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: Baring
Maternal Family Tree: Anne Sara Thellusson 1774 1849
In 1802 [his father] Henry Baring [aged 24] and [his step-mother] Maria Matilda Bingham [aged 19] were married.
In 1825 [his father] Henry Baring [aged 47] and [his mother] Cecilia Anne Windham [aged 21] were married. The difference in their ages was 26 years.
On 26th February 1841 Evelyn Baring 1st Earl Cromer was born to Henry Baring [aged 64] and Cecilia Anne Windham [aged 38].
On 13th April 1848 [his father] Henry Baring [aged 71] died.
On 4th May 1854 [his brother-in-law] Charles Harbord 5th Baron Suffield [aged 24] and [his sister] Cecilia Annetta Baring Baroness Suffield [aged 20] were married. She by marriage Baroness Suffield.
In 1861 [his half-brother] Edward Baring 1st Baron Revelstoke [aged 32] and [his sister-in-law] Louisa Emily Charlotte Bulteel Baroness Revelstoke [aged 22] were married.
On 21st October 1874 [his mother] Cecilia Anne Windham [aged 71] died.
On 28th June 1876 Evelyn Baring 1st Earl Cromer [aged 35] and Ethel Errington [aged 31] were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square.
On 29th November 1877 [his son] Rowland Baring 2nd Earl Cromer was born to Evelyn Baring 1st Earl Cromer [aged 36] and [his wife] Ethel Errington [aged 32]. He married 4th April 1908 Ruby Florence Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound Countess Cromer, daughter of Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound 4th Earl Minto and Mary Caroline Grey Countess Minto, and had issue.
On 29th September 1880 [his son] Windham Baring was born to Evelyn Baring 1st Earl Cromer [aged 39] and [his wife] Ethel Errington [aged 35]. He married 11th July 1913 Gweneth Frida Ponsonby, daughter of Edward Ponsonby 8th Earl Bessborough and Blanche Vere Guest Countess Bessborough.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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1883. Bassano Ltd. Photograph of Evelyn Baring 1st Earl Cromer [aged 41].
The London Gazette 25268. Foreign Office, August 29, 1883. THE Queen has been graciously pleased to appoint Major Sir Evelyn Baring [aged 42], K.C.S.I., to be Her Majesty's Agent and Consul-General in Egypt and a Minister Plenipotentiary in Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service.
On 17th July 1897 [his half-brother] Edward Baring 1st Baron Revelstoke [aged 69] died. His son [his nephew] John [aged 33] succeeded 2nd Baron Revelstoke of Membland in Devon.
On 16th October 1898 [his wife] Ethel Errington [aged 53] died in Cairo, Egypt.
In August 1901 Evelyn Baring 1st Earl Cromer [aged 60] was created 1st Earl Cromer. [his future wife] Katherine Georgina Louisa Thynne Countess Cromer [aged 36] by marriage Countess Cromer.
In August 1901 Evelyn Baring 1st Earl Cromer [aged 60] was created 1st Viscount Errington Hexham Northumberland. [his future wife] Katherine Georgina Louisa Thynne Countess Cromer [aged 36] by marriage Viscountess Errington Hexham Northumberland.
On 22nd October 1901 Evelyn Baring 1st Earl Cromer [aged 60] and Katherine Georgina Louisa Thynne Countess Cromer [aged 36] were married. The difference in their ages was 24 years. She the daughter of John Alexander Thynne 4th Marquess of Bath and Frances Isabella Catherine Vesey Marchioness Bath. They were first cousin twice removed.
On 29th September 1903 [his son] Evelyn Baring 1st Baron Howick was born to Evelyn Baring 1st Earl Cromer [aged 62] and [his wife] Katherine Georgina Louisa Thynne Countess Cromer [aged 38]. He married 24th April 1935 Mary Cecil Grey Baroness Howick Glendale, daughter of Charles Robert Grey 5th Earl Grey and Mabel Laura Georgiana Palmer Countess Grey, and had issue.
On 4th April 1908 Rowland Baring 2nd Earl Cromer [aged 30] and Ruby Florence Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound Countess Cromer [aged 21] were married. She the daughter of Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound 4th Earl Minto [aged 62] and Mary Caroline Grey Countess Minto [aged 50]. He the son of Evelyn Baring 1st Earl Cromer [aged 67] and Ethel Errington.
On 16th February 1911 [his sister] Cecilia Annetta Baring Baroness Suffield [aged 77] died.
Around 11th July 1913 Windham Baring [aged 32] and Gweneth Frida Ponsonby [aged 25] were married. She the daughter of Edward Ponsonby 8th Earl Bessborough [aged 62] and Blanche Vere Guest Countess Bessborough [aged 66]. He the son of Evelyn Baring 1st Earl Cromer [aged 72] and Ethel Errington.
On 29th January 1917 Evelyn Baring 1st Earl Cromer [aged 75] died. His son Rowland [aged 39] succeeded 2nd Earl Cromer, 2nd Viscount Errington Hexham Northumberland. Ruby Florence Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound Countess Cromer [aged 30] by marriage Countess Cromer.
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 4th March 1933 [his former wife] Katherine Georgina Louisa Thynne Countess Cromer [aged 67] died.
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Baring
GrandFather: Francis Baring 1st Baronet
Father: Henry Baring
GrandMother: Harriet Herring Lady Baring
GrandFather: Vice Admiral William Lukin Windham
Mother: Cecilia Anne Windham
Great x 1 Grandfather: Pierre Thellusson
GrandMother: Anne Sara Thellusson