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.
Canada is in North America.
In 1818 Charles Augustus Fitzroy [aged 21] and Charles Lennox 4th Duke Richmond [aged 53] (whose daughter he subsequently married two years later) travelled to Lower Canada.
On 4th March 1761 Henry Gage 3rd Viscount Gage was born to General Thomas Gage [aged 41] in Montreal.
On 24th February 1829 Eliza Amelia Gore Countess Erroll was born to Charles Stephen Gore [aged 35] and Sarah Rachel Fraser [aged 26] in Montreal. She married 20th September 1848 William Harry Hay 19th Earl Erroll, son of William Hay 18th Earl Erroll and Elizabeth Fitz-Clarence Countess Erroll, and had issue.
In 1839 Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Clitheroe Gore was born to Charles Stephen Gore [aged 45] and Sarah Rachel Fraser [aged 36] in Montreal. He married (1) 1875 Maria Harriet Elizabeth Cator (2) 24th October 1882 Lavinia Fitzroy.
On 20th September 1848 William Harry Hay 19th Earl Erroll [aged 25] and Eliza Amelia Gore Countess Erroll [aged 19] were married in Montreal. She by marriage Countess Erroll. He the son of William Hay 18th Earl Erroll and Elizabeth Fitz-Clarence Countess Erroll [aged 47].
On 23rd April 1888 Georges Philéas Vanier was born at Montreal.
On 28th March 1898 Marie Eugénie Pauline Archer was born to Justice Charles Archer [aged 29] at Montreal. She married 9th September 1921 Georges Philéas Vanier.
On 31st March 1790 Amelia Caroline Morison King was born illegitimately to George King 3rd Earl Kingston [aged 18] and Amelia Caroline Morison at Fredicton.
On 21st May 1845 Ellen Margaret Hepburn [aged 28] died at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Memorial at St Mary's Church, Tissington [Map], family home of her husband Richard Henry Fitzherbert [aged 35].
Ellen Margaret Hepburn: Around 1817 she was born to James Hepburn of Tovil in Kent. On 8th October 1841 Richard Henry Fitzherbert and she were married.
Richard Henry Fitzherbert: On 29th October 1809 he was born to Henry FitzHerbert 3rd Baronet and Agnes Beresford Lady Fitzherbert. On 12th October 1896 Richard Henry Fitzherbert died.
In 1858 George Phipps 2nd Marquess Normanby [aged 38] was appointed Governor of Nova Scotia. During his term he hosted King Edward VII of the United Kingdom [aged 16] and Prince Alfred Windsor [aged 13] at Government House.
On 30th September 1831 Colonel Allan Napier MacNab 1st Baronet [aged 33] and Mary Elizabeth Stuart [aged 19] were married at Ontario.
On 15th November 1855 William Keppel 7th Earl Albermarle [aged 23] and Sophia Mary MacNab of Dundurn Castle [aged 23] were married at Dundurn Castle. He the son of George Thomas Keppel 6th Earl Albermarle [aged 56].
On 25th May 1879 Max Aitken 1st Baron Beaverbrook was born at Maple, Ontario.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 6th January 1942 Arthur Richard Doble Banker [aged 70] died. He was buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
On 3rd February 1907 Victoria Sybil Mary Grey [aged 28] died at Ottawa.
On 26th April 1943 Alastair Windsor 2nd Duke Connaught and Strathearn [aged 28] died at Ottawa. He was buried at St Ninian's Chapel, Mar Lodge Estate. Duke Connaught and Strathearn extinct. The diaries of Sir Alan Lascelles [aged 56], King George VI's [aged 47] private secretary, published in 2006, recorded that both the regiment and Athlone had rejected him as incompetent, and he fell out of a window when drunk and perished of hypothermia overnight.
On 15th November 1778 Jean Baptiste Roy Audy was born in Quebec.