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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John Francis is in Sculptors.
On 3rd September 1780 John Francis was born.
Around 1800 John Francis (age 19) became a student of Francis Leggatt Chantrey (age 18) and Samuel Joseph (age 9).
On 22nd June 1801 John Francis (age 20) and Mary Evetts (age 21) were married at Thornham, Norfolk.
In 1809 [his daughter] Mary Francis was born to John Francis (age 28) and [his wife] Mary Evetts (age 29). She married 1840 Thomas Thornycroft and had issue.
In 1820 John Francis (age 39) exhibited a bust of Thomas William Coke 1st Earl of Leicester at the Royal Academy.
In 1822 John Francis (age 41) was living at 2 Norfolk Street Park Lane. At this time he exhibted a bust of Horatia Nelson (age 20).
Before 1840 [his future son-in-law] Thomas Thornycroft (age 24) became a student of John Francis (age 59). He subsequently married his daughter [his daughter] Mary Francis (age 30).
In 1840 [his son-in-law] Thomas Thornycroft (age 24) and [his daughter] Mary Francis (age 31) were married. She the daughter of John Francis (age 59) and [his wife] Mary Evetts (age 60).
In 1841 the Census shows [his granddaughter] Frances Mary Claxton (age 13) living with John Francis (age 60)
In 1851 the Census shows [his granddaughter] Frances Mary Claxton (age 23) living with John Francis (age 70) and described as a grand-daughter which suggest her mother Ann was the deceased daughter of John Francis. Her future husband [his grandson-in-law] Matthew Noble (age 33) is listed as a lodger.
On 29th January 1855 [his wife] Mary Evetts (age 75) died.
On 30th August 1861 John Francis (age 80) died at his home in Albany Street, Regent's Park. He was buried at Plot 3058 at Highgate Cemetery West.
Cansick's Monumental Inscriptions Volume 2 Highgate Cemetery. Highgate Cemetery. In Memory of John Francis (deceased), Sculptor, Born Sep. 3, 1780, died Aug. 30, 1861.
Charles William, son of John and Mary Francis, Born Dec. 22, 1820, Died Feb. 23, 1849.
[his former wife] Mary, wife of John Francis, Born Sep. 20, 1779, Died Jan 29, 1855.
Elizabeth, widow of William Brown, Sculptor, and daughter of John and Mary Francis, Born April 11th 1807, died July 29th 1859.
[his daughter] Ann Francis was born to John Francis and Mary Evetts.