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: Trevor
On 8th March 1658 Thomas Trevor 1st Baron Trevor Bromham was born to [his father] John Trevor (age 34).
On 28th May 1672 [his father] John Trevor (age 48) died apparently by drinking a cold drink when he was very hot!
In or before 1692 Thomas Trevor 1st Baron Trevor Bromham (age 33) and Elizabeth Searle (age 19) were married.
In 1692 Thomas Trevor 1st Baron Trevor Bromham (age 33) was knighted.
Around 1692 [his son] Thomas Trevor 2nd Baron Trevor Bromham was born to Thomas Trevor 1st Baron Trevor Bromham (age 33) and [his wife] Elizabeth Searle (age 20).
In or before 1695 Robert Bernard 3rd Baronet and [his future wife] Anne Welden (age 24) were married.
On 25th August 1695 [his son] John Trevor 3rd Baron Trevor was born to Thomas Trevor 1st Baron Trevor Bromham (age 37) and [his wife] Elizabeth Searle (age 23).
In May 1702 [his wife] Elizabeth Searle (age 30) died.
In or before 1706 Thomas Trevor 1st Baron Trevor Bromham (age 47) and Anne Welden (age 35) were married. They were first cousins.
On 17th February 1706 [his son] Robert Hampden-Trevor 1st Viscount Hampden was born to Thomas Trevor 1st Baron Trevor Bromham (age 47) and [his wife] Anne Welden (age 36). Coefficient of inbreeding 3.12%.
This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
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In 1707 Thomas Trevor 1st Baron Trevor Bromham (age 48) was elected Fellow of the Royal Society.
Around 1710 Thomas Murray (age 47). Portrait of Thomas Trevor 1st Baron Trevor Bromham (age 51).
On 1st January 1712 Queen Anne of England Scotland and Ireland (age 46), on behalf of Robert Harley 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer (age 50), created a number of new Baronies to balance power in Parliament, known as Harley's Dozen,...
Allen Bathurst 1st Earl Bathurst (age 27) was created 1st Baron Bathurst.
Charles Bruce 4th Earl Elgin 3rd Earl Ailesbury (age 29) by writ of acceleration 3rd Baron Bruce of Skelton in Yorkshire.
James Compton 5th Earl of Northampton (age 24) by writ of acceleration 6th Baron Compton of Compton in Warwickshire.
Thomas Foley 1st Baron Foley (age 38) was created 1st Baron Foley.
George Granville 1st Baron Lansdowne (age 45) was created 1st Baron Lansdowne of Bideford in Devon. Mary Villiers Baroness Lansdowne by marriage Baroness Lansdowne of Bideford in Devon.
George Henry Hay 8th Earl Kinnoull (age 22) was created 1st Baron Hay of Pedwardine in Herefordshire.
Thomas Mansel 1st Baron Mansel (age 44) was created 1st Baron Mansel of Margam. Martha Millington Baroness Mansel by marriage Baroness Mansel of Margam.
Samuel Masham 1st Baron Masham (age 33) was created 1st Baron Masham of Otes in Essex. Abigail Hill Baroness Masham (age 42) by marriage Baroness Masham of Otes in Essex.
Henry Paget 1st Earl Uxbridge (age 48) was created 1st Baron Burton.
Thomas Trevor 1st Baron Trevor Bromham (age 53) was created 1st Baron Trevor Bromham.
Thomas Willoughby 1st Baron Middleton (age 39) was created 1st Baron Middleton. Elizabeth Rothwell Baroness Willoughby and Middleton by marriage Baroness Middleton.
Thomas Windsor 1st Viscount Windsor (age 42) was created 1st Baron Mountjoy.
In 1726 Thomas Trevor 1st Baron Trevor Bromham (age 67) was appointed Lord Privy Seal.
On 19th June 1730 Thomas Trevor 1st Baron Trevor Bromham (age 72) died. His son Thomas (age 38) succeeded 2nd Baron Trevor Bromham.
On 5th December 1746 [his former wife] Anne Welden (age 76) died.
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Trevor of Trevalyn, Denbighshire 
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Trevor
GrandFather: John Trevor
Father: John Trevor