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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On 24th July 1832 or 5th August 1832 [her father] Alexander Constantine Ionides (age 21) and [her mother] Euterpe Sgouta (age 16) were married.
On 20th December 1834 Aglaïa Coronio née Ionides was born to [her father] Alexander Constantine Ionides (age 24) and [her mother] Euterpe Sgouta (age 18).
1841. George Frederick Watts (age 23). Portrait of the Ionides Family with [her father] Alexander Constantine Ionides (age 30), his wife [her mother] Euterpe Sgouta (age 24) and their four children including, fouth from left Aglaïa Coronio née Ionides (age 6).
Alexander Constantine Ionides: On 20th August 1810 he was born at Constantinople. On 24th July 1832 or 5th August 1832 he and Euterpe Sgouta were married. On 10th November 1890 he died.
Euterpe Sgouta: On 20th May 1816 she was born. On 11th February 1892 she died.
1854. Dante Gabriel Rossetti (age 25). Portrait of Aglaïa Coronio née Ionides (age 19).
On 1st September 1855 Theodore John Zannis Coronio (age 29) and Aglaïa Coronio née Ionides (age 20) were married.
On 27th May 1856 [her daughter] Calliope 'Opie' Coronio was born to [her husband] Theodore John Zannis Coronio (age 30) and Aglaïa Coronio née Ionides (age 21).
1870. Edward Coley Burne-Jones 1st Baronet (age 36). "The Mill: Girls Dancing to Music by a River". Left to right: Maria Zambaco (age 26), Marie Spartali Stillman (age 25), and Aglaïa Coronio née Ionides (age 35).
1870. Dante Gabriel Rossetti (age 41). Portrait of Aglaïa Coronio née Ionides (age 35).
1874. George Frederick Watts (age 56). Portrait of Aglaïa Coronio née Ionides (age 39).
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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On 10th November 1890 [her father] Alexander Constantine Ionides (age 80) died.
On 11th February 1892 [her mother] Euterpe Sgouta (age 75) died.
On 11th March 1903 [her husband] Theodore John Zannis Coronio (age 77) died.
On 19th August 1906 [her daughter] Calliope 'Opie' Coronio (age 50) died. Her mother committed suicide the following day. They were buried together at the Hellenic Enclosure, West Norwood Cemetery.
On 20th August 1906 Aglaïa Coronio née Ionides (age 71) committed suicide the day after the death of her daughter [her daughter] Calliope 'Opie' Coronio (deceased).