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: Gell
On 14th April 1558 [his father] Thomas Gell (age 26) and [his mother] Millicent Sacheverell were married in Kirk Ireton, Derbyshire [Map].
Around 1571 [his step-father] John Curzon (age 20) and [his mother] Millicent Sacheverell were married.
On 22nd June 1593 John Gell 1st Baronet was born to [his father] Thomas Gell (age 61) and [his mother] Millicent Sacheverell in Hopton Hall, Derbyshire [Map].
On 2nd July 1593 John Gell 1st Baronet was baptised at St Margaret's Church, Carsington [Map].
On 11th November 1594 [his father] Thomas Gell (age 62) died.
In January 1609 John Gell 1st Baronet (age 15) and Elizabeth Willoughby Lady Gell were married at St Leonard's Church, Wollaton [Map].
Before 1613 [his daughter] Bridget Gell was born to John Gell 1st Baronet (age 19) and [his wife] Elizabeth Willoughby Lady Gell.
Before 1613 [his daughter] Millicent Gell was born to John Gell 1st Baronet (age 19) and [his wife] Elizabeth Willoughby Lady Gell.
In 1613 [his son] John Gell 2nd Baronet was born to John Gell 1st Baronet (age 19) and [his wife] Elizabeth Willoughby Lady Gell. He married before 8th February 1688 Katherine Packer of Shelingford and had issue.
Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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On 20th June 1622 John Stanhope (age 32) and [his future wife] Mary Radclyffe Lady Gell (age 17) were married in Castle Donington, Leicestershire.
In 1642 John Gell 1st Baronet (age 48) was created 1st Baronet Gell of Hopton in Derbyshire. [his wife] Elizabeth Willoughby Lady Gell by marriage Lady Gell of Hopton in Derbyshire.
In 1644 [his wife] Elizabeth Willoughby Lady Gell died.
In December 1647 John Gell 1st Baronet (age 54) and Mary Radclyffe Lady Gell (age 42) were married. She by marriage Lady Gell of Hopton in Derbyshire.
Around April 1653 [his wife] Mary Radclyffe Lady Gell (age 48) died.
On 26th January 1671 John Gell 1st Baronet (age 77) died. He was buried in St Mary's Church, Wirksworth [Map]. His son John (age 58) succeeded 2nd Baronet Gell of Hopton in Derbyshire.
John Gell 2nd Baronet: In 1613 he was born to John Gell 1st Baronet and Elizabeth Willoughby Lady Gell. Before 8th February 1688 John Gell 2nd Baronet and Katherine Packer of Shelingford were married. On 8th February 1688 John Gell 2nd Baronet died. His son Philip succeeded 3rd Baronet Gell of Hopton in Derbyshire. Elizabeth Fagge Lady Gell by marriage Lady Gell of Hopton in Derbyshire.
[his daughter] Eleanor Gell was born to John Gell 1st Baronet and Elizabeth Willoughby Lady Gell.
[his son] William Gell was born to John Gell 1st Baronet and Elizabeth Willoughby Lady Gell.
[his daughter] Elizabeth Gell was born to John Gell 1st Baronet and Elizabeth Willoughby Lady Gell.
Kings Wessex: Great x 18 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 England: Great x 13 Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 17 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 24 Grand Son of Louis "Pious" King Aquitaine I King of the Franks
Kings France: Great x 18 Grand Son of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 23 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
GrandFather: Ralph Gell
Father: Thomas Gell
Great x 1 Grandfather: Nicholas Ashby of Willoughby on the Wolds in Nottinghamshire
GrandMother: Godeth Ashby
John Gell 1st Baronet 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Sacheverell
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Sacheverell
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jane Statham
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Sacheverell
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Sacheverell 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Nicholas Montgomery 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Nicholas Montgomery 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Montgomery 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Delves 
7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Delves 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Ellen Egerton 
GrandFather: Ralph Sacheverell 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Clement Lowe
Great x 1 Grandmother: Mary Lowe
Mother: Millicent Sacheverell 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Dethick
GrandMother: Emma Dethick