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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Around 1812 Captain Frederick William Leopold Thomas was born to [his father] George Thomas (age 30).
In 1850 [his father] George Thomas (age 68) died.
Archaeologia Volume 34 Section 1851 13. Account of some of the Celtic Antiquities of Orkney, including the Stones of Stenness [Map], Tumuli, Picts-houses, &c, with Plans, by F. W. L. Thomas (age 38), R.N., Corr. Mem. S.A. Scot., Lieutenant Commanding H.M. Surveying Vessel Woodlark. Read Feb. 6th and 13th, 1851.
In 1860 Captain Frederick William Leopold Thomas (age 48) with Captain Otter, on HMS Porcupine, on a voyage to St Kilda.
In 1885 Captain Frederick William Leopold Thomas (age 73) died.
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Scotland Volume 10 Chapter III. Letter From St Kilda [Map]. By Miss Anne Kennedy. Communicated With Notes, by Capt. F. W. L. Thomas, R.N., F.S.A. Scot.
Having, by the courtesy of Captain Otter, an opportunity of visiting St Kilda in 1860, besides photographing many of the inhabitants, and seeing as much as I was able, I made the acquaintance of the Rev. Mr Kennedy, who was then missionary there. Subsequently a string of questions was forwarded to him on points of antiquarian interest; but he, probably not to give offence to weak brethren, turned the letter over to his niece, and I have no reason to believe that the subject lost by the exchange. As the opportunities of going to St Kilda seem likely to increase, I have transcribed the substance of her letter, which may serve as a guide to archeologists as to what to observe in that remarkable group of islets.