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 York is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically, Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extinct Earldoms of England.
Summary
22nd August 1138. William of Blois 1st Earl Albemarle 1st Earl York (age 37) created.
20th August 1179. Hawise Blois 2nd Countess Albemarle and Essex extinct.
After 22nd August 1138 William of Blois 1st Earl Albemarle 1st Earl York (age 37) was created 1st Earl York for his role at the Battle of the Standard; see Chronicle of John Prior of Hexham.
Around 1158 William of Blois 1st Earl Albemarle 1st Earl York (age 57) and Cecily Skipton Countess Aumale and York (age 20) were married. She by marriage Countess Albemarle, Countess York. The difference in their ages was 37 years. He the son of Stephen Blois Count Aumale and Hawise Mortimer Countess Aumale.
On 20th August 1179 William of Blois 1st Earl Albemarle 1st Earl York (age 78) died. His daughter Hawise succeeded 2nd Countess Albemarle. Earl York extinct. The succession of the Earldom of York is somewhat unclear; it may have been created for life only, or for male succession only.