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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Wynn
Before 1735 [his father] John Wynn [aged 33] and [his mother] Jane Wynne were married.
In 1736 Thomas Wynn 1st Baron Newborough was born to [his father] John Wynn [aged 34] and [his mother] Jane Wynne.
In 1761 Thomas Wynn 1st Baron Newborough [aged 25] was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Carnarvonshire.
In 1761 Thomas Wynn 1st Baron Newborough [aged 25] was elected MP Caernarfonshire.
On 13th September 1766 Thomas Wynn 1st Baron Newborough [aged 30] and Catherine Perceval Baroness Newborough were married. She the daughter of John Perceval 2nd Earl Egmont [aged 55] and Catherine Cecil Countess Egmont.
On 4th December 1770 [his father-in-law] John Perceval 2nd Earl Egmont [aged 59] died at Pall Mall [Map]. His son [his brother-in-law] John [aged 32] succeeded 3rd Earl Egmont, 3rd Viscount Perceval of Kanturk in County Cork, 3rd Baron Perceval of Burton in County Cork, 7th Baronet Perceval of Kanturk in County Cork, 2nd Baron Lovel and Holland of Enmore in Somerset. Isabella Powlett Countess Egmont by marriage Countess Egmont.
On 14th February 1773 [his father] John Wynn [aged 71] died.
In 1775 Thomas Wynn 1st Baron Newborough [aged 39] was elected MP St Ives.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In 1776 Thomas Wynn 1st Baron Newborough [aged 40] was created 1st Baron Newborough of Newborough in County Wexford. [his wife] Catherine Perceval Baroness Newborough by marriage Baroness Newborough of Newborough in County Wexford.
In June 1782 [his wife] Catherine Perceval Baroness Newborough died.
In 1786 Thomas Wynn 1st Baron Newborough [aged 50] and Maria Stella Chiappini Baroness Newborough [aged 12] were married at Florence, Tuscany. She by marriage Baroness Newborough of Newborough in County Wexford. The difference in their ages was 37 years.
In 1796 Thomas Wynn 1st Baron Newborough [aged 60] was elected MP Beaumaris.
On 3rd April 1802 [his son] Thomas Wynn 2nd Baron Newborough was born to Thomas Wynn 1st Baron Newborough [aged 66] and [his wife] Maria Stella Chiappini Baroness Newborough [aged 28].
On 23rd May 1803 [his son] Spencer Bulkeley Wynn 3rd Baron Newborough was born to Thomas Wynn 1st Baron Newborough [aged 67] and [his wife] Maria Stella Chiappini Baroness Newborough [aged 30]. He married 3rd May 1834 his half first cousin Frances Maria De Winton Baroness Newborough and had issue.
On 12th October 1807 Thomas Wynn 1st Baron Newborough [aged 71] died. His son Thomas [aged 5] succeeded 2nd Baron Newborough of Newborough in County Wexford.
On 23rd December 1843 [his former wife] Maria Stella Chiappini Baroness Newborough [aged 70] died.
Great x 1 Grandfather: Griffith Wynn of Bodvean 
GrandFather: Thomas Wynn 1st Baronet
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Vaughan of Cors y Gedol 
Great x 1 Grandmother: Catherine Vaughan
Father: John Wynn
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Glynn
GrandMother: Frances Glynn
Thomas Wynn 1st Baron Newborough
GrandFather: John Wynne
Mother: Jane Wynne