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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On 4th June 1572 [his father] Oliph Leigh (age 12) and [his mother] Jane Browne of Betchworth Castle were married.
On or before 6th September 1590 Francis Leigh of Addington was born to [his father] Oliph Leigh (age 30) and [his mother] Jane Browne of Betchworth Castle. He was baptised 6th September 1590.
On 8th May 1607 Francis Leigh of Addington (age 16) matriculated Trinity College, Oxford University.
On 5th June 1610 Francis Leigh of Addington (age 19) and Elizabeth Mynterne (age 16) were married.
On 14th March 1612 [his father] Oliph Leigh (age 52) died. He was buried the following day at Addington, Surrey.
On 1st December 1615 [his wife] Elizabeth Mynterne (age 22) died. She was buried the following day.
On 12th December 1618 Francis Leigh of Addington (age 28) was knighted at Newmarket, Suffolk.
In 1623 Francis Leigh of Addington (age 32) and Christian Thynne were married.
In 1625 Francis Leigh of Addington (age 34) was elected MP Surrey.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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On or before 28th June 1631 [his mother] Jane Browne of Betchworth Castle died. She was buried at Addington, Surrey.
On 13th December 1644 Francis Leigh of Addington (age 54) died. He was buried 17th December 1644 at Addington, Surrey.
In 1660 [his former wife] Christian Thynne died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 17 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 14 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 20 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 15 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 18 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 8 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 16 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 14 Grand Son of Louis VII King of the Franks
Kings France: Great x 17 Grand Son of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 21 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Leigh
Great x 1 Grandfather: Nicholas Leigh of Addington in Surrey
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Harvey
Great x 2 Grandmother: Isabel Harvey
GrandFather: John Leigh of Addington 6 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandfather: Nicholas Carew 
Great x 3 Grandfather: James Carew 3 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Fiennes 
2 x Great Grand Daughter of
Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard Carew 4 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Hoo 1st Baron Hoo and Hastings 9 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 3 Grandmother: Eleanor Hoo 6 x Great Grand Daughter of
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor Welles Baroness Hoo and Hastings 
5 x Great Grand Daughter of
Great x 1 Grandmother: Anne Carew 5 x Great Grand Daughter of
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Oxenbridge
Great x 2 Grandmother: Malyn Oxenbridge
Father: Oliph Leigh 7 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Oliph
GrandMother: Joan Oliph
Francis Leigh of Addington 8 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Browne 
Great x 3 Grandfather: George Browne 6 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor Fitzalan 
5 x Great Grand Daughter of
Great x 2 Grandfather: Matthew Browne 7 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Paston 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Paston
Great x 4 Grandmother: Agnes Barry
Great x 1 Grandfather: Henry Browne 8 x Great Grand Son of
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Guildford
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Guildford
Great x 4 Grandmother: Alice Waller
Great x 2 Grandmother: Frideswide Guildford
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Pympe
Great x 3 Grandmother: Ann Pympe
Great x 4 Grandmother: Philippe Thornbury
GrandFather: Thomas Browne 9 x Great Grand Son of
Mother: Jane Browne of Betchworth Castle 10 x Great Grand Daughter of