All About History Books on Amazon

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.

Baron Alington of Killard

Baron Alington of Killard is in Baron Ireland.

On 28th July 1642 William Alington 1st Baron Alington [aged 31] was created 1st Baron Alington of Killard. Elizabeth Tollemache Baroness Alington by marriage Baroness Alington of Killard.

Before 25th October 1648 William Alington 1st Baron Alington [aged 37] died. He was buried on 25th October 1648. His son Giles [aged 1] succeeded 2nd Baron Alington of Killard.

Around March 1660 Giles Alington 2nd Baron Alington [aged 13] died. His brother William [aged 20] succeeded 3rd Baron Alington of Killard.

Before 1662 William Alington 1st and 3rd Baron Alington [aged 21] and Catherine Stanhope Baroness Alington were married. She by marriage Baroness Alington of Killard. She the daughter of Henry Stanhope and Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield [aged 52]. They were third cousin once removed.

On 30th July 1664 William Alington 1st and 3rd Baron Alington [aged 24] and Juliana Noel Baroness Alington [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Baroness Alington of Killard.

On 15th July 1675 William Alington 1st and 3rd Baron Alington [aged 35] and Diana Russell Baroness Latimer Willoughby Broke Alington [aged 23] were married. She by marriage Baroness Alington of Killard. She the daughter of William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 58] and Anne Carr Countess of Bedford [aged 59]. They were sixth cousins.

On 1st February 1685 William Alington 1st and 3rd Baron Alington [aged 45] died. His son Giles [aged 5] succeeded 4th Baron Alington of Killard, 2nd Baron Alington of Wymondley in Hertfordshire.

On 18th September 1691 Giles Alington 2nd and 4th Baron Alington [aged 11] died. His uncle Hildebrand [aged 50] succeeded 5th Baron Alington of Killard, 3rd Baron Alington of Wymondley in Hertfordshire.

On 11th February 1723 Hildebrand Alington 3rd and 5th Baron Alington [aged 81] died. Baron Alington of Killard and Baron Alington of Wymondley in Hertfordshire extinct.