This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
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On 1st May 1874 Romaine Brooks aka Goddard was born.
1894. Unknown Photographer. Photograph of Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 19].
1894. Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 19]. "Peter (A Young English Girl)".
On 3rd June 1903 John Ellingham Brooks [aged 40] and Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 29] were married in Capri, Italy [Map].
In 1905, after leaving her husband John Ellingham Brooks [aged 42] with a generous annuity, Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 30] cut her hair, donned men's clothes and returned to Paris, where she began painting the portraits for which she became renowned.
1907. Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 32]. "The Black Cap".
1908-1910. Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 33]. "Madame Errázuriz".
1910. Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 35]. "Azalées Blanches" aka "White Azaleas".
1910 to 1913. Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 35]. "Spring" aka "La Primavera". Model believed to be Ida Rubinstein [aged 26].
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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Around 1910. Photograph of Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 35].
In 1911 Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 36] began a relationship with Ida Rubinstein [aged 27].
1914. Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 39]. "La France Croisée" i.e. "The Cross of France".
1917. Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 42]. Portrait of Ida Rubinstein [aged 33].
1917. Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 42]. "At the Seaside". Self-Portrait.
1917. Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 42]. Self-Portrait.
1920. Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 45]. "Renata Borgatti at the Piano".
1924. Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 49]. "La Baronne Emile D'Erlanger".
1924. Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 49]. "Una, Lady Troubridge [aged 36]".
Margot Taylor aka Una Vincenzo Lady Troubridge: On 8th March 1887 she was born to Harry Ashworth Taylor and Minna Gordon Handcock. On 10th October 1908 Ernest Charles Troubridge and she were married. The difference in their ages was 24 years. On 24th September 1963 she died. She is buried in the Campo Verano Cemetery in Rome, and on her coffin is inscribed "Una Vincenzo Troubridge, the friend of Radclyffe Hall"
On 31st May 1929 [her husband] John Ellingham Brooks [aged 66] died. He was buried at the Protestant Cimitero Acattolico, Capri [Map].
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
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1935. Photograph of Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 60] and Natalie Narney.
On 7th December 1970 Romaine Brooks aka Goddard [aged 96] died. She is buried at the Cimetière Caucade, Nice.