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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Paternal Family Tree: Hare
On 1st October 1872 Katherine Mary "Kitty" Hare Marchioness Downshire was born to [her father] Hugh Henry Hare (age 33).
YBcJrZjKOn 31st March 1874 Arthur Hill 5th Marquess Downshire (age 29) died. His son [her future husband] Arthur (age 2) succeeded 6th Marquess Downshire.
1893. Unknown Photographer. Photograph of Katherine Mary "Kitty" Hare Marchioness Downshire (age 20).
On 22nd June 1893 Arthur Hill 6th Marquess of Downshire (age 21) and Katherine Mary "Kitty" Hare Marchioness Downshire (age 20) were married. She by marriage Marchioness Downshire. He the son of Arthur Hill 5th Marquess Downshire and Georgiana Elizabeth Balfour.
Before 19th November 1902 Arthur Hill 6th Marquess of Downshire (age 31) and Katherine Mary "Kitty" Hare Marchioness Downshire (age 30) were divorced as a consequence of her affair with Joseph Frederick Laycock (age 35). Laycock was also having an affair with Frances Evelyn "Daisy" Maynard Countess Warwick (age 40) with whom he possibly fathered two children: Maynard Greville (age 4) and Mercy Greville.
On 19th November 1902 Joseph Frederick Laycock (age 35) and Katherine Mary "Kitty" Hare Marchioness Downshire (age 30) were married.
Before 29th May 1918 [her former husband] Arthur Hill 6th Marquess of Downshire (age 46) and Evelyn Grace Foster Marchioness Downshire were married. She by marriage Marchioness Downshire. He the son of Arthur Hill 5th Marquess Downshire and [her former mother-in-law] Georgiana Elizabeth Balfour.
On 29th May 1918 [her former husband] Arthur Hill 6th Marquess of Downshire (age 46) died.
On 25th January 1927 [her father] Hugh Henry Hare (age 87) died.
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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On 10th January 1952 [her husband] Joseph Frederick Laycock (age 84) died.
On 2nd February 1959 Katherine Mary "Kitty" Hare Marchioness Downshire (age 86) died.
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Hare
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Hare 1st Earl Listowel
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Lysaght Hare
GrandFather: William Hare 2nd Earl Listowel
Great x 3 Grandfather: Luke Dillon 
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Dillon 1st Baron Clonbrook
Great x 1 Grandmother: Catherine Dillon
Father: Hugh Henry Hare
Great x 1 Grandfather: Vice Admiral William Lukin Windham
GrandMother: Maria Augusta Windham Countess Listowel
Great x 2 Grandfather: Pierre Thellusson
Great x 1 Grandmother: Anne Sara Thellusson