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, Eccleston is in Eccleston, Cheshire [Map], Churches in Cheshire.
1794. John Ingleby (age 45). "View of the River Dee with Eccleston Church [Map] and distant view of Chester".
On 14th June 1828 Caroline Amelia Grosvenor Baroness Leigh was born to Richard Grosvenor 2nd Marquess Westminster (age 33) and Elizabeth Mary Leveson-Gower Marchioness Westminster (age 31). She was baptised at St Mary's Church, Eccleston [Map] on 28th July 1828. She married 22nd August 1848 William Henry Leigh 2nd Baron Leigh, son of Chandos Leigh 1st Baron Leigh and Margarette Willes Baroness Leigh, and had issue.
On 29th April 1929 Arthur Hugh Grosvenor (age 68) died. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Eccleston [Map].
On 22nd February 1963 William Grosvenor 3rd Duke Westminster (age 68) died. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Eccleston [Map]. His half first cousin Gerald (age 56) succeeded 4th Duke Westminster, 6th Marquess Westminster, 7th Earl Grosvenor, 13th Baronet Grosvenor of Eaton in Cheshire.
On 22nd December 1899 Hugh Lupus Grosvenor 1st Duke Westminster (age 74) died. His grandson Hugh (age 20) succeeded 2nd Duke Westminster, 4th Marquess Westminster, 5th Earl Grosvenor, 11th Baronet Grosvenor of Eaton in Cheshire. Monument in Grosvenor Chapel, St Mary's Church, Eccleston [Map] sculpted by Leon Joseph Chavalliaud (age 41).
On 5th August 1802 Richard Grosvenor 1st Earl Grosvenor (age 71) died at Earls Court, Kensington. He was buried at Grosvenor Vault, St Mary's Church, Eccleston. His son Robert (age 35) succeeded 2nd Earl Grosvenor, 8th Baronet Grosvenor of Eaton in Cheshire. Eleanor Egerton Marchioness Westminster (age 32) by marriage Countess Grosvenor.
On 17th February 1845 Robert Grosvenor 1st Marquess Westminster (age 77) died at Eaton Hall, Cheshire [Map]. He was buried at Grosvenor Vault, St Mary's Church, Eccleston. His son Richard (age 50) succeeded 2nd Marquess Westminster, 3rd Earl Grosvenor, 9th Baronet Grosvenor of Eaton in Cheshire. Elizabeth Mary Leveson-Gower Marchioness Westminster (age 48) by marriage Marchioness Westminster.