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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 8th May 1735 Nathaniel Dance-Holland was born.
Around 1760. Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 24]. Portrait of George Grey 5th Earl Stamford 1st Earl Warrington [aged 22].
Around 1760. Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 24]. Portrait of Archbishop Frederick Cornwallis [aged 46].
Archbishop Frederick Cornwallis: On 5th March 1713 twins Edward and Frederick were born to Charles Cornwallis 4th Baron Cornwallis and Charlotte Butler Baroness Cornwallis. In 1768 Archbishop Frederick Cornwallis was translated to Archbishop of Canterbury. On 1st October 1769 Bishop Shute Barrington was consecrated as Bishop of Llandaff at Lambeth Palace [Map] by Archbishop Frederick Cornwallis. On 19th March 1783 Archbishop Frederick Cornwallis died. He was buried at St Mary at Lambeth Church, Surrey [Map].
Around 1765. Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 29]. Portrait of Augustus Henry Fitzroy 3rd Duke Grafton [aged 29].
Around 1768. Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 32]. Portrait of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 29].
Around 1768. Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 32]. Portrait of Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England [aged 23].
On 10th December 1768 the Royal Academy was founded through a personal act of King George III [aged 30] "to establish a school or academy of design for the use of students in the arts" with an annual exhibition.
The founder members included:
Joshua Reynolds [aged 45]; President.
Angelica Kauffmann [aged 27]; one of two female founding members.
Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 33]
Francis Cotes [aged 42]
Thomas Gainsborough [aged 41]
William Tyler [aged 40]
William Hoare [aged 61]
Johan Joseph Zoffany [aged 35].
1769. Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 33]. Portrait of Lancelot "Capability" Brown [aged 52].
Around 1770. Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 34]. Portrait of Robert Clive "Clive of India" [aged 44].
Robert Clive "Clive of India": On 26th September 1725 he was born to Richard Clive and Rebecca Gaskell at The Styche, Market Drayton. On 18th February 1753 Robert Clive "Clive of India" and Margaret Maskelyne were married at St Mary's Church, Madras. On 22nd November 1774 Robert Clive "Clive of India" died.
Around 1770. Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 34]. Portrait of Admiral Samuel Barrington [aged 39].
Admiral Samuel Barrington: On 15th September 1730 he was born to John Shute aka Barrington 1st Viscount Barrington and Anne Daines Viscountess Barrington. On 16th August 1800 Admiral Samuel Barrington died. He has a monument sculpted by John Flaxman at St Andrew's Church, Shrivenham.
Around 1774. Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 38]. Self-Portrait.
Around 1774. Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 38]. Portrait of George Coventry 6th Earl Coventry [aged 51].
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Around 1774. Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 38]. Portrait of Francis Dashwood 11th Baron Despencer [aged 65].
In 1790 Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 54] was elected MP East Grinstead which seat he held until 1802.
In 1790 Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 54] and Harriet Bishopp [aged 62] were married.
In 1796 Charles Jenkinson 1st Earl Liverpool [aged 66] was created 1st Earl Liverpool. [his sister-in-law] Catherine Bishopp Countess Liverpool [aged 51] by marriage Countess Liverpool.
In 1800 Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 64] was created 1st Baronet Dance-Holland of Wittenham in Berkshire.
In 1802 Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 66] was elected MP Great Bedwyn which seat he held until 1806.
Before 15th October 1811. Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 76]. Portrait of Miss Hargreaves.
Before 15th October 1811. Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 76]. Portrait of Charles Seymour 6th Duke of Somerset.
Before 15th October 1811. Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 76]. Portrait of John Eardley-Wilmot [aged 63].
John Eardley-Wilmot: In 1748 he was born to John Eardley-Wilmot. On 23rd June 1815 John Eardley-Wilmot died in Bengal, India.
Before 15th October 1811. Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 76]. Portrait of Charles Pratt 1st Earl Camden.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 15th October 1811 Nathaniel Dance-Holland [aged 76] died. Baronet Dance-Holland of Wittenham in Berkshire extinct.
In 1825 [his former wife] Harriet Bishopp [aged 97] died.