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: Legh
On 19th December 1828 William John Legh 1st Baron Newton was born to [his father] William Legh.
On 29th May 1856 William John Legh 1st Baron Newton (age 27) and Emily Jane Wodehouse (age 30) were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square.
On 18th March 1857 [his son] Thomas Wodehouse Leigh 2nd Baron Newton was born to William John Legh 1st Baron Newton (age 28) and [his wife] Emily Jane Wodehouse (age 30). He married 1880 Evelyn Caroline Davenport Baroness Newton and had issue.
On 8th May 1857 [his uncle] Thomas Legh (age 64) died at Milford Lodge, Lymington. His nephew William John Legh 1st Baron Newton (age 28) inherited his estates including Lyme Hall, Cheshire [Map].
In 1859 William John Legh 1st Baron Newton (age 30) was elected MP Lancashire South which seat he held until 1865.
On 5th May 1866 William John Legh 1st Baron Newton (age 37) was commissioned as Lieutenant-Colonel to command the 4th Administrative Battalion, Cheshire Rifle Volunteer Corps.
In 1868 William John Legh 1st Baron Newton (age 39) was elected MP Cheshire East which seat he held until 1885.
1878. George Richmond (age 68). Portrait of William John Legh 1st Baron Newton (age 49).
In 1880 [his son] Thomas Wodehouse Leigh 2nd Baron Newton (age 22) and [his daughter-in-law] Evelyn Caroline Davenport Baroness Newton were married.
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.
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The London Gazette 26328. Whitehall, September 22, 1892. THE Queen has been pleased, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, dated the 27th August, 1892, to grant the dignity of a Baron of the said United Kingdom unto William John Legh (age 63), of Lyme Park, in the County Palatine of Chester, Esq., and the heirs malo cf his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style, and title of Baron Newton, of Newton-in-Makerfield, in the County Palatine of Lancaster.
On 15th December 1898 William John Legh 1st Baron Newton (age 69) died. His son Thomas (age 41) succeeded 2nd Baron Newton of Newton-in-Makerfield in Lancashire. [his daughter-in-law] Evelyn Caroline Davenport Baroness Newton by marriage Baroness Newton of Newton-in-Makerfield in Lancashire.
On 20th April 1901 [his former wife] Emily Jane Wodehouse (age 74) died.
On 25th January 1973 William John Legh 1st Baron Newton was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 4th Administrative Battalion, Cheshire Rifle Volunteer Corps.
Kings Wessex: Great x 22 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 20 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 26 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 21 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 23 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 13 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 29 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 23 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 27 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Reverend Thomas Legh 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Legh 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Legh 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Chicheley of Wimpole 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Chicheley
Great x 4 Grandmother: Sarah Russell 
Great x 1 Grandfather: Reverend Ashburnham Legh 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Fleetwood of Bank Hall 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Henrietta Maria Fleetwood
GrandFather: Colonel Thomas Peter Legh 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Egerton 2nd Baronet 
7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Egerton 3rd Baronet 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Holland Egerton 4th Baronet 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Charlotte Elizabeth Egerton 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Cave 1st Baronet 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Roger Cave 2nd Baronet 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Penelope Wenman Lady Cave 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Eleanor Cave 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Bromley
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Bromley Lady Cave
Great x 4 Grandmother: Ursula Leigh
Father: William Legh 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
William John Legh 1st Baron Newton 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England