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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Continents is in Planets.
In 1851 Granville Leveson-Gower aka Egerton died at California.
On 22nd December 1880 Thomas George Fermor-Hesketh 7th Baronet [aged 31] and Florence Emily Sharon [aged 22] were married at Ralston Hall.
In 1860 Henry Alexander was born at San Francisco.
Before 1761 Thomas Hudson [aged 59]. Portrait of Frances Finch Countess Devon. Collection of The Huntingdon, San Marino.
Frances Finch Countess Devon: she was born to Heneage Finch 2nd Earl Aylesford and Mary Fisher Countess Aylesford. On 2nd April 1741 William Courtenay 7th Earl Devon and she were married. She by marriage Countess Devon. She the daughter of Heneage Finch 2nd Earl Aylesford and Mary Fisher Countess Aylesford. He the son of William Courtenay 6th Earl Devon and Anne Bertie Countess Devon. In 1761 Frances Finch Countess Devon died.
In 1768 Joshua Reynolds [aged 44]. Portrait of Jane Fleming Countess Harrington [aged 12]. In the collection of The Huntingdon, San Marino.
1777. Joshua Reynolds [aged 53]. Portrait of Frances Molesworth Marchioness Camden [aged 21]. Collection of The Huntingdon, San Marino.
Frances Molesworth Marchioness Camden: Between 1756 and 1759 she was born to William Molesworth. In 1785 John Jeffreys Pratt 1st Marquess Camden and she were married. He the son of Charles Pratt 1st Earl Camden and Elizabeth Jeffreys. In 1812 John Jeffreys Pratt 1st Marquess Camden was created 1st Marquess Camden, 1st Earl Brecknock. She by marriage Marchioness Camden. On 7th July 1829 Frances Molesworth Marchioness Camden died at Bayham Abbey, Tunbridge Wells [Map].
Before 1827 . Thomas Gainsborough. Portrait of the Penelope Pitt Viscountess Ligonier [aged 77]. Collection of The Huntingdon, San Marino.
On 25th October 2002 John Ian Robert Russell 13th Duke Bedford [aged 85] died at Santa Fe. His son Henry [aged 62] succeeded 14th Duke Bedford, 14th Marquess Tavistock, 13th Marquess Tavistock, 18th Earl Bedford, 18th Baron Russell of Cheneys, 16th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 14th Baron Howland of Streatham. Henrietta Joan Tiarks Duchess Bedford [aged 62] by marriage Duchess Bedford.
On 18th April 1850 William Grey 9th Earl Stamford 5th Earl Warrington was born to William Grey [aged 31] at Newfoundland [Map]. He was educated at Exeter College, Oxford University. He married 18th April 1895 Penelope Theobald Countess Stamford and Warrington and had issue.
On 14th December 1911 the South Pole was reached for the first time by an expedition led by Roald Amundsen [aged 39]. The expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott reached the pole some thirty-four days later.
Roald Amundsen: On 16th July 1872 he was born. Around 18th June 1928 he died. He disappeared while flying on a rescue mission in the Arctic. His team included Norwegian pilot Leif Dietrichson, French pilot René Guilbaud, and three more Frenchmen. They were seeking missing members of Nobile's crew, whose new airship Italia had crashed while returning from the North Pole. Amundsen's French Latham 47 flying boat never returned.
On 7th February 1855 Andrew Fleming Hudleston le Fleming 8th Baronet was born to Michael Fleming 7th Baronet [aged 26] and Elizabeth Boddie Lady Fleming [aged 35] in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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On 21st May 1883 Michael Fleming 7th Baronet [aged 55] died at Rangiora, Christchurch. His son Andrew [aged 28] succeeded 8th Baronet Fleming of Rydal in Cumbria.
On 10th November 1852 Michael Fleming 7th Baronet [aged 24] and Elizabeth Boddie Lady Fleming [aged 32] were married at St Michael' Church, Christchurch.
On 20th October 1925 Andrew Fleming Hudleston le Fleming 8th Baronet [aged 70] died at Dunedin, New Zealand without issue. His first cousin William [aged 64] succeeded 9th Baronet Fleming of Rydal in Cumbria.