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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Master of Arts is in Degrees.
In 1588 Thomas Clinton 3rd Earl Lincoln [age 17] was awarded Master of Arts at Oxford University.
On 23rd June 1642 William Parr [age 25] commenced his Master of Arts.
On 1st November 1642 Thomas Tully Divine [age 22] graduated Master of Arts.
Around 1660 Richard Newport 2nd Earl Bradford [age 15] was awarded Master of Arts at Christ Church College, Oxford University.
On 8th September 1665 Charles Dormer [age 13] graduated Master of Arts at Merton College, Oxford University.
In 1672 Henry Godolphin [age 23] was awarded Master of Arts at All Souls College, Oxford University.
In 1705 Francis Godolphin 2nd Earl Godolphin [age 26] was awarded Master of Arts at King's College, Cambridge University [Map].
In 1712 Francis Willoughby 2nd Baron Middleton [age 19] graduated Master of Arts at Jesus College, Cambridge University.
In 1828 John Allen Giles [age 19] was awarded a double first class, and graduated Bachelor of Arts. In 1831 he was awared Master of Arts.
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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In 1835 Charles Manners 6th Duke Rutland [age 19] was awarded Master of Arts at Trinity College, Cambridge University [Map].
In 1871 Sewallis Edward Shirley 10th Earl Ferrers [age 23] was awarded Master of Arts at Trinity College, Cambridge University [Map].