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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Paternal Family Tree: Cave
In or before 1493 [his father] Richard Cave of Stanford in Northamptonshire and Elizabeth Mervin [aged 23] were married.
In 1495 [his father] Richard Cave of Stanford in Northamptonshire and [his step-mother] Margaret Saxby [aged 23] were married.
Around 1502 Ambrose Cave was born to [his father] Richard Cave of Stanford in Northamptonshire.
In 1538 [his father] Richard Cave of Stanford in Northamptonshire died.
On 25th April 1559 [his daughter] Margaret Cave was born to Ambrose Cave [aged 57]. She married 16th July 1566 Henry Knollys and had issue.
On 16th July 1566 [his son-in-law] Henry Knollys [aged 24] and [his daughter] Margaret Cave [aged 7] were married.
On 2nd April 1568 Ambrose Cave [aged 66] died. Monument at St Nicholas' Church, Stanford-on-Avon [Map].
Vesta Monumenta. 1733. Plate 1.39 depicts Tutbury Castle. Engraving by George Vertue [aged 49] after a drawing originally produced for a survey of the properties of the Duchy of Lancaster conducted by the Chancellor of the Duchy, Ambrose Cave, in 1561.
Vesta Monumenta. 1733. Plate 1.40 depicts Melbourne Castle [Map]. Engraving by George [aged 49] Vertue after a drawing originally produced for a survey of the properties of the Duchy of Lancaster conducted by the Chancellor of the Duchy, Ambrose Cave, in 1561.
Vesta Monumenta. 1734. Plate 1.42. Pontefract Castle [Map]. Engraving by George [aged 50] Vertue after a drawing originally produced for a survey of the properties of the Duchy of Lancaster conducted by the Chancellor of the Duchy, Ambrose Cave, in 1561.
Vesta Monumenta. 1734. Plate 1.44. Knaresborough Castle [Map]. Engraving by George [aged 50] Vertue after a drawing originally produced for a survey of the properties of the Duchy of Lancaster conducted by the Chancellor of the Duchy, Ambrose Cave, in 1561.
Vesta Monumenta. 1734. Plate 1.41. Lancaster Castle [Map] and Priory Church [Map]. Engraving by George [aged 50] Vertue after a drawing originally produced for a survey of the properties of the Duchy of Lancaster conducted by the Chancellor of the Duchy, Ambrose Cave, in 1561.
Vesta Monumenta. 1737. Plate 1.46. Tickhill Castle [Map]. Engraving by George [aged 53] Vertue after a drawing originally produced for a survey of the properties of the Duchy of Lancaster conducted by the Chancellor of the Duchy, Ambrose Cave, in 1561.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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Vesta Monumenta. 1753. Plate 2.13. Clitheroe Castle [Map]. Engraving by George Vertue [aged 69] after a drawing originally produced for a survey of the properties of the Duchy of Lancaster conducted by the Chancellor of the Duchy, Ambrose Cave, in 1561.
Vesta Monumenta. 1753. Plate 2.11. Sandal Castle [Map]. Engraving by George Vertue [aged 69] after a drawing originally produced for a survey of the properties of the Duchy of Lancaster conducted by the Chancellor of the Duchy, Ambrose Cave, in 1561.