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.
In 1667 Bishop John Wynne was born to [his father] Humphrey Wynne and [his mother] Elizabeth Wynne at Maes-y-coed, Caerwys.
In 1686 [his father] Humphrey Wynne died.
In 1715 Bishop John Wynne (age 48) was appointed Bishop of St Asaph.
In 1720 Bishop John Wynne (age 53) and Anne Pugh (age 27) were married. The difference in their ages was 26 years.
In 1727 Bishop John Wynne (age 60) was appointed Bishop of Bath and Wells which office he held until his death in 1743.
Around 1727 [his son] John Wynne was born to Bishop John Wynne (age 60) and [his wife] Anne Pugh (age 34).
In 1729 [his son] William Wynne was born to Bishop John Wynne (age 62) and [his wife] Anne Pugh (age 36).
In 1732 Edward Conway sold Soughton Hall [Map] to Bishop John Wynne (age 65).
On 20th May 1742 [his son-in-law] Henry Fane (age 38) and [his daughter] Anne Wynne were married. She the daughter of Bishop John Wynne (age 75) and [his wife] Anne Pugh (age 49).
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 15th July 1743 Bishop John Wynne (age 76) died at his home Soughton Hall [Map]. He was buried at St Eurgain's and St Peter's Church, Northop [Map]. His eldest son [his son] John Wynne (age 16) inherited Soughton Hall [Map].
On 16th June 1778 [his former wife] Anne Pugh (age 85) died. She was buried at St Eurgain's and St Peter's Church, Northop [Map].
[his daughter] Anne Wynne was born to Bishop John Wynne and Anne Pugh. She married 20th May 1742 Henry Fane and had issue.
[his daughter] Margaret Wynne was born to Bishop John Wynne and Anne Pugh. She married before 1757 Henry Bankes and had issue.
Kings Wessex: Great x 18 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 15 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 20 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 15 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 18 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 6 Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 17 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 14 Grand Son of Louis VII King of the Franks
Kings France: Great x 17 Grand Son of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 22 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 1 Grandfather: John ap Ieuan
GrandFather: Humphrey Wynne of Maes-y-coed in Caerwys 4 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandfather: Griffin Kynaston
Great x 3 Grandfather: Roger Kynaston of Myddle and Hordley
Great x 2 Grandfather: Humphrey Kynaston 2 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Grey 2nd Earl Tankerville 
4 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Grey Great Grand Daughter of
Great x 4 Grandmother: Antigone Lancaster Countess Tankerville 
Grand Daughter of
Great x 1 Grandmother: Margarey Kynaston 3 x Great Grand Daughter of
Father: Humphrey Wynne 5 x Great Grand Son of
Bishop John Wynne 6 x Great Grand Son of
GrandFather: John Wynne of Copa'rleni in Trelawnyd
Mother: Elizabeth Wynne
GrandMother: Catherine Thelwall of Bathafarn