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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Paternal Family Tree: Lyttelton
In or before 1505 [his father] Richard Littleton (age 52) and [his mother] Alice Winnesbury (age 52) were married.
In 1505 Edward Littleton was born to [his father] Richard Littleton (age 53) and [his mother] Alice Winnesbury (age 53).
On 18th May 1516 [his father] Richard Littleton (age 64) died.
by 1522 Edward Littleton (age 17) was appointed Gentleman Usher. Around the same time he was appointed Constable of Stafford Castle.
Before 1523 Edward Littleton (age 17) and Helen Swynnerton were married.
Around 1523 [his son] Edward Littleton of Pillaton Hall was born to Edward Littleton (age 18) and [his wife] Helen Swynnerton at Pillaton Hall. He married in or before 1548 Alice Cockayne and had issue.
In 1523 Edward Littleton (age 18) was appointed High Sheriff of Staffordshire.
In 1529 [his mother] Alice Winnesbury (age 77) died. Her son Edward Littleton (age 24) inherited Pillaton Hall.
Around July 1529 Edward Littleton (age 24) was elected Knight of the Shire Staffordshire. His senior colleague was his neighbour John Giffard (age 63).
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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Before April 1533 Edward Littleton (age 28) and Isabel Wood were married.
In 1536 Edward Littleton (age 31) was elected Knight of the Shire Staffordshire.
In 1537 [his daughter] Constance Littleton was born to Edward Littleton (age 32). Mother unclear. Either [his wife] Helen Swynnerton or [his wife] Isabel Wood. The latter more likely since her marriage took place before Apr 1533. She married James Foljambe and had issue.
In 1539 Edward Littleton (age 34) was appointed High Sheriff of Staffordshire.
On 9th May 1546 George Blagge (age 34) was induced to deny the efficacy of the Mass, by trickery he alleged, while walking home after church. He was immediately summoned by Thomas Wriothesley (age 40), the Lord Chancellor, and sent to Newgate Prison [Map]. At his trial at the Guildhall [Map], the main witnesses for the prosecution were Littleton (age 41) and Sir Hugh Calverley (age 42), MP for Cheshire. On their evidence, Blagge was sentenced to be burned for heresy the following Wednesday. Fortunately for him, the Lord Privy Seal, John Russell (age 61), appealed on his behalf to the king (age 54), who had not heard of the proceedings to that point. Henry immediately pardoned Blagge and ordered Wriothesley to release him.
In or before 1548 [his son] Edward Littleton of Pillaton Hall (age 24) and [his daughter-in-law] Alice Cockayne (age 12) were married.
Around April 1554 Edward Littleton (age 49) was elected Knight of the Shire Staffordshire.
In 1555 Edward Littleton (age 50) was elected Knight of the Shire Staffordshire.
Around 1558. St Michael's Church, Penkridge [Map]. Monument to Edward Littleton (age 53) and his two wives [his wife] Helen Swynnerton and [his wife] Isabel Wood. His first wife Helen Swynnerton on his right with the simpler English gabled hood, his second wife on his wife with the later, more complex, French Hood. Armorials of Littleton, Wood and Swynnerton families. Sculpted by Richard and Gabriel Royley of Burton-upon-Trent.
Helen Swynnerton: she was born to Humphrey Swynnerton of Swynnerton. Before 1523 Edward Littleton and she were married.
Isabel Wood: Before April 1533 Edward Littleton and she were married.
On 20th October 1558 Edward Littleton (age 53) died.
Great x 2 Grandfather: Guy de Westcote
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Westcote aka Lyttelton
GrandFather: Thomas Westcote
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Lyttelton III
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Lyttelton IV
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Lyttelton
Father: Richard Littleton
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Burley
Great x 3 Grandfather: Roger Burley
Great x 4 Grandmother: Amice Pembridge
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Burley
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Burley
GrandMother: Joan Burley
GrandFather: William Winnesbury
Mother: Alice Winnesbury