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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Around 1558 Thomas Smythe was born to [his father] Thomas "Customer" Smythe (age 36).
In 1571 Thomas Smythe (age 13) was educated at the Merchant Taylors School, Three Rivers.
In 1580 Thomas Smythe (age 22) was admitted to the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers and the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
In 1591 [his father] Thomas "Customer" Smythe (age 69) died.
In 1592 Thomas Smythe (age 34) obtained settlement rights to the Virginia colony from Walter Raleigh (age 38).
In 1597 Thomas Smythe (age 39) was elected MP Aylesbury.
Around 1599 [his son] John Smythe was born to Thomas Smythe (age 41). He married his fifth cousin once removed Isabella Rich, daughter of Robert Rich 1st Earl Warwick and Penelope Devereux Countess Devonshire, and had issue.
In 1599 Thomas Smythe (age 41) was elected Alderman of Farringdon Without.
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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Before 1600 Thomas Smythe (age 41) and Sarah Blount Countess Leicester (age 17) were married. The difference in their ages was 24 years.
In 1600 Thomas Smythe (age 42) was elected Sheriff of London.
On 31st December 1600 Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland (age 67) granted a Royal Charter to the Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies aka the East India Company led by George Clifford 3rd Earl of Cumberland (age 42) by which they received a monopoloy on trade with the East Indies. Thomas Smythe (age 42) was appointed first Governor of the East India Company.
On 8th February 1601 Thomas Smythe (age 43) was visited by Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex (age 35) at his house Gracechurch Street [Map]. Smythe was later accused of complicity in the Essex Rebellion, he was examined before the Privy Council. He was fired from his office of Sheriff of and committed to the Tower of London [Map].
In 1603 Thomas Smythe (age 45) was elected Governor of the East India Company which office he held, bar a break in 1606-1607, until Jul 1621.
On 13th May 1603 Thomas Smythe (age 45) was knighted.
After 13th May 1603 Thomas Smythe (age 45) was elected MP Dunwich.
On 13th June 1603 Thomas Smythe (age 45) sailed from Gravesend, Kent [Map] arriving in Arkhangelsk on 22nd July 1603.
In May 1604 Robert Myddelton (age 41) acquired the receivership of Crown lands in Dorset and Somerset from Alderman Thomas Smythe (age 46), but he quickly passed them onto Lionel Cranfield 1st Earl Middlesex (age 29).
In 1614 Thomas Smythe (age 56) was elected MP Sandwich.
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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In 1622 Thomas Smythe (age 64) was elected MP Saltash.
On 25th April 1625 Robert Sidney 1st Earl of Leicester (age 61) and [his wife] Sarah Blount Countess Leicester (age 43) were married. She by marriage Countess of Leicester.
On 4th September 1625 Thomas Smythe (age 67) died.
Before 12th March 1655 [his former wife] Sarah Blount Countess Leicester (age 73) died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 16 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 13 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 19 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 14 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 16 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 6 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 15 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 22 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 17 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 20 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Smythe
GrandFather: John Smythe 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ralph Neville 1st Earl of Westmoreland 
5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Neville Earl Salisbury Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Beaufort Countess of Westmoreland 
Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Neville 1st Marquess Montagu 2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Montagu 1st Count Perche 4th Earl Salisbury 
3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alice Montagu 5th Countess of Salisbury 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor Holland 
2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Isabel Neville 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Ingaldsthorpe
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edmund Ingaldsthorpe
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Pole 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Isabel Ingaldsthorpe 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Tiptoft 1st Baron Tiptoft 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Tiptoft 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joyce Charleton Baroness Tiptoft 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Father: Thomas "Customer" Smythe 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Thomas Smythe 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England