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: Cholmeley of Easton
On 14th September 1801 [his father] Montague Cholmeley 1st Baronet (age 29) and [his mother] Elizabeth Harrison Lady Cholmeley were married.
On 5th August 1802 Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet was born to [his father] Montague Cholmeley 1st Baronet (age 30) and [his mother] Elizabeth Harrison Lady Cholmeley.
On 25th February 1806 [his father] Montague Cholmeley 1st Baronet (age 33) was created 1st Baronet Cholmeley of Easton in Lincolnshire. [his mother] Elizabeth Harrison Lady Cholmeley by marriage Lady Cholmeley of Easton in Lincolnshire.
In 1820 [his father] Montague Cholmeley 1st Baronet (age 47) was elected MP Grantham which seat he held until 1826 when he retired in favour of his son Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet (age 17).
In 1822 [his mother] Elizabeth Harrison Lady Cholmeley died.
On 26th March 1826 [his father] Montague Cholmeley 1st Baronet (age 54) and Catherine Way Lady Cholmeley were married. She by marriage Lady Cholmeley of Easton in Lincolnshire.
On 10th February 1829 Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet (age 26) and Georgiana Beauclerk Lady Cholmeley (age 20) were married. She the daughter of William Beauclerk 8th Duke St Albans and Maria Janetta Nelthorpe Duchess St Albans.
On 10th March 1831 [his father] Montague Cholmeley 1st Baronet (age 58) died. He was buried at St Andrew and St Mary's Church, Stoke Rochford where he has a monument by Robert Blore (age 51). His son Montague (age 28) succeeded 2nd Baronet Cholmeley of Easton in Lincolnshire. [his wife] Georgiana Beauclerk Lady Cholmeley (age 22) by marriage Lady Cholmeley of Easton in Lincolnshire.
In 1836 Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet (age 33) was appointed High Sheriff of Lincolnshire.
On 29th May 1839 [his brother-in-law] William Beauclerk 9th Duke St Albans (age 38) and Elizabeth Catherine Gubbins Duchess St Albans (age 21) were married at Church of St Mary the Virgin Harby, Leicestershire. She by marriage Duchess St Albans. William Beauclerk 9th Duke St Albans donated a new clock, a bible, a prayer book, and £30 with the rector to be invested for the poor. He the son of William Beauclerk 8th Duke St Albans and Maria Janetta Nelthorpe Duchess St Albans.
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 1 Chapters 1-60 1307-1342
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel offer one of the most vivid and immediate accounts of 14th-century Europe, written by a knight who lived through the events he describes, and experienced some of them first hand. Covering the early decades of the Hundred Years’ War, this remarkable chronicle follows the campaigns of Edward III of England, the politics of France and the Low Countries, and the shifting alliances that shaped medieval warfare. Unlike later historians, Jean le Bel writes with a strong sense of eyewitness authenticity, drawing on personal experience and the testimony of fellow soldiers. His narrative captures not only battles and sieges, but also the realities of military life, diplomacy, and the ideals of chivalry that governed noble society. A key source for Jean Froissart, Le Bel’s chronicle stands on its own as a compelling and insightful work, at once historical record and literary achievement. This translation builds on the 1905 edition published in French by Jules Viard, adding extensive translations from other sources Rymer's Fœdera, the Chronicles of Adam Murimuth, William Nangis, Walter of Guisborough, a Bourgeois of Valenciennes, Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke and Richard Lescot to enrich the original text and Viard's notes.
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On 18th October 1839 [his son] Hugh Cholmeley 3rd Baronet was born to Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet (age 37) and [his wife] Georgiana Beauclerk Lady Cholmeley (age 30). He a great x 4 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. He married 12th August 1874 Edith Sophia Rowley Lady Cholmeley, daughter of Charles Robert Rowley 4th Baronet and Maria Louisa Vanneck, and had issue.
In 1847 Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet (age 44) was elected MP North Lincolnshire which seat he held until 1852.
On 27th May 1849 [his brother-in-law] William Beauclerk 9th Duke St Albans (age 48) died. His son William (age 9) succeeded 10th Duke St Albans, 10th Earl Burford, 10th Baron Heddington, 7th Baron Vere of Hanworth in Middlesex.
On 14th July 1853 [his son-in-law] Henry Vivian 1st Baron Swansea (age 32) and [his daughter] Flora Caroline Elizabeth Cholmeley were married.
In 1857 Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet (age 54) was elected MP North Lincolnshire which seat he held until 1874.
On 22nd August 1862 [his sister-in-law] Caroline Janetta Beauclerk Countess Essex (age 58) died.
On 25th January 1868 [his daughter] Flora Caroline Elizabeth Cholmeley died.
On 18th January 1874 Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet (age 71) died. His son Hugh (age 34) succeeded 3rd Baronet Cholmeley of Easton in Lincolnshire.
On 8th January 1880 [his former wife] Georgiana Beauclerk Lady Cholmeley (age 71) died.
[his daughter] Flora Caroline Elizabeth Cholmeley was born to Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet and Georgiana Beauclerk Lady Cholmeley. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. She married 14th July 1853 Henry Vivian 1st Baron Swansea.
GrandFather: Montague Cholmeley of Easton 
Father: Montague Cholmeley 1st Baronet
Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet
GrandFather: John Harrison
Mother: Elizabeth Harrison Lady Cholmeley