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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MP Herefordshire is in Member Parliament.
In November 1640 Humphrey Coningsbury (age 17) was elected MP Herefordshire in the Long Parliament.
William Heveningham (age 36) was elected MP Stockbridge during the Long Parliament.
Robert Crane 1st Baronet (age 54) was elected MP Sudbury in the Long Parliament holding the seat until his death in 1643.
John Jennings was elected MP St Albans during the Long Parliament.
John Glynne (age 38) was elected MP Westminster during the Long Parliament.
In 1656 Bennet Hoskyns 1st Baronet (age 47) was elected MP Herefordshire.
In 1659 Bennet Hoskyns 1st Baronet (age 50) was elected MP Herefordshire.
In 1679 Herbert Croft 1st Baronet (age 28) was elected MP Herefordshire.
In 1685 John Morgan 2nd Baronet (age 34) was elected MP Herefordshire which seat he held until 1687. He was re-elected in 1689 and held the seat until his death in 1693.
In 1685 John Hoskyns 2nd Baronet (age 50) was elected MP Herefordshire.
In 1689 Colonel Henry Cornewall (age 35) was elected MP Herefordshire which seat he held until 1695.
In 1690 Herbert Croft 1st Baronet (age 39) was elected MP Herefordshire.
In 1698 Colonel Henry Cornewall (age 44) was elected MP Herefordshire which seat he held until 1700.
In 1712 Thomas Morgan 3rd Baronet (age 27) was elected MP Herefordshire which seat he held until his death in 1716.
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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On 6th March 1717 Hungerford Hoskyns 4th Baronet (age 40) was elected unopposed MP Herefordshire which seat he held until 1722 when he was defeated. Hoskyns didn't stand for Parliament again.
In 1722 Velters Cornewall of Moccas in Herefordshire (age 25) was elected MP Herefordshire which seat he held for forty-six years until his death in 1768.
In 1774 George Amyand aka Cornewall 2nd Baronet (age 25) was elected MP Herefordshire which seat he held until 1796.
In 1802 and 1806 George Amyand aka Cornewall 2nd Baronet (age 53) was elected MP Herefordshire. He stood down in 1807.
In 1807 Thomas Foley (age 28) was elected MP Herefordshire which seat he held until 1818.
In 1868 Herbert George Denman Croft 9th Baronet (age 29) was elected MP Herefordshire which seat he held until 1874.