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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: Byron
Around 1412 Margaret Byron was born to [her father] John Byron (age 41).
In 1429 [her son] William Atherton was born to William Atherton (age 24) and Margaret Byron (age 17) at Atherton, Lancashire.
Around 1438 [her son] Nicholas Atherton was born to William Atherton (age 33) and Margaret Byron (age 26) at Atherton, Lancashire.
Before 1440 Robert Harcourt (age 29) and Margaret Byron (age 27) were married.
Around 1440 [her son] John Harcourt was born to [her husband] Robert Harcourt (age 29) and Margaret Byron (age 28) at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire [Map]. He married Anne Norreys and had issue.
Before 1442 [her brother-in-law] Walter Blount 1st Baron Mountjoy (age 25) and [her sister] Helena Byron Baroness Mountjoy (age 25) were married.
Around 1443 [her son] Robert Harcourt was born to [her husband] Robert Harcourt (age 32) and Margaret Byron (age 31) at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire [Map].
Around 1445 [her son] Thomas Harcourt was born to [her husband] Robert Harcourt (age 34) and Margaret Byron (age 33) at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire [Map].
Around 1447 [her son] George Harcourt was born to [her husband] Robert Harcourt (age 36) and Margaret Byron (age 35) at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire [Map].
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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In 1465 [her father] John Byron (age 94) died at Clayton.
On 20th June 1465 [her brother-in-law] Walter Blount 1st Baron Mountjoy (age 49) was created 1st Baron Mountjoy. [her sister] Helena Byron Baroness Mountjoy (age 49) by marriage Baroness Mountjoy.
In 1468 [her sister] Helena Byron Baroness Mountjoy (age 52) died.
On 14th November 1470 [her husband] Robert Harcourt (age 60) was killed by an adherent of the Staffords with whom he had a long running feud for Robert having murdered Robert Stafford in 1448 at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire [Map].
Monumental Effigies. [her former husband] Sir Robert Harcourt KG (died 1471) and Margaret (Byron) (age 59) his wife in Stanton Harcourt Church, Oxfordshire.
Robert Harcourt: On 20th September 1410 he was born to Thomas Harcourt at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire [Map]. Before 1440 Robert Harcourt and Margaret Byron were married. On 14th November 1470 Robert Harcourt was killed by an adherent of the Staffords with whom he had a long running feud for Robert having murdered Robert Stafford in 1448 at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire [Map].
On 26th June 1485 [her son] John Harcourt (age 45) died.
On 25th May 1486 Margaret Byron (age 74) died at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire [Map]. She was buried at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire [Map].
[her daughter] Joan Harcourt was born to Robert Harcourt and Margaret Byron.
[her daughter] Agnes Harcourt was born to Robert Harcourt and Margaret Byron. She married William Cope.
[her daughter] Elizabeth Harcourt was born to Robert Harcourt and Margaret Byron.
[her daughter] Margaret Harcourt was born to Robert Harcourt and Margaret Byron.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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William Atherton and Margaret Byron were married.
Maurice Berkeley and Margaret Byron were married. The difference in their ages was 28 years; she, unusually, being older than him.
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Byron 
Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard Byron of Clayton
Great x 1 Grandfather: James Byron
GrandFather: Richard Byron
Father: John Byron