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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Long Ashton, Somerset is in Somerset.
On 12th April 1627 Thomas Smyth (age 17) and Florence Poulett (age 17) were married at Ashton Court, Somerset.
Church of All Saints, Long Ashton is also in Churches in Somerset.
Church of All Saints, Long Ashton [Map]. Monument to Sir Richard Choke and Lady Margaret Choke. Long Ashton, Somerset. He was a Justice of the Common Pleas from 1461.
Before 5th September 1598, the date she was baptised at the Church of All Saints, Long Ashton [Map], Helena Smyth was born to Hugh Smyth (age 23) and Elizabeth Gorges (age 20). She was named after her maternal grandmother Helena Snakenbourg Marchioness Northampton (age 49).
Before6th September 1601, the date she was baptised at the Church of All Saints, Long Ashton [Map], Frances Smyth was born to Hugh Smyth (age 26) and Elizabeth Gorges (age 23).
Before 17th July 1609, the date he was baptised at the Church of All Saints, Long Ashton [Map], Thomas Smyth was born to Hugh Smyth (age 34) and Elizabeth Gorges (age 31). He married 12th April 1627 Florence Poulett, daughter of John Paulett 1st Baron Paulett and Elizabeth Ken Baroness Poulett, and had issue.
Before 9th October 1634, the date she was baptised at the Church of All Saints, Long Ashton [Map], Florence Smyth aka Smith was born to Thomas Smyth (age 25) and Florence Poulett (age 24). She married 27th June 1653 Humphrey Hooke.
Before 31st October 1642 Thomas Smyth (age 33) died of smallpox. His body was buried in the Chancel of the Church of All Saints, Long Ashton [Map].
On 27th June 1653 Humphrey Hooke (age 23) and Florence Smyth aka Smith (age 18) were married at the Church of All Saints, Long Ashton [Map], or possibly, Ashton Court, Somerset.
Before 19th February 1677, the date her will was proved, Florence Poulett (age 67) died. She was buried at the Church of All Saints, Long Ashton [Map].
Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.
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On 26th July 1680 Hugh Smyth 1st Baronet (age 48) died. He was buried at the Church of All Saints, Long Ashton [Map]. His son John (age 20) succeeded 2nd Baronet Smyth of Ashton Court in Somerset.