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 9th February 1716 Mary Reynolds was born to Samuel Reynolds.
In 1740 Mary Reynolds [aged 23] paid half of the £120 for her [her brother] brother's [aged 16] education by Thomas Hudson [aged 39].
In 1749 Mary Reynolds [aged 32] paid for her [her brother] brother's [aged 25] travel to Italy.
In 1750 [her daughter] Mary Palmer Marchioness Thomond was born to John Palmer of Palmer House Great Torrington Devon and Mary Reynolds [aged 33]. She married 25th July 1792 Murrough O'Brien 1st Marquess Thomond.
On 11th January 1762 Louis Francois Roubiliac [aged 59] died. He was buried in St Martin in the Fields Church [Map]. His funeral was attended by [her brother] Joshua Reynolds [aged 38] among many others. His apprentice Nicholas Read [aged 29] took over his studio at 66 St Martin's Lane.
Around 1780. [her brother] Joshua Reynolds [aged 56]. Portrait of his sister Mary Reynolds [aged 63].
On 25th July 1792 [her son-in-law] Murrough O'Brien 1st Marquess Thomond [aged 66] and [her daughter] Mary Palmer Marchioness Thomond [aged 42] were married. The difference in their ages was 24 years.
On 23rd August 1792 [her brother] Joshua Reynolds [aged 69] died at his home in Leicester Fields. He was buried in St Paul's Cathedral [Map]. He bequesthed his niece [her daughter] Mary Palmer Marchioness Thomond [aged 42] £100,000 in his will.
On 27th May 1794 Mary Reynolds [aged 78] died.
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
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John Palmer of Palmer House Great Torrington Devon and Mary Reynolds were married.