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: Chudleigh
On 8th March 1721 Elizabeth Chudleigh Duchess Kingston upon Hull was born to [her father] Thomas Chudleigh (age 33).
On 5th March 1726 Evelyn Pierrepont 1st Duke Kingston upon Hull (age 71) died. He was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map]. His grandson [her future husband] Evelyn (age 15) succeeded 2nd Duke Kingston upon Hull, 2nd Marquess Dorchester, 6th Earl Kingston upon Hull, 6th Viscount Newark, 6th Baron Pierrepont of Holme Pierrepoint.
On 14th April 1726 [her father] Thomas Chudleigh (age 38) died.
In 1738 [her future husband] Evelyn Pierrepont 2nd Duke Kingston upon Hull (age 27) was appointed Master of the Staghounds.
On 4th August 1744 Augustus John Hervey 3rd Earl Bristol (age 20) and Elizabeth Chudleigh Duchess Kingston upon Hull (age 23) were married privately at Lainston House Winchester. There marriage remained a secret until she wanted to marry Evelyn Pierrepont 2nd Duke Kingston upon Hull (age 33) in 1769 at which time she initiated a suit of jactitation1 against him requiring him to prove they were married. The court found in her favour.
On 20th January 1751 John Hervey 1st Earl Bristol (age 85) died. His grandson [her brother-in-law] George (age 30) succeeded 2nd Earl Bristol.
Before 1753 [her brother-in-law] Frederick Augustus Hervey 4th Earl Bristol (age 22) and Elizabeth Davers Countess Bristol (age 19) were married. They were half fourth cousin once removed.
On 8th March 1769 Evelyn Pierrepont 2nd Duke Kingston upon Hull (age 58) and Elizabeth Chudleigh Duchess Kingston upon Hull (age 48) were married at Keith's Chapel, Mayfair. She by marriage Duchess Kingston upon Hull. Her first alledged husband Augustus John Hervey 3rd Earl Bristol (age 44) was still living. Preferring to avoid a divorce, she had previously issued a suit of jactitation against Hervey, with his collusion, requiring him to cease claiming marriage to her unless proved. After Hervey failed to prove the relationship in court and Chudleigh swore she was unmarried, the consistory court in February 1769 pronounced her a spinster, free to marry.
In 1771 [her daughter] Georgiana Ann Pierrepont was born to [her husband] Evelyn Pierrepont 2nd Duke Kingston upon Hull (age 60) and Elizabeth Chudleigh Duchess Kingston upon Hull (age 49). There is some uncertainty about her parentage.
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.
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On 22nd September 1773 [her husband] Evelyn Pierrepont 2nd Duke Kingston upon Hull (age 62) died without issue at Holme Pierrepoint Hall, Nottinghamshire. He was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map]. Duke Kingston upon Hull and Marquess Dorchester, Earl Kingston upon Hull, Viscount Newark, Baron Pierrepont of Holme Pierrepoint extinct. He left all his wealth and property to his wife Elizabeth Chudleigh Duchess Kingston upon Hull (age 52) on the condition she remain a widow.
In 1775 [her brother-in-law] George William Hervey 2nd Earl Bristol (age 54) died. His brother [her husband] Augustus (age 50) succeeded 3rd Earl Bristol, 4th Baron Hervey of Ickworth in Suffolk.
In 1775 Elizabeth Chudleigh's (age 53) purported first husband [her husband] Augustus John Hervey 3rd Earl Bristol (age 50) succeeded to the Earldom of Bristol and the issue of whether they were married was raised again. Her late second husband's nephew Evelyn Medows (age 38) brought a charge of bigamy against her with a view to challenging her late husband's will.
In 1776 Elizabeth Chudleigh Duchess Kingston upon Hull (age 54) was tried for bigamy at Westminster Hall [Map] and found guilty by 116 peers without dissent. Absconding with her fortune, she hurriedly left England to avoid further proceedings on the part of the Medows family.
On 23rd December 1779 [her husband] Augustus John Hervey 3rd Earl Bristol (age 55) died due to a gout in the stomach in St James' Square. His brother [her brother-in-law] Frederick (age 49) succeeded 4th Earl Bristol, 5th Baron Hervey of Ickworth in Suffolk. Elizabeth Davers Countess Bristol (age 46) by marriage Countess Bristol.
Note 1. 'jactitation'. Where one person falsely asserted that he or she was married to another, the wronged party could obtain an order restraining further repetitions of the falsehood. The action was abolished in England in 1986 and in Ireland in 1995.
On 26th August 1788 Elizabeth Chudleigh Duchess Kingston upon Hull (age 67) died. Her estates, and those of her former husband [her former husband] Evelyn Pierrepont 2nd Duke Kingston upon Hull, passed to his sister [her former sister-in-law] Frances' (age 75) son Charles Medows aka Pierrepont 1st Earl Manvers (age 50).
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Chudleigh 
Great x 2 Grandfather: George Chudleigh 1st Baronet
Great x 1 Grandfather: George Chudleigh 2nd Baronet
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Strode 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Mary Strode
GrandFather: George Chudleigh 3rd Baronet
Father: Thomas Chudleigh