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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Archbishop is in Lords Spiritual.
Pierre Foix Archbishop Arles was appointed Archbishop Arles.
In 1137 Archbishop Geoffrey of Loroux was appointed Archbishop of Bordeaux.
Archbishop Hugh Blois was appointed Archbishop of Bourges.
In 1245 Archbishop Philip of Savoy (age 38) was elected Archbishop of Lyons.
In December 1308 Thomas Savoy Archbishop of Lyons was appointed Archbishop of Lyons.
On 13th July 1365 Charles Valois Archbishop of Lyons (age 28) was appointed Archbishop of Lyons.
On 6th June 1444 Charles Bourbon Archbishop of Lyons (age 10) was appointed Archbishop of Lyons.
On 17th December 954 William Saxon Ottonian Archbishop of Mainz (age 25) was appointed Archbishop of Mainz.
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 1371 John Luxemburg Archbishop of Mainz was appointed Archbishop of Mainz.
Charles Carolingian Archbishop of Mainz was appointed Archbishop of Mainz.
In 1055 Gervais Chateau Du Loir Archbishop of Reims (age 48) was appointed Archbishop of Reims.
In 1140 Samson Mauvoison Archbishop of Reims was appointed Archbishop of Reims.
In 1161 Henry Capet Archbishop of Reims (age 40) was appointed Archbishop of Reims.
In 1176 Cardinal William "White Hands" Blois (age 41) was appointed Archbishop of Reims.
In 1227 Henry Capet Archbishop of Reims (age 34) was appointed Archbishop of Reims.
On 2nd January 1414 Cardinal Regnault de Chartres (age 34) was elected Archbishop of Reims taking office on 16th July 1429, the day before he crowned Charles "Victorious" VII King France (age 10) King of France.
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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Adalberon Ardennes Archbishop of Reims was appointed Archbishop of Reims.
Hugh Vermandois Archbishop of Reims was appointed Archbishop of Reims.
Around 989 Robert Normandy Archbishop of Rouen (age 1) was appointed Archbishop of Rouen.
Around 1037 Mauger Normandy Archbishop of Rouen (age 18) was appointed Archbishop of Rouen.
In 1067 Archbishop John of Avranches was appointed Archbishop of Rouen.
On 17th November 1184 Archbishop Walter de Coutances was translated to Archbishop of Rouen.
In 1435 Louis of Luxembourg fled to English held Rouen, France [Map] when the French recovered Paris. He was appointed Archbishop of Rouen. His niece Jacquetta of Luxemburg Duchess Bedford (age 20) married the English regent John Lancaster 1st Duke Bedford (age 45).
Rotrou Newburgh Archbishop of Rouen was appointed Archbishop of Rouen.
Cardinal Charles Bourbon Conti was appointed Archbishop of Rouen.
In 1142 Hugh Toucy Archbishop of Sens was appointed Archbishop of Sens.
Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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Louis Bourbon Archbishop of Sens was appointed Archbishop of Sens.