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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.

Biography of William Beechey 1753-1839

William Beechey is in Painters.

On 12th December 1753 William Beechey was born.

1789. William Beechey (age 35). Portrait of Paul Sandby (age 58).

Before 1790. William Beechey (age 36). Portrait of George Brudenell aka Montagu 1st Duke Montagu (age 77) in the Windsor Uniform.

In 1797. William Beechey (age 43). Portrait of Princess Amelia Hanover (age 13).

Princess Amelia Hanover: On 7th August 1783 she was born to King George III of Great Britain and Ireland and Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England. On 2nd November 1810 Princess Amelia Hanover died. Before September 1823 Elizabeth Boughton Baroness Templetown was appointed Lady of the Bedchamber to Princess Amelia Hanover.

Around 1800. William Beechey (age 46). Portrait of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland (age 61).

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.

1800. William Beechey (age 46). Self-Portrait.

1803. William Beechey (age 49). Portrait of Henry Addington 1st Viscount Sidmouth (age 45).

Around 1815. William Beechey (age 61). Portrait of Harriet Mellon Duchess St Albans (age 37).

1818. William Beechey (age 64). Portrait of Princess Augusta Hesse-Kassel Duchess Cambridge (age 20).

1826. William Beechey (age 72). Portrait of Thomas Assheton-Smith of Ashley in Cheshire (age 74).

Around 1830. William Beechey (age 76). Portrait of King William IV of the United Kingdom (age 64).

Before 1835 . William Beechey (age 81). Portrait of Joseph Nollekens. An autographed replica by Beechey of the work which now hangs in the Tate Britain, London

Before 28th January 1839. William Beechey (age 85). Portrait of Charles Brudenell 1st Marquess Ailesbury (age 65).

On 28th January 1839 William Beechey (age 85) died.