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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Joseph Severn is in Painters.
On 7th December 1793 Joseph Severn was born.
1819. Joseph Severn (age 25). Portrait of John Keats (age 23).
1821 to 1823. Joseph Severn (age 27). Portrait of John Keats (age 25).
23rd February 1821. Joseph Severn (age 27). Portrait of John Keats (age 25) on his deathbed.
In 1828 Joseph Severn (age 34) and Elizabeth Montgomerie (age 24) were married.
On 17th February 1841 [his brother-in-law] Archibald William Montgomerie 13th Earl Eglinton (age 28) and Theresa Howe Newcomen (age 32) were married.
1852. Joseph Severn (age 58). A lady painting in her album.
On 4th October 1861 [his brother-in-law] Archibald William Montgomerie 13th Earl Eglinton (age 49) died. His son Archibald (age 19) succeeded 14th Earl Eglinton.
On 17th April 1862 [his wife] Elizabeth Montgomerie (age 58) died.
Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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On 25th May 1870 [his son-in-law] Henry Furneaux (age 40) and [his daughter] Eleanor Elizabeth Severn were married. She the daughter of Joseph Severn (age 76) and [his former wife] Elizabeth Montgomerie.
On 3rd August 1879 Joseph Severn (age 85) died. He was buried at the Protestant aka English Cemetery, Rome next to the grave of John Keats.
Attribution: Howardhudson at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5
[his daughter] Eleanor Elizabeth Severn was born to Joseph Severn and Elizabeth Montgomerie. She married 25th May 1870 Henry Furneaux and had issue.