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.
Paternal Family Tree: Wettin
On 3rd July 1817 [his father] Ernest Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha (age 33) and [his mother] Duchess Louise Dorothea of Saxe Coburg Altenburg (age 16) were married. She by marriage Duchess Saxe Coburg Gotha. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Duke Augustus of Saxe Coburg Altenburg (age 44) and [his grandmother] Louise Charlotte Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He the son of Francis Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha and Augusta Reuss Duchess Saxe Coburg Gotha (age 60). They were second cousin once removed.
On 21st June 1818 Ernest Saxe Coburg Gotha II Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha was born to [his father] Ernest Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha (age 34) and [his mother] Duchess Louise Dorothea of Saxe Coburg Altenburg (age 17).
On 30th August 1831 [his mother] Duchess Louise Dorothea of Saxe Coburg Altenburg (age 30) died at Paris [Map].
On 23rd December 1832 [his father] Ernest Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha (age 48) and [his step-mother] Marie Württemberg Duchess Saxe Coburg Gotha (age 33) were married. She by marriage Duchess Saxe Coburg Gotha. She the daughter of Alexander Württemberg Duke Württemberg (age 61) and [his aunt] Antoinette Ernestine Amalie Saxe Coburg Gotha Duchess Württemberg. He the son of [his grandfather] Francis Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha and [his grandmother] Augusta Reuss Duchess Saxe Coburg Gotha. They were uncle and niece.
On 16th July 1838 [his father] Ernest Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha (age 54) was appointed 682nd Knight of the Garter by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (age 19).
11th February 1840. Tuesday. Supplement to the London Gazette.
St James's Palace [Map]. February 10, 1840.
THIS day the Marriage of the QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY (age 20) with Field Marshal His ROYAL HIGHNESS FRANCIS ALBERT AUGUSTUS CHARLES EMANUEL, DUKE OF SAXE, PRINCE OF SAXE COBOURG AND GOTHA, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter (age 20), was solemnized at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace.
Field Marshal His Royal Highness the Prince Albert, attended by his Suite, proceeded from Buckingham-Palace [Map] this day, about half past eleven o'clock, to St. James's-Palace [Map], in the following order:
The first Carriage,.
Conveying General Sir George Anson, G.C.B. (age 43); George Edward Anson, Esq (age 27); and Francis Seymour, Esq (age 26); the Bridegroom's Gentlemen of Honour.
The second Carriage,.
Conveying the Lord Chamberlain of the Household, the Earl of Uxbridge (age 42) (who afterwards returned to Buckingham-Palace [Map], to attend in Her Majesty's Procession), and the Officers of the Suite of His Serene Highness the Reigning Duke of Saxe Cobourg and Gotha, and the Hereditary Prince of Saxe Cobourg and Gotha, viz. Count Kolowrath (age 62), Baron Alvensleben, and Baron De Lowenfels.
The third Carriage,.
Conveying His Royal Highness the Prince Albert, His Serene Highness the Reigning Duke of Saxe Colourg and Gotha (age 56) (father), and the Hereditary Prince of Saxe Cobourg and Gotha (age 21) (elder brother).
Her Majesty, attended by Her Royal Household, accompanied by Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent (age 53), proceeded, at twelve o'clock, from Buckingham-Palace [Map] to St James's Palace [Map], in the following order:
The first Carriage,
Conveying two Gentlemen Ushers, Charles Heneage, Esq (age 33) and the Honourable Heneage Legge (age 51); Yeoman of the Yeomen of the Guard, Charles Hancock, Esq,; and the Groom of the Robes, Captain Francis Seymour (age 51).
The second Carriage,.
Conveying the Equerry in Waiting, Lord Alfred Paget (age 23); two Pages of Honour, Charles T. Wemyss, Esq and Henry William John Byng (age 8), Esq j and the Groom in Waiting, the Honourable George Keppel.
The third Carriage,.
Conveying the Clerk Marshal, Colonel the Honourable H. E. G. Cavendish (age 50); the Vice-Chamberlain, the Earl of Belfast, G. C. H. (age 43); and the Comptroller of the Household, the Right Honourable George Stevens Byng (age 33).
The fourth Carriage,.
Conveying the Woman of the Bedchamber in Waiting, Mrs. Brand (age 60); the Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, the Earl of Ilchester (age 52); the Master of the Buck Hounds, Lord Kinaird; and the Treasurer of the Household, the Earl of Surrey (age 48).
The fifth Carriage,.
Conyeying the Maid of Honour in Waiting, the Honourable Caroline Cocks (age 45); the Duchess of Kent's Lady in Waiting, Lady K Howard; the Gold Stick, General Lord Hill, G. C.B., G. C. H.; and the Lord in Waiting, Viscount Torrington (age 27).
The sixth Carriage,.
Conveying the Lady of the Bedchamber in Waiting, the Countess of Sandwich (age 27); the Master of the Horse, the Earl of Albemarle, G. C.H. (age 67); the Lord Steward, the Earl of Erroll, K.T. G.C.H. (age 38); and the Lord Chamberlain, the Earl of Uxbridge.
The seventh Carriage,.
Conveying Her Most Excellent Majesty the QUEEN; Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent; and the Duchess of Sutherland, the Mistress of the Robes to Her Majesty (age 33).
The illustrious Personages, and others composing the Procession, then assembled in the Throneroom, and, having been called over by Garter Principal King of Arms, the Processions, moyed in the following order, to the Chapel Royal:
THE PROCESSION OF THE BRIDEGROOM.
Drums and Trumpets.
Serjeant Trumpeter.
Master of the Ceremonies, Sir Robert Chester, Knt.
Lancaster Herald, George Frederick Beltz, Esq K.H (age 65), York Herald, Charles George Young, Esq (age 44).
The Bridegroom's Gentlemen of Honour, viz. Francis Seymour, Esq Gen. Sir George Anson, G.C B. George Edward Anson, Esq.
Vice-Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household, The Earl of Belfast, G.C.H., Lord Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household, The Earl of Uxbridge.
Continues...
THE QUEEN. Wearing the Collar of the Order of the Garter.
Her Majesty's Train borne by the following twelve unmarried Ladies, viz.
Lady Adelaide Paget (age 20), Lady Caroline Amelia Gordon-Lennox (age 20), Lady Sarah Frederica Caroline Villiers (age 18), Lady Elizabeth Anne Georgiana Dorothea Howard (age 23), Lady Frances Elizabeth Cowper (age 20), Lady Ida Harriet Augusta Hay (age 18), Lady Elizabeth West (age 21), Lady Catherine Lucy Wilhelmina Stanhope, Lady Mary Augusta Frederica Grimston (age 20), Lady Jane Harriet Bouverie (age 20), Lady Eleanora Caroline Paget (age 12), Lady Mary Charlotte Howard (age 18).
Assisted by the Groom of the Robes, Captain Francis Seymour.
Master of the Horse, The Earl of Albemarle, G.C.H., Mistress of the Robes, The Duchess of Sutherland.
Ladies of the Bedchamber, The Marchioness of Normanby (age 41), The Duchess of Bedford (age 56), The Countess of Burlington (age 28), The Countess of Sandwich, The Baroness Portman (age 30), The Dowager Lady Lyttleton (age 52), The Lady Barham (age 25).
Maids of Honour, The Hon. Amelia Murray, The Hon. Harriet Pitt, The Hon. Caroline Cocks, The Hon. Henrietta Anson, The Hon. Matilda Paget, The Hon. Harriet Lister, The Hon. Sarah Mary Cavendish.
Become a Member via our Buy Me a Coffee page to read more.
On 3rd June 1842 Ernest Saxe Coburg Gotha II Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha (age 23) and Princess Alexandrine of Baden (age 21) were married. He the son of Ernest Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha (age 58) and Duchess Louise Dorothea of Saxe Coburg Altenburg. They were fifth cousin once removed. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King George II of Great Britain and Ireland.
In 1844 Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (age 24) appointed Knights of the Garter:
694th. King Louis Philippe I of France (age 70).
695th. Ernest Saxe Coburg Gotha II Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha (age 25).
696th. Thomas de Grey 2nd Earl de Grey (age 62).
697th. James Hamilton 1st Duke of Abercorn (age 32).
698th. Charles Chetwynd-Talbot 2nd Earl Talbot (age 66).
699th. Edward Herbert 2nd Earl Powis (age 58).
Become a Member via our Buy Me a Coffee page to read more.
On 29th January 1844 [his father] Ernest Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha (age 60) died. His son Ernest (age 25) succeeded II Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha. [his wife] Princess Alexandrine of Baden (age 23) by marriage Duchess Saxe Coburg Gotha.
On 24th April 1852 [his father-in-law] Leopold Grand Duke of Baden (age 61) died. His son [his brother-in-law] Louis (age 27) succeeded II Grand Duke of Baden. He suffered from a mental illness during all of his life so his brother Frederick Grand Duke of Baden (age 25) acted a Regent until 1852 when Frederick Grand Duke of Baden also became Grand Duke of Baden.
On 20th September 1856 [his brother-in-law] Frederick Grand Duke of Baden (age 30) and Princess Louise of Prussia (age 17) were married. She the daughter of William I King Prussia (age 59). They were fourth cousins. He a great x 3 grandson of King George II of Great Britain and Ireland.
On 22nd January 1858 [his brother-in-law] Louis II Grand Duke of Baden (age 33) died. His brother Frederick (age 31) succeeded I Grand Duke of Baden.
On 22nd August 1893 Ernest Saxe Coburg Gotha II Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha (age 75) died.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 20th December 1904 [his former wife] Princess Alexandrine of Baden (age 84) died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 23 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 23 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 29 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 24 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 22 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 15 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 22 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 29 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 17 Grand Son of Philip V King France I King Navarre
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 27 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ernest "The Pious" Saxe Gotha I Duke Saxe Gotha 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Ernest Saxe Coburg Saalfeld IV Duke Saxe Coburg Saalfeld 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elisabeth Sophie Saxe Altenburg Duchess Saxe Gotha 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Francis Josias Saxe Coburg Saalfeld Duke Saxe Coburg Saalfeld 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Charlotte Johanna Waldeck Wildungen Duchess Saxe Coburg Saalfeld
Great x 1 Grandfather: Ernest Frederick Saxe Coburg Saalfeld Duke Saxe Coburg Saalfeld 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Prince Louis Frederick I of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Great x 2 Grandmother: Duchess Anna Sophie Of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Frederick Saxe Coburg Altenburg I Duke Saxe Gotha Altenburg 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anna Sophie Saxe Coburg Altenburg 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Duchess Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe Gotha Altenburg 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
GrandFather: Francis Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Augustus II Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Ferdinand Albert I Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Ferdinand Albert II Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 14 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Sophia Antonia Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Duchess Saxe Coburg Saalfeld 15 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Anthony Ulrich Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Louis Rudolph 14 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Princess Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 15 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Father: Ernest Saxe Coburg Gotha I Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Heinrich XXIV Count Reuss of Ebersdorf
GrandMother: Augusta Reuss Duchess Saxe Coburg Gotha 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Albert Count of Erbach-Schönberg
Great x 3 Grandfather: George Albert II Count of Erbach-Fürstenau
Great x 2 Grandfather: George August Count of Erbach Schonberg
Great x 1 Grandmother: Karoline Ernestine of Erbach Schonberg 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Louis Christian Count of Stolberg Gedern
Great x 2 Grandmother: Ferdinande Henriette Countess of Stolberg Gedern 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Duke Gustav Adolph of Mecklenburg-Güstrow 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Christine of Mecklenburg Güstrow 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Magdalena Sibylla of Holstein Gottorp 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Ernest Saxe Coburg Gotha II Duke Saxe Coburg Gotha 15 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Frederick Saxe Coburg Altenburg I Duke Saxe Gotha Altenburg 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Frederick Saxe Coburg Altenburg II Duke Saxe Gotha Altenburg 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Duchess Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe Gotha Altenburg 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Duke Frederick III of Saxe Coburg Altenburg III 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Magdalena Augusta Anhalt-Zerbst Duchess Saxe Gotha Altenburg
Great x 1 Grandfather: Duke Ernest of Saxe Coburg Altenburg 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Bernhard I Duke of Saxe Meiningen
Great x 3 Grandfather: Ernst Ludwig I Duke of Saxe Meiningen
Great x 2 Grandmother: Luise Dorothea Saxe Meiningen Duchess Saxe Gotha Altenburg
GrandFather: Duke Augustus of Saxe Coburg Altenburg 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Bernhard I Duke of Saxe Meiningen
Great x 2 Grandfather: Anton Ulrich Duke of Saxe Meiningen
Great x 1 Grandmother: Charlotte Saxe Meiningen Duchess Saxe Gotha Altenburg
Mother: Duchess Louise Dorothea of Saxe Coburg Altenburg 14 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Frederick I Duke of Mecklenburg Grabow 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Christian Ludwig II Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 14 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 15 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Grand Duke Frederick Francis I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Ernest Saxe Coburg Saalfeld IV Duke Saxe Coburg Saalfeld 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Francis Josias Saxe Coburg Saalfeld Duke Saxe Coburg Saalfeld 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Charlotte Johanna Waldeck Wildungen Duchess Saxe Coburg Saalfeld
Great x 2 Grandmother: Charlotte Sophie Saxe Coburg Saalfeld 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Prince Louis Frederick I of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Great x 3 Grandmother: Duchess Anna Sophie Of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anna Sophie Saxe Coburg Altenburg 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
GrandMother: Louise Charlotte Mecklenburg-Schwerin 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Frederick Saxe Coburg Altenburg I Duke Saxe Gotha Altenburg 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Frederick Saxe Coburg Altenburg II Duke Saxe Gotha Altenburg 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Duchess Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe Gotha Altenburg 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Johann August Saxe Coburg Altenburg 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Magdalena Augusta Anhalt-Zerbst Duchess Saxe Gotha Altenburg
Great x 1 Grandmother: Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England