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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River Wensum is in River Yare.
The River Wensum rises at Whissonsett, Norfolk [Map] from where it flows past Raynham, Norfolk [Map], Doughton, Norfolk [Map], Shereford, Norfolk [Map], Fakenham, Norfolk [Map], Pensthorpe, Norfolk [Map], Great Ryburgh, Norfolk [Map], Sennow Park, Norfolk [Map], Guist, Norfolk [Map], North Elmham, Norfolk [Map], Worthing, Norfolk [Map], Swanton Morley, Norfolk [Map], Mill Street, Norfolk [Map], Lyng, Norfolk [Map], Lenwade, Norfolk [Map], Attlebridge, Norfolk [Map], Ringland, Norfolk [Map], Taverham, Norfolk [Map], Drayton, Norfolk [Map], Costessey, Norfolk [Map] after which it is joined by the River Tud at Hellesdon [Map]. From Hellesdon [Map] it flows through the centre or Norwich, Norfolk [Map], past the Cow Tower, Norwich [Map], Carrow Road Stadium [Map] after which it joins the River Yare.
The Black Water, Norfolk rises at Wendling, Norfolk [Map] from where it flows past Bushby Common, Norfolk [Map], Dereham, Norfolk [Map], Gressenhall, Norfolk [Map] to Worthing, Norfolk [Map] after which it joins the River Wensum.
The River Tud rises near Toftwood, Norfolk [Map] from where it flows past Yaxham, Norfolk [Map], Clippings Green, Norfolk [Map], Hockering, Norfolk [Map], Honingham, Norfolk [Map], Easton, Norfolk [Map],Costessey, Norfolk [Map] after which it joins the River Wensum at Hellesdon [Map].
