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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Maternal Family Tree: Susanna Temple 1600-1669
Before 1647 [her father] Richard Jennings (age 27) and [her mother] Frances Thornhurst were married.
On 5th June 1660 Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough was born to [her father] Richard Jennings (age 41) and [her mother] Frances Thornhurst at Holywell House, St Albans.
On 8th May 1668 [her father] Richard Jennings (age 49) died.
On 1st October 1678 John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 28) and Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 18) were married.
In October 1679 [her daughter] Harriet Churchill was born to [her husband] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 29) and Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 19). She died aged less than one years old.
In October 1679 [her daughter] Harriet Churchill died.
On 19th July 1681 [her daughter] Henrietta Churchill 2nd Duchess of Marlborough was born to [her husband] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 31) and Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 21). She married March 1698 Francis Godolphin 2nd Earl Godolphin, son of Sidney Godolphin 1st Earl Godolphin and Margaret Blagge, and had issue.
On 27th February 1683 [her daughter] Anne Churchill Countess Sunderland was born to [her husband] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 32) and Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 22). She married before 2nd December 1700 Charles Spencer 3rd Earl of Sunderland, son of Robert Spencer 2nd Earl of Sunderland and Anne Digby Countess Sunderland, and had issue.
On 14th May 1685 [her husband] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 34) was created 1st Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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On 15th March 1687 [her daughter] Elizabeth Churchill Countess Bridgewater was born to [her husband] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 36) and Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 26). She married 9th February 1703 Scroop Egerton 1st Duke Bridgewater, son of John Egerton 3rd Earl Bridgewater and Jane Paulet Countess Bridgewater, and had issue.
On 9th April 1689 [her husband] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 38) was created 1st Earl of Marlborough.
On 15th July 1689 [her daughter] Mary Churchill Duchess of Montagu was born to [her husband] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 39) and Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 29). She married 1705 her third cousin John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu, son of Ralph Montagu 1st Duke Montagu and Elizabeth Wriothesley Countess Northumberland, and had issue.
On 19th August 1690 [her son] Charles Churchill was born to [her husband] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 40) and Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 30). He died aged one in 1692.
John Evelyn's Diary. 28th February 1692. [her husband] Lord Marlborough (age 41) having used words against the King (age 41), and been discharged from all his great places, his wife (age 31) was forbidden the Court, and the Princess of Denmark (age 27) was desired by the Queen (age 29) to dismiss her from her service; but she refusing to do so, goes away from Court to Sion house [Map]. Divers new Lords made: Sir Henry Capel (age 53), Sir William Fermor (age 43), etc. Change of Commissioners in the Treasury. The Parliament adjourned, not well satisfied with affairs. The business of the East India Company, which they would have reformed, let fall. The Duke of Norfolk (age 37) does not succeed in his endeavor to be divorced.
On 22nd May 1692 [her son] Charles Churchill (age 1) died.
In March 1698 [her son-in-law] Francis Godolphin 2nd Earl Godolphin (age 19) and [her daughter] Henrietta Churchill 2nd Duchess of Marlborough (age 16) were married. She the daughter of [her husband] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 47) and Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 37). He the son of Sidney Godolphin 1st Earl Godolphin (age 52) and Margaret Blagge.
Before 2nd December 1700 [her son-in-law] Charles Spencer 3rd Earl of Sunderland (age 25) and [her daughter] Anne Churchill Countess Sunderland (age 17) were married. She the daughter of [her husband] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 50) and Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 40). He the son of Robert Spencer 2nd Earl of Sunderland (age 59) and Anne Digby Countess Sunderland (age 54).
Around 1702. Godfrey Kneller (age 55). Barbara Villiers Viscountess Fitzhardinge (age 48) and Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 41) playing cards.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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In December 1702 [her husband] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 52) was appointed 512th Knight of the Garter by Queen Anne of England Scotland and Ireland (age 37).
In December 1702 [her husband] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 52) was created 1st Duke Marlborough, 1st Marquess of Blandford. Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 42) by marriage Duchess Marlborough.
On 9th February 1703 [her son-in-law] Scroop Egerton 1st Duke Bridgewater (age 21) and [her daughter] Elizabeth Churchill Countess Bridgewater (age 15) were married. She by marriage Countess Bridgewater. She the daughter of [her husband] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 52) and Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 42). He the son of John Egerton 3rd Earl Bridgewater and Jane Paulet Countess Bridgewater (age 47).
John Evelyn's Diary. 7th September 1704. This day was celebrated the thanksgiving for the late great victory, with the utmost pomp and splendor by the Queen (age 39), Court, great Officers, Lords Mayor, Sheriffs, Companies, etc. The streets were scaffolded from Temple Bar, where the Lord Mayor presented her Majesty with a sword, which she returned. Every company was ranged under its banners, the city militia without the rails, which were all hung with cloth suitable to the color of the banner. The Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, and Aldermen were in their scarlet robes, with caparisoned horses; the Knight Marshal on horseback; the Foot-Guards; the Queen in a rich coach with eight horses, none with her but the Duchess of Marlborough (age 44) in a very plain garment, the Queen full of jewels. Music and trumpets at every city company. The great officers of the Crown, Nobility, and Bishops, all in coaches with six horses, besides innumerable servants, went to St. Paul's, where the Dean preached. After this, the Queen went back in the same order to St. James's. The city companies feasted all the Nobility and Bishops, and illuminated at night. Music for the church and anthems composed by the best masters. The day before was wet and stormy, but this was one of the most serene and calm days that had been all the year.
In 1705 [her son-in-law] John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu (age 15) and [her daughter] Mary Churchill Duchess of Montagu (age 15) were married. She the daughter of [her husband] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 54) and Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 44). He the son of Ralph Montagu 1st Duke Montagu (age 66) and Elizabeth Wriothesley Countess Northumberland. They were third cousins.
Before 24th May 1711 John Closterman (age 51). Possibly school of. Portrait of Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 50).
On 22nd March 1714 [her daughter] Elizabeth Churchill Countess Bridgewater (age 27) died. She was buried at St Peter and St Paul Church, Little Gaddesden on 29th March 1714.
On 15th April 1716 [her daughter] Anne Churchill Countess Sunderland (age 33) died.
On 16th June 1722 [her husband] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough (age 72) died at Cranbourne Lodge, Windsor. His daughter [her daughter] Henrietta (age 40) succeeded 2nd Duchess Marlborough, 2nd Marchioness of Blandford, 2nd Countess of Marlborough, 2nd Baroness Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire. [her son-in-law] Francis Godolphin 2nd Earl Godolphin (age 43) by marriage Duke Marlborough.
On 24th October 1733 [her daughter] Henrietta Churchill 2nd Duchess of Marlborough (age 52) died. Her nephew [her grandson] Charles (age 26) succeeded 3rd Duke Marlborough, 3rd Marquess of Blandford, 3rd Earl of Marlborough, 3rd Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire. [her granddaughter-in-law] Elizabeth Trevor Duchess of Marlborough (age 20) by marriage Duchess Marlborough.
Before 2nd November 1739 Charles Jervas (age 64). Portrait of Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 79).
On 29th January 1740 Richard Lumley 2nd Earl Scarborough (age 53) committed suicide by shooting himself through the roof of the mouth possibly as a result of his having told the [her granddaughter] Dowager Duchess of Manchester (age 34), who he had intended to marry the following day, a state secret which she then shared with her grandmother Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 79) who shared it with William Pulteney 1st Earl Bath (age 55) who shared it with everyone else. His brother Thomas (age 49) succeeded 3rd Earl of Scarborough, 4th Viscount Lumley, 3rd Baron Lumley. Frances Hamilton Countess Scarborough by marriage Countess of Scarborough. He left his estates to his youngest brother James Lumley (age 34).
On 4th February 1740 Richard Lumley 2nd Earl Scarborough was buried at the Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair.
On 18th October 1744 Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough (age 84) died.
GrandFather: John Jennings
Father: Richard Jennings
Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough
GrandFather: Gifford Thornhurst 1st Baronet
Mother: Frances Thornhurst
Great x 3 Grandfather: Peter Temple of Stowe 
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Temple
Great x 1 Grandfather: Alexander Temple
GrandMother: Susanna Temple