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 George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery 1759-1827

Paternal Family Tree: Herbert

Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Trevor Duchess of Marlborough 1713-1761

On 23rd March 1756 [his father] Henry Herbert 10th Earl Pembroke 7th Earl Montgomery [aged 21] and [his mother] Elizabeth Spencer Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Pembroke, Countess Montgomery. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Charles Spencer 3rd Duke of Marlborough [aged 49] and [his grandmother] Elizabeth Trevor Duchess of Marlborough [aged 43]. He the son of Henry Herbert 6th Earl Montgomery 9th Earl Pembroke and Mary Fitzwilliam Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 48]. They were fourth cousin twice removed.

On 10th September 1759 George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery was born to [his father] Henry Herbert 10th Earl Pembroke 7th Earl Montgomery [aged 25] and [his mother] Elizabeth Spencer Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 22] at Wilton House.

On 8th April 1787 George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 27] and Elisabeth Beauclerk [aged 20] were married. He the son of Henry Herbert 10th Earl Pembroke 7th Earl Montgomery [aged 52] and Elizabeth Spencer Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 50]. They were first cousins. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland.

In 1788 [his son] George Herbert was born to George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 28] and [his wife] Elisabeth Beauclerk [aged 21]. He a great x 3 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. Coefficient of inbreeding 6.26%. He died aged five in 1793.

In 1790 [his daughter] Diana Herbert Countess Normanton was born to George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 30] and [his wife] Elisabeth Beauclerk [aged 23]. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. Coefficient of inbreeding 6.26%. She married before 17th September 1818 Welbore Ellis Agar 2nd Earl Normanton, son of Charles Agar 1st Earl Normanton and Jane Benson Countess Northampton, and had issue.

On 19th September 1791 [his son] Robert Henry Herbert 12th Earl Pembroke 9th Earl Montgomery was born to George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 32] and [his wife] Elisabeth Beauclerk [aged 25]. He a great x 3 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. Coefficient of inbreeding 6.26%.

In 1793 [his son] Charles Herbert was born to George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 33] and [his wife] Elisabeth Beauclerk [aged 26]. He a great x 3 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. Coefficient of inbreeding 6.26%. He died aged five in 1798.

In 1793 [his son] George Herbert [aged 5] died.

On 25th March 1793 [his wife] Elisabeth Beauclerk [aged 26] died.

Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall

The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.

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On 26th January 1794 [his father] Henry Herbert 10th Earl Pembroke 7th Earl Montgomery [aged 59] died. His son George [aged 34] succeeded 11th Earl Pembroke8th Earl Montgomery.

In 1798 [his son] Charles Herbert [aged 5] died.

1805 Creation of Garter Knights

In 1805 King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 66] created new Garter Knights as follows:

628th George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 45],

629th George Finch 9th Earl Winchilsea 4th Earl Nottingham [aged 52],

630th Philip Stanhope 5th Earl Chesterfield [aged 49],

631st George Legge 3rd Earl Dartmouth [aged 49].

On 25th January 1808 George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 48] and Yekaterina Semyonovna Vorontsova Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 23] were married. She by marriage Countess Pembroke, Countess Montgomery. The difference in their ages was 25 years. He the son of Henry Herbert 10th Earl Pembroke 7th Earl Montgomery and Elizabeth Spencer Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 70].

In 1809 [his daughter] Elizabeth Herbert was born to George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 49] and [his wife] Yekaterina Semyonovna Vorontsova Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 24].

On 16th September 1810 [his son] Sidney Herbert 1st Baron Herbert Lea was born to George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 51] and [his wife] Yekaterina Semyonovna Vorontsova Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 25].

In 1813 [his daughter] Mary Herbert Marchioness Ailesbury was born to George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 53] and [his wife] Yekaterina Semyonovna Vorontsova Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 28]. She married 11th May 1837 her half fifth cousin once removed George William Frederick Brudenell 2nd Marquess Ailesbury, son of Charles Brudenell 1st Marquess Ailesbury and Henrietta Maria Hill.

On 31st October 1814 [his daughter] Catherine Herbert Countess Dunmore was born to George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 55] and [his wife] Yekaterina Semyonovna Vorontsova Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 30]. She married 27th September 1836 Alexander Murray 6th Earl Dunmore, son of George Murray 5th Earl Dunmore and Susan Hamilton Countess Dunmore, and had issue.

In 1817 [his daughter] Georgiana Herbert was born to George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 57] and [his wife] Yekaterina Semyonovna Vorontsova Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 32]. She married 18th August 1840 Henry Thomas Petty-Fitzmaurice 4th Marquess Lansdowne, son of Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice 3rd Marquess Lansdowne and Louisa Emma Fox-Strangways Marchioness of Lansdowne.

Before 17th September 1818 [his son-in-law] Welbore Ellis Agar 2nd Earl Normanton [aged 40] and Diana Herbert Countess Normanton [aged 28] were married. She by marriage Countess Normanton. She the daughter of George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 59] and Elisabeth Beauclerk. He the son of Charles Agar 1st Earl Normanton and Jane Benson Countess Northampton.

In 1819 [his daughter] Emma Herbert Viscountess Vesci was born to George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 59] and [his wife] Yekaterina Semyonovna Vorontsova Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 34]. She married 1839 Thomas Vesey 3rd Viscount Vesci, son of John Vesey 2nd Viscount Vesci and Frances Letitia Brownlow Viscountess Vesci, and had issue.

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.'

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On 26th October 1827 George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery [aged 68] died. His son Robert [aged 36] succeeded 12th Earl Pembroke, 9th Earl Montgomery.

On 27th March 1856 [his former wife] Yekaterina Semyonovna Vorontsova Countess Pembroke and Montgomery [aged 71] died.

Royal Ancestors of George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery 1759-1827

Kings Wessex: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England

Kings Gwynedd: Great x 18 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd

Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 24 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth

Kings Powys: Great x 19 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys

Kings Godwinson: Great x 22 Grand Son of King Harold II of England

Kings England: Great x 12 Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Kings Scotland: Great x 20 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland

Kings Franks: Great x 27 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor

Kings France: Great x 22 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks

Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 25 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine

Ancestors of George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery 1759-1827

Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Herbert 2nd Earl Pembroke 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Philip Herbert 4th Earl Pembroke 1st Earl Montgomery 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Sidney Countess Pembroke 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: Philip Herbert 5th Earl Pembroke 2nd Earl Montgomery 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward de Vere 17th Earl of Oxford 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 3 Grandmother: Susan Vere Countess Montgomery 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Cecil Countess of Oxford 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England

Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Herbert 8th Earl Pembroke 5th Earl Montgomery 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: George Villiers of Brokesby

Great x 3 Grandfather: William Villiers 1st Baronet

Great x 4 Grandmother: Audrey Saunders

Great x 2 Grandmother: Catherine Villiers Countess Pembroke and Montgomery

Great x 3 Grandmother: Rebecca Roper Lady Villiers

GrandFather: Henry Herbert 6th Earl Montgomery 9th Earl Pembroke 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Edmund Sawyer of Heywood Lodge in White Waltham in Berkshire

Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Sawyer

Great x 1 Grandmother: Margaret Sawyer Countess Pembroke and Montgomery

Father: Henry Herbert 10th Earl Pembroke 7th Earl Montgomery 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: William Fitzwilliam 3rd Viscount Fitzwilliam 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Plunkett 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Fitzwilliam 4th Viscount Fitzwilliam 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Fitzwilliam 5th Viscount Fitzwilliam 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

GrandMother: Mary Fitzwilliam Countess Pembroke and Montgomery 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: John Shelley of Mitchelgrove 1st Baronet 11 x Great Grand Son of King John of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Charles Shelley 2nd Baronet 12 x Great Grand Son of King John of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Jane Reresby 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: John Shelley 3rd Baronet 13 x Great Grand Son of King John of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Benjamin Weston

Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Weston

Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Sheldon Countess Anglesey

Great x 1 Grandmother: Frances Shelley Viscountess Fitzwilliam 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Neville 2nd Baron Abergavenny 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: George Neville 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Vaux Baroness Bergavenny 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Winifred Neville Lady Shelley 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Gifford

Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Gifford

George Augustus Herbert 11th Earl Pembroke 8th Earl Montgomery 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: William Spencer 2nd Baron Spencer 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Spencer 1st Earl of Sunderland 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Penelope Wriothesley Baroness Spencer Wormleighton 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry IV of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Spencer 2nd Earl of Sunderland 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Sidney 2nd Earl of Leicester 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 3 Grandmother: Dorothy Sidney Countess Sunderland 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Dorothy Percy Countess Leicester 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 1 Grandfather: Charles Spencer 3rd Earl of Sunderland 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: John Digby 1st Earl Bristol 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: George Digby 2nd Earl Bristol 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Beatrice Walcott

Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Digby Countess Sunderland 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Francis Russell 4th Earl Bedford 10 x Great Grand Son of King John of England

Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Russell Countess Bristol 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Brydges Countess Bedford 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

GrandFather: Charles Spencer 3rd Duke of Marlborough 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Winston Churchill

Great x 2 Grandfather: John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: John Drake

Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Drake 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Helen Boteler 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 1 Grandmother: Anne Churchill Countess Sunderland 15 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: John Jennings

Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Jennings

Great x 2 Grandmother: Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough

Great x 4 Grandfather: Gifford Thornhurst 1st Baronet

Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Thornhurst

Great x 4 Grandmother: Susanna Temple

Mother: Elizabeth Spencer Countess Pembroke and Montgomery 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: John Trevor

Great x 3 Grandfather: John Trevor

Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Trevor 1st Baron Trevor Bromham

Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Trevor 2nd Baron Trevor Bromham

Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Searle

GrandMother: Elizabeth Trevor Duchess of Marlborough