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: Tailboys
Before 1467 [his father] Robert Tailboys 8th Baron Kyme [aged 15] and [his mother] Elizabeth Heron Baroness Kyme [aged 13] were married.
In 1467 George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme was born to [his father] Robert Tailboys 8th Baron Kyme [aged 16] and [his mother] Elizabeth Heron Baroness Kyme [aged 14].
In or before 1490 George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme [aged 22] and Elizabeth Gascoigne Baroness Kyme [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Baroness Kyme. They were third cousin once removed. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
In 1490 [his daughter] Elizabeth Tailboys was born to George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme [aged 23] and [his wife] Elizabeth Gascoigne Baroness Kyme [aged 19] at Kyme. She married her sixth cousin Christopher Willoughby, son of Christopher Willoughby 10th Baron Willoughby and Margaret Jenney Baroness Willoughby of Eresby, and had issue.
In 1493 [his daughter] Ann Tailboys was born to George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme [aged 26] and [his wife] Elizabeth Gascoigne Baroness Kyme [aged 22] at Kyme. She married (1) before 1st April 1529 her sixth cousin Edward Dymoke and had issue (2) after 16th September 1566 her fourth cousin once removed Robert Carr.
Around 1493 [his daughter] Cecelia Tailboys was born to George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme [aged 26] and [his wife] Elizabeth Gascoigne Baroness Kyme [aged 22].
In 1495 [his mother] Elizabeth Heron Baroness Kyme [aged 42] died.
On 30th January 1495 [his father] Robert Tailboys 8th Baron Kyme [aged 44] died. His son George [aged 28] de jure 9th Baron Kyme.
Around 1498 [his son] Gilbert Tailboys 1st Baron Tailboys was born to George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme [aged 31] and [his wife] Elizabeth Gascoigne Baroness Kyme [aged 27]. He married 18th June 1522 Elizabeth "Bessie" Blount Baroness Clinton and Tailboys and had issue.
This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
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In 1502 [his son] William Tailboys was born to George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme [aged 35] and [his wife] Elizabeth Gascoigne Baroness Kyme [aged 31].
In 1502 [his son] John Tailboys was born to George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme [aged 35] and [his wife] Elizabeth Gascoigne Baroness Kyme [aged 31].
In 1509 George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme [aged 42] was Keeper of at Harbottle Castle, Northumberland [Map].
In March 1517 George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme [aged 50] became insane and placed under the care of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey [aged 44].
On 18th June 1522 Gilbert Tailboys 1st Baron Tailboys [aged 24] and Elizabeth "Bessie" Blount Baroness Clinton and Tailboys [aged 24] were married. She the former mistress of King Henry VIII of England and Ireland [aged 30] had given birth to Henry's illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy 1st Duke Richmond and Somerset [aged 3] in June 1519.
In 1528 [his daughter] Margaret Tailboys was born to George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme [aged 61] and [his wife] Elizabeth Gascoigne Baroness Kyme [aged 57]. She married in or before 1531 her fifth cousin George Vernon "King of the Peak" and had issue.
Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1528. 11th June 1528. R. O. Wood's Lett., vol. II. 39. 4357. Lady Elizabeth Tailbois [aged 57] to Wolsey [aged 55].
Has received his letters, dated Durham Place, 15 May, desiring her to deliver to Sir Gilbert Tailbois [aged 30], her son, lands to the yearly value of £100, the residue of those worth £200, appointed by Act of Parliament to him and his wife [aged 30] after her husband's decease, an annuity of £40, and the money received from the lands from Mayday last. Will give him the lands, but begs to be excused from giving the money for the following reasons:-1. Since her husband's [aged 61] visitation, when he was committed to Wolsey by the King, his rents have been employed for household expences and the marriages of his children, and not in wasteful expences. 2. There is now 150 marks owing of the marriage money of one of their children, for which her nearest friends are bound. 3. Her other son [aged 26], brother to Sir Gilbert, has no assignment for his living, and must be provided for. 4. William Bongham, an old servant of her husband's, who was accustomed to provide wheat and grain for the household, has gone away with money enough to provide for the whole year, and she is obliged to make fresh provision with the rents of the lordships for which her son Sir Gilbert asks, and of other lands also. 6. There are 10 score wild beasts in the lordship of Kyme, from which they used to provide beef for the household, but from which they can now get no profit. Has had little comfort since her husband's last visitation, "and for the pleasure of God I have yielded me thereunto," and now my husband is aged it would be hard to live in penury, and be unable to discharge our friends of the sums in which they are bound for us. If my son obtain his demands, we shall be obliged to break up house and "sparpull" our children and servants. He has now in his hands lands worth £342 17s. 11¾d.,-more than she and her husband have. Will do all she can for him when her children are provided for and her debts paid. Goltaght, 11 June. Signed.
Before 1st April 1529 [his son-in-law] Edward Dymoke [aged 21] and [his daughter] Ann Tailboys [aged 36] were married. They were sixth cousins. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
On 30th April 1530 Gilbert Tailboys 1st Baron Tailboys [aged 32] died. He was buried at Church of St Mary and All Saints, South Kyme. His son George [aged 7] succeeded 2nd Baron Tailboys of Kyme.
In or before 1531 [his son-in-law] George Vernon "King of the Peak" [aged 22] and [his daughter] Margaret Tailboys [aged 2] were married. The difference in their ages was 20 years. They were fifth cousins. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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On 21st September 1538 George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme [aged 71] died. He was buried at Lincoln Cathedral [Map]. His grandson George [aged 15] de jure 10th Baron Kyme.
In 1559 [his former wife] Elizabeth Gascoigne Baroness Kyme [aged 88] died at Lincoln, Lincolnshire [Map]. She was buried at Lincoln Cathedral [Map].
[his son] Walter Tailboys was born to George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme and Elizabeth Gascoigne Baroness Kyme.
[his daughter] Maud Tailboys was born to George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme and Elizabeth Gascoigne Baroness Kyme.
[his daughter] Dorothy Tailboys was born to George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme and Elizabeth Gascoigne Baroness Kyme.
Kings Wessex: Great x 13 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 10 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 16 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 11 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings England: Great x 7 Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 12 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 21 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 14 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 18 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Tailboys Baron Kyme 
Great x 2 Grandfather: Walter Tailboys 5th Baron Kyme 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Gilbert de Barrowden
Great x 3 Grandmother: Eleanor de Barrowden 4th Baroness Kyme 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth de Umfraville 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Walter Tailboys 6th Baron Kyme 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
GrandFather: William Tailboys 7th Baron Kyme 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Stafford 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Humphrey Stafford 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Stafford 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Humphrey Stafford 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Greville of Southwick 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alice Greville
Great x 1 Grandmother: Alice Stafford Baroness Kyme 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Maltravers
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Maltravers
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Sifrewest
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Maltravers
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Aumale
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Aumale
Father: Robert Tailboys 8th Baron Kyme 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Bonville 
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Bonville
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Aumale
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Aumale
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Bonville 1st Baron Bonville 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Fitzroger
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Fitzroger 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Holland 
4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Fitzroger 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
GrandMother: Elizabeth Bonville Baroness Kyme 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Roger Grey 1st Baron Grey Ruthyn 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Reginald Grey 2nd Baron Grey Ruthyn 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Hastings Baroness Grey Ruthyn 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Reginald Grey 3rd Baron Grey Ruthyn 5 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Strange 2nd Baron Strange Blackmere 
3 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alianore Strange Baroness Grey Ruthyn 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Ankaret Boteler Baroness Strange Blackmere 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Margaret Grey 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Ros 2nd Baron Ros Helmsley 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Ros 4th Baron Ros Helmsley 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margery Badlesmere Baroness Ros of Helmsley 
4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Ros Baroness Grey Ruthyn 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ralph Stafford 1st Earl Stafford 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Beatrice Stafford Countess Desmond 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Audley Countess Stafford 
Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
George Tailboys 9th Baron Kyme 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Heron of Thornton
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Heron
GrandFather: John Heron of Ford Castle Northumberland
Mother: Elizabeth Heron Baroness Kyme