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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On 22nd March 1942 Martin Henig was born.
From 1955 to 1960 Martin Henig (age 12) was educated at the Merchant Taylors School, Three Rivers.
From 1960 to 1963 Martin Henig (age 17) was educated at the Institute of Archaeology, University of London where he was awarded a Diploma of Archaeology.
From 1960 to 1963 Martin Henig (age 17) was educated at Worcester College, Oxford University where he was awarded a doctorate for a thesis on Engraved Gemstones from British Sites published in 1974, with new editions published in 1978 and 2007.
From 1960 to 1963 Martin Henig (age 17) was educated at St Catharine's College, Cambridge University where he was awarded BA and MA.
On 6th March 1975 Martin Henig (age 32) was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
In 1984 Martin Henig (age 41) published Religion in Roman Britain (Batsford).
Between 1985 and 2007 Martin Henig (age 42) was editor of the Journal of the British Archaeological Association.
In 1994 Martin Henig (age 51) published The Art of Roman Britain (Batsford).
Between 1997 and 2009 Martin Henig (age 54) was a Supernumerary Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford.