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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Church of St Mary, Narford is in Narford, Churches in Norfolk.
Around 1150. Church of St Mary, Narford [Map]. The nave dates from the C12 and retains evidence of its original flint quoins. Narford is described as having once been a considerable village with its own market and fairs, but it fell into decline from the C16 onwards and is now one of the many lost villages of Norfolk.
On 7th February 1707 Andrew Fountaine [aged 74] died. His son [aged 31] inherited Narford Hall. Buried at Church of St Mary, Narford [Map].
After 7th February 1707 Monument to Andrew Fountaine [deceased] at Church of St Mary, Narford [Map].
After 27th July 1746. Church of St Mary, Narford [Map]. Monument to Elizabeth Clent [deceased] and her grandmother Sarah Chicheley. An urn and inscription panel. Inscribed chest with a heavy plinth, surmounted by a sarcophagus and an obelisk with an urn finial and heraldic achievement with motto of the Fountaine family vix ea nostra voco.
Elizabeth Clent: Captain William Price and she were married. She inherited Narford Hall when her mother Elizabeth Fountaine died. In 1706 she was born to Colonel Edward Clent of Knightwick in Worcestershire and Elizabeth Fountaine. On 27th July 1746 she died. Her son Brigg Price inherited Narford Hall.
Sarah Chicheley: she was born to Thomas Chicheley of Wimpole and Sarah Russell. On or after 29th April 1672 Andrew Fountaine and she were married. In 1710 Andrew Fountaine was gravely ill at his London townhouse. Johnathan Swift wrote ... Sir Andrew's mother and sister are come above a hundred miles to see him before he died. I knew the mother; she is the greatest Overdo upon earth; and the sister, they say, is worse; the poor man will relapse again among them. Here was the scoundrel brother [Note. Probably brother-in-law Colonel Edward Clent of Knightwick in Worcestershire] always crying in the other room till Sir Andrew was in danger; and the dog was to have all his estate if he died.
On 4th September 1753 Andrew Fountaine [aged 77] died. His sister Elizabeth Fountaine inherited Narford Hall. Monument in Church of St Mary, Narford [Map].
After 4th September 1753. Church of St Mary, Narford [Map]. Monument to Andrew Fountaine [deceased]. Dark marble sarcophagus with a white marble bust - a copy of an original by Louis Francois Roubiliac [aged 51] now in the Norwich Museum collection.
On or before 30th November 1817 Charles George Fountaine of Narford Hall in Norfolk was born to Andrew Fountaine [aged 47] and Hannah Penrice. He was baptised on 30th November 1817 at the Church of St Mary, Narford [Map]. He married 11th April 1848 Rose Sarah Ravenshaw and had issue.
On or before 7th May 1818 Caroline Fountaine was born to Andrew Fountaine [aged 47] and Hannah Penrice. She was baptised 7th May 1818 at the Church of St Mary, Narford [Map]. She married 28th December 1842 John Bennet Lawes 1st Baronet and had issue.
On or before 11th February 1853 Caroline Fountaine was born to Andrew Fountaine [aged 44] and Caroline Berney. She was baptised 11th February 1853 at the Church of St Mary, Narford [Map].
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
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On 25th May 1879 Vice Admiral Charles Andrew Fountaine was born to Algernon Charles Fountaine [aged 27] at Narford Hall and Mary Fountaine [aged 31]. He was baptised 3rd August 1879 at the Church of St Mary, Narford [Map]. He married 7th March 1918 Louisa Constance Catherine Maclean and had issue.
After 14th September 1997. Church of St Mary, Narford [Map]. Grave of Andrew Douglas Algernon Fountaine [deceased] and Rosemary Mitcham [aged 65].
Rosemary Mitcham: On 3rd October 1931 she was born. Before 14th September 1997 Andrew Douglas Algernon Fountaine and she were married. On 25th October 2013 she died.
On 17th November 2005 Charles Andrew Fountaine [aged 52] died. He was buried in the Churchyard of the Church of St Mary, Narford [Map].
Charles Andrew Fountaine: On 7th November 1953 he was born to John Brigg Charles Fountaine. Probably. Likely since Andrew Douglas Algernon Fountaine appears to have died without issue so Charles Andrew Fountaine.
On 2nd April 2006 John Brigg Charles Fountaine [aged 83] died. He was buried in the Churchyard of the Church of St Mary, Narford [Map].
John Brigg Charles Fountaine: On 15th November 1922 he was born to Vice Admiral Charles Andrew Fountaine and Louisa Constance Catherine Maclean at Narford Hall. On 14th September 1997 Andrew Douglas Algernon Fountaine died of cancer possibly at Swaffham Hospital otherwise at Narford Hall without issue. His brother John Brigg Charles Fountaine inherited Narford Hall.