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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On 13th December 1533 King Erix XIV of Sweden was born to [his father] King Gustav I of Sweden [aged 37].
Henry Machyn's Diary. 5th October 1559. [The] v day of October cam to [London by Ald]gatt the prynse of Sweythen [aged 25], and [so to Leadenhall], and done [down] Gracyous-strett [Map] corner in a howse stod [the lord] marques of Northamtun [aged 47] and my lord Ambros Dudley [aged 29] [and other gentlemen and] lades; and my lord of Oxford [aged 43] browth (him) from Col[chester] [Map] and my lord Robart Dudley [aged 27], the master of the quen('s) horse; and trumpettes bloyng in dyvers places; and thay had [a great] nombur of gentyllmen ryd with cheynes a-for them, and after them a ij C [200] of yomen rydyng, and so rydyng over the bryge unto the bysshope of Wynchastur plasse [Map], for [it] was rychely hangyd with ryche cloth of arres, wrought with gold and sylver and sylke, and ther he remanyth.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 12th October 1559. The xij day of October whent by water unto the court the [his father] kyng of Sweythen('s) [aged 63] sune [aged 25], and ys gard, and ther he was honorabull reseyvyd with mony honorabull men at the hall-dore, wher the gard stod in ther ryche cottes, unto the quen('s) chambur, and ther he was reseyvyd of the Quen('s) [aged 26] grace, and after he had grett chere as cold be had.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 19th October 1559. The xix day of October the prynche of Swaythen [aged 25] whent to the court agayn, for my lord Robart Dudley [aged 27] gave ym a grett bankett [banquet].
Henry Machyn's Diary. 1st January 1560. The furst day of January the prynche of Swaythen [aged 26] rod to the cowrt gorgyusle and rychele, and in gard in velvet jerkyns and holbardes in ther handes, and mony gentyll-men gorgyosly with chenes of gold.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 11th April 1560. The xj day of Aprell toke ys jorney from the byshope of Wynchastur('s) plasse the duke of Swaynland [Note. Possibly King Erix XIV of Sweden [aged 26] but he has been previously referred to a Prince, or Duke Adolph Oldenburg of Holstein-Gotorp [aged 34] who arrived on 29 Mar 1560], the wyche he kept the nobulle howse that ever dyd stranger in England for cher, for he spent more and gayff grett gyftes and reywardes as a ...
On 29th September 1560 [his father] King Gustav I of Sweden [aged 64] died. His son Erix [aged 26] succeeded XIV King Sweden.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 30th August 1561. The xxx day of August tydans cam that the kyng of Sweden [aged 27] was sendyng (blank) of waganns laden with massé bol [lion.]
Henry Machyn's Diary. 15th September 1561. The xv day of September tydynges cam to London [that] the kynge of Sweythland [aged 27] was landyd in the North at ...., and yt be truw as the sayng was then.
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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Henry Machyn's Diary. 3rd October 1561. [The iij day of October came to London to Gracechurch] strett, to the Cross-keys, xviij grett horses [all pyed-coloured] from the kyng of Swaythland [aged 27].
On 26th February 1577 King Erix XIV of Sweden [aged 43] died.