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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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Georgiana Carolina Dashwood Lady Astley 1796-1835

Paternal Family Tree: Dashwood

On 17th July 1780 [her father] Henry Watkin Dashwood 3rd Baronet [aged 34] and [her mother] Helen Graham [aged 17] were married.

In 1796 Georgiana Carolina Dashwood Lady Astley was born to Henry Watkin Dashwood 3rd Baronet [aged 50] and Helen Graham [aged 33].

In 1796 [her mother] Helen Graham [aged 33] died.

On 22nd May 1810 [her brother-in-law] John Loftus 2nd Marquess Ely [aged 40] and [her sister] Anna Maria Dashwood Marchioness Ely [aged 20] were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square. He the son of Charles Tottenham aka Loftus 1st Marquess Ely and Jane Myhill Marchioness Ely.

In 1819 Jacob Astley 16th Baron Hastings [aged 21] and Georgiana Carolina Dashwood Lady Astley [aged 23] were married. She by marriage Lady Astley of Hill Morton.

On 21st March 1822 [her son] Jacob Henry Delaval Astley 17th Baron Hastings was born to [her husband] Jacob Astley 16th Baron Hastings [aged 24] and Georgiana Carolina Dashwood Lady Astley [aged 26].

On 24th March 1825 [her son] Delaval Loftus Astley 18th Baron Hastings was born to [her husband] Jacob Astley 16th Baron Hastings [aged 27] and Georgiana Carolina Dashwood Lady Astley [aged 29]. He married before 1855 Frances Diana Manners-Sutton Baroness Hastings, daughter of Charles Manners-Sutton 1st Viscount Canterbury and Lucy Maria Denison, and had issue.

1826 Henry William Pickersgill [aged 43]. Portrait of Georgiana Carolina Dashwood Lady Astley [aged 30].

On 10th June 1828 [her father] Henry Watkin Dashwood 3rd Baronet [aged 82] died. His son [her half-brother] George [aged 41] succeeded 4th Baronet Dashwood of Kirtlington Park in Oxfordshire.

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The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 2 Chapters 61-109 1342-1361

The Chronicle of Jean le Bel, Volume 2 continues one of the most important fourteenth-century accounts of the early Hundred Years’ War. Written by the Liège chronicler Jean le Bel, this vivid narrative follows the fortunes of Edward III, Jean II of France, the Black Prince, the great nobles of France and England, and the soldiers, captains and companies who shaped the conflict. This volume covers some of the most dramatic events of the period, including the battles of Crécy and Poitiers, the siege and capture of Calais, the captivity of King John, the rise of the Jacquerie, the turmoil in Paris under Étienne Marcel and Charles of Navarre, the devastation caused by the free companies, Edward III’s great campaign of 1359–1360, and the negotiations leading to the Treaty of Brétigny. Jean le Bel’s chronicle is especially valuable for its lively detail, its interest in chivalry, warfare, politics and reputation, and its influence on later chroniclers, most famously Froissart. This English translation presents the text in clear, readable British English while preserving the force and character of the original narrative. The translation includes extensive notes to help the reader better understand Jean le Bel's text. Volume 2 also includes translated appendices drawn from royal and administrative records, many from the English Record Office, which illuminate Edward III’s campaigns in Brittany, the siege and occupation of Calais, naval preparations, military finance, appointments, safe conducts and related affairs.

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On 24th June 1829 Georgiana Carolina Dashwood Lady Astley [aged 33] eloped with Captain Thomas Garth [aged 28].

In October 1830 Captain Thomas Garth [aged 30] was committed for debt to the King's Bench Prison [Map] and Georgiana Carolina Dashwood Lady Astley [aged 34] lived with him there.

In 1835 Georgiana Carolina Dashwood Lady Astley [aged 39] died of scarlet fever at King's Bench Prison [Map].

On 27th December 1859 [her former husband] Jacob Astley 16th Baron Hastings [aged 62] died. His son Jacob [aged 37] succeeded 17th Baron Hastings, 7th Baronet Astley of Hill Morton.