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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Mary Mathews was born to [her father] Thomas Mathews of Colchester
Before 1523 [her future husband] Andrew Judde (age 30) and Mary Murfyn were married.
Around 1537 Thomas Langton (age 22) and Mary Mathews were married.
In 1542 [her future husband] Andrew Judde (age 49) and Agnes m Judde were married.
In 1544 [her future husband] Andrew Judde (age 51) was elected Sheriff of London.
On 29th January 1548 [her future husband] Alderman James Altham (age 19) and Elizabeth Blanke (age 20) were married at St Leonard Eastcheap Church [Map].
On 22nd December 1550 [her husband] Thomas Langton (age 35) died.
Before 1552 Thomas Langton and Mary Mathews were married.
In 1552 Andrew Judde (age 59) and Mary Mathews were married.
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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After 4th October 1558 Alderman James Altham (age 29) and Mary Mathews were married.
On 28th February 1584 [her husband] Alderman James Altham (age 55) died.
Before 14th September 1588 [her husband] Andrew Judde (age 96) died.
In 1602 Mary Mathews died.