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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St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough is in Edelsborough, Buckinghamshire, Churches in Buckinghamshire.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map] is, apparently, built on top of an artificial mound; the name Edelsborough is derived from the Old English for "Eadwulf's barrow" [Wikipedia] or, arguably, "Eadwulf's burgh" i.e. enclosure. The earliest parts of the church are 13th Century, the tower 14th Century. The church has been redundant since 1975, when the ecclesiastical parish merged with that of Eaton Bray. Today the church is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust, and it is normally open to visitors.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. Tower arch.
Brass of Rector John de Swynstede, died 17th March 1395, in the north aisle at St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. The head scroll reads: "Christ loved usand wshed us from our sins in his own blood." The inscription at his feet reads "Here lies Sir John de Swynstede, formerly Rector of this Church, who died the 17th day of March, in the year of our Lord 1395 on whose soul may God have mercy. Amen."
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. The remains of a brass to John Killingworth, died 1412. The brass was moved from Edlesborough Church to the chapel in Ashridge House, Little Gaddesden.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. The rood screen between the nave and chancel was installed in the 15th century. Seats with misericords.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. The main section of the carved octagonal pulpit and canopy is 15th century. The hour glass stand is 17th century. It was restored in 1867.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. Grave of Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Brugis, wife of Ralph Hutchinson, died 28th September 1636.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. Brass to Henry Brugis, died 15th June 1647, and his wife Francis Pigoot, now lost.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. Grave in the Chancel of Richard, son of John Theed of Horton Hall, died 15th February 1680 aged twelve months.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. Grave in the Chancel of John Theed of Horton Hall, husband of Margaret Pym, died 31st March 1686.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. Grave in the Chancel, and memorial, of Margaret Pym, died 30th March 1701, wife of Thomas Bayley, Principal of New Inn Hall, Oxford University. And also of her first husband John Theed, and their eldest son John Theed of Horton Hall.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. Grave in the Chancel of William Ginger, died 25th May 1738 aged 63 years.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. Stained glass window dedicated to Vicar William Wroth, among others.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. Memorial to Thomas Ginger, died 8th August 1819, aged 49 years and his wife, Priscilla, died 24th November 1853, aged 75.
On 28th March 1824 the tower of St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map] was struck by lightning, setting it on fire. The roof's lead melted, and the molten lead set fire to everything it struck. Villagers fought the fire, which burned for 12 hours until it was extinguished.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. Memorial to John Gray Ginger, died 21st August 1835, aged 30 years.
The wall paintings above the Chancel arch at St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map] are from the Victorian restoratin in 1867 by Daniel Bell.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. Chancel with Altar and East Window. The reredos dates from 1895. The Rose Brass was removed to were moved from Edlesborough Church to the chapel in Ashridge House, Little Gaddesden.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. Stained glass window in the Chancel made in 1901 by Charles Eamer Kempe [aged 63] as indicated by his motif of a wheatsheaf, aka garb, bottom left, which also appears on the Kempe armorial. The window depicts St Peterm Virgin and Child, Sy Nicholas i.e. the Natvitiy, Kings, Bishop William Waynflete, and is dedicated to the Revered Augustus Frederick Birch, who was vicar at the time of the 1867 restoration.
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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1920. Memorial at St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map] to those who fought in the Great War.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. 1935 stained glass window depicting the Nativity dedicated to artist Helen Frazer Rock,1878-1932, who was born in Edelsborough parish, by Margaret Edith Aldrich Rope, 1891-1988.
Rectors and Vicars of St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map].
St Mary the Virgin Church, Edelsborough [Map]. Stained glass window in the south aisle.