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: Lowther
On 29th December 1757 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale was born to [his father] William Lowther 1st Baronet (age 50).
Around 1767 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 9) educated at Westminster School [Map].
Around 1769 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 11) educated at Trinity College, Cambridge University [Map].
In 1780 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 22) was elected MP Appleby.
In 1780 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 22) was elected MP Carlisle.
On 12th July 1781 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 23) and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale (age 19) were married. She the daughter of John Fane 9th Earl of Westmoreland and Augusta Bertie.
On 20th May 1782 [his brother-in-law] John Fane 10th Earl of Westmoreland (age 22) and Sarah Anne Child Countess of Westmoreland (age 17) were married at Gretna Green. She by marriage Countess of Westmoreland. He the son of John Fane 9th Earl of Westmoreland and Augusta Bertie.
In 1784 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 26) was elected MP Cumberland.
In 1785 [his daughter] Mary Lowther was born to William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 27) and [his wife] Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale (age 23). She married 16th September 1820 Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck, son of William Cavendish-Bentinck 3rd Duke Portland and Dorothy Cavendish 3rd Duchess Portland, and had issue.
On 21st July 1787 [his son] William Lowther 2nd Earl Lonsdale was born to William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 29) and [his wife] Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale (age 25).
On 15th June 1788 [his father] William Lowther 1st Baronet (age 80) died.
Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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On 27th July 1790 [his son] Henry Cecil Lowther was born to William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 32) and [his wife] Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale (age 28) at Lowther Castle Lowther. He married 19th May 1817 Lucy Eleanor Sherard, daughter of Philip Sherard 5th Earl Harborough, and had issue.
On 9th June 1792 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 34) fought a duel with a Captain Cuthbert of the Guards, when, the previous day, the latter had refused to let the former's carriage pass through Mount Street in London where some rioting had been taking place. After shots were fired both parties concluded with a handshake.
In 1796 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 38) was elected MP Rutland.
In 1800 [his brother-in-law] John Fane 10th Earl of Westmoreland (age 40) and Jane Huck Saunders Countess of Westmoreland (age 17) were married. The difference in their ages was 23 years. He the son of John Fane 9th Earl of Westmoreland and Augusta Bertie.
On 24th May 1802 James Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 65) died. His third cousin once removed William (age 44) succeeded 2nd Viscount Lowther, 2nd Baron Lowther. [his wife] Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale (age 40) by marriage Viscountess Lowther.
In 1807 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 49) was appointed 634th Knight of the Garter by King George III of Great Britain and Ireland (age 68).
In 1807 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 49) was created 1st Earl Lonsdale. [his wife] Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale (age 45) by marriage Countess Lonsdale.
On 3rd July 1815 [his son-in-law] William Vane 3rd Duke Cleveland (age 23) and Grace Caroline Lowther Duchess of Cleveland were married at St James' Church, Piccadilly. She the daughter of William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 57) and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale (age 53). He the son of William Henry Vane 1st Duke Cleveland (age 48) and Catharine Margaret Powlett Countess Darlington. They were half fifth cousins. He a great x 3 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland.
On 20th January 1817 [his son-in-law] John Beckett 2nd Baronet (age 41) and Anne Lowther Lady Beckett were married. She the daughter of William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 59) and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale (age 55).
On 19th May 1817 Henry Cecil Lowther (age 26) and Lucy Eleanor Sherard (age 25) were married. She the daughter of Philip Sherard 5th Earl Harborough. He the son of William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 59) and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale (age 55).
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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On 16th September 1820 [his son-in-law] Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck (age 38) and Mary Lowther (age 35) were married. She the daughter of William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 62) and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale (age 58). He the son of William Cavendish-Bentinck 3rd Duke Portland and Dorothy Cavendish 3rd Duchess Portland.
On 6th March 1838 [his wife] Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale (age 76) died.
On 19th March 1844 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 86) died at York House Twickenham, Richmond. His son William (age 56) succeeded 2nd Earl Lonsdale, 3rd Viscount Lowther, 3rd Baron Lowther.
[his daughter] Grace Caroline Lowther Duchess of Cleveland was born to William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale. She married 3rd July 1815 her half fifth cousin William Vane 3rd Duke Cleveland, son of William Henry Vane 1st Duke Cleveland and Catharine Margaret Powlett Countess Darlington.
[his daughter] Anne Lowther Lady Beckett was born to William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale. She married 20th January 1817 John Beckett 2nd Baronet, son of John Beckett 1st Baronet and Mary Wilson Lady Beckett.
[his daughter] Elizabeth Lowther was born to William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale.
Great x 4 Grandfather: Christopher Lowther 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Lowther of Lowther Hall
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Lowther
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Lowther
GrandFather: Christopher Lowther
Father: William Lowther 1st Baronet