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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Earl Peterborough

Summary

9th March 1628. 1st. John Mordaunt 1st Earl Peterborough created.

18th June 1642. 2nd. Son Henry Mordaunt 2nd Earl Peterborough [aged 20] succeeded.

19th June 1697. 3rd. Nephew Charles Mordaunt 3rd Earl Peterborough 1st Earl Monmouth [aged 39] succeeded.

25th October 1735. 4th. Grandson Charles Mordaunt 4th Earl Peterborough 2nd Earl Monmouth [aged 27] succeeded.

1st August 1779. 5th. Son Charles Henry Mordaunt 5th Earl Peterborough 3rd Earl Monmouth [aged 21] succeeded.

16th June 1814. 5th. Charles Henry Mordaunt 5th Earl Peterborough 3rd Earl Monmouth extinct.

On 18th June 1642 John Mordaunt 1st Earl Peterborough died. His son Henry [aged 20] succeeded 2nd Earl Peterborough, 6th Baron Mordaunt.

On 19th June 1697 Henry Mordaunt 2nd Earl Peterborough [aged 75] died. His nephew Charles [aged 39] succeeded 3rd Earl Peterborough. His daughter Mary [aged 38] succeeded 7th Baroness Mordaunt. Carey Fraser Countess Peterborough and Monmouth [aged 37] by marriage Countess Peterborough.

Before 1735 Charles Mordaunt 4th Earl Peterborough 2nd Earl Monmouth [aged 26] and Mary Cox Countess Peterborough and Monmouth were married. She by marriage Countess Peterborough, Countess Monmouth.

In 1755 Charles Mordaunt 4th Earl Peterborough 2nd Earl Monmouth [aged 47] and Robiana Brown were married. She by marriage Countess Peterborough, Countess Monmouth.