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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Earl Abingdon is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically, Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extant Earldoms of England.
Summary
30th November 1682. James Bertie 1st Earl of Abingdon [aged 29] created.
22nd May 1699. Son Montagu Venables Bertie 2nd Earl of Abingdon [aged 26] succeeded.
16th June 1743. Nephew Willoughby Bertie 3rd Earl of Abingdon [aged 50] succeeded.
10th June 1760. Son Willoughby Bertie 4th Earl of Abingdon [aged 20] succeeded.
26th September 1799. Son Montagu Bertie 5th Earl of Abingdon [aged 15] succeeded.
16th October 1854. Son Montagu Bertie 6th Earl of Abingdon [aged 46] succeeded.
8th February 1884. Son Montagu Arthur Bertie 7th Earl of Abingdon [aged 47] succeeded.
10th March 1928. Grandson Montagu Henry Edmund Cecil Towneley Bertie 8th Earl of Abingdon 13th Earl Lindsey [aged 40] succeeded.
11th September 1963. First Cousin Richard Bertie 14th Earl Lindsey 9th Earl of Abingdon [aged 32] succeeded.
On 30th November 1682 James Bertie 1st Earl of Abingdon [aged 29] was created 1st Earl Abingdon. Eleanor Lee Countess Abingdon by marriage Countess Abingdon.
On 15th April 1698 James Bertie 1st Earl of Abingdon [aged 44] and Catherine Chamberlayne Countess Abingdon [aged 30] were married at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Stanwell. She by marriage Countess Abingdon. He the son of Montagu Bertie 2nd Earl Lindsey and Bridget Wray Countess Lindsey.
On 22nd May 1699 James Bertie 1st Earl of Abingdon [aged 45] died. He was buried at St Michael's Church, Rycote. His son Montagu [aged 26] succeeded 2nd Earl Abingdon, 6th Baron Norreys of Rycote.
On 16th June 1743 Montagu Venables Bertie 2nd Earl of Abingdon [aged 70] died. His nephew Willoughby [aged 50] succeeded 3rd Earl Abingdon, 7th Baron Norreys of Rycote. Anna Maria Collins Countess Abingdon by marriage Countess Abingdon.
On 10th June 1760 Willoughby Bertie 3rd Earl of Abingdon [aged 67] died. His son Willoughby [aged 20] succeeded 4th Earl Abingdon, 8th Baron Norreys of Rycote.
On 26th September 1799 Willoughby Bertie 4th Earl of Abingdon [aged 59] died. His son Montagu [aged 15] succeeded 5th Earl Abingdon, 9th Baron Norreys of Rycote.
On 27th August 1807 Montagu Bertie 5th Earl of Abingdon [aged 23] and Emily Gage Countess of Abingdon were married. She by marriage Countess Abingdon. He the son of Willoughby Bertie 4th Earl of Abingdon and Charlotte Warren.
On 11th March 1841 Montagu Bertie 5th Earl of Abingdon [aged 56] and Frederica Kerr Countess of Abingdon [aged 25] were married. She by marriage Countess Abingdon. The difference in their ages was 31 years. He the son of Willoughby Bertie 4th Earl of Abingdon and Charlotte Warren.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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On 16th October 1854 Montagu Bertie 5th Earl of Abingdon [aged 70] died. His son Montagu [aged 46] succeeded 6th Earl Abingdon, 10th Baron Norreys of Rycote. Elizabeth Lavinia Harcourt Countess Abingdon by marriage Countess Abingdon.
On 8th February 1884 Montagu Bertie 6th Earl of Abingdon [aged 75] died. His son Montagu [aged 47] succeeded 7th Earl Abingdon, 11th Baron Norreys of Rycote.
On 10th March 1928 Montagu Arthur Bertie 7th Earl of Abingdon [aged 91] died. His grandson Montagu [aged 40] succeeded 8th Earl Abingdon, 12th Baron Norreys of Rycote. Elizabeth Valetta Montagu-Stuart-Wortley Countess Abingdon [aged 31] by marriage Countess Abingdon. It isn't clear whether their marriage took place before or after the death of his father.
On 11th September 1963 Montagu Henry Edmund Cecil Towneley Bertie 8th Earl of Abingdon 13th Earl Lindsey [aged 75] died. His first cousin Richard [aged 32] succeeded 14th Earl Lindsey, 9th Earl Abingdon, 13th Baron Norreys of Rycote.