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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Biography of Edward Ligonier 1st Earl Ligonier 1740-1782

In 1740 Edward Ligonier 1st Earl Ligonier was born illegitimately to [his father] Francois Auguste de Ligonier (age 47).

On 25th January 1746 [his father] Francois Auguste de Ligonier (age 53) died.

On 1st May 1762 [his uncle] Jean Louis Ligonier 1st Earl Ligonier (age 81) was created 1st Viscount Ligonier of Clonmell with a remainder to his nephew Edward Ligonier 1st Earl Ligonier (age 22).

On 12th November 1764 Edward Ligonier 1st Earl Ligonier (age 24) was appointed Groom of the Bedchamber to William Henry Hanover 1st Duke Gloucester and Edinburgh (age 20).

On 6th December 1766 Edward Ligonier 1st Earl Ligonier (age 26) and Penelope Pitt Viscountess Ligonier (age 17) were married at the chapel of the British Embassy, Paris.

On 28th April 1770 [his uncle] Jean Louis Ligonier 1st Earl Ligonier (age 89) died unmarried. Earl Ligonier, Viscount Ligonier of Enniskillen and Baron Ligonier extinct. His nephew His nephew Edward (age 30) succeeded Viscount Ligonier of Clonmell and was created Earl Ligonier albeit in the Irish peerage six years later. Penelope Pitt Viscountess Ligonier (age 21) by marriage Countess Ligonier.

On 7th May 1771 Edward Ligonier 1st Earl Ligonier (age 31) duelled at Green Park with Vittorio Amadeo, Count Alfieri, with whom he believed his wife Penelope Pitt Viscountess Ligonier (age 22) was conducting an affair.

On 7th November 1771 Edward Ligonier 1st Earl Ligonier (age 31) and Penelope Pitt Viscountess Ligonier (age 22) were divorced.

On 14th December 1773 Edward Ligonier 1st Earl Ligonier (age 33) and Mary Henley Countess Ligonier (age 20) were married. She the daughter of Robert Henley 1st Earl Northington and Jane Huband.

On 19th July 1776 Edward Ligonier 1st Earl Ligonier (age 36) was created 1st Earl Ligonier. Mary Henley Countess Ligonier (age 23) by marriage Countess Ligonier.

Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.

In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.

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On 14th June 1782 Edward Ligonier 1st Earl Ligonier (age 42) died. Earl Ligonier extinct.

Ancestors of Edward Ligonier 1st Earl Ligonier 1740-1782

GrandFather: Louis de Ligonier

Father: Francois Auguste de Ligonier

Edward Ligonier 1st Earl Ligonier