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 Kimberley is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically, Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extant Earldoms of England.
Summary
1886. John Wodehouse 1st Earl Kimberley [aged 59] created.
8th April 1902. Son John Wodehouse 2nd Earl Kimberley [aged 54] succeeded.
7th January 1932. Son John Wodehouse 3rd Earl Kimberley [aged 48] succeeded.
16th April 1941. Son John Wodehouse 4th Earl Kimberley [aged 16] succeeded.
26th May 2002. Son John Armine Wodehouse 5th Earl Kimberley [aged 51] succeeded.
In 1886 John Wodehouse 1st Earl Kimberley [aged 59] was created 1st Earl Kimberley. Florence Fitzgibbon Countess Kimberley [aged 61] by marriage Countess Kimberley.
On 8th April 1902 John Wodehouse 1st Earl Kimberley [aged 76] died at 35 Lowndes Square, Belgravia. His son John [aged 54] succeeded 2nd Earl Kimberley, 4th Baron Wodehouse of Kimberley in Norfolk, 9th Baronet Woodhouse of Wilberhall. Isabel Geraldine Stracey Countess Kimberley by marriage Countess Kimberley.
On 7th January 1932 John Wodehouse 2nd Earl Kimberley [aged 83] died. His son John [aged 48] succeeded 3rd Earl Kimberley, 5th Baron Wodehouse of Kimberley in Norfolk, 10th Baronet Woodhouse of Wilberhall. Frances Margaret Irby Countess Kimberley [aged 47] by marriage Countess Kimberley.
On 16th April 1941 John Wodehouse 3rd Earl Kimberley [aged 57] died. His son John [aged 16] succeeded 4th Earl Kimberley, 6th Baron Wodehouse of Kimberley in Norfolk, 11th Baronet Woodhouse of Wilberhall.
On 27th October 1945 John Wodehouse 4th Earl Kimberley [aged 21] and Diana Evelyn Legh Countess Kimberley [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Countess Kimberley. They were divorced in 1949. He the son of John Wodehouse 3rd Earl Kimberley and Frances Margaret Irby Countess Kimberley [aged 60]. They were fifth cousin once removed.
On 26th May 2002 John Wodehouse 4th Earl Kimberley [aged 78] died. His son John [aged 51] succeeded 5th Earl Kimberley, 7th Baron Wodehouse of Kimberley in Norfolk, 12th Baronet Woodhouse of Wilberhall.