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 Lyme Regis

MP Lyme Regis is in Member Parliament.

In 1563 Francis Walsingham (age 31) was elected MP Lyme Regis.

In 1601 Nicholas Carew (age 34) was elected MP Lyme Regis.

In 1661 John Shaw 1st Baronet (age 46) was elected MP Lyme Regis.

Before 28th May 1757 Francis Fane (age 59) was elected MP Lyme Regis.

On 13th June 1757 Henry Fane (age 53) was elected MP Lyme Regis.

In 1761 Henry Fane (age 57) was elected MP Lyme Regis.

In 1768 Henry Fane (age 64) was elected MP Lyme Regis.

Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough

A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'

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In 1774 Henry Fane (age 70) was elected MP Lyme Regis.

On 11th June 1777 Francis Fane (age 24) was elected MP Lyme Regis.

In 1802 General Henry Fane (age 23) was elected MP Lyme Regis which seat he held until 1816.

In 1829 General Henry Fane (age 50) was elected MP Lyme Regis which seat he held until 1830.

In 1847 Thomas Neville Abdy 1st Baronet (age 36) was elected MP Lyme Regis which seat he held until 1852.