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 28th April 1860 [his father] James Forsyth [aged 32] and Eliza Hastie [aged 26] were married.
On 7th November 1868 [his father] James Forsyth [aged 40] and [his mother] Annie Hardie [aged 29] were married.
2nd April 1871. Census. 8 Edward Street, St Pancras.
[his father] James Forsyth [aged 43]. 43. Sculptor.
[his mother] Annie Hardie [aged 32]. 32.
[his half-brother] James Nesfield Forsyth [aged 7]. Son. 7. Scholar.
[his half-sister] Agnes Ellen Forsyth [aged 5]. Daughter. 5. Scholar.
[his illegitimate sister] Eliza Forsyth [aged 3]. Daughter. 3.
William Adam Forsyth. Son. 8. Scholar.
[his grandmother] Agnes m Forsyth. Mother. 66. No occupation.
Mary Blackall. Servant. 16.
In 1873 William Adam Forsyth was born to [his father] James Forsyth [aged 45] and [his mother] Annie Hardie [aged 34].
1881. Census. 8 Edward Street, St Pancras.
[his father] James Forsyth [aged 53]. 53. Sculptor.
[his mother] Annie Hardie [aged 42]. 42.
[his half-brother] James Nesfield Forsyth [aged 17]. Son. 17. Sculptor.
[his half-sister] Agnes Ellen Forsyth [aged 15]. Daughter. 15. Dressmaker.
[his illegitimate sister] Eliza Forsyth [aged 12]. Daughter. 13. Scholar.
William Adam Forsyth [aged 8]. Son. 8. Scholar.
[his brother] John Dudley Forsyth [aged 6]. Son. 6. Scholar.
Annie Fosyth [aged 5]. Daughter. 5. Scholar.
Jessie Forsyth [aged 3]. Daughter. 3.
Agnes m Forsyth. Mother. 77. No occupation.
Adam Forsyth. Nephew.
Adelaide Stansell. 21. Servant
Fanny Dann. Servant.
1891. Census. Ednam House
[his father] James Forsyth [aged 63]. 63. Sculptor.
[his mother] Annie Hardie [aged 52]. 52.
[his half-brother] James Nesfield Forsyth [aged 27]. Son. 27. Sculptor.
[his half-sister] Agnes Ellen Forsyth [aged 25]. Daughter. 25. Dressmaker.
[his illegitimate sister] Eliza Forsyth [aged 22]. Daughter. 23. Scholar.
William Adam Forsyth [aged 18]. Son. 18. Pupil Architect.
[his brother] John Dudley Forsyth [aged 16]. Son. 16. Pupil Artist.
Annie Fosyth [aged 15]. Daughter. 15. Scholar.
Jessie Forsyth [aged 13]. Daughter. 13.
Emma Harrison Servant. 16. General Domestic Servant.
Agnes m Forsyth. Mother. 86. Living on own means.
1901. Census. 110 Goldhurst Terrace
[his father] James Forsyth [aged 73].73. Sculptor.
[his half-brother] James Nesfield Forsyth [aged 37]. Son. 37. Sculptor.
William Adam Forsyth [aged 28]. Son. 28. Architect.
[his brother] John Dudley Forsyth [aged 26]. Son. 26. Stained Glass Artist.
[his sister] Jessie Forsyth [aged 23]. Daughter. 23.
Charlie Naylor. Visitor. 26. Techer of Dancing School
Martha Watkins. 20. General Domestic Servant.
On 21st January 1902 [his half-brother] James Nesfield Forsyth [aged 38] and Cecilia Naylor [aged 26] were married at All Saints Church in the presence of William Adam Forsyth [aged 29] and [his father] James Forsyth [aged 74]. He the son of James Forsyth and Eliza Hastie.
On 10th May 1920. Probate for [his father] James Forsyth of Ednam House. Executors William Adam Forsyth [aged 47] Architect and [his brother] John Dudley Forsyth [aged 45] Artist. Effects £7969 14s 4d.
Mother: Annie Hardie