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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Biography of Roger Gresley 8th Baronet 1799-1837

Paternal Family Tree: Gresley

On 27th January 1776 [his father] Nigel Bowyer Gresley 7th Baronet [age 23] and Wilmot Gresley were married by which he acquired Drakelow Hall, Derbyshire. They were first cousins.

On 26th June 1796 [his father] Nigel Bowyer Gresley 7th Baronet [age 43] and [his mother] Maria Elizabeth Garway Lady Gresley were married at St James' Church, Piccadilly. She by marriage Lady Gresley of Drakelow in Derbyshire.

On 27th December 1799 Roger Gresley 8th Baronet was born to [his father] Nigel Bowyer Gresley 7th Baronet [age 46] and [his mother] Maria Elizabeth Garway Lady Gresley.

On 26th March 1808 [his father] Nigel Bowyer Gresley 7th Baronet [age 55] died. His son Roger [age 8] succeeded 8th Baronet Gresley of Drakelow in Derbyshire.

On 17th October 1817 Roger Gresley 8th Baronet [age 17] entered Christ Church College, Oxford University where he remained until 1819 when he left without a degree.

TO SIR ROGER GRESLEY, BART.. TO SIR ROGER GRESLEY [age 21], Bart. On His Marriage With Lady SOPHIA COVENTRY, Youngest Daughter Of The EARL OF COVENTRY [age 63].

JUNE 2, 1821

IF mortals bliss can gain below,

Thou, GRESLEY, must the blessing know;

Nature at first to thee was kind,

She gave a shrewd and pregnant mind,

By taste and learning since refin'd.

Fortune, not less her pow'r to shew,

Has deign'd her favours to bestow;

Of riches an abundant store,

And, what thou now wilt value more,

To heighten ev'ry charm of life,

A nobler treasure in a wife,

Surpassing all in Plutus' pow'r,

Were e'en Peru his added dow'r;

A wife in manners, form, and mind,

The proudest would rejoice to find,

Possessing ev'ry gentler grace

That best adorns the female race.

Oh! still may Fortune prove thy friend,

And bliss on all thy course attend,

Till Nature, in a late decay,

Shall softly steal your lives away,

And angels then be hov'ring near

To waft ye to a happier sphere.

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On 2nd June 1821 Roger Gresley 8th Baronet [age 21] and Sophia Catherine Coventry Lady Gresley and Des Voeux were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square. There was no issue from the marriage. She by marriage Lady Gresley of Drakelow in Derbyshire. She the daughter of George Coventry 7th Earl Coventry [age 63] and Margaret "Peggy" Pitches Countess Coventry [age 61].

In 1826 Roger Gresley 8th Baronet [age 26] was appointed High Sheriff of Derbyshire.

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.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

In 1827 Roger Gresley 8th Baronet [age 27] sold the Gresley Canal to pay off his gambling debts.

In 1830 Roger Gresley 8th Baronet [age 30] was elected MP Durham but for some unknown reason was unseated in 1831.

In 1831 Roger Gresley 8th Baronet [age 31] was elected Romney Marsh which seat he held until 1832.

On 26th March 1831 [his father-in-law] George Coventry 7th Earl Coventry [age 72] died at Coventry House, Piccadilly [Map]. His son [his brother-in-law] George [age 46] succeeded 8th Earl Coventry. Mary Beauclerk Countess Coventry [age 39] by marriage Countess Coventry.

In 1835 Roger Gresley 8th Baronet [age 35] was elected MP South Derbyshire which seat he held until Jul 1837.

Before 12th October 1837 Roger Gresley 8th Baronet [age 37] was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

On 12th October 1837 Roger Gresley 8th Baronet [age 37] died. He was buried at St George and St Mary's Church, Church Gresley on 28th October 1837. His first cousin William [age 31] succeeded 9th Baronet Gresley of Drakelow in Derbyshire.

On 16th July 1839 Henry William Des Voeux 3rd Baronet [age 32] and [his former wife] Sophia Catherine Coventry Lady Gresley and Des Voeux were married. She the daughter of [his former father-in-law] George Coventry 7th Earl Coventry and [his former mother-in-law] Margaret "Peggy" Pitches Countess Coventry [age 79].

Royal Ancestors of Roger Gresley 8th Baronet 1799-1837

Kings Wessex: Great x 24 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England

Kings Gwynedd: Great x 20 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd

Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 26 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth

Kings Powys: Great x 21 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys

Kings Godwinson: Great x 26 Grand Son of King Harold II of England

Kings England: Great x 16 Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Kings Scotland: Great x 23 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland

Kings Franks: Great x 30 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor

Kings France: Great x 24 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks

Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 28 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine

Ancestors of Roger Gresley 8th Baronet 1799-1837

Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Gresley 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Gresley 2nd Baronet 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Bridgett Burdett

Great x 2 Grandfather: William Gresley 3rd Baronet 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Gilbert Morewood of London and Netherseale, Leicestershire

Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Morewood Lady Gresley

Great x 4 Grandmother: Frances Salmon

Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Gresley 4th Baronet 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: John Walcot of Walcot in Shropshire

Great x 2 Grandmother: Barbara Walcot

Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Clarke

GrandFather: Nigel Gresley 6th Baronet 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Cecil Bowyer 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: William Bowyer 3rd Baronet 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: William Bowyer 4th Baronet 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: John Stonhouse 3rd Baronet

Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Stonhouse

Great x 4 Grandmother: Penelope Dashwood

Great x 1 Grandmother: Dorothy Bowyer 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Father: Nigel Bowyer Gresley 7th Baronet 15 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 1 Grandfather: Reverend Ellis Wynn of Congleton

GrandMother: Elizabeth Wynn Lady Gresley

Great x 2 Grandfather: Leftwich Oldfield

Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Oldfield

Roger Gresley 8th Baronet 16 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

GrandFather: Caleb Garway of Worcester

Mother: Maria Elizabeth Garway Lady Gresley