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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St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, Marylebone is in Bryanston Square Marylebone.
On 9th February 1769 Charles Jenkinson 1st Earl Liverpool (age 39) and Amelia Watts (age 18) were married at St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, Marylebone. The difference in their ages was 21 years.
On 19th May 1801 William Fitzroy (age 27) and Catherine Haughton Clarke (age 27) were married at St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, Marylebone.
On 16th February 1818 Charles John Gardiner 1st Earl Blessington (age 36) and Marguerite Power Countess of Blessington (age 28) were married at St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, Marylebone some four months after her first husband's death. She by marriage Countess Blessington.
On 9th January 1834 Charles Abbott (age 30) and Emily Frances Stuart were married at St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, Marylebone.
On 16th September 1856 Gerald Wellesley (age 47) and Magdalen Robinson Montagu were married at St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, Marylebone. He the son of Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley and Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey.
In July 1861 John Savile 4th Earl Mexborough (age 51) and Agnes Louisa Elizabeth Raphael were married at St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, Marylebone at which time he converted to his wife's Cathloic faith. He the son of John Savile 3rd Earl Mexborough and Anne Yorke Countess Mexborough (age 78).
In 1866 Bishop Augustus Legge (age 26) was appointed Curate of St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, Marylebone which office he held until 1867.
On 10th August 1871 Richard Knight Causton 1st Baron Southwark (age 27) and Selina Mary Chambers Baroness Southwark (age 19) were married at St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, Marylebone.
On 18th June 1872 Theophilus William Biddulph 7th Baronet (age 42) and Mary Agnes Somerville Lady Biddulph (age 34) were married at St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, Marylebone.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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After 1875 Richard Heber Wrightson (age 75) and Albinia Thomas were married at St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, Marylebone.