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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Paternal Family Tree: Astur Leonese
Ordoño II King Galicia II King Leon and Aragonta González Queen Consort Leon Queen Consort Galicia were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Leon, Queen Consort Galicia. He the son of Alfonso "Great" III King Asturias and Jimena Pamplona Queen Consort Asturias.
Ordoño II King Galicia II King Leon and Elvira Menéndez Queen Consort Leon Queen Consort Galicia were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Leon, Queen Consort Galicia. He the son of Alfonso "Great" III King Asturias and Jimena Pamplona Queen Consort Asturias.
Ordoño II King Galicia II King Leon and Sancha Jiménez Queen Consort Leon Queen Consort Galicia were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Leon, Queen Consort Galicia. She the daughter of Sancho I King Pamplona and Toda Aznárez. He the son of Alfonso "Great" III King Asturias and Jimena Pamplona Queen Consort Asturias.
Around 873 Ordoño II King Galicia II King Leon was born to [his father] Alfonso "Great" III King Asturias (age 25) and [his mother] Jimena Pamplona Queen Consort Asturias.
Around 890 [his son] King Alfonso IV of Leon and IV of Galicia was born to Ordoño II King Galicia II King Leon (age 17) and Elvira Menéndez Queen Consort Leon Queen Consort Galicia. He married Oneca Jiménez Queen Consort Leon Queen Consort Galicia and had issue.
Around 895 [his son] King Sancho of Galicia was born to Ordoño II King Galicia II King Leon (age 22) and Elvira Menéndez Queen Consort Leon Queen Consort Galicia. He married Goto Menéndez Queen Consort Galicia.
Around 900 [his son] Ramiro II King Leon was born to Ordoño II King Galicia II King Leon (age 27) and Elvira Menéndez Queen Consort Leon Queen Consort Galicia. He married (1) Urraca Jiménez Queen Consort Leon (2) Adosinda Gutiérrez Osóriz Queen Consort Leon and had issue.
On 20th December 910 [his father] Alfonso "Great" III King Asturias (age 62) died. His son [his brother] García (age 39) succeeded I King Leon. His son [his brother] Fruela (age 35) succeeded II King Asturias. His son Ordoño (age 37) succeeded II King Galicia.
On 19th January 914 [his brother] García I King Leon (age 43) died. His brother Ordoño (age 41) succeeded II King Leon.
Before 917 [his brother] Fruela II King Asturias II King Leon King Galicia (age 41) and [his sister-in-law] Urraca bint Abd Allah Unknown Queen Consort Asturias Queen Consort Leon Queen Consort Galicia were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Asturias, Queen Consort Leon, Queen Consort Galicia. He the son of [his father] Alfonso "Great" III King Asturias and [his mother] Jimena Pamplona Queen Consort Asturias.
In June 924 Ordoño II King Galicia II King Leon (age 51) died. His brother [his brother] Fruela (age 49) succeeded II King Leon, King Galicia.
[his daughter] Jimena Jiménez was born to Ordoño II King Galicia II King Leon and Elvira Menéndez Queen Consort Leon Queen Consort Galicia.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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[his father] Alfonso "Great" III King Asturias and [his mother] Jimena Pamplona Queen Consort Asturias were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Asturias. He the son of [his grandfather] Ordoño I King Asturias and [his grandmother] Muniadona Unknown Queen Consort Asturias.
GrandFather: Ordoño I King Asturias
Father: Alfonso "Great" III King Asturias
GrandMother: Muniadona Unknown Queen Consort Asturias