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.

Biography of Elizabeth Fountaine 1676-1733

Paternal Family Tree: Fountaine

Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Gerard

In or before 1659 [her father] Andrew Fountaine (age 25) and Theophila Stubbe (age 37) were married.

On or after 29th April 1672 [her father] Andrew Fountaine (age 39) and [her mother] Sarah Chicheley were married.

In 1676 Elizabeth Fountaine was born to [her father] Andrew Fountaine (age 43) and [her mother] Sarah Chicheley.

In or before 1706 Colonel Edward Clent of Knightwick in Worcestershire (age 28) and Elizabeth Fountaine (age 29) were married. She brought Narford Hall to the marriage.

In 1706 [her daughter] Elizabeth Clent was born to [her husband] Colonel Edward Clent of Knightwick in Worcestershire (age 29) and Elizabeth Fountaine (age 30). She married Captain William Price and had issue.

On 7th February 1707 [her father] Andrew Fountaine (age 74) died. His [her brother] son (age 31) inherited Narford Hall. Buried at Church of St Mary, Narford [Map].

In 1710 [her brother] Andrew Fountaine (age 34) was gravely ill at his London townhouse. Johnathan Swift wrote ... Sir Andrew's [her mother] mother and sister (age 34) are come above a hundred miles to see him before he died. I knew the mother; she is the greatest Overdo upon earth; and the sister, they say, is worse; the poor man will relapse again among them. Here was the scoundrel brother [Note. Probably brother-in-law [her husband] Colonel Edward Clent of Knightwick in Worcestershire (age 33)] always crying in the other room till Sir Andrew was in danger; and the dog was to have all his estate if he died.

Around 1732. William Hogarth (age 34). Conversation Piece with [her brother] Andrew Fountaine (age 56), his sister Elizabeth Fountaine (age 56), his niece [her daughter] Elizabeth Clent (age 26) and the latter's future husband, Fountaine's 'right-hand man in collecting', Captain William Price.

Elizabeth Clent: Captain William Price and she were married. She inherited Narford Hall when her mother Elizabeth Fountaine died. In 1706 she was born to Colonel Edward Clent of Knightwick in Worcestershire and Elizabeth Fountaine. On 27th July 1746 she died. Her son Brigg Price inherited Narford Hall.

Captain William Price: by 1714 Andrew Fountaine had embarked on a second grand tour with his friend Captain William Price.

In 1733 Elizabeth Fountaine (age 57) died.

On 4th September 1753 [her brother] Andrew Fountaine (age 77) died. His sister Elizabeth Fountaine inherited Narford Hall. Monument in Church of St Mary, Narford [Map].

Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet

Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

In 1755 [her former husband] Colonel Edward Clent of Knightwick in Worcestershire (age 78) died.

Captain William Price and [her daughter] Elizabeth Clent were married. She inherited Narford Hall when her mother Elizabeth Fountaine died.