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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: Saye
Geoffrey Saye held land at Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire.
Geoffrey Saye and Alice Cheney were married.
In 1155 Geoffrey Saye was born to [his uncle] Geoffrey Saye (age 21).
Around 1209 [his son] William Saye was born to Geoffrey Saye (age 54). He married before 1235 Sybil Marshal and had issue.
Around 1213 [his uncle] Geoffrey Saye (age 79) died.
On 15th June 1215 King John of England (age 48) met with his Baron's at Runnymede [Map] where he agreed to the terms of the Magna Carta which attempted to reduce the King's authority through political reform. Those who signed as surety included:
Roger Bigod 2nd Earl Norfolk (age 71)
his son Hugh Bigod 3rd Earl Norfolk (age 33)
Henry Bohun 1st Earl Hereford (age 39)
Richard Clare 3rd Earl Hertford (age 62)
his son Gilbert Clare 5th Earl Gloucester 4th Earl Hertford (age 35)
William "The Younger" Marshal 2nd Earl Pembroke (age 25)
William Mowbray 6th Baron Thirsk (age 42)
Saer Quincy 1st Earl Winchester (age 45)
Robert Ros (age 43), Richard Percy 5th Baron Percy Topcliffe (age 45)
Robert de Vere 3rd Earl of Oxford (age 50)
Eustace Vesci (age 46)
John Fitzrobert 3rd Baron Warkworth (age 25)
John Lacy Earl Lincoln (age 23).
William de Albini (age 64), Geoffrey Mandeville 2nd Earl Essex (age 24)
William Forz 3rd Earl Albemarle
William Hardell
William Huntingfield
William Llanvallei
William Malet 1st Baron Curry Mallet
Roger Montbegon, Richard Montfichet
Geoffrey Saye (age 60) signed as surety the Magna Carta.
Ranulf de Blondeville Gernon 6th Earl Chester 1st Earl Lincoln (age 45) witnessed.
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On 24th August 1230 Geoffrey Saye (age 75) died at Gascoigne.
GrandFather: William Saye 
Father: Geoffrey Saye
Great x 2 Grandfather: Geoffrey Mandeville 
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Mandeville
Great x 2 Grandmother: Adeliza Unknown
GrandMother: Beatrice Mandeville
Great x 2 Grandfather: Eudo Dapifer
Great x 1 Grandmother: Margaret Dapifer