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 Otto Welf IV Holy Roman Emperor 1175-1218

Paternal Family Tree: Obertenghi aka Welf

Maternal Family Tree: Dangereuse Ile Bouchard Viscountess Chatellerault 1079-1151

Otto Welf IV Holy Roman Emperor was appointed IV Holy Roman Emperor.

Otto Welf IV Holy Roman Emperor was appointed IV Duke Swabia.

In 1147 [his father] Henry "Lion" Welf XII Duke Saxony III Duke Bavaria [aged 18] and Clementia Zähringen Duchess Saxony Duchess Bavaria were married. They divorceddd in 1162. She the daughter of Conrad Zähringen 1st Duke Zähringen. He the son of [his grandfather] Henry "Proud" Welf X Duke Bavaria and [his grandmother] Gertrude Süpplingenburg Duchess Bavaria.

On 1st February 1168 [his father] Henry "Lion" Welf XII Duke Saxony III Duke Bavaria [aged 39] and [his mother] Matilda Plantagenet Duchess Saxony [aged 12] were married. She by marriage Duchess Bavaria, Duchess Saxony. The difference in their ages was 27 years. She the daughter of [his grandfather] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England [aged 34] and [his grandmother] Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [aged 46]. He the son of Henry "Proud" Welf X Duke Bavaria and Gertrude Süpplingenburg Duchess Bavaria. They were half third cousin twice removed.

Around 1175 Otto Welf IV Holy Roman Emperor was born to [his father] Henry "Lion" Welf XII Duke Saxony III Duke Bavaria [aged 46] and [his mother] Matilda Plantagenet Duchess Saxony [aged 18]. He a grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

In 1189 [his brother-in-law] Geoffrey Chateaudun III Count Perche and [his sister] Matilda Welf Countess Perche [aged 17] were married at Rouen, France [Map]. She by marriage Countess Perche. She the daughter of [his father] Henry "Lion" Welf XII Duke Saxony III Duke Bavaria [aged 60] and [his mother] Matilda Plantagenet Duchess Saxony [aged 32]. He the son of Routrou Chateaudun IV Count Perche [aged 54] and Matilda Blois Countess Perche. They were third cousin once removed. He a great x 2 grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England. She a granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

On 28th June 1189 [his mother] Matilda Plantagenet Duchess Saxony [aged 33] died. She was buried at Brunswick Cathedral [Map].

On 6th August 1195 [his father] Henry "Lion" Welf XII Duke Saxony III Duke Bavaria [aged 66] died at Ravensburg. Otto Wittelsbach I Duke Bavaria succeeded I Duke Bavaria.

In 1204 [his sister] Matilda Welf Countess Perche [aged 32] died.

In 1204 [his brother-in-law] Enguerrand Coucy III Lord Coucy [aged 22] and [his sister] Matilda Welf Countess Perche [aged 32] were married. She by marriage Lord Coucy. She the daughter of [his father] Henry "Lion" Welf XII Duke Saxony III Duke Bavaria and [his mother] Matilda Plantagenet Duchess Saxony. They were half fifth cousins. She a granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

Deeds of King Henry V

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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In 1218 Otto Welf IV Holy Roman Emperor [aged 43] died.