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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Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint is in Holme Pierrepoint, Nottinghamshire [Map], Churches in Nottinghamshire.
In 1370 Edmund Pierrepont (age 45) died at Gascony [Map]. He was buried at Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].
In 1499 Henry Pierrepont (age 69) died. Fluted Period. Finely carved. Lots of rings on fingers. Suns and Roses Collar. Tomb chest possibly not original. Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].
Henry Pierrepont: In 1430 he was born to Henry Pierrepont and Thomasine Melton at Holme Pierrepoint, Nottinghamshire [Map]. In 1464 Henry Pierrepont rewarded by King Edward IV of England for his good and laudable services at his great cost and charges, and with manifold bodily dangers against the king's rebels levying war against him.
On 19th March 1616 Henry Pierrepont (age 70) died. Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map]. Designed by John Smythson. Probably carved by Hugh Hall who also carved the monument to Thomas Smith originally at Wybynbury but since moved to Nantwich [Map]. Elizabethan Period. Armorials:
Top left 
Cavendish Arms - he was married to Frances Cavendish (age 67) daughter of William Cavendish and Bess of Hardwick.
Top right 
Pierrepoint Arms.
Centre Bottom: Quartered 1&4 Pierrepoint Arms 2&3 Unknown Arms impaled Quartered 1&4 Cavendish Arms 2&3 Unknown Arms.
Frances Cavendish: On 18th June 1548 she was born to William Cavendish and Bess of Hardwick. Before 1584 Henry Pierrepont and she were married. She the daughter of William Cavendish and Bess of Hardwick Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford. They were sixth cousins. In January 1632 Frances Cavendish died.
On 27th July 1643 Robert Pierrepont 1st Earl Kingston (deceased) was buried at Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].
In 1649 Gertrude Talbot Baroness Pierrepont Holme Pierrepoint (age 68) died. She was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].
In 1679 Gervase Pierrepont (age 59) died. He was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].
On 22nd September 1681 Robert Pierrepont (age 45) died. He was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].
In June 1682 Robert Pierrepont 3rd Earl Kingston (age 22) died at Dieppe, Seine Maritime, Haute Normandie. He was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map]. His brother William (age 20) succeeded 4th Earl Kingston upon Hull, 4th Viscount Newark, 4th Baron Pierrepont of Holme Pierrepoint.
On 17th September 1690 William Pierrepont 4th Earl Kingston (age 28) died at Holme Pierrepoint, Nottinghamshire [Map]. He was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map]. His brother Evelyn (age 35) succeeded 5th Earl Kingston upon Hull, 5th Viscount Newark, 5th Baron Pierrepont of Holme Pierrepoint. Mary Fielding Countess Kingston upon Hull (age 22) by marriage Countess Kingston upon Hull.
On 29th August 1706 William Pierrepont (age 37) died. He was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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In 1713 William Pierrepont (age 21) died of smallpox. He was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].
On 5th March 1726 Evelyn Pierrepont 1st Duke Kingston upon Hull (age 71) died. He was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map]. His grandson Evelyn (age 15) succeeded 2nd Duke Kingston upon Hull, 2nd Marquess Dorchester, 6th Earl Kingston upon Hull, 6th Viscount Newark, 6th Baron Pierrepont of Holme Pierrepoint.
On 23rd February 1728 Isabella Bentinck Duchess Kingston upon Hull (age 39) died. She was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].
On 22nd September 1773 Evelyn Pierrepont 2nd Duke Kingston upon Hull (age 62) died without issue at Holme Pierrepoint Hall, Nottinghamshire. He was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map]. Duke Kingston upon Hull and Marquess Dorchester, Earl Kingston upon Hull, Viscount Newark, Baron Pierrepont of Holme Pierrepoint extinct. He left all his wealth and property to his wife Elizabeth Chudleigh Duchess Kingston upon Hull (age 52) on the condition she remain a widow.
After 22nd September 1773. Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map]. Monument to Evelyn Pierrepont 2nd Duke Kingston upon Hull (deceased). Probably sculpted by John Flaxman (age 18).
In 1789 Georgiana Ann Pierrepont (age 18) died. She was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].
On 22nd October 1801 Evelyn Henry Frederick Pierrepont (age 26) died. Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].
Evelyn Henry Frederick Pierrepont: On 18th January 1775 he was born to Charles Medows aka Pierrepont 1st Earl Manvers and Anne Mills Countess Manvers.
On 10th January 1811 William Saltren (age 29) died while ice skating on a lake at Thoresby. Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map]. Sculpted by John Flaxman (age 55).
Inscription: "Sacred to the memory of the Reverend William Saltren Rector of Cotgrave, in the county of Nottingham, he was a pious christian, an affectionate son, a sincere friend and a benevolent man: died January 10th 1811, aged 29 years. this monument is erected by his mother Elizabeth Saltren, in testimony of his virtues, and her grateful and affectionate remembrance.
William Saltren: Around 1782 he was born.
On 17th June 1816 Charles Medows aka Pierrepont 1st Earl Manvers (age 78) died. He was buried at Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map]. His son Charles (age 37) succeeded 2nd Earl Manvers, 2nd Viscount Newark, 2nd Baron Pierrepont of Holme Pierrepoint. Mary Laetitia Eyre Countess Manvers (age 31) by marriage Countess Manvers.
On or before 30th August 1823 Anne Mills Countess Manvers (age 76) died. She was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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On 11th November 1823 Sophia Cecil (age 31) died. Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map]. Probably sculpted by Pierre Bazzanti.
Sophia Cecil: In February 1792 she was born to Henry Cecil 1st Marquess Exeter and Sarah Hoggins Countess Exeter at Great Bolas, Shropshire. In 1818 Henry Manvers Pierrepont and she were married. She the daughter of Henry Cecil 1st Marquess Exeter and Sarah Hoggins Countess Exeter. He the son of Charles Medows aka Pierrepont 1st Earl Manvers and Anne Mills Countess Manvers.
On 23rd August 1850 Charles Evelyn Pierrepont (age 44) died at Torquay, Devon. He was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map]. His brother Sydney (age 25) succeeded 3rd Earl Manvers, 3rd Viscount Newark, 3rd Baron Pierrepont of Holme Pierrepoint.
On 10th November 1851 Henry Manvers Pierrepont (age 71) died. He was buried at Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].
Henry Manvers Pierrepont: On 18th March 1780 he was born to Charles Medows aka Pierrepont 1st Earl Manvers and Anne Mills Countess Manvers.
In or after 1852 the contents of the Crypt of the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map] were listed with a diagram by the Reverend James Cleaver, Rector of Holme Pierrepont, as follows:
1. Robert Pierrepont 1st Earl Kingston
2. Gertrude Talbot Baroness Pierrepont Holme Pierrepoint
3. William Pierrepoint died 1719
4. Evelyn Pierrepont 2nd Duke Kingston upon Hull
5. Unknown
7. Robert Pierrepont 3rd Earl Kingston.
10. William Pierrepont 4th Earl Kingston
11. Evelyn Pierrepont 1st Duke Kingston upon Hull
13. Unknown
15. Evelyn Pierrepont 1st Duke Kingston upon Hull
16. Isabella Bentinck Duchess Kingston upon Hull
17. Francis Pierrepont, died Aug 13 1679.
18. Charles Medows aka Pierrepont 1st Earl Manvers.
19. Anne Mills Countess Manvers
20. Henry Pierrepont 1st Marquess Dorchester
21. Samuel Pierrepont aged 6, 1711.
22. Blank
23. Blank
24. Charles Herbert Pierrepont 2nd Earl Manvers (age 73)
25. Mary Laetitia Eyre Countess Manvers (age 67)
26. Annora Mary Pierrepont, daughter of Charles, Viscount Newark, 3 months, 1815.
27 - 31. Blank
33. Sophia Cecil.
35. Emily Littleton
36 - 41. Blank.
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On 7th September 1860 Mary Laetitia Eyre Countess Manvers (age 75) died at Thoresby Hall, Nottinghamshire. She was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].
On 27th October 1860 Charles Herbert Pierrepont 2nd Earl Manvers (age 82) died. He was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].
On or before 19th March 1915 Emily Littleton was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map].