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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MP East Grinstead is in Member Parliament.
In March 1553 Robert Oxenbridge (age 45) was elected MP East Grinstead.
In 1558 Thomas Farnham (age 31) was elected MP East Grinstead.
In 1559 Humphrey Llwyd aka Lluyd (age 32) was elected MP East Grinstead.
In 1624 Robert Heath (age 48) was elected MP East Grinstead.
In 1625 Robert Heath (age 49) was elected MP East Grinstead.
In 1640 Richard Sackville 5th Earl Dorset (age 17) was elected MP East Grinstead which seat he held until 1643.
In 1679 Thomas Littleton 2nd Baronet (age 58) was elected MP East Grinstead.
In 1713 Spencer Compton 1st Earl Wilmington (age 40) was elected MP East Grinstead.
In 1790 Nathaniel Dance-Holland (age 54) was elected MP East Grinstead which seat he held until 1802.
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 9th March 1812 George William Gunning 2nd Baronet (age 49) was elected MP East Grinstead which seat he held until May 1812.
After May 1812 George William Gunning 2nd Baronet (age 49) was elected MP East Grinstead which seat he held 1818.
In 1830 Frederick Richard West (age 31) was elected MP East Grinstead.