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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Castle Rising Castle, Norfolk, East England, British Isles [Map]

Castle Rising Castle is in Castle Rising, Castles in Norfolk.

After 1138 Castle Rising Castle [Map] was commissioned by William D'Aubigny 1st Earl Lincoln 1st Earl of Arundel (age 29).

On 12th October 1176 William D'Aubigny 1st Earl Lincoln 1st Earl of Arundel (age 67) died. His son William (age 38) succeeded 2nd Earl Lincoln, 2nd Earl Arundel and inherited Castle Rising Castle [Map].

On 24th December 1193 William D'Aubigny 2nd Earl Lincoln 2nd Earl of Arundel (age 55) died. His son William (age 13) succeeded 3rd Earl Lincoln, 3rd Earl Arundel and inherited Castle Rising Castle [Map].

Before 7th August 1224 William D'Aubigny 4th Earl Lincoln 4th Earl of Arundel (age 24) died. He was buried at Wymondham Abbey, Norfolk [Map]. His brother Hugh succeeded 5th Earl Lincoln, 5th Earl Arundel. Isabel Plantagenet Countess Lincoln and Arundel by marriage Countess Lincoln, Countess Arundel and inherited Castle Rising Castle [Map].

On 7th May 1243 Hugh D'Aubigny 5th Earl Lincoln 5th Earl of Arundel died at Canelli. He was buried at Wymondham Abbey, Norfolk [Map]. Earl Lincoln extinct. His nephew John (age 20) succeeded 6th Earl Arundel. Cicely D'Aubigny (age 35) and her husband Roger de Montalt inherited Castle Rising Castle [Map].

On 18th June 1260 Roger de Montalt died at Castle Rising Castle [Map].

On 18th June 1260 Cicely D'Aubigny (age 52) died. Roger de Montalt 1st Baron Montalt (age 22) inherited Castle Rising Castle [Map].

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 1297 Roger de Montalt 1st Baron Montalt (age 59) died at Mold Castle, Flintshire [Map]. Baron Montalt extinct. His brother inherited Castle Rising Castle [Map]. His brother Robert de Montalt 1st Baron Montalt was created Baron Montalt in 1299.

In 1327 Robert de Montalt 1st Baron Montalt sold Castle Rising Castle [Map] to the Crown for 10,000 marks retaining a life-time lease for him and his wife Emma.

After 1330 Isabella of France Queen Consort England (age 35) lived at Castle Rising Castle [Map].

After 1358 Castle Rising Castle [Map] was granted to Edward "Black Prince" (age 27).

Castle Rising Castle [Map]. F Mackenzie, 1813.