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: Talbot
Before 1658 [his father] William Talbot (age 40) and [his mother] Mary Doughty were married.
In 1658 Bishop William Talbot was born to [his father] William Talbot (age 41) and [his mother] Mary Doughty at Stourton Castle, Staffordshire.
Before 1685 Bishop William Talbot (age 26) and Mary Stoughton were married.
In 1685 [his son] Charles Talbot 1st Baron Talbot was born to Bishop William Talbot (age 27) and [his wife] Mary Stoughton. He married June 1708 Cecil Mathew Baroness Talbot and had issue.
On 27th March 1686 [his father] William Talbot (age 69) died at Kinver, Staffordshire.
Around 1693 [his son] Archdeacon Edward Talbot was born to Bishop William Talbot (age 35) and [his wife] Mary Stoughton.
Around 1699 [his son] Sharington Talbot was born to Bishop William Talbot (age 41) and [his wife] Mary Stoughton.
In 1699 Bishop William Talbot (age 41) was appointed Bishop of Oxford.
Around June 1708 [his son] Charles Talbot 1st Baron Talbot (age 23) and [his daughter-in-law] Cecil Mathew Baroness Talbot were married. He the son of Bishop William Talbot (age 50) and [his wife] Mary Stoughton.
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 1715 Bishop William Talbot (age 57) was appointed Chancellor of the Order of the Garter.
On 23rd April 1715 Bishop William Talbot (age 57) was appointed Bishop of Salisbury.
In 1718 Bishop William Talbot (age 60) was appointed Dean Chapel Royal.
On 26th October 1718 Bishop Joseph Butler (age 26) was ordained a Deacon by William Talbot (age 60), Bishop of Salisbury, in his Bishop's Palace, Salisbury
On 21st December 1718 Bishop Joseph Butler (age 26) was ordained a Priest by William Talbot (age 60), Bishop of Salisbury, at St James' Church, Piccadilly.
In 1720 [his son] Archdeacon Edward Talbot (age 27) died.
In 1722 Bishop William Talbot (age 64) was appointed Bishop of Durham.
On 10th October 1730 Bishop William Talbot (age 72) died at Hanover Square.
After 10th October 1730 Bishop William Talbot (deceased) was buried at St James' Church, Piccadilly.
Kings Wessex: Great x 18 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 14 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 England: Great x 10 Grand Son of King Edward I 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 4 Grandfather: John Talbot 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury 
4 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 3 Grandfather: Gilbert Talbot 5 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Butler Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford 
4 x Great Grand Daughter of
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Talbot of Albrighton 6 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Cotton
Great x 3 Grandmother: Etheldreda Audrey Cotton
Great x 4 Grandmother: Alice Abbott
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Talbot 7 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Wrottesley 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Walter Wrottesley
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Wrottesley
GrandFather: Sharington Talbot 8 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Sharington of Cranworth in Norfolk
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Sharington of Lacock in Wiltshire
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Pyrton of Little Bentley in Essex
Great x 3 Grandmother: Katherine Pyrton
Great x 1 Grandmother: Olive Sharington
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Paggett of Lacock Abbey
Father: William Talbot 9 x Great Grand Son of
GrandMother: Mary Washbourne
Bishop William Talbot 10 x Great Grand Son of
Mother: Mary Doughty