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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: Cragg
On 1st November 1859 Captain Wilfred Alfred Cragg was born to [his father] William Cragg (age 65) in Spanby, Lincolnshire.
On 5th August 1864 [his father] William Cragg (age 70) died.
On 22nd September 1882 Captain Wilfred Alfred Cragg (age 22) and Adelaide Alexandra Gilliat (age 18) were married in Westfield, Sussex.
In 1883 [his son] William Gilliat Cragg was born to Captain Wilfred Alfred Cragg (age 23) and [his wife] Adelaide Alexandra Gilliat (age 18).
On 21st June 1888 [his son] Lieutenant John Francis Cragg was born to Captain Wilfred Alfred Cragg (age 28) and [his wife] Adelaide Alexandra Gilliat (age 24).
On 17th December 1892 [his son] Lieutenant Noel Henry Cragg was born to Captain Wilfred Alfred Cragg (age 33) and [his wife] Adelaide Alexandra Gilliat (age 28) at Threekingham, Lincolnshire.
On 20th September 1915 [his son] Lieutenant Noel Henry Cragg (age 22) was killed in action by shell fire at Nieuport, Belgium while in charge of a naval gun. He was buried at Dunkirk. While serving on H.M.S. King Edward VII he was publicly thanked by Admiral Sir Lewis Bayley and noted by the Admiralty for saving life at sea. As Sub-Lieutenant on H.M.S. Hind T.B.D. [Torpedo Boat Destroyer] he took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight and the Cuxhaven Raid. He was mentioned in Sir John French's despatches for gallant and distinghuished conduct in the field.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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On 1st July 1916 [his son] Lieutenant John Francis Cragg (age 28) was killed in action at the Battle of Fricourt.
In 1950 Captain Wilfred Alfred Cragg (age 90) died.
Grantham Journal 1916 Oct 22. Captain And Mrs. W. A. Cragg, of Threekingham House, have suffered another heavy blow by the death of their third son, [his son] Lieut. John Francis Cragg, of the Lincolns, and the deepest sympathy is exended to them. The following letter has been received from the Officer Commanding:- "Dear Captain Cragg, – I am very sorry to inform you that your son went into action with us on July 1st and was killed. His Company was the leading one of his Battalion to go over, and all his officers were hit. He was very keen, and I much regret his loss. Lieut. Cragg was wounded in the leg in the Battle of Loos, on September 25th, 1915, but he made a good recovery, and afterwards came home on leave. In January, he was blown out of a trench, and suffered from shell shock. Captain and Mrs. Cragg had four officer sons in the Army, and this is the second to fall, the other being Lieut. Noel Henry Cragg, killed in action at Nieuport on September 15th, 1915. This gallant young officer was mentioned in a despatch from Field Marshal Sir John Frencin for gallantry and distinguished service in the field, and Captian Cragg subsequently received a communication in which the folling passage occurred: "I beg to express to you the King's high appreciation of your son's services, and to add that his Majsty trusts their public acknowledgment may be some consolation in your bereavement."
Grantham Journal 1915 Oct 16. Threekingham. Letter From The King – It having come to the knowledge of the King that Captain W. A. Cragg, of Threekingham House, had four sons serving their country, his Majesty caused the following letter to be sent conveying his appreciation:-
"Privy Purse Office, Buckingham Palace, S.W., 2nd October, 1915.
Sir,- I am commanded by the King to convey to you an expression of his Majesty's appreciation of the patriotic spirit which has prompted your four sons to give their service to the Army and Navy.The King was much gratified to hear of the manner in which they have so readily responded to the call of their Sovereign and their country, and I am to express to you and to them his Majesty's congratulations on having contributed in so full a measure to the great cause for which all people of the British Empire are so bravely fighting. I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant, F. M. Pomsonby, keeper of the, Privy Purse." It is only a week or two since the sad news arrived that one of these sons – Lieut. Noel H. Cragg, R.N. had been killed in action, while another Lieut. J. F. Cragg, of the 8th Lincolns, has been wounded while taking park in the recent advance on the Western front, and is now in a London hospital. Now comes the news that a third son, Capt. W. G. Cragg (Loyal Lancashire Fusiliers), has been accidentally wounded at the Dardanelles.
Boston Guardian 1915 Oct 16. Threekingham Family's Patriotism. The King's Appreciation. Captain W. A. Cragg, of Threekingham House, near Billingborough, has been honoured with a letter from the King expressing his Majesty's appreciation of the patriotic spirit which has prompted his four sons to give their services to the army and navy.
One of Captain Cragg's sons, [his son] Lieut. N. H. Cragg, R.N., has been killed in action, and another, Lieut. J. F. Cragg, has been wounded.