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: Cantilupe
Around 1159 William Cantilupe Baron was born to [his father] Walter Cantilupe.
Around 1185 [his son] William Cantilupe was born to William Cantilupe Baron (age 26).
In 1186 [his daughter] Mabel Cantilupe was born to William Cantilupe Baron (age 27). She married Thurstan Montfort and had issue.
Around 1189 [his son] John Cantilupe was born to William Cantilupe Baron (age 30).
In or before 1191 [his son] Bishop Walter de Cantelupe was born to William Cantilupe Baron (age 31).
In 1192 [his daughter] Isabel Cantilupe was born to William Cantilupe Baron (age 33). She married 1209 Stephen Devereux and had issue.
In 1200 William Cantilupe Baron (age 41) was appointed High Sheriff of Worcestershire.
In 1204 William Cantilupe Baron (age 45) was granted the manor of Aston Cantlow, Warwickshire.
In 1204 William Cantilupe Baron (age 45) was granted the manor of Eaton, Bedfordshire.
In 1207 William Cantilupe Baron (age 48) was present at the Second Battle of Lincoln.
In 1207 William Cantilupe Baron (age 48) was appointed High Sheriff of Worcestershire.
In 1207 William Cantilupe Baron (age 48) was appointed Baron of the Exchequer.
In 1207 William Cantilupe Baron (age 48) was present at the Siege of Mountsorrel Castle.
In 1209 William Cantilupe Baron (age 50) was appointed High Sheriff of Warwickshire and High Sheriff of Leicestershire after which his main residence was Kenilworth Castle [Map].
In 1209 [his son-in-law] Stephen Devereux (age 18) and [his daughter] Isabel Cantilupe (age 17) were married.
In 1228 [his daughter] Mabel Cantilupe (age 42) died.
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 1236 [his daughter] Isabel Cantilupe (age 44) died.
Chronica Majora by Matthew Paris. 30th August 1236. The venerable bishops of Worcester and Norwich, of pious memory, having gone the way of all flesh, the monks of Worcester elected [his son] Master Walter de Cantelupe (age 45), son of the powerful and illustrious William de Cantelupe (age 77), to be their prelate and the pastor of their souls, and the pope accepted of him "without any difficulty, and consecrated him as bishop. The Norwich monks elected their prior, a religious and discreet man, to be their head; but his election, although duly made, displeased the king, and, owing to the ridiculous reasonings and objections of some who opposed it, was for a long time hung in suspense, not without certain scmples arising from suspected misdeeds.
On 7th April 1239 William Cantilupe Baron (age 80) died. He was buried at Studley Priory, Warwickshire [Map].
Joan Beaufort Queen Consort Scotland [1]
King Richard III of England [2]
Anne Neville Queen Consort England [4]
King Henry VII of England and Ireland [1]
Queen Anne Boleyn of England [3]
Catherine Parr Queen Consort England [6]
Queen Catherine Howard of England [4]
Jane Grey I Queen England and Ireland [9]
George Wharton [35]
President George Washington [3]
Brigadier-General Charles Fitz-Clarence [176]
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom [680]
Queen Consort Camilla Shand [204]
Diana Spencer Princess Wales [1984]