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 Sancha Ivrea Queen Consort Aragon 1155-1208

Paternal Family Tree: Ivrea

In November 1128 [her father] Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon (age 23) and Berenguela Barcelona Queen Consort Castile and Leon (age 12) were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Castile, Queen Consort Leon. She the daughter of Raymond III Count Barcelona (age 45) and Douce Gevaudan Countess Barcelona. He the son of [her grandfather] Raymond Ivrea and [her grandmother] Urracca "Reckless" Jiménez Queen Consort Aragon and Pamplona. They were third cousin once removed.

In 1152 [her father] Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon (age 46) and [her mother] Richeza Unknown Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Castile, Queen Consort Leon. He the son of [her grandfather] Raymond Ivrea and [her grandmother] Urracca "Reckless" Jiménez Queen Consort Aragon and Pamplona.

In 1155 Sancha Ivrea was born to [her father] Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon (age 49) and [her mother] Richeza Unknown Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon.

On 21st August 1157 [her father] Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon (age 52) died. His son [her half-brother] Sancho (age 23) succeeded III King Castile. His son [her half-brother] Ferdinand (age 20) succeeded II King Leon.

On 31st August 1158 [her half-brother] Sancho III King Castile (age 24) died. His son [her nephew] Alfonso (age 2) succeeded VIII King Castile.

Before 15th August 1171 [her half-brother] Ferdinand II King Leon (age 34) and [her sister-in-law] Urraca Burgundy Queen Consort Leon (age 23) were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Leon. She the daughter of Afonso "Conqueror Founder Great" I King Portugal (age 62) and Malfada Savoy Queen Consort Portugal. He the son of [her father] Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon and Berenguela Barcelona Queen Consort Castile and Leon. They were half second cousins.

In 1174 [her son] Alfonso Barcelona II Count Provence was born to Alfonso II King Aragon (age 16) and Sancha Ivrea (age 19) at Barcelona [Map]. He married 1193 Gersenda II Sabran Countess Provence and had issue.

William of Worcester's Chronicle of England

William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.

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In July 1178 [her son] Peter II King Aragon was born to Alfonso II King Aragon (age 21) and Sancha Ivrea (age 23). He married Marie Montpellier Queen Consort Aragon and had issue.

In 1179 [her daughter] Constance Barcelona was born to Alfonso II King Aragon (age 21) and Sancha Ivrea (age 24). She married 15th August 1209 her third cousin once removed Frederick I King Jerusalem II Holy Roman Emperor and had issue.

On 22nd January 1188 [her half-brother] Ferdinand II King Leon (age 51) died. His son [her nephew] Alfonso (age 16) succeeded IX King Leon.

In 1193 [her son] Alfonso Barcelona II Count Provence (age 19) and [her daughter-in-law] Gersenda II Sabran Countess Provence (age 13) were married. She by marriage Countess Provence. He the son of Alfonso II King Aragon (age 35) and Sancha Ivrea Queen Consort Aragon (age 38).

In 1208 Sancha Ivrea (age 53) died.

[her daughter] Dulcia Barcelona was born to Alfonso II King Aragon and Sancha Ivrea .

[her daughter] Sancha Barcelona Countess Toulouse was born to Alfonso II King Aragon and Sancha Ivrea . She married March 1211 her third cousin Raymond Rouerge VII , son of Raymond Count of Toulouse and Joan Plantagenet Queen Consort Sicily, and had issue.

[her daughter] Eleanor Barcelona was born to Alfonso II King Aragon and Sancha Ivrea .

Alfonso II King Aragon and Sancha Ivrea were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Aragon. She the daughter of Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon and Richeza Unknown Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon. He the son of Raymond V Count Barcelona and Petronilla Jiménez Queen Aragon. They were half third cousin once removed.

[her son] Ferdinand Barcelona was born to Alfonso II King Aragon and Sancha Ivrea .

Biography of Sancha Ivrea Queen Consort Aragon 1155-1208

Royal Ancestors of Sancha Ivrea

Royal Descendants of Sancha Ivrea
Number after indicates the number of unique routes of descent. Descendants of Kings and Queens not included.

Ancestors of Sancha Ivrea

Biography of Sancha Ivrea Queen Consort Aragon 1155-1208

Royal Ancestors of Sancha Ivrea

Royal Descendants of Sancha Ivrea Number after indicates the number of unique routes of descent. Descendants of Kings and Queens not included.

Ancestors of Sancha Ivrea

Royal Descendants of Sancha Ivrea
Number after indicates the number of unique routes of descent. Descendants of Kings and Queens not included.