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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MP Dorchester is in Member Parliament.
In 1559 John Leweston (age 53) was elected MP Dorchester.
In 1572 John Leweston (age 66) was elected MP Dorchester.
In 1584 Thomas Freke (age 20) was elected MP Dorchester.
In 1584 Robert Beale (age 43) was elected MP Dorchester.
In 1586 Robert Beale (age 45) was elected MP Dorchester.
In 1586 Robert Napier (age 44) was elected MP Dorchester which seat he held until 1587.
In 1589 Robert Beale (age 48) was elected MP Dorchester.
In 1601 Henry Brouncker Lord President Munster (age 51) was elected MP Dorchester.
In 1690 Robert Napier 1st Baronet (age 48) was elected MP Dorchester which seat he held for less than a year.
In 1698 Robert Napier 1st Baronet (age 56) was elected MP Dorchester which seat he held until his death in 1700.
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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In 1790 Francis Fane (age 37) was elected MP Dorchester.
In 1796 Francis Fane (age 43) was elected MP Dorchester.
In 1802 Francis Fane (age 49) was elected MP Dorchester.
In 1806 Francis Fane (age 53) was elected MP Dorchester.
In 1812 William à Court 1st Baron Heytesbury (age 32) was elected MP Dorchester.
In 1830 Henry Charles Sturt (age 34) was elected MP Dorchester.