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 Ailesbury is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically.
Earl Ailesbury is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extinct Earldoms of England.
Summary
18th March 1664. Robert Bruce 2nd Earl Elgin 1st Earl Ailesbury [aged 37] created.
20th October 1685. Son Thomas Bruce 3rd Earl Elgin 2nd Earl Ailesbury [aged 29] succeeded.
16th December 1741. Son Charles Bruce 4th Earl Elgin 3rd Earl Ailesbury [aged 59] succeeded.
10th February 1747. Charles Bruce 4th Earl Elgin 3rd Earl Ailesbury extinct.
On 18th March 1664 Robert Bruce 2nd Earl Elgin 1st Earl Ailesbury [aged 37] was created 1st Earl Ailesbury, 1st Viscount Bruce of Ampthill in Bedfordshire, 1st Baron Bruce of Skelton in Yorkshire. Diana Grey Countess Elgin and Ailesbury [aged 34] by marriage Countess Ailesbury.
On 20th October 1685 Robert Bruce 2nd Earl Elgin 1st Earl Ailesbury [aged 59] died. His son Thomas [aged 29] succeeded 3rd Earl Elgin, 2nd Earl Ailesbury, 2nd Viscount Bruce of Ampthill in Bedfordshire, 3rd Baron Bruce of Whorlton in Yorkshire, 2nd Baron Bruce of Skelton in Yorkshire. Elizabeth Seymour Countess Elgin and Ailesbury [aged 30] by marriage Countess Elgin, Countess Ailesbury.
On 27th April 1700 Thomas Bruce 3rd Earl Elgin 2nd Earl Ailesbury [aged 44] and Charlotte Argenteau Countess Elgin and Ailesbury [aged 21] were married at Brussels [Map]. She by marriage Countess Elgin, Countess Ailesbury. The difference in their ages was 22 years. He the son of Robert Bruce 2nd Earl Elgin 1st Earl Ailesbury.
On 16th December 1741 Thomas Bruce 3rd Earl Elgin 2nd Earl Ailesbury [aged 85] died. His son Charles [aged 59] succeeded 4th Earl Elgin, 3rd Earl Ailesbury, 3rd Viscount Bruce of Ampthill in Bedfordshire. Caroline Campbell Countess Elgin and Ailesbury [aged 20] by marriage Countess Elgin, Countess Ailesbury.
On 10th February 1747 Charles Bruce 4th Earl Elgin 3rd Earl Ailesbury [aged 64] died. Earl Ailesbury, Viscount Bruce of Ampthill in Bedfordshire, Baron Bruce of Skelton in Yorkshire, Baron Bruce of Whorlton in Yorkshire extinct.
Thomas Brudenell 1st Earl Ailesbury [aged 17] succeeded 2nd Baron Bruce of Tottenham in Wiltshire.
Charles Bruce 9th Earl Kincardine 5th Earl Elgin [aged 14] succeeded 5th Earl Elgin.
Earl Ailesbury is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extant Earldoms of England.
Summary
June 1776. Thomas Brudenell 1st Earl Ailesbury [aged 47] created.
19th April 1814. Son Charles Brudenell 1st Marquess Ailesbury [aged 41] succeeded.
4th January 1856. Son George William Frederick Brudenell 2nd Marquess Ailesbury [aged 51] succeeded.
6th January 1878. Brother Ernest Brudenell-Bruce 3rd Marquess Ailesbury [aged 66] succeeded.
18th October 1886. Grandson George William Thomas Brudenell 4th Marquess Ailesbury [aged 23] succeeded.
10th April 1894. Uncle Henry Brudenell-Bruce 5th Marquess of Ailesbury [aged 51] succeeded.
10th March 1911. Son George Brudenell-Bruce 6th Marquess of Ailesbury [aged 37] succeeded.
4th August 1961. Son Cedric Brudenell-Bruce 7th Marquess of Ailesbury [aged 57] succeeded.
15th July 1974. Son Michael Brudenell-Bruce 8th Marquess of Ailesbury [aged 48] succeeded.
12th May 2024. Son David Brudenell-Bruce 9th Marquess of Ailesbury [aged 71] succeeded.
On 17th February 1761 Thomas Brudenell 1st Earl Ailesbury [aged 31] and Susanna Hoare Countess Ailesbury [aged 28] were married. She by marriage Countess Ailesbury. He the son of George Brudenell 3rd Earl Cardigan and Elizabeth Bruce 3rd Countess Cardigan.
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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In June 1776 Thomas Brudenell 1st Earl Ailesbury [aged 47] was created 1st Earl Ailesbury. Anne Elizabeth Rawdon Countess Ailesbury [aged 23] by marriage Countess Ailesbury.
On 19th April 1814 Thomas Brudenell 1st Earl Ailesbury [aged 84] died at Seymour Place. His son Charles [aged 41] succeeded 2nd Earl Ailesbury, 3rd Baron Bruce of Tottenham in Wiltshire.
On 4th January 1856 Charles Brudenell 1st Marquess Ailesbury [aged 82] died. His son George [aged 51] succeeded 2nd Marquess Ailesbury, 3rd Earl Ailesbury, 2nd Earl Bruce of Whorlton in Yorkshire, 2nd Viscount Savernake of Savernake Forest in Wiltshire. Mary Herbert Marchioness Ailesbury [aged 43] by marriage Marchioness Ailesbury.
On 6th January 1878 George William Frederick Brudenell 2nd Marquess Ailesbury [aged 73] died at Lockeridge House Savernake, Wiltshire. His brother Ernest [aged 66] succeeded 3rd Marquess Ailesbury, 9th Earl Cardigan, 4th Earl Ailesbury, 3rd Earl Bruce of Whorlton in Yorkshire, 3rd Viscount Savernake of Savernake Forest in Wiltshire, 9th Baron Brudenell of Stonton in Leicestershire. Louisa Elizabeth Horsley Beresford Marchioness Ailesbury [aged 63] by marriage Marchioness Ailesbury.
On 18th October 1886 Ernest Brudenell-Bruce 3rd Marquess Ailesbury [aged 75] died. His grandson George [aged 23] succeeded 4th Marquess Ailesbury, 10th Earl Cardigan, 5th Earl Ailesbury, 4th Earl Bruce of Whorlton in Yorkshire, 4th Viscount Savernake of Savernake Forest in Wiltshire, 10th Baron Brudenell of Stonton in Leicestershire, 5th Baron Bruce of Tottenham in Wiltshire. Dorothy Julia "Dolly Tester" Haseley Marchioness Ailesbury [aged 25] by marriage Marchioness Ailesbury. Robert Thomas Brudenell-Bruce [aged 41] inherited Deene Park, Northamptonshire [Map].
On 10th April 1894 George William Thomas Brudenell 4th Marquess Ailesbury [aged 30] died without issue. His uncle Henry [aged 51] succeeded 5th Marquess Ailesbury, 11th Earl Cardigan, 6th Earl Ailesbury, 5th Earl Bruce of Whorlton in Yorkshire, 5th Viscount Savernake of Savernake Forest in Wiltshire, 11th Baron Brudenell of Stonton in Leicestershire, 6th Baron Bruce of Tottenham in Wiltshire.
On 10th March 1911 Henry Brudenell-Bruce 5th Marquess of Ailesbury [aged 68] died. His son George [aged 37] succeeded 6th Marquess Ailesbury, 12th Earl Cardigan, 7th Earl Ailesbury, 6th Earl Bruce of Whorlton in Yorkshire, 6th Viscount Savernake of Savernake Forest in Wiltshire, 12th Baron Brudenell of Stonton in Leicestershire, 7th Baron Bruce of Tottenham in Wiltshire.
On 4th August 1961 George Brudenell-Bruce 6th Marquess of Ailesbury [aged 88] died. His son Cedric [aged 57] succeeded 7th Marquess Ailesbury, 13th Earl Cardigan, 8th Earl Ailesbury, 7th Earl Bruce of Whorlton in Yorkshire, 7th Viscount Savernake of Savernake Forest in Wiltshire, 13th Baron Brudenell of Stonton in Leicestershire, 8th Baron Bruce of Tottenham in Wiltshire.
On 15th July 1974 Cedric Brudenell-Bruce 7th Marquess of Ailesbury [aged 70] died. His son Michael [aged 48] succeeded 8th Marquess Ailesbury, 14th Earl Cardigan, 9th Earl Ailesbury, 8th Earl Bruce of Whorlton in Yorkshire, 8th Viscount Savernake of Savernake Forest in Wiltshire, 14th Baron Brudenell of Stonton in Leicestershire, 9th Baron Bruce of Tottenham in Wiltshire.
On 12th May 2024 Michael Brudenell-Bruce 8th Marquess of Ailesbury [aged 98] died after falling from a window at his home in the Shepherd's Bush area of London. His son David [aged 71] succeeded 9th Marquess Ailesbury, 15th Earl Cardigan, 10th Earl Ailesbury, 9th Earl Bruce of Whorlton in Yorkshire, 9th Viscount Savernake of Savernake Forest in Wiltshire, 15th Baron Brudenell of Stonton in Leicestershire, 10th Baron Bruce of Tottenham in Wiltshire.