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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Earl De La Warr is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically, Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extant Earldoms of England.
Summary
1761. John West 1st Earl De La Warr [aged 67] created.
16th March 1766. Son John West 2nd Earl De La Warr [aged 36] succeeded.
22nd November 1777. Son William Augustus West 3rd Earl De La Warr [aged 20] succeeded.
1783. Brother John West 4th Earl De La Warr [aged 24] succeeded.
29th July 1795. Son George Sackville-West 5th Earl De La Warr [aged 3] succeeded.
23rd February 1869. Son Charles Sackville-West 6th Earl De La Warr [aged 53] succeeded.
23rd April 1873. Brother Reginald Windsor Sackville 7th Earl De La Warr [aged 56] succeeded.
5th January 1896. Son Gilbert Sackville 8th Earl De La Warr [aged 26] succeeded.
16th December 1915. Son Herbrand Sackville 9th Earl De La Warr [aged 15] succeeded.
28th January 1976. Son William Sackville 10th Earl De La Warr [aged 54] succeeded.
9th February 1988. Son William Sackville 11th Earl De La Warr [aged 39] succeeded.
In 1761 John West 1st Earl De La Warr [aged 67] was created 1st Earl De La Warr, 1st Viscount Cantalupe.
On 16th March 1766 John West 1st Earl De La Warr [aged 72] died. His son John [aged 36] succeeded 2nd Earl De La Warr, 2nd Viscount Cantalupe, 8th Baron De La Warr.
On 22nd November 1777 John West 2nd Earl De La Warr [aged 48] died at Audley Square. On 30th November 1777 he was buried at St Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map]. His son William [aged 20] succeeded 3rd Earl De La Warr, 3rd Viscount Cantalupe, 9th Baron De La Warr.
In 1783 William Augustus West 3rd Earl De La Warr [aged 26] died. His brother John [aged 24] succeeded 4th Earl De La Warr, 4th Viscount Cantalupe, 10th Baron De La Warr.
On 29th July 1795 John West 4th Earl De La Warr [aged 37] died. His son George [aged 3] succeeded 5th Earl De La Warr, 5th Viscount Cantalupe, 11th Baron De La Warr.
On 21st June 1813 George Sackville-West 5th Earl De La Warr [aged 21] and Elizabeth Sackville Countess De La Warr [aged 17] were married. She by marriage Countess De La Warr. She the daughter of John Frederick Sackville 3rd Duke Dorset and Arabella Diana Cope 3rd Duchess Dorset [aged 44]. He the son of John West 4th Earl De La Warr. They were fourth cousin once removed.
On 23rd February 1869 George Sackville-West 5th Earl De La Warr [aged 77] died. His son Charles [aged 53] succeeded 6th Earl De La Warr, 6th Viscount Cantalupe, 12th Baron De La Warr.
On 23rd April 1873 Charles Sackville-West 6th Earl De La Warr [aged 57] committed suicide by drowning himself in the River Cam. His brother Reginald [aged 56] succeeded 7th Earl De La Warr, 7th Viscount Cantalupe, 13th Baron De La Warr. Constance Mary Elizabeth Baillie-Cochrane Countess De La Warr [aged 27] by marriage Countess De La Warr.
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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On 5th January 1896 Reginald Windsor Sackville 7th Earl De La Warr [aged 78] died. His son Gilbert [aged 26] succeeded 8th Earl De La Warr, 8th Viscount Cantalupe, 14th Baron De La Warr 3rd Baron Buckhurst of Buckhurst in Sussex. Muriel Agnes Brassey Countess De La Warr by marriage Countess De La Warr.
On 16th December 1915 Gilbert Sackville 8th Earl De La Warr [aged 46] died. His son Herbrand [aged 15] succeeded 9th Earl De La Warr, 9th Viscount Cantalupe, 15th Baron De La Warr 4th Baron Buckhurst of Buckhurst in Sussex.
On 28th January 1976 Herbrand Sackville 9th Earl De La Warr [aged 75] died. His son William [aged 54] succeeded 10th Earl De La Warr, 10th Viscount Cantalupe, 16th Baron De La Warr 5th Baron Buckhurst of Buckhurst in Sussex.
On 9th February 1988 William Sackville 10th Earl De La Warr [aged 66] died. His son William [aged 39] succeeded 11th Earl De La Warr, 11th Viscount Cantalupe, 17th Baron De La Warr 6th Baron Buckhurst of Buckhurst in Sussex.