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: Gascoigne
Around 1350 William Gascoigne was born to [his uncle] William Gascoigne VII (age 50) and [his mother] Agnes Frank (age 25) at Gawthorpe Hall [Map].
In 1350 [his uncle] William Gascoigne VII (age 50) and [his mother] Agnes Frank (age 25) were married. The difference in their ages was 25 years.
Around 1366 [his son] William Gascoigne was born to William Gascoigne (age 16) and [his future wife] Elizabeth Mowbray (age 16) at Gawthorpe Hall [Map].
After 1369 [his mother] Agnes Frank (deceased) died.
Before 1396 [his daughter] Elizabeth Gascoigne was born to William Gascoigne (age 45) and [his wife] Elizabeth Mowbray (age 45). She married John Aske and had issue.
Before 1396 William Gascoigne (age 45) and Elizabeth Mowbray (age 45) were married.
In 1396 [his wife] Elizabeth Mowbray (age 46) died.
After 1396 William Gascoigne (age 46) and Joan Pickering (age 26) were married. The difference in their ages was 20 years.
On 15th November 1400 William Gascoigne (age 50) was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
Around 1401 [his daughter] Agnes Gascoigne was born to William Gascoigne (age 51) and [his wife] Joan Pickering (age 31) at Harewood. She married in or before 1417 Robert Constable and had issue.
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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In 1404 [his son] James Gascoigne was born to William Gascoigne (age 54) and [his wife] Joan Pickering (age 34).
On 3rd June 1405 Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter (age 28) arrived at York [Map]. The King denied the accused trial by their peers. Thomas Fitzalan 10th Earl of Surrey 5th or 12th Earl of Arundel (age 23) and Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter sat in judgement of Archbishop Richard Scrope (age 55) and Thomas Mowbray 4th Earl Norfolk 2nd Earl Nottingham (age 19). William Gascoigne (age 55) refused to pronounce sentence on Archbishop Richard Scrope and Thomas Mowbray 4th Earl Norfolk 2nd Earl Nottingham asserting their right to be tried by their peers.
Around March 1405 William Gascoigne (age 55) refused to pass sentence on Archbishop Richard Scrope (age 55) and Thomas Mowbray 4th Earl Norfolk 2nd Earl Nottingham (age 19) who were accused of involvement in the Northern Rising asserting their right to be tried by peers. They were both subsequently executed.
In 1407 [his son] Christopher Gascoigne was born to William Gascoigne (age 57) and [his wife] Joan Pickering (age 37).
Around 1410 [his son] Robert Gascoigne was born to William Gascoigne (age 60) and [his wife] Joan Pickering (age 40).
Around 1413 [his son] Richard Gascoigne was born to William Gascoigne (age 63) and [his wife] Joan Pickering (age 43).
In or before 1417 [his son-in-law] Robert Constable (age 31) and [his daughter] Agnes Gascoigne (age 15) were married.
On 17th December 1419 William Gascoigne (age 69) died at Gawthorpe Hall [Map]. He was buried at All Saints Church Harewood [Map] with his wife [his former wife] Elizabeth Mowbray. He in judges robes with a gypciere. She wearing an elaborate Crespine Headress.
Elizabeth Mowbray: In 1350 she was born to Alexander Mowbray. Before 1396 William Gascoigne and she were married. In 1396 Elizabeth Mowbray died.
Around June 1426 [his former wife] Joan Pickering (age 56) died.
[his daughter] Joane Gascoigne was born to William Gascoigne and Elizabeth Mowbray.
[his daughter] Agnes Gascoigne was born to William Gascoigne and Elizabeth Mowbray.
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
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[his son] Robert Gascoigne was born to William Gascoigne and Elizabeth Mowbray.
[his daughter] Margaret Gascoigne was born to William Gascoigne and Elizabeth Mowbray.
[his son] Richard Gascoigne was born to William Gascoigne and Elizabeth Mowbray.
GrandFather: William Gascoigne VI
Father: William Gascoigne VII
Mother: Agnes Frank