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 28th March 1809 George Richmond was born in Brompton, Kensington.
Around 1835. George Richmond [aged 25]. Self-Portrait.
Around 1835. George Richmond [aged 25]. Portrait of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil 3rd Marquess Salisbury [aged 4].
1840. George Richmond [aged 30]. Self-Portrait.
Around 1854. George Richmond [aged 44]. Self-Portrait.
1855. George Richmond [aged 45]. Portrait of Bishop Robert Eden 3rd Baron Auckland [aged 55].
1864. George Richmond [aged 54]. Portrait of Archbishop Charles Longley [aged 69].
Around 1869. George Richmond [aged 59]. Portrait of Thomas James Agar aka Agar-Robartes 1st Baron Robartes [aged 60].
Thomas James Agar aka Agar-Robartes 1st Baron Robartes: On 18th March 1808 he was born to Charles Bagenal Agar and Anna Maria Hunt. On 8th January 1839 Thomas James Agar aka Agar-Robartes 1st Baron Robartes and Juliana Pole-Carew Baroness Robartes were married. On 13th December 1869 Thomas James Agar aka Agar-Robartes 1st Baron Robartes was created 1st Baron Robartes of Lanhydrock and of Truro in Cornwall. Juliana Pole-Carew Baroness Robartes by marriage Baroness Robartes of Lanhydrock and of Truro in Cornwall. On 9th March 1882 Thomas James Agar aka Agar-Robartes 1st Baron Robartes died. His son Thomas succeeded 2nd Baron Robartes of Lanhydrock and of Truro in Cornwall.
1870. George Richmond [aged 60]. Portrait of William Heathcote 5th Baronet [aged 68].
1873. George Richmond [aged 63]. Portrait of Archbishop Charles Longley.
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.
1876. George Richmond [aged 66]. Portrait of Granville Leveson-Gower 2nd Earl Granville [aged 60].
1876. George Richmond [aged 66]. Portrait of Juliana Pole-Carew Baroness Robartes [aged 63].
Juliana Pole-Carew Baroness Robartes: On 1st July 1812 she was born to Reginald Pole aka Pole-Carew and Caroline Anne Lyttelton. On 12th April 1881 Juliana Pole-Carew Baroness Robartes died.
1877. George Richmond [aged 67]. Portrait of Bishop Edward Stuart Talbot [aged 32].
1878. George Richmond [aged 68]. Portrait of William John Legh 1st Baron Newton [aged 49].
1880. George Richmond [aged 70]. Portrait of Samuel Hoare 1st Baronet [aged 38].
Samuel Hoare 1st Baronet: On 7th September 1841 he was born to John Gurney Hoare and Caroline Barclay. In 1866 Samuel Hoare 1st Baronet and Katherine Louisa Hart Davis were married. On 7th August 1899 Samuel Hoare 1st Baronet was created 1st Baronet Hoare of Sidestrand Hall. On 20th January 1915 Samuel Hoare 1st Baronet died. His son Samuel succeeded 2nd Baronet Hoare of Sidestrand Hall.
On 19th March 1896 George Richmond [aged 86] died.