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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Biography of King Malcolm IV of Scotland 1141-1165

Paternal Family Tree: Dunkeld

Maternal Family Tree: Adela Valois Countess Blois and Vermandois

Before 1139 [his father] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria [aged 24] and [his mother] Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria [aged 18] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] William Warenne 2nd Earl of Surrey and [his grandmother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey. He the son of King David I of Scotland [aged 54] and Maud Queen Consort Scotland. They were half sixth cousins.

On 23rd April 1141 King Malcolm IV of Scotland was born to [his father] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria [aged 27] and [his mother] Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria [aged 21] at Jedburgh.

On 12th June 1152 [his father] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria [aged 38] died. His half brother [his uncle] Simon [aged 54] succeeded 4th Earl Huntingdon, 4th Earl of Northampton. His son Malcolm [aged 11] succeeded 2nd Earl of Northumbria.

On 24th May 1153 [his grandfather] King David I of Scotland [aged 69] died at Carlisle, Cumberland [Map]. His grandson Malcolm [aged 12] succeeded King Scotland.

On 27th May 1153 King Malcolm IV of Scotland [aged 12] was crowned IV King Scotland at Scone.

                    In 1157 brothers King Malcolm IV of Scotland [aged 15] and King William I of Scotland [aged 14] paid homage to King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England [aged 23] at Peverell Castle, Derbyshire [Map].
                
                    King Malcolm IV of Scotland was deprived of his lands in Cumbria and titles by King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Earl of Northumbria forfeit.
                
                    King Malcolm IV of Scotland was granted 5th Earl Huntingdon, 5th Earl of Northampton.
                
                    King William I of Scotland was deprived of the Earldom of Northumbria.