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.
Paternal Family Tree: Baker
On 10th November 1713 [his father] George Baker [age 26] and [his step-mother] Bridget Harris were married.
On 1st January 1722 George Baker 1st Baronet was born to [his father] George Baker [age 35] and [his mother] Mary Weston at Modbury, Devon.
On 24th January 1738 [his father] George Baker [age 51] and [his mother] Mary Weston were married at Dawlish, Devon. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Bishop Stephen Weston [age 73].
In 1749 George Baker 1st Baronet [age 26] went to Leiden University to study physic, becoming MD in 1756.
In 1756 George Baker 1st Baronet [age 33] was admitted to the Royal College of Physicians.
In 1757 George Baker 1st Baronet [age 34] became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.
In 1762 George Baker 1st Baronet [age 39] was appointed Fellow of the Royal Society.
On 28th June 1768 George Baker 1st Baronet [age 46] and Jane Morris were married at St James' Church, Piccadilly.
In 1772 [his father] George Baker [age 85] died.
On 13th May 1772 [his son] Frederick Baker 2nd Baronet was born to George Baker 1st Baronet [age 50] and [his wife] Jane Morris at Jermyn Street. He was baptised on 17th June 1772 at St James' Church, Piccadilly. He married July 1814 Harriet Simeon Lady Baker, daughter of John Simeon 1st Baronet and Rebecca Cornwall, and had issue.
The London Gazette 11694. St. James's, August 24. The King has been pleased to grant the Dignity of a Baronet of the Kingdom of Great Britain, to them and their Heirs Male, unto
George Winn, of Little Warley in the County of Essex, Esq; and late one of the Barons of His Majesty's Court of Exchequer in Scotland.
Herbert Mackworth, of the Gnoll in the County of Glamorgan, Esq;
James Laroche, of Over in the Parish of Aldmondsbury in the County of Gloucester, Esq;
Henry Peyton, of Doddington in the Isle of Ely, Esq;
George Baker [age 54], Doctor in Physick, and Physician in Ordinary to Her Majesty; [Baronet Baker of Loventor in Totnes in Devon].
Before 26th August 1776 George Baker 1st Baronet [age 54] was appointed physician to the Queen's household and then physician to King George III [age 38], attending the king during his periods of madness.
On 15th June 1809 George Baker 1st Baronet [age 87] died. He was buried at St James' Church, Piccadilly. His son Frederick [age 37] succeeded 2nd Baronet Baker of Loventor in Totnes in Devon.
Great x 2 Grandfather: Unknown Baker
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Baker of Alvington, Devon
GrandFather: Aaron Baker
Father: George Baker
Great x 1 Grandfather: Reverend Joseph Tompson of Exminster, Devon
GrandMother: Martha Tompson
GrandFather: Bishop Stephen Weston 
Mother: Mary Weston