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 Midleton is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically, Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extinct Earldoms of England.
Summary
1st January 1920. William St John Brodrick 1st Earl of Midleton (age 63) created.
13th February 1942. Son George Brodrick 2nd Earl of Midleton (age 53) succeeded.
2nd November 1979. George Brodrick 2nd Earl of Midleton extinct.
The London Gazette 31712. Central Chancery Of The Orders Of Knighthood. St. James's Palace, S.W., 1st January, 1920
The King has been graciously pleased to signify His Majesty's intention of conferring Peerages of the United Kingdom on the following:
To be an Earl
The Right Honourable Sir William St. John Fremantle Brodrick (age 63), Viscount Midleton, K.P.
To be Barons.
Sir Bertrand Edward Dawson, G.C.V.O., C.B., M.D., F.R.C.P., Physician-in-Ordinary to The King; Physician, London Hospital; Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Member of Senate, University of London; Chairman of Consultative Council, Ministry of Health; Public Services in connection with Health matters.
Sir George Allardice Riddell (age 54), Bart., Vice-Chairman of Newspaper Proprietors' Association, Ltd.; In charge of all the British Press and Colonial Press throughout the Peace Conference in Paris; Public Services.
The Right Honourable Sir Albert Henry Stanley, M.P., late President of the Board of Trade
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On 13th February 1942 William St John Brodrick 1st Earl of Midleton (age 85) died. His son George Brodrick (age 53) succeeded 2nd Earl Midleton, 9th Viscount Midleton of Midleton in Cork, 9th Baron Brodrick of Midleton in Cork, 7th Baron Brodrick of Peper Harrow in Surrey.
On 2nd November 1979 George Brodrick 2nd Earl of Midleton (age 91) died. Earl Midleton extinct. His second cousin Trevor (age 76) succeeded 10th Viscount Midleton of Midleton in Cork, 10th Baron Brodrick of Midleton in Cork, 8th Baron Brodrick of Peper Harrow in Surrey.