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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Durham Cathedral

Robert Kiddey 1900-1984

See Sculptors.

In 1900 Robert Kiddey died at Hawtonville Hospital in Newark on Trent, Nottinghamshire [Map].

In 1914 Robert Kiddey enrolled at the Nottingham School of Art on Waverley Street.

Around 1916 Robert Kiddey saw active service in the First World War as a private in the Notts & Derbys Regiment of Foot.

In 1929 Robert Kiddey exhibited his carved panel called: "The Divine Tragedy" (a study of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ) - at the Royal Academy's annual exhibition in London.

1930. Durham Cathedral [Map]. Memorial to unknown person sculpted by Robert Kiddey.

In 1931 Robert Kiddey moved to Newark on Trent, Nottinghamshire [Map] to take up a teaching post at the newly opened Newark Technical College. He was to remain on the staff of the art department for nearly 50 years.

After 1931 Robert Kiddey set up his studio in a number of places around the town on the wharf, in the market place, and latterly in a former infant school at 5a King Street.

In 1934 Robert Kiddey his carved panel called: "The Divine Tragedy" (a study of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ) was exhibited at the Salon des Beaux Arts in Paris.