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 Clare

Earl Clare is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically.

There have been three creations of Earl Clare:

1st. 2nd November 1624. John Holles 1st Earl de Clare. Extinct. 15th July 1711.

2nd. 19th October 1714. Thomas Pelham Holles 1st Duke Newcastle-under-Lyne. Extinct. 17th November 1768.

3rd. 12th June 1795. John Fitzgibbon 1st Earl of de Clare. Extinct. 1864.

Earl Clare 1st Creation 1624

Summary

2nd November 1624. John Holles 1st Earl de Clare (age 60) created.

4th October 1637. Son John Holles 2nd Earl de Clare (age 42) succeeded.

2nd January 1666. Son Gilbert Holles 3rd Earl de Clare (age 32) succeeded.

16th January 1689. Son John Holles 1st Duke Newcastle upon Tyne (age 27) succeeded.

15th July 1711. John Holles 1st Duke Newcastle upon Tyne extinct.

On 2nd November 1624 John Holles 1st Earl de Clare (age 60) was created 1st Earl Clare. Anne Stanhope Countess de Clare (age 48) by marriage Countess Clare.

On 4th September 1626 John Holles 2nd Earl de Clare (age 31) and Elizabeth Vere Countess Clare were married. She by marriage Countess Clare. He the son of John Holles 1st Earl de Clare (age 62) and Anne Stanhope Countess de Clare (age 50). They were second cousin once removed.

On 4th October 1637 John Holles 1st Earl de Clare (age 73) died. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Nottingham. His son John (age 42) succeeded 2nd Earl Clare, 2nd Baron Haughton.

On 2nd January 1666 John Holles 2nd Earl de Clare (age 70) died. His son Gilbert (age 32) succeeded 3rd Earl Clare, 3rd Baron Haughton. Grace Pierrepont Countess de Clare (age 33) by marriage Countess Clare

On 16th January 1689 Gilbert Holles 3rd Earl de Clare (age 55) died. His son John (age 27) succeeded 4th Earl Clare, 4th Baron Haughton.

On 1st March 1690 John Holles 1st Duke Newcastle upon Tyne (age 28) and Margaret Cavendish Duchess Newcastle upon Tyne (age 28) were married. She by marriage Countess Clare. She the daughter of Henry Cavendish 2nd Duke Newcastle upon Tyne (age 59) and Frances Pierrepont Duchess Newcastle upon Tyne (age 59). He the son of Gilbert Holles 3rd Earl de Clare and Grace Pierrepont Countess de Clare (age 57). They were first cousins.

On 15th July 1711 John Holles 1st Duke Newcastle upon Tyne (age 49) died. Duke Newcastle upon Tyne, Earl Clare, Baron Haughton extinct.

Earl Clare 2nd Creation 1714

Summary

19th October 1714. Thomas Pelham Holles 1st Duke Newcastle-under-Lyne (age 21) created.

17th November 1768. Thomas Pelham Holles 1st Duke Newcastle-under-Lyne extinct.

Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans

Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.

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On 19th October 1714 Thomas Pelham Holles 1st Duke Newcastle-under-Lyne (age 21) was created 1st Earl Clare and 1st Viscount Haughton with a special remainder to his brother Henry Pelham (age 20).

Earl Clare 3rd Creation 1795

Summary

12th June 1795. John Fitzgibbon 1st Earl of de Clare (age 47) created.

28th January 1802. Son John Fitzgibbon 2nd Earl of de Clare (age 9) succeeded.

18th August 1851. Brother Richard Hobart Fitzgibbon 3rd Earl de Clare (age 58) succeeded.

1864. Richard Hobart Fitzgibbon 3rd Earl de Clare extinct.

On 12th June 1795 John Fitzgibbon 1st Earl of de Clare (age 47) was created 1st Earl Clare.

On 28th January 1802 John Fitzgibbon 1st Earl of de Clare (age 54) died. His son John (age 9) succeeded 2nd Earl Clare.

On 18th August 1851 John Fitzgibbon 2nd Earl of de Clare (age 59) died. His brother Richard (age 58) succeeded 3rd Earl Clare.

In 1864 Richard Hobart Fitzgibbon 3rd Earl de Clare (age 71) died. Earl Clare extinct.