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: Bagot
In June 1670 [his father] Walter Bagot 3rd Baronet [aged 26] and [his mother] Jane Salusbury were married.
On 21st January 1674 Edward Bagot 4th Baronet was born to Walter Bagot 3rd Baronet [aged 29] and Jane Salusbury.
Around 1675 John Michael Wright [aged 57]. Portrait of [his grandmother] Mrs Salesbury with her Grandchildren Edward and [his sister] Elizabeth Bagot
Elizabeth Thelwall: Charles Salusbury and she were married.
Elizabeth Bagot Countess Uxbridge: On 3rd March 1674 she was born to Walter Bagot 3rd Baronet and Jane Salusbury. The date improbable since her elder brother was apparently born two months before. On 7th June 1739 Henry Paget 1st Earl Uxbridge and she were married. She by marriage Countess Uxbridge. They were half fifth cousin once removed.
In 1691 Edward Bagot 4th Baronet [aged 16] matriculated Christ Church College, Oxford University.
In 1692 Edward Bagot 4th Baronet [aged 17] was educated at the Middle Temple.
On 20th July 1695 [his mother] Jane Salusbury died.
Before 3rd August 1702 Edward Bagot 4th Baronet [aged 28] and Frances Wagstaffe were married.
On 3rd August 1702 [his son] Walter Wagstaffe Bagot 5th Baronet was born to Edward Bagot 4th Baronet [aged 28]. He married 27th July 1724 Barbara Legge Baroness Bagot, daughter of William Legge 1st Earl Dartmouth and Anne Finch Countess Dartmouth, and had issue.
On 15th February 1704 Edward Bagot 4th Baronet [aged 30] was elected MP Staffordshire which seat he held until 1708.
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 1 Chapters 1-60 1307-1342
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel offer one of the most vivid and immediate accounts of 14th-century Europe, written by a knight who lived through the events he describes, and experienced some of them first hand. Covering the early decades of the Hundred Years’ War, this remarkable chronicle follows the campaigns of Edward III of England, the politics of France and the Low Countries, and the shifting alliances that shaped medieval warfare. Unlike later historians, Jean le Bel writes with a strong sense of eyewitness authenticity, drawing on personal experience and the testimony of fellow soldiers. His narrative captures not only battles and sieges, but also the realities of military life, diplomacy, and the ideals of chivalry that governed noble society. A key source for Jean Froissart, Le Bel’s chronicle stands on its own as a compelling and insightful work, at once historical record and literary achievement. This translation builds on the 1905 edition published in French by Jules Viard, adding extensive translations from other sources Rymer's Fœdera, the Chronicles of Adam Murimuth, William Nangis, Walter of Guisborough, a Bourgeois of Valenciennes, Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke and Richard Lescot to enrich the original text and Viard's notes.
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On 15th February 1704 [his father] Walter Bagot 3rd Baronet [aged 59] died. His son Edward [aged 30] succeeded 4th Baronet Bagot of Blithfield Hall.
In May 1712 Edward Bagot 4th Baronet [aged 38] died. His son Walter [aged 9] succeeded 5th Baronet Bagot of Blithfield Hall.
Kings Wessex: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 17 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 23 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 18 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings England: Great x 16 Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 20 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 28 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 22 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 26 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Bagot 
10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Bagot 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Walter Bagot 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Hervey Bagot 1st Baronet 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Cave
Great x 3 Grandfather: Roger Cave of Stanford
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Danvers 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Cave
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Cecil 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Cecil
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jane Heckington
GrandFather: Edward Bagot 2nd Baronet 14 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Father: Walter Bagot 3rd Baronet 15 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Edward Bagot 4th Baronet 16 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Piers Salusbury 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Salusbury
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Salusbury
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Salusbury
GrandFather: Charles Salusbury
Mother: Jane Salusbury
GrandMother: Elizabeth Thelwall