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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Around 1580, possibly around 1595, George Geldorp was born.
Around 1622. George Geldorp [aged 42]. Possibly a portrait of Frances Howard Countess Essex and Somerset [aged 31].
1625. George Geldorp [aged 45]. Portrait of Elizabeth Bassett [aged 33], later Countess of Newcastle upon Tyne.
1625. George Geldorp [aged 45]. Portrait of Edward Villiers [aged 40].
Edward Villiers: Around 1585 he was born to George Villiers of Brokesby and Audrey Saunders. Around 1612 Edward Villiers and Barbara St John were married. Before 1625 Baggrave Hall was sold to Edward Villiers. On 7th September 1626 Edward Villiers died.
1626. George Geldorp [aged 46]. Portrait of William Cecil 2nd Earl Salisbury [aged 34].
1627. George Geldorp [aged 47]. Portrait of Martha Cockayne Countess Holderness [aged 22].
Martha Cockayne Countess Holderness: In 1605 she was born to William Cockayne and Mary Morris Countess Dover. Around 1624 John Ramsay 1st Earl Holderness and she were married. She by marriage Countess Holderness. The difference in their ages was 25 years. She the daughter of William Cockayne and Mary Morris Countess Dover. On 18th April 1627 Montagu Bertie 2nd Earl Lindsey and she were married. She the daughter of William Cockayne and Mary Morris Countess Dover. He the son of Robert Bertie 1st Earl Lindsey and Elizabeth Montagu Countess Lindsey. In July 1641 Martha Cockayne Countess Holderness died.
Before 1640. George Geldorp [aged 59]. Portrait of Dutton Gerard 3rd Baron Gerard [aged 26].
1641. George Geldorp [aged 61]. Portrait of Arthur Ingram [aged 76].
On 16th November 1665 George Geldorp [aged 85] died.