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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John Singleton Copley is in Painters.
On 3rd July 1738 John Singleton Copley was born. Probably in Boston, Massachusetts.
1760 John Singleton Copley (age 21). Portrait of Epes Sargent (age 69).
Epes Sargent: On 12th June 1690 he was born. On 6th December 1762 he died.
Around 1768 John Singleton Copley (age 29). Portrait of Margaret Kemble (age 34).
Margaret Kemble: In 1734 she was born to Peter Kemble at New Brunswick New Jersey. On 8th December 1758 General Thomas Gage and she were married at her father's plantation Mount Kemble Plantation, New Jersey. They had eleven children. In 1824 she died.
Around 1768 John Singleton Copley (age 29). Portrait of General Thomas Gage (age 48).
General Thomas Gage: On 10th March 1719 he was born to Thomas Gage 1st Viscount Gage and Benedicta Maria Theresa Hall Viscountess Gage in New Brunswick New Jersey. On 2nd April 1787 General Thomas Gage died.
On 21st May 1772 [his son] John Singleton Copley 1st Baron Lyndhurst was born to John Singleton Copley (age 33).
On 23rd September 1773 [his daughter] Mary Copley was born to John Singleton Copley (age 35).
In 1774 John Singleton Copley (age 35) moved to London.
1780 John Singleton Copley (age 41). Portrait of Hugh Montgomerie 12th Earl Eglinton (age 40).
Hugh Montgomerie 12th Earl Eglinton: On 5th November 1739 he was born to Alexander Montgomerie. On 30th October 1796 Archibald Montgomerie 11th Earl Eglinton died at Eglinton Castle, Kilwinning. His third cousin Hugh succeeded 12th Earl Eglinton. On 14th December 1819 Hugh Montgomerie 12th Earl Eglinton died. His grandson Archibald succeeded 13th Earl Eglinton.
1794 John Singleton Copley (age 55). Portrait of Richard Howe 1st Earl Howe (age 67). He wears an admiral's undress uniform of 1783 to 1787, of a blue jacket with gold braid.
1795 John Singleton Copley (age 56). Portrait of Charles Cornwallis 1st Marquess Cornwallis (age 56).
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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Around 1797 John Singleton Copley (age 58). Portrait of Henry Addington 1st Viscount Sidmouth (age 39).
1798 John Singleton Copley (age 59). Portrait of Adam Duncan 1st Viscount Duncan (age 66).
Around 1800 John Singleton Copley (age 61). Portrait of George John Spencer 2nd Earl Spencer (age 41).
Before 1804 John Singleton Copley (age 65). Portrait of Adam Duncan 1st Viscount Duncan (age 72).
Before 1815 John Singleton Copley (age 76). Portrait of Henry Addington 1st Viscount Sidmouth (age 57).
On 9th September 1815 John Singleton Copley (age 77) died. He was buried in Croydon Minster.