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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Tennant
Maternal Family Tree: Emma Winsloe Lady Tennant 1821-1895
In 1849 [his father] Charles Tennant 1st Baronet [aged 25] and [his mother] Emma Winsloe Lady Tennant [aged 28] were married.
On 31st May 1859 Edward Tennant 1st Baron Glenconner was born to [his father] Charles Tennant 1st Baronet [aged 35] and [his mother] Emma Winsloe Lady Tennant [aged 38].
In 1895 Edward Tennant 1st Baron Glenconner [aged 35] and Pamela Wyndham Viscountess Grey [aged 23] were married.
In 1895 [his mother] Emma Winsloe Lady Tennant [aged 74] died.
On 13th July 1896 [his daughter] Clarissa Madeline Tennant Baroness Tennyson was born to Edward Tennant 1st Baron Glenconner [aged 37] and [his wife] Pamela Wyndham Viscountess Grey [aged 25]. She married 27th March 1918 Major Lionel Hallam Tennyson 3rd Baron Tennyson, son of Hallam Tennyson 2nd Baron Tennyson and Audrey Georgiana Florence Boyle Baroness Tennyson, and had issue.
On 1st July 1897 [his son] Edward Wyndham Tennant was born to Edward Tennant 1st Baron Glenconner [aged 38] and [his wife] Pamela Wyndham Viscountess Grey [aged 26].
In 1898 [his father] Charles Tennant 1st Baronet [aged 74] and Marguerite Agaranthe Miles [aged 30] were married. The difference in their ages was 44 years.
In 1899 [his son] Christopher Tennant 2nd Baron Glenconner was born to Edward Tennant 1st Baron Glenconner [aged 39] and [his wife] Pamela Wyndham Viscountess Grey [aged 27]. He married (1) 25th September 1925 Pamela Winefred Paget Baroness Glenconner, daughter of Richard Arthur Surtees Paget 2nd Baronet and Muriel Finch-Hatton Lady Paget, and had issue.
In 1906 Wilfrid Scawen Blunt [aged 65] and Anne King-Noel 15th Baroness Wentworth [aged 68] were legally separated as a consequence of the numerous mistresses he had taken which included Jane Morris nee Burden [aged 66], Catherine Walters aka "Skittles", his cousin [his sister-in-law] Mary Wyndham [aged 43] and, possibly, her mother [his mother-in-law] Madeline Caroline Frances Eden Campbell.
On 21st April 1906 [his son] Stephen Tennant was born to Edward Tennant 1st Baron Glenconner [aged 46] and [his wife] Pamela Wyndham Viscountess Grey [aged 35].
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 4th June 1906 [his father] Charles Tennant 1st Baronet [aged 82] died. His son Edward [aged 47] succeeded 2nd Baronet Tennant of The Glen and St Rollox.
In 1911 Edward Tennant 1st Baron Glenconner [aged 51] was created 1st Baron Glenconner of The Glen in Peebles. [his wife] Pamela Wyndham Viscountess Grey [aged 39] by marriage Baroness Glenconner of The Glen in Peebles.
On 30th June 1914 Francis Richard Charteris 10th Earl of Wemyss [aged 95] died. His son Hugo [aged 56] succeeded 11th Earl Wemyss, 4th Baron Wemyss of Wemyss in Fife. [his sister-in-law] Mary Constance Wyndham Countess Wemyss [aged 51] by marriage Countess Wemyss.
The Times. 28th January 1916. MARRIAGE OF LORD GRANBY.
The marriage of the Marquess of Granby [aged 29], only son of the Duke [aged 63] and Duchess of Rutland [aged 59], to Miss Kathleen Tennant [aged 21], youngest daughter of [his brother] Mr. [aged 54] and Mrs. Frank Tennant [aged 52], of Innes House, took place yesterday at St. Margaret's [Map]. There was a very large attendance, and a number of those present brought young children with them.
The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a Venetian gown of white satin with a gold, brocade train four yards long and a short mantlet of old Venetian family lace; the sleeves were long and close-fitting, and she had a long white net veil with a wreath of orange blossoms. She carried a copy of the marriage service embroidered in seed pearl and coloured silks, worked by her mother after an old design in the British Museum.
Lady Diane Manners [aged 24], who was one of the bridesmaids, designed the bridesmaids' gowns in the medieval manner; they were of white chiffon belted in silver worn with flowing veils of blue tulle held by silver bands. Each of the bridesmaids carried a tail branch of almond blossom; the others were Miss Elizabeth Asquith [aged 18], Miss Mary Lyttelton, and Miss Violet Warrender. The Hon. Stephen Tennant [aged 9], who wore a Romeo suit with a jewelleed belt, was the page. Captain Charles Lindsay, Grenadier Guards, was best man. Canon Sheppard [aged 35], Sub-Dean of the Chapels Royal, and the Rev. F. W. Knox, the Duke of Rutland's chaplain, performed the ceremony.
SOME OF THE GOWNS. The Duke of Rutland was among the first to come to the church, and most of the guests were there early. The Prime Minister [aged 63] arrived with Mr. [aged 35] and Mrs. Bonham-Carter [aged 28], and Mr. Balfour with a party which included Mr. and Mrs. William Balfour. The Duchess on Rutland wore gold charmeuse with gold tissue in her hat and a rose pink velvet cloak bordered with fur. The Marchioness of Anglesey [aged 32], in white box-cloth, brought her little daughter, Lady Carolinie Paget [aged 2], in a little Ermine coat and hat. Mrs. Asquith [aged 51], who was with Mrs. Graham Smith [aged 56], wore a black charmeuse gown made with a ruched cape and trimmed with chinchilla; her hat was black with emerald feathers.
Mrs. Tennant wore black and white embroidered taffetas; Lady Robert Manners had a long muauve coat trimmed with skunk; and the Countess of Wemyss [aged 53] was in black and white. Lady Tree had a pervenche panne long coat made tight-fitting and a plain black sailor hat. The Countess of Drogheda [aged 29] wore black and gold, Lady D'Abernon [aged 50] grey chinchilla furs with a black coat and skirt, and Lady Arthur Paget a musquash coat bordered with skunk. Mrs. Guy Charteris [aged 28] brought her baby, and the Hon. Mrs. George Keppel [aged 45], in black and white, was accomapanied by her two daughters, and Mrs. McKenna by her two sons. Mrs. Hwfa Williams and Lady Randolph Churchill [aged 62] (who was with Mrs. Churchill [aged 30]) both were black velvet.
The Guests. Among those present were:
The Italian Ambassador, the Spanish Ambassador, the Duchess of Buccleuch [aged 44], and Lady Margaret Scott, etc.
A small reception was held after the ceremony at Lord [aged 56] and Lady Glenconner's [aged 45] house in Queen Anne's gate, and the bride and bridegroom subsequently left for Belvoir Castle [Map], where the honeymoon will be spent.
Become a Member via our Buy Me a Coffee page to read more.
On 22nd September 1916 [his son] Edward Wyndham Tennant [aged 19] was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme. Sculpted by Allan Gairdner Wyon [aged 34]. Salisbury Cathedral [Map].
Edward Wyndham Tennant: On 1st July 1897 he was born to Edward Tennant 1st Baron Glenconner and Pamela Wyndham Viscountess Grey.
On 27th March 1918 [his son-in-law] Major Lionel Hallam Tennyson 3rd Baron Tennyson [aged 28] and [his daughter] Clarissa Madeline Tennant Baroness Tennyson [aged 21] were married.
On 21st November 1920 Edward Tennant 1st Baron Glenconner [aged 61] died at 34 Queen Anne's Gate Marylebone following an operation ten days before. His son Christopher [aged 21] succeeded 2nd Baron Glenconner of The Glen in Peebles, 3rd Baronet Tennant of The Glen and St Rollox.
In 1922 Edward Grey 1st Viscount Fallodon [aged 59] and [his former wife] Pamela Wyndham Viscountess Grey [aged 50] were married. She by marriage Viscountess Grey of Fallodon in Northumberland.
On 18th November 1928 [his former wife] Pamela Wyndham Viscountess Grey [aged 57] died.
Great x 1 Grandfather: Charles Tennant 
GrandFather: John Tennant of St Rollox
Father: Charles Tennant 1st Baronet
GrandMother: Robina Arrol
Edward Tennant 1st Baron Glenconner
GrandFather: Richard Winsloe of Mount Nebo in Taunton
Mother: Emma Winsloe Lady Tennant