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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In or before 1642 [her father] Edward Onley and [her mother] Mrs Edward Onley were married.
In 1642 Margaret Onley was born to [her father] Edward Onley and [her mother] Mrs Edward Onley.
After 1658. Monument to Henry Vernon (deceased) and Margaret Onley (age 16) at All Saints Church, Sudbury [Map].
Henry Vernon: Henry Vernon and Muriel Vernon were married. They were fourth cousins. In 1615 he was born to Edward Vernon at Houndshill, Staffordshire. In 1658 Henry Vernon died.
Around 1660 George Vernon (age 25) and Margaret Onley (age 18) were married.
Around 1660 John Michael Wright (age 42). Portrait of Margaret Onley (age 18).
Around 1660 John Michael Wright (age 42). Portrait of Margaret Onley (age 18).
1664. Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire [Map] was commissioned around 1664 by [her husband] George Vernon (age 29) and his wife Margaret Onley (age 22). The armorial above the door in the photo below shows the Vernon Arms impaled with the Onley Arms with the date 1664. The initials being a V with a G and M below are probably Vernon, George and Margaret.
In 1675 Margaret Onley (age 33) died.
After 1675 [her former husband] George Vernon (age 40) and Dorothy Shirley (age 20) were married. They were sixth cousins.
In or after 1682 [her former husband] George Vernon (age 47) and Catherine Vernon (age 19) were married. The difference in their ages was 28 years. They were fourth cousin once removed.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 13th July 1702 [her former husband] George Vernon (age 67) died.
[her son] Anna-Catherina Vernon was born to George Vernon and Margaret Onley.
[her son] Matilda Vernon was born to George Vernon and Margaret Onley.