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 Warwickshire is in Member Parliament.
In 1572 George Digby (age 21) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In 1572 William Devereux of Merevale (age 47) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In 1584 George Digby (age 33) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In 1592 Fulk Greville 13th Baron Latimer 5th Baron Willoughby 1st Baron Brooke (age 37) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In 1597 Fulk Greville 13th Baron Latimer 5th Baron Willoughby 1st Baron Brooke (age 42) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In 1601 Fulk Greville 13th Baron Latimer 5th Baron Willoughby 1st Baron Brooke (age 46) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In 1621 Fulk Greville 13th Baron Latimer 5th Baron Willoughby 1st Baron Brooke (age 66) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In 1621 Francis Leigh (age 42) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In 1628 Thomas Leigh 1st Baron Leigh (age 33) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In 1645 John Burgoyne 1st Baronet (age 52) was elected MP Warwickshire in the Long Parliament which seat he held until 1648 when excluded by Pride's Purge.
In 1656 John Burgoyne 2nd Baronet (age 37) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In April 1660 Thomas Archer (age 41) was elected MP Warwickshire during the Convention Parliament.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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In 1661 Henry Newton aka Puckering 3rd Baronet (age 42) was elected MP Warwickshire which seat he held until 1679.
In 1679 Robert Burdett 3rd Baronet (age 38) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In 1690 Andrew Archer (age 30) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In 1699 Algernon Greville (age 22) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In 1705 Andrew Archer (age 45) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In 1710 James Compton 5th Earl of Northampton (age 22) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In 1713 Andrew Archer (age 53) was elected MP Warwickshire.
In 1722 Robert Digby (age 30) was elected MP Warwickshire.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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In 1765 William Throckmorton Bromley (age 39) was appointed MP Warwickshire at a by-election, unopposed