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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Thomas Murray is in Painters.
In 1663 Thomas Murray was born.
Around 1682 Thomas Murray (age 19). Portrait of Edward Russell 1st Earl Orford (age 29) and Captain John Benbow (age 28), and Admiral Ralph Delavall (age 41) .
Vice Admiral John Benbow: On 10th March 1653 he was born. John Evelyn's Diary. 1st June 1696. I went to Deptford, Kent [Map] to dispose of our goods, in order to letting the house for three years to Vice Admiral Benbow, with condition to keep up the garden. This was done soon after. John Evelyn's Diary. 1st January 1703. News of Vice-Admiral Benbow's conflict with the French fleet in the West Indies, in which he gallantly behaved himself, and was wounded, and would have had extraordinary success, had not four of his men-of-war stood spectators without coming to his assistance; for this, two of their commanders were tried by a Council of War, and executed; a third was condemned to perpetual imprisonment, loss of pay, and incapacity to serve in future. The fourth died.
Admiral Ralph Delaval: Around 1641 he was born to William Delaval. In 1673 Admiral Ralph Delaval sold Dissington Hall, Ponteland [Map] to Edward Collingwood of Byker and Dissington. Around 1707 Admiral Ralph Delaval died.
Around 1693 Thomas Murray (age 30). Portrait of Christopher Monck 2nd Duke Albemarle.
Around 1700. Circle of Thomas Murray (age 37). Portrait of Francis North 2nd Baron Guildford (age 26).
From 1702 to 1726 Thomas Murray (age 39) lived at 8 Great Piazza Covent Garden.
Around 1710 Thomas Murray (age 47). Portrait of Thomas Trevor 1st Baron Trevor Bromham (age 51).
In 1717 Thomas Murray (age 54). Portrait of Mary Booth Countess Stamford (age 13).
Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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Before 1735 attributed to Thomas Murray (age 71). Portrait of Charles Townshend 2nd Viscount Townsend (age 60).
Before 1735 Thomas Murray (age 71). Portrait of Francis Leicester 3rd Baronet (age 70).
Francis Leicester 3rd Baronet: OP 1664 he was born to Robert leicester 2nd baronet. In 1684 Robert leicester 2nd baronet died. His son Francis succeeded 3rd Baronet Leicester of Tabley in Cheshire. On 5th August 1742 he died. Baronet Leicester of Tabley in Cheshire extinct. His daughter Meriel Leicester and her husband John Byrne aka Leicester 3rd Baronet inherited his estate worth £10,000 per annum at which time, in compliance with the will, changed their name from Byrne to Leicester,
In 1735 Thomas Murray (age 72) died.