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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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Paternal Family Tree: Stewart
Around 1694 Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway was born to James Stewart 5th Earl Galloway [aged 23] and Catherine Montgomerie Countess Galloway.
Around 1694 [his father] James Stewart 5th Earl Galloway [aged 23] and [his mother] Catherine Montgomerie Countess Galloway were married. She by marriage Countess Galloway. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Alexander Montgomerie 9th Earl Eglinton [aged 34] and [his grandmother] Margaret Cochrane. He the son of Alexander Stewart 3rd Earl Galloway and Mary Douglas Countess Galloway. They were fifth cousin once removed.
On 8th February 1711 John Fleming 6th Earl Wigtown [aged 38] and [his future sister-in-law] Mary Keith Countess Wigtown were married. She by marriage Countess Wigtown. She the daughter of William Keith 9th Earl Marischal [aged 47] and [his future mother-in-law] Mary Drummond Countess Marischal [aged 36]. He the son of William Fleming 5th Earl Wigtown and Henrietta Seton Countess Wigtown. They were second cousin once removed.
In 1714 Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 20] and Anne Keith were married. She the daughter of William Keith 9th Earl Marischal and Mary Drummond Countess Marischal [aged 39]. He the son of James Stewart 5th Earl Galloway [aged 43] and Catherine Montgomerie Countess Galloway. They were third cousin twice removed.
In 1728 [his wife] Anne Keith died.
In 1729 Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 35] and Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway [aged 20] were married. She the daughter of John Cochrane 4th Earl Dundonald. He the son of James Stewart 5th Earl Galloway [aged 58] and Catherine Montgomerie Countess Galloway. They were second cousin once removed.
In 1730 [his daughter] Charlotte Stewart Countess Dunmore was born to Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 36] and [his wife] Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway [aged 21]. She married 21st February 1759 John Murray 4th Earl Dunmore, son of William Murray 3rd Earl Dunmore, and had issue.
On 13th March 1736 [his son] John Stewart 7th Earl Galloway was born to Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 42] and [his wife] Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway [aged 27]. He married 1. 14th August 1762 his half fifth cousin once removed Charlotte Mary Greville, daughter of Francis Greville 1st Earl Brooke Warwick Castle 1st Earl Warwick and Elizabeth Hamilton Countess Brooke Warwick Castle and Warwick 2. 13th June 1764 Anne Dashwood Countess Galloway, daughter of James Dashwood 2nd Baronet and Elizabeth Spencer Lady Dashwood, and had issue.
In 1739 [his son] Admiral Keith Stewart was born to Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 45] and [his wife] Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway [aged 30].
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This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
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In 1743 [his son] James Edward Stewart was born to Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 49] and [his wife] Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway [aged 34].
In 1746 [his father] James Stewart 5th Earl Galloway [aged 75] died. His son Alexander [aged 52] succeeded 6th Earl Galloway, 5th Baronet Stewart of Corsewall. [his wife] Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway [aged 37] by marriage Countess Galloway.
Around 1750 [his daughter] Catherine Stewart was born to Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 56] and [his wife] Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway [aged 41].
Before 1751 [his son-in-law] Kenneth Mackenzie Lord Fortrose [aged 33] and Mary Stewart were married. She the daughter of Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 56] and Anne Keith.
On 24th August 1756 James Stewart 3rd Baronet [aged 61] died. Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 62] succeeded 4th Baronet Stewart of Burray in Orkney.
On 21st February 1759 [his son-in-law] John Murray 4th Earl Dunmore [aged 29] and Charlotte Stewart Countess Dunmore [aged 29] were married. She the daughter of Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 65] and Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway [aged 50]. He the son of William Murray 3rd Earl Dunmore.
On 22nd April 1759 [his son-in-law] Charles Gordon 4th Earl Aboyne [aged 33] and Margaret Stewart Countess Aboyne were married. She by marriage Countess Aboyne. She the daughter of Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 65] and Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway [aged 50]. He the son of John Gordon 3rd Earl Aboyne and Grace Lockhart Countess Aboyne. They were second cousins.
On 12th August 1762 [his daughter] Margaret Stewart Countess Aboyne died.
On 14th August 1762 John Stewart 7th Earl Galloway [aged 26] and Charlotte Mary Greville [aged 17] were married. She the daughter of Francis Greville 1st Earl Brooke Warwick Castle 1st Earl Warwick [aged 42] and Elizabeth Hamilton Countess Brooke Warwick Castle and Warwick [aged 42]. He the son of Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 68] and Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway [aged 53]. They were half fifth cousin once removed.
On 13th June 1764 John Stewart 7th Earl Galloway [aged 28] and Anne Dashwood Countess Galloway [aged 21] were married. He the son of Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 70] and Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway [aged 55].
On 25th May 1765 [his son-in-law] Archibald Hamilton 9th Duke Hamilton 6th Duke Brandon [aged 24] and Harriet Stewart were married. She the daughter of Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 71] and Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway [aged 56]. He the son of James Hamilton 5th Duke Hamilton 2nd Duke Brandon and Anne Spencer Duchess of Hamilton and Brandon [aged 55]. They were half fifth cousin once removed.
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Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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In 1768 [his son-in-law] Granville Leveson-Gower 1st Marquess Stafford [aged 46] and Susanna Stewart Marchioness Stafford were married. She by marriage Countess Gower. She the daughter of Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 74] and Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway [aged 59]. He the son of John Leveson-Gower 1st Earl Gower and Evelyn Pierrepont Baroness Gower.
On 24th September 1773 Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway [aged 79] died. His son John [aged 37] succeeded 7th Earl Galloway, 6th Baronet Stewart of Corsewall, 5th Baronet Stewart of Burray in Orkney. Anne Dashwood Countess Galloway [aged 30] by marriage Countess Galloway.
On 15th March 1786 [his former wife] Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway [aged 77] died in Bath, Somerset [Map].
[his daughter] Margaret Stewart Countess Aboyne was born to Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway and Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway. She married 22nd April 1759 her second cousin Charles Gordon 4th Earl Aboyne, son of John Gordon 3rd Earl Aboyne and Grace Lockhart Countess Aboyne, and had issue.
[his daughter] Marjorie Elizabeth Stewart was born to Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway and Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway.
[his daughter] Susanna Stewart Marchioness Stafford was born to Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway and Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway. She married 1768 Granville Leveson-Gower 1st Marquess Stafford, son of John Leveson-Gower 1st Earl Gower and Evelyn Pierrepont Baroness Gower, and had issue.
[his daughter] Mary Stewart was born to Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway and Anne Keith. She married before 1751 Kenneth Mackenzie Lord Fortrose and had issue.
[his daughter] Harriet Stewart was born to Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway and Catherine Cochrane Countess Galloway. She married 25th May 1765 her half fifth cousin once removed Archibald Hamilton 9th Duke Hamilton 6th Duke Brandon, son of James Hamilton 5th Duke Hamilton 2nd Duke Brandon and Anne Spencer Duchess of Hamilton and Brandon, and had issue.
Kings Wessex: Great x 20 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 17 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 23 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 18 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 11 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 6 Grand Son of King James IV of Scotland
Kings France: Great x 13 Grand Son of King Philip IV of France
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 25 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Kings Spain: Great x 17 Grand Son of Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon
Great x 4 Grandfather: Alexander Stewart
13 x Great Grandson of King David I of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandfather: Alexander Stewart 6th of Garlies
14 x Great Grandson of King David I of Scotland
Great x 2 Grandfather: Alexander Stewart 1st Earl Galloway
15 x Great Grandson of King David I of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandmother: Christian Douglas
Great x 1 Grandfather: James Stewart 2nd Earl Galloway
16 x Great Grandson of King David I of Scotland
Grandfather: Alexander Stewart 3rd Earl Galloway
17 x Great Grandson of King David I of Scotland
Father: James Stewart 5th Earl Galloway
5 x Great Grandson of King James IV of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: William "Younger" Douglas 7th Lord Drumlanrig
15 x Great Grandson of King David I of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandfather: James Douglas 8th Lord Drumlanrig
16 x Great Grandson of King David I of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Gordon Lady Drumlanrig
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Douglas 1st Earl Queensberry
2 x Great Grandson of King James IV of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Fleming 5th Lord Fleming Grandson of King James IV of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Fleming Lady Drumlanrig Great Granddaughter of King James IV of Scotland
Great x 1 Grandfather: James Douglas 2nd Earl Queensberry
3 x Great Grandson of King James IV of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Mark Kerr 5 x Great Grandson of King Robert III of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandfather: Mark Kerr 1st Earl Lothian 6 x Great Grandson of King Robert III of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Helen Leslie
Great x 2 Grandmother: Isabel Kerr Countess Queensberry 7 x Great Granddaughter of King Robert III of Scotland
Grandmother: Mary Douglas Countess Galloway
4 x Great Granddaughter of King James IV of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Stewart 6th of Traquair
4 x Great Grandson of King Robert III of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Stewart of Traquair
5 x Great Grandson of King Robert III of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Kerr 6 x Great Granddaughter of King Robert III of Scotland
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Stewart 1st Earl Traquair
4 x Great Grandson of King James II of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Andrew Stewart 2nd Lord Ochiltree
2 x Great Grandson of King James II of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Stewart
3 x Great Granddaughter of King James II of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Agnes Cunningham Lady Ochiltree
Great x 1 Grandmother: Margaret Stewart Countess Queensberry
5 x Great Granddaughter of King James II of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: David Carnegie of Colluthie
Great x 3 Grandfather: David Carnegie 1st Earl Southesk
Great x 2 Grandmother: Catherine Carnegie Countess Traquair
Alexander Stewart 6th Earl Galloway
6 x Great Grandson of King James IV of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Seton 1st Earl Winton 4 x Great Grandson of King James I of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandfather: Alexander Seton aka Montgomerie 6th Earl Eglinton 2 x Great Grandson of King James IV of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Montgomerie Countess Winton Great Granddaughter of King James IV of Scotland
Great x 2 Grandfather: Hugh Montgomerie 7th Earl Eglinton 3 x Great Grandson of King James IV of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Alexander Livingston 1st Earl Linlithgow Great Grandson of King James IV of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Livingstone Countess Eglinton 2 x Great Granddaughter of King James IV of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Helen Hay
4 x Great Granddaughter of King James I of Scotland
Great x 1 Grandfather: Alexander Montgomerie 8th Earl Eglinton 4 x Great Grandson of King James IV of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Leslie Master of Rothes
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Leslie 6th Earl Rothes
Great x 2 Grandmother: Mary Leslie Countess of Eglinton
6 x Great Granddaughter of King James II of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Erskine 19th Earl of Mar 6 x Great Grandson of King Robert II of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Erskine Countess of Rothes 5 x Great Granddaughter of King James II of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Stewart Countess Mar
4 x Great Granddaughter of King James II of Scotland
Grandfather: Alexander Montgomerie 9th Earl Eglinton 5 x Great Grandson of King James IV of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Crichton 1st Earl Dumfries
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Crichton 2nd Earl of Dumfries
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Crichton
Mother: Catherine Montgomerie Countess Galloway 6 x Great Granddaughter of King James IV of Scotland
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Cochrane 1st Earl Dundonald
Grandmother: Margaret Cochrane