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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Biography of Edward Unton 1556-1589

Maternal Family Tree: Joan Arches 1410-1497

On 3rd June 1550 John Dudley 2nd Earl Warwick (age 23) and [his mother] Anne Seymour Countess of Warwick (age 12) were married at Sheen Palace [Map]. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset (age 50) and [his grandmother] Anne Stanhope Duchess Somerset (age 53). He the son of John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland (age 46) and Jane Guildford Duchess Northumberland (age 41). They were fifth cousin once removed. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

On 29th April 1555 [his uncle] Edward Unton (age 21) and [his mother] Anne Seymour Countess of Warwick (age 17) were married. They had seven children. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset and [his grandmother] Anne Stanhope Duchess Somerset (age 58).

Around 1556 Edward Unton was born to [his uncle] Edward Unton (age 22) and [his mother] Anne Seymour Countess of Warwick (age 18).

In 1573 Edward Unton (age 17) graduated BA from Oriel College, Oxford University.

Before 1579 [his future wife] Dorothea Knightley (age 18) died.

In or before 1579 Edward Unton (age 22) and Dorothea Knightley (age 18) were married. There were no children from the marriage. He the son of Edward Unton (age 44) and Anne Seymour Countess of Warwick (age 40).

In 1579 Edward Unton (age 23) and Katherine Hastings (age 22) were married. There were no children from the marriage. She the daughter of George Hastings 4th Earl Huntingdon (age 39) and Dorothy Port Countess Huntingdon. He the son of Edward Unton (age 45) and Anne Seymour Countess of Warwick (age 41). They were half fifth cousin once removed.

On 16th September 1582 [his uncle] Edward Unton (age 48) died. He was buried at All Saints' Church, Faringdon. The inscription on his monument ... Here lyeth Sir Edward Unton, Knight of the Noble Order of the Bathe, whoe married [his mother] Anne Countess of Warwick (age 44), daughter of [his grandfather] Edwarde Seymer Duke of Somersett and Protector of England, by whome he had ffive sonnes, whereof 3 died younge in the life of their father; Two, namelye Edwarde (age 26) and [his brother] Henry (age 24) onely, survyved and succeeded him, the one after the other in their father's inheritance; and two daughters, [his sister] Anne (age 27) married to Sir [his former brother-in-law] Valentine Knightley (age 27), Knight, and [his sister] Scissil (age 21) married to John Wentworth (age 18), Esquire.

In 1584 Edward Unton (age 28) was elected MP Berkshire.

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 1586 Edward Unton (age 30) was elected MP Berkshire.

In 1587 Edward Unton (age 31) went as a colonist to Munster but was recalled due to the imminent threat of the Spanish Armada.

In 1588 [his mother] Anne Seymour Countess of Warwick (age 50) died.

On 27th June 1589 Edward Unton (age 33) died at Plymouth, Devon [Map]. His brother [his brother] Henry Unton (age 31) was his heir.

On or after 13th April 1605, the date of the licence, Walter Chetwynd (age 45) and [his former wife] Katherine Hastings (age 48) were married. She the daughter of [his former father-in-law] George Hastings 4th Earl Huntingdon and [his former mother-in-law] Dorothy Port Countess Huntingdon. They were fifth cousin once removed.

On 25th May 1638 [his former wife] Katherine Hastings (age 81) died.