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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Viscount Anson of Shugborough and Orgrave in Staffordshire is in Viscountcies of England Alphabetically, Viscountcies of England Chronologically, Extant Viscountcies of England.
Summary
15th February 1806. Thomas Anson 1st Viscount Anson (age 39) created.
31st July 1818. Son Thomas William Anson 1st Earl Lichfield (age 22) succeeded.
18th March 1854. Son Thomas George Anson 2nd Earl Lichfield (age 28) succeeded.
7th January 1892. Son Thomas Francis Anson 3rd Earl Lichfield (age 36) succeeded.
29th July 1918. Son Thomas Edward Anson 4th Earl Lichfield (age 34) succeeded.
14th September 1960. Grandson Thomas Patrick John Anson 5th Earl Lichfield (age 21) succeeded.
11th November 2005. Son Thomas Anson 6th Earl of Lichfield (age 27) succeeded.
The London Gazette 15889. Whitehall, February 15, 1806.
The King has been pleased to grant the Dignities of Baron and Viscount of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to Thomas Anson (age 39), Esq, and the Heirs Male of his Body lawfully begotten, by the Names, Styles, and Titles of Baron Soberton, of Soberton, in the County of Southampton, and Viscount Anson, of Shugborough and Orgrave, in the County of Stafford. [Anne Margaret Coke Viscountess Anson (age 27) by marriage Viscountess Anson of Shugborough and Orgrave in Staffordshire.]
The King has been pleased to grant the Dignity ef a Baron of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to the Most Honorable John Denis Marquis of Sligo, Knight of the Illustrious Order of St. Patrick, and the Heirs Male of his Body lawfully begotten, by the Name, Style, and Title of Baron Monteagle, of Westport, in the County of Mayo.
The King has been pleased to grant the Dignity of a Baron of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to the Right Honorable Hugh Earl of Eglinton, and the Heirs Male of his Body lawfully begotten, by the Name, Style, arid Title of Baron Ardrossan, of Ardrossan, in the County of Ayr.
The King has been pleased to grant the Dignity of a Baron of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to the Right Honorable James Earl of Lauderdale (age 47), and the Heirs Male of his Body lawfully begotten, by the Name, Style, and Title of Baron Lauderdale, of Thirlestane, in the County of Berwick.
The King has been pleased to grant the Dignity of a Baron of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to the Right Honorable George Earl of Granard (age 46), and the Heirs Male of his Body lawfully begotten, by the Name, Style, and Title of Baron Granard, of Castle Donnington, in the County of Leicester.
The King has been pleased to grant the Dignity of a Baron of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to John Crewe (age 63), Esq; and the Heirs Male of his Body lawfully begotten, by the Name, Style, and Title of Baron Crewe, of Crewe, in the County-Palatine of Chester.
The King has been pleased to grant the Dignity of a Baron of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to William Lygon (age 58), Esq; and his Heirs Male of his Body lawfully begotten, by the Name, Style, and Title of Baron Beauchamp of Powyke, in the County of Worcester. [Catherine Denn by marriage Baroness Beauchamp Powick in Worcestershire.]
On 31st July 1818 Thomas Anson 1st Viscount Anson (age 51) died. His son Thomas (age 22) succeeded 2nd Viscount Anson of Shugborough and Orgrave in Staffordshire and 2nd Baron Soberton of Soberton in Hampshire.
On 18th March 1854 Thomas William Anson 1st Earl Lichfield (age 58) died. His son Thomas (age 28) succeeded 2nd Earl Lichfield, 3rd Viscount Anson of Shugborough and Orgrave in Staffordshire and 3rd Baron Soberton of Soberton in Hampshire
On 7th January 1892 Thomas George Anson 2nd Earl Lichfield (age 66) died. His son Thomas (age 36) succeeded 3rd Earl Lichfield, 4th Viscount Anson of Shugborough and Orgrave in Staffordshire and 4th Baron Soberton of Soberton in Hampshire. Mildred Coke Countess Lichfield (age 38) by marriage Countess Lichfield.
On 29th July 1918 Thomas Francis Anson 3rd Earl Lichfield (age 62) died. He was buried at St Stephen's Church, Great Heywood [Map]. His son Thomas (age 34) succeeded 4th Earl Lichfield, 5th Viscount Anson of Shugborough and Orgrave in Staffordshire and 5th Baron Soberton of Soberton in Hampshire. Evelyn Maud Keppel Countess Lichfield (age 31) by marriage Countess Lichfield.
On 14th September 1960 Thomas Edward Anson 4th Earl Lichfield (age 76) died. He was buried at St Stephen's Church, Great Heywood [Map]. His grandson Thomas (age 21) succeeded 5th Earl Lichfield, 6th Viscount Anson of Shugborough and Orgrave in Staffordshire and 6th Baron Soberton of Soberton in Hampshire. Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire [Map] passed to the National Trust in lieu of death duties.
On 11th November 2005 Thomas Patrick John Anson 5th Earl Lichfield (age 66) died at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. His son Thomas (age 27) succeeded 6th Earl Lichfield, 7th Viscount Anson of Shugborough and Orgrave in Staffordshire and 7th Baron Soberton of Soberton in Hampshire.