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 Shrewsbury is in Member Parliament.
In 1572 Philip Sidney (age 17) was elected MP Shrewsbury.
In 1586 Thomas Owen of Condover was elected MP Shrewsbury.
In 1586 Thomas Harries aka Harris 1st Baronet (age 36) was elected MP Shrewsbury.
In 1621 Richard Newport 1st Baron Newport (age 33) was elected MP Shrewsbury.
In February 1640 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford (age 19) was elected MP Shrewsbury during the Short Parliament.
In November 1640 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford (age 20) was elected MP Shrewsbury during the Long Parliament.
In 1646 William Masham was elected MP Shrewsbury.
In 1689 Andrew Newport (age 68) was elected MP Shrewsbury.
On 9th April 1723 Richard Corbet 4th Baronet (age 27) was elected MP Shrewsbury.
In 1727 John Astley 2nd Baronet (age 39) was elected MP Shrewsbury which seat he held until 1734.
In 1741 Richard Corbet 4th Baronet (age 45) was elected MP Shrewsbury unopposed.
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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In 1768 Noel Hill 1st Baron Berwick (age 22) was elected MP Shrewsbury which seat he held until 1774.
In 1780 and 1784 Charlton Leighton 4th Baronet (age 33) was elected MP Shrewsbury unopposed.
In 1806 Henry Grey Bennet (age 28) was elected MP Shrewsbury.
In 1807 Thomas Tyrwhitt aka Tyrwhitt-Jones 1st Baronet (age 41) was elected MP Shrewsbury which seat he held until his death on 26th November 1811.
In 1819 John "Mad Jack" Mytton (age 22) was elected MP Shrewsbury after having offered £10 to each voter spending £10000. He spend thirty minutes in the House of Commons.
In 1832 John Hamner 1st Baron Hamner (age 22) was elected MP Shrewsbury which seat he held util 1837.