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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In 1858 [her father] Joseph John Armitage and [her mother] Hannah Fenton were married. They had five children.
On 21st March 1863 Emily Fenton Armitage was born to [her father] Joseph John Armitage and [her mother] Hannah Fenton.
In 1894 James Arthur Hutton and Emily Fenton Armitage (age 30) were married.
Before March 1918 Emily Fenton Armitage (age 54) was commandant of Brookdale Hospital. In the 4 years Brookdale had been running it had treated 1817 patients (only one man died) and by the end it had 73 beds in operation. Some open air wards proved to be an asset.
In March 1918 Emily Fenton Armitage (age 54) was awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
On 9th February 1919 Emily Fenton Armitage (age 55) died. Her funeral at St Philip's Church, Alderley Edge was attended by both the Vicar and the Rector of Alderley, the Rev. C Welland after which her remains were buried at St Mary's Church, Nether Alderley [Map].
After March 1919. Grave of Emily Fenton Armitage (deceased) in the Churchyard of St Mary's Church, Nether Alderley [Map].
