) by marriage Marchioness Westminster.
On 31st October 1869 Richard Grosvenor 2nd Marquess Westminster (age 74) died. His son Hugh (age 44) succeeded 3rd Marquess Westminster, 4th Earl Grosvenor, 10th Baronet Grosvenor of Eaton in Cheshire. Constance Leveson-Gower Duchess Westminster (age 35) by marriage Marchioness Westminster.
On 22nd December 1899 Hugh Lupus Grosvenor 1st Duke Westminster (age 74) died. His grandson Hugh (age 20) succeeded 2nd Duke Westminster, 4th Marquess Westminster, 5th Earl Grosvenor, 11th Baronet Grosvenor of Eaton in Cheshire. Monument in Grosvenor Chapel, St Mary's Church, Eccleston [Map] sculpted by Leon Joseph Chavalliaud (age 41).
On 7th February 1947 Hugh "Bendor" Grosvenor 2nd Duke Westminster (age 67) and Anne Winifred Sullivan Marchioness Westminster (age 31) were married. She by marriage Marchioness Westminster. The difference in their ages was 36 years.
On 19th July 1953 Hugh "Bendor" Grosvenor 2nd Duke Westminster (age 74) died. His first cousin William (age 58) succeeded 3rd Duke Westminster, 5th Marquess Westminster, 6th Earl Grosvenor, 12th Baronet Grosvenor of Eaton in Cheshire.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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On 22nd February 1963 William Grosvenor 3rd Duke Westminster (age 68) died. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Eccleston [Map]. His half first cousin Gerald (age 56) succeeded 4th Duke Westminster, 6th Marquess Westminster, 7th Earl Grosvenor, 13th Baronet Grosvenor of Eaton in Cheshire.
On 25th February 1967 Gerald Hugh Grosvenor 4th Duke Westminster (age 60) died. His brother Robert (age 56) succeeded 5th Duke Westminster, 7th Marquess Westminster, 8th Earl Grosvenor, 14th Baronet Grosvenor of Eaton in Cheshire. Viola Maud Lyttelton Duchess Westminster (age 54) by marriage Duchess Westminster.
On 19th February 1979 Robert George Grosvenor 5th Duke Westminster (age 68) died. His son Gerald (age 27) succeeded 6th Duke Westminster, 8th Marquess Westminster, 9th Earl Grosvenor, 15th Baronet Grosvenor of Eaton in Cheshire. Natalia Phillips Duchess of Westminster (age 19) by marriage Duchess Westminster.
On 9th August 2016 Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor 6th Duke Westminster (age 64) died. His son Hugh (age 25) succeeded 7th Duke Westminster, 9th Marquess Westminster, 10th Earl Grosvenor, 16th Baronet Grosvenor of Eaton in Cheshire.