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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Earl Marischal is in Earl.
Between 24th November 1526 and 2nd May 1527 William Keith 2nd Earl Marischal [aged 76] died. His son William succeeded 3rd Earl Marischal.
Before 1527 William Keith 4th Earl Marischal [aged 20] and Margaret Keith Countess Marischal [aged 15] were married. She by marriage Countess Marischal. They were half third cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England.
In 1527 William Keith 3rd Earl Marischal died. His nephew William [aged 20] succeeded 4th Earl Marischal.
Around February 1581 George Keith 5th Earl Marischal [aged 28] and Margaret Home Countess Marischal were married. She by marriage Countess Marischal.
On 7th October 1581 William Keith 4th Earl Marischal [aged 75] died. His grandson George [aged 28] succeeded 5th Earl Marischal. Margaret Home Countess Marischal by marriage Countess Marischal.
Around 1599 George Keith 5th Earl Marischal [aged 46] and Margaret Ogilvy Countess Marischal were married. She by marriage Countess Marischal. They were half fourth cousin once removed.
On 2nd April 1623 George Keith 5th Earl Marischal [aged 70] died. His son William [aged 38] succeeded 6th Earl Marischal.
On 28th October 1635 William Keith 6th Earl Marischal [aged 50] died. His son William succeeded 7th Earl Marischal.
In 1637 William Keith 7th Earl Marischal and Elizabeth Seton Countess Marischal [aged 16] were married. She by marriage Countess Marischal. She the daughter of George Seton 3rd Earl Winton [aged 52] and Anne Hay Countess Winton. He the son of William Keith 6th Earl Marischal and Mary Erskine. They were third cousins.
In 1670 or 1671 William Keith 7th Earl Marischal died. His brother George [aged 55] succeeded 8th Earl Marischal.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In March 1694 George Keith 8th Earl Marischal [aged 80] died. His son William [aged 30] succeeded 9th Earl Marischal. Mary Drummond Countess Marischal [aged 19] by marriage Countess Marischal.
On 27th May 1712 William Keith 9th Earl Marischal [aged 48] died. His son George [aged 20] succeeded 10th Earl Marischal.
In 1778 George Keith 10th Earl Marischal [aged 86] died. Earl Marischal extinct.