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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Before 18th January 1803 [his father] Francis Grant Laird of Kilgraston and [his mother] Anne Oliphant of Rossie [aged 37] were married.
On 18th January 1803 Francis Grant was born to Francis Grant Laird of Kilgraston and Anne Oliphant of Rossie [aged 37].
In 1819 [his father] Francis Grant Laird of Kilgraston died.
On 6th November 1837 [his mother] Anne Oliphant of Rossie [aged 72] died.
1839 Francis Grant [aged 35]. Portrait of Katherine Isabella Manners [aged 29].
Katherine Isabella Manners: On 4th April 1809 she was born to John Henry Manners 5th Duke Rutland and Elizabeth Howard Duchess Rutland. On 1st December 1830 Frederick Hervey 2nd Marquess of Bristol and she were married. She the daughter of John Henry Manners 5th Duke Rutland and Elizabeth Howard Duchess Rutland. He the son of Frederick William Hervey 1st Marquess of Bristol and Elizabeth Albana Upton. They were sixth cousins. On 20th April 1848 Katherine Isabella Manners died of smallpox at 47 Eaton Place, Kensington.
1839 Francis Grant [aged 35]. Portrait of Edward Herbert 2nd Earl Powis [aged 53].
Around 1840 Francis Grant [aged 36]. Portrait of Henry St John-Mildmay 5th Baronet [aged 30].
Henry St John-Mildmay 5th Baronet: In 1810 he was born to Henry St John-Mildmay 4th Baronet and Charlotte Bouverie. His mother died in childbirth. On 17th January 1848 Henry St John-Mildmay 4th Baronet shot himself. His reason for committing suicide believed to be financial difficulties. His son Henry succeeded 5th Baronet St John-Mildmay of Farley in Southampton. In 1851 Henry St John-Mildmay 5th Baronet and Helena Shaw Lefevre Lady St John-Mildmay were married. She by marriage Lady St John-Mildmay of Farley in Southampton. On 16th July 1902 Henry St John-Mildmay 5th Baronet died. His son Henry succeeded 6th Baronet St John-Mildmay of Farley in Southampton.
1841 Francis Grant [aged 37]. Portrait of James Brudenell 7th Earl Cardigan [aged 43].
1841 Francis Grant [aged 37]. Portrait of Marianne Margaret Compton [aged 23].
1844 Francis Grant [aged 40]. Portrait of Edward Herbert 2nd Earl Powis [aged 58].
1845 Francis Grant [aged 41]. Self portrait.
1845 Francis Grant [aged 41]. Portrait of Edward Herbert 2nd Earl Powis [aged 59].
Annals of Kings Richard II and Henry IV 1393-1406
The Annals of Kings Richard II and Henry IV offers a vivid contemporary account of one of the most turbulent periods in late medieval England. Covering the reigns of Richard II and Henry IV, the chronicle records royal ceremonies, political conflict, rebellion, war, taxation, religious controversy, executions, popular unrest and remarkable portents. Its pages include a detailed description of Richard II’s coronation, the fall and deposition of the king, Henry IV’s seizure of the throne, the Percy rebellion, the execution of Archbishop Richard Scrope, the campaigns of Owain Glyndŵr, and England’s relations with Scotland, France, Portugal and Scandinavia. Alongside affairs of state, the annalist preserves reports of miracles, eclipses, prophecies, supernatural events and the experiences of ordinary townspeople, clergy, soldiers and travellers. Written from a monastic perspective, the work combines political observation with moral judgement, presenting victories and disasters as evidence of divine favour or punishment. At once a historical record and a reflection of medieval belief, the Annals provides an invaluable window into the challenges, ceremonies and conflicts of England at the turn of the fifteenth century.
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1845 Francis Grant [aged 41]. Portrait of Edward Herbert 2nd Earl Powis [aged 59].
1845 Francis Grant [aged 41]. Portrait of Edward Herbert 3rd Earl Powis [aged 26].
Edward Herbert 3rd Earl Powis: On 5th November 1818 he was born to Edward Herbert 2nd Earl Powis and Lucy Graham Countess Powis at The Angel Hotel, Pershore. On 17th January 1848 Edward Herbert 2nd Earl Powis died. He had been shot accidentally in the thigh ten days before by his son George Herbert during a pheasant shoot at Powis Castle [Map]. He died His son Edward succeeded 3rd Earl Powis. On 7th May 1891 Edward Herbert 3rd Earl Powis died unmarried at 45 Berkeley Square, Mayfair. He was buried in St Mary's Church, Welshpool. His nephew George succeeded 4th Earl Powis. Violet Ida Evelyn Lane-Fox Countess Powis by marriage Countess Powis.
1845 Francis Grant [aged 41]. Portrait of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom [aged 25].
1845 Francis Grant [aged 41]. Portrait of Jane Lawley [aged 24].
Jane Lawley: On 5th December 1820 she was born to Paul Thompson 1st Baron Wenlock and Caroline Griffin Baroness Wenlock in York [Map]. In 1846 James Archibald Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie and she were married. On 4th December 1900 Jane Lawley died at Ripley House, Ripley, Surrey.
1845 Francis Grant [aged 41]. Portrait of Arabella Fermor Lady Hesketh [aged 16].
1851 Francis Grant [aged 47]. Portrait of John Hume Egerton [aged 38].
John Hume Egerton: On 15th October 1812 he was born to John Cust 1st Earl Brownlow and Amelia Sophia Hume. In 1841 John Hume Egerton and Marianne Margaret Compton were married. She the daughter of Spencer Compton 2nd Marquess Northampton and Margaret Douglas-Maclean-Clephane Marchioness Northampton. He the son of John Cust 1st Earl Brownlow and Amelia Sophia Hume. On 3rd January 1851 John Hume Egerton died.
1853 Francis Grant [aged 49]. Portrait of John Russell 1st Earl Russell [aged 60].
Around 1856. Francis Grant [aged 52]. Portrait of George Charles Bingham 3rd Earl Lucan [aged 55].
1856 Francis Grant [aged 52]. Portrait of Lieutenant General George Pollock [aged 69].
1857 Francis Grant [aged 53]. Portrait of John William Spencer Brownlow Egerton-Cust 2nd Earl Brownlow [aged 14].
John William Spencer Brownlow Egerton-Cust 2nd Earl Brownlow: On 28th March 1842 he was born to John Hume Egerton and Marianne Margaret Compton at Carlton Gardens. On 15th September 1853 John Cust 1st Earl Brownlow died. His grandson John succeeded 2nd Earl Brownlow, 2nd Viscount Alford, 3rd Baron Brownlow of Belton in Lincolnshire, 6th Baronet Cust of Stamford in Lincolnshire, and inherited Belton House [Map]. On 20th February 1867 John William Spencer Brownlow Egerton-Cust 2nd Earl Brownlow died in Mentone Italy. His brother Adelbert succeeded 3rd Earl Brownlow, 3rd Viscount Alford, 4th Baron Brownlow of Belton in Lincolnshire, 7th Baronet Cust of Stamford in Lincolnshire, and inherited Belton House [Map]. On 2nd March 1867 John William Spencer Brownlow Egerton-Cust 2nd Earl Brownlow was buried in St Peter and St Paul Church, Belton [Map].
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.
Before 1860. Francis Grant [aged 56]. Portrait of Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [aged 54].
1860 Francis Grant [aged 56]. Portrait of Louisa Anne Stuart Marchioness Waterford [aged 41].
1863 Francis Grant [aged 59]. Portrait of Percy Egerton Herbert [aged 40].
Percy Egerton Herbert: On 15th April 1822 he was born to Edward Herbert 2nd Earl Powis and Lucy Graham Countess Powis at Powis Castle [Map]. On 4th October 1860 Percy Egerton Herbert and Mary Caroline Louisa Petty Fitzmaurice were married. He the son of Edward Herbert 2nd Earl Powis and Lucy Graham Countess Powis. They were fourth cousin twice removed. He a great x 5 grandson of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland. On 7th October 1876 Percy Egerton Herbert died at The Styche, Market Drayton.
1865 Francis Grant [aged 61]. Portrait of William Molyneux 4th Earl Sefton [aged 29].
1867 Francis Grant [aged 63]. Portrait of Emily Charlotte Wood [aged 27].
Emily Charlotte Wood: In 1840 she was born to Charles Wood 1st Viscount Halifax and Mary Grey Viscountess Halifax. On 21st December 1904 Emily Charlotte Wood died.
Before 5th October 1878 Francis Grant [aged 75]. Portrait of Prince Albert Saxe Coburg Gotha.
Before 5th October 1878 Francis Grant [aged 75]. Portrait of Anthony Ashley-Cooper 7th Earl Shaftesbury [aged 77].
Before 5th October 1878 Francis Grant [aged 75]. Portrait of Algernon Percy 4th Duke Northumberland.
Before 5th October 1878 Francis Grant [aged 75]. Portrait of Susan Harriet Catherine Hamilton Duchess Newcastle under Lyne [aged 64].
Susan Harriet Catherine Hamilton Duchess Newcastle under Lyne: On 9th June 1814 she was born to Alexander Hamilton 10th Duke Hamilton 7th Duke Brandon and Susanna Euphemia Beckford Duchess Hamilton Duchess Brandon. On 27th November 1832 Henry Pelham-Clinton 5th Duke Newcastle-under-Lyne and she were married. She the daughter of Alexander Hamilton 10th Duke Hamilton 7th Duke Brandon and Susanna Euphemia Beckford Duchess Hamilton Duchess Brandon. He the son of Henry Pelham-Clinton 4th Duke Newcastle-under-Lyne and Georgiana Elizabeth Mundy Duchess Newcastle under Lyne. On 28th November 1889 Susan Harriet Catherine Hamilton Duchess Newcastle under Lyne died.
Before 5th October 1878 Francis Grant [aged 75]. Portrait of James Bruce 12th Earl Kincardine.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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Before 5th October 1878 Francis Grant [aged 75]. Portrait of Marianne Margaret Compton [aged 61].
Before 5th October 1878 Francis Grant [aged 75]. Portrait of Lucy Graham Countess Powis.
On 5th October 1878 Francis Grant [aged 75] died.