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: Howard
Maternal Family Tree: Janet Lyle
In 1612 [his father] Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk [aged 29] and [his mother] Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk [aged 13] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] George Home 1st Earl Dunbar and [his grandmother] Elizabeth Gordon Countess Dunbar [aged 37]. He the son of Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk [aged 50] and Catherine Knyvet Countess Suffolk [aged 48].
On 10th February 1619 James Howard 3rd Earl Suffolk was born to [his father] Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk [aged 36] and [his mother] Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk [aged 20]. His godfathers were King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland [aged 52] and George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham [aged 26].
On 2nd February 1626 King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland [aged 25] was crowned I King England Scotland and Ireland at Westminster Abbey [Map] by Archbishop George Abbott [aged 63]. His wife Henrietta Maria [aged 16] was not crowned since she being Catholic refused to attend an Anglican service. She watched Charles at a discreet distance.
Robert Radclyffe 5th Earl of Sussex [aged 52] carried the Orb.
Francis Talbot 11th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 3] bore the Second Sword of State.
Philip Herbert 4th Earl Pembroke 1st Earl Montgomery [aged 41] carried the Spurs.
Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland [aged 48] bore the Rod with the Dove.
William Cavendish 3rd Earl Devonshire [aged 8], James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby [aged 19], James Howard 3rd Earl Suffolk [aged 6], Roger Palmer [aged 49] and Mildmay Fane 2nd Earl of Westmoreland [aged 24], John Maynard [aged 34] were appointed Knight of the Bath.
John Rayney 1st Baronet [aged 25] was knighted.
On 28th May 1626 [his grandfather] Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk [aged 64] died at Charing Cross [Map]. He was buried at Waldon Priory and Abbey [Map]. His son [his father] Theophilus [aged 43] succeeded 2nd Earl Suffolk. [his mother] Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk [aged 27] by marriage Countess Suffolk.
On 19th August 1633 [his mother] Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk [aged 34] died.
On 3rd June 1640 [his father] Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk [aged 57] died at Suffolk House, Suffolk Street. He was buried at Waldon Priory and Abbey [Map]. His son James [aged 21] succeeded 3rd Earl Suffolk, 3rd Baron Howard de Walden.
On 1st December 1640 James Howard 3rd Earl Suffolk [aged 21] and Susannah Rich Countess Suffolk [aged 12] were married. She by marriage Countess Suffolk. She the daughter of Henry Rich 1st Earl Holland [aged 50] and Isabel Cope Countess Holland. He the son of Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk and Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk. They were fifth cousins.
In 1641 [his brother-in-law] Robert Rich 5th Earl Warwick 2nd Earl Holland [aged 22] and Elizabeth Ingram Countess Holland [aged 18] were married. He the son of [his father-in-law] Henry Rich 1st Earl Holland [aged 50] and [his mother-in-law] Isabel Cope Countess Holland. They were fifth cousin once removed.
On 1st October 1642 [his brother-in-law] Algernon Percy 10th Earl of Northumberland [aged 40] and [his sister] Elizabeth Howard Countess Northumberland [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess of Northumberland. The difference in their ages was 20 years. She the daughter of [his father] Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk and [his mother] Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk. He the son of Henry "Wizard Earl" Percy 9th Earl of Northumberland and Dorothy Devereux Countess Northumberland. They were fourth cousin once removed.
Before 1646 Richard Wenman [aged 23] and [his future wife] Barbara Villiers Countess Suffolk [aged 23] were married.
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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On 19th May 1649 [his wife] Susannah Rich Countess Suffolk [aged 21] died.
Around February 1650 James Howard 3rd Earl Suffolk [aged 30] and Barbara Villiers Countess Suffolk [aged 27] were married. She by marriage Countess Suffolk. He the son of Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk and Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk.
Before 15th December 1654 [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth Villiers Countess Morton [aged 45] died.
On 23rd April 1661 King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 30] was crowned II King England Scotland and Ireland at Westminster Abbey [Map].
John Bennet 1st Baron Ossulston [aged 44], Francis Fane [aged 23] and Edward Hungerford [aged 28] was appointed Knight of the Bath.
Francis Godolphin [aged 55] was knighted.
[his nephew] Josceline Percy 11th Earl of Northumberland [aged 16] attended.
James Howard 3rd Earl Suffolk [aged 42] was appointed Earl Marshal.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 23rd April 1661. But, above all, was these three Lords, [his brother-in-law] Northumberland [aged 58], and Suffolk [aged 42], and the Duke of Ormond [aged 50], coming before the courses on horseback, and staying so all dinner-time, and at last to bring up [Dymock] the King's Champion, all in armour on horseback, with his spear and targett carried before him. And a Herald proclaims "That if any dare deny Charles Stewart to be lawful King of England, here was a Champion that would fight with him1;" and with these words, the Champion flings down his gauntlet, and all this he do three times in his going up towards the King's table. At last when he is come, the King drinks to him, and then sends him the cup which is of gold, and he drinks it off, and then rides back again with the cup in his hand.
Note 1. The terms of the Champion's challenge were as follows: "If any person of what degree soever, high or low, shall deny or gainsay our Soveraigne Lord King Charles the Second, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, Sonne and next heire to our Soveraigne Lord Charles the First, the last King deceased, to be right heire to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme of England, or that bee ought not to enjoy the same; here is his champion, who sayth that he lyeth and is a false Traytor, being ready in person to combate with him, and in this quarrell will venture his life against him, on what day soever hee shall be appointed".
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 28th December 1663. Up and by coach to my Lord's lodgings, but he was gone abroad, so I lost my pains, but, however, walking through White Hall I heard the King [aged 33] was gone to play at Tennis, so I down to the new Tennis Court; and saw him and Sir Arthur Slingsby [aged 40] play against my Lord of Suffolke [aged 44] and my Lord Chesterfield [aged 29]. The King beat three, and lost two sets, they all, and he particularly playing well, I thought.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 25th February 1666. He tells me my Lord of Suffolke [aged 47], Lord Arlington [aged 48], Archbishop of Canterbury [aged 67], Lord Treasurer [aged 58], Mr. Atturny Montagu [aged 48], Sir Thomas Clifford [aged 35] in the House of Commons, Sir G. Carteret [aged 56], and some others I cannot presently remember, are friends that I may rely on for him. He tells me my Chancellor [aged 57] seems his very good friend, but doubts that he may not think him so much a servant of the Duke of Yorke's [aged 32] as he would have him, and indeed my Lord tells me he hath lately made it his business to be seen studious of the King's favour, and not of the Duke's, and by the King [aged 35] will stand or fall, for factions there are, as he tells me, and God knows how high they may come.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 7th March 1666. So I provoked my Lord to be gone, and he and I to Mr. Cottle's and met Mrs. Williams (without whom he cannot stir out of doors) and there took coach and away home. They carry me to London and set me down at the Temple [Map], where my mind changed and I home, and to writing and heare my boy play on the lute, and a turne with my wife pleasantly in the garden by moonshine, my heart being in great peace, and so home to supper and to bed. The King [aged 35] and Duke [aged 32] are to go to-morrow to Audly End [Map], in order to the seeing and buying of it of my Lord Suffolke [aged 47].
On 4th March 1667 [his son-in-law] Edward Griffin 1st Baron Griffin [aged 16] and Essex Howard Baroness Griffin were married. She the daughter of James Howard 3rd Earl Suffolk [aged 48] and Susannah Rich Countess Suffolk.
Before 1670 [his brother] Henry Howard 5th Earl Suffolk [aged 42] and [his sister-in-law] Mary Stewart [aged 29] were married. He the son of [his father] Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk and [his mother] Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk.
Before 18th December 1676 [his son-in-law] Thomas Felton 4th Baronet [aged 27] and Elizabeth Howard Lady Felton were married. She by marriage Lady Felton of Playford in Suffolk. She the daughter of James Howard 3rd Earl Suffolk [aged 57] and Barbara Villiers Countess Suffolk [aged 54]. They were fifth cousins.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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On 13th December 1680 [his wife] Barbara Villiers Countess Suffolk [aged 58] died.
In 1681 [his daughter] Elizabeth Howard Lady Felton died.
Before 8th May 1682 James Howard 3rd Earl Suffolk [aged 63] and Anne Montagu Countess Suffolk [aged 15] were married. She by marriage Countess Suffolk. The difference in their ages was 47 years. She the daughter of Robert Montagu 3rd Earl Manchester [aged 48] and Anne Yelverton Countess Manchester [aged 52]. He the son of Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk and Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk.
After 10th May 1682 [his brother] Henry Howard 5th Earl Suffolk [aged 54] and [his sister-in-law] Mary Ronkswood were married. He the son of [his father] Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk and [his mother] Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk.
On 14th March 1683 [his father-in-law] Robert Montagu 3rd Earl Manchester [aged 48] died. His son [his brother-in-law] Charles [aged 21] succeeded 4th Earl Manchester, 4th Viscount Mandeville, 4th Baron Montagu of Kimbolton.
In March 1685 Captain Robert Stewart 6th Baron Castle Stuart died. His son Andrew [aged 13] de jure 7th Baron Castle Stuart of County Tyrone althougvh he didn't claim the title since the ancestrals lands had been given away as part of the dowry when [his former sister-in-law] Mary Stewart married [his brother] Henry Howard 5th Earl Suffolk [aged 57].
Around 1686 [his brother] George Howard 4th Earl Suffolk [aged 60] and [his sister-in-law] Anne "Mary" Wroth Countess Suffolk were married. He the son of [his father] Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk and [his mother] Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk.
On 7th January 1689 James Howard 3rd Earl Suffolk [aged 69] died at Great Chesterford. He was buried at Waldon Priory and Abbey [Map]. Baron Howard de Walden abeyant. His brother George [aged 63] succeeded 4th Earl Suffolk. Anne "Mary" Wroth Countess Suffolk by marriage Countess Suffolk.
John Evelyn's Diary. 11th March 1705. An exceedingly dry season. Great loss by fire, burning the outhouses and famous stable of the Earl of Nottingham [aged 57], at Burleigh [Rutlandshire], full of rich goods and furniture, by the carelessness of a servant. A little before, the same happened at Lord Pembroke's [aged 49], at Wilton. The old Countess of Northumberland [aged 82], Dowager of Algernon Percy, Admiral of the fleet to King Charles I., died in the 83d year of her age. She was sister to the Earl of Suffolk, and left a great estate, her jointure to descend to the Duke of Somerset [aged 42].
In 1720 [his former wife] Anne Montagu Countess Suffolk [aged 53] died.
Before 1744 Enoch "The Younger" Seeman [aged 49]. Portrait of James Howard 3rd Earl Suffolk.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
[his daughter] Essex Howard Baroness Griffin was born to James Howard 3rd Earl Suffolk and Susannah Rich Countess Suffolk. She married 4th March 1667 Edward Griffin 1st Baron Griffin and had issue.
[his daughter] Elizabeth Howard Lady Felton was born to James Howard 3rd Earl Suffolk and Barbara Villiers Countess Suffolk. She married before 18th December 1676 her fifth cousin Thomas Felton 4th Baronet, son of Henry Felton 2nd Baronet and Susanna Tollemache Lady Felton, and had issue.
Kings Wessex: Great x 18 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 15 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 21 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 16 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 19 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 9 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 17 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 24 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 19 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 22 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Howard 2nd Duke of Norfolk 
5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Howard 3rd Duke of Norfolk 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Tilney Countess of Surrey 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Howard Earl of Surrey 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Stafford Duchess Norfolk 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor Percy Duchess Buckingham 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John de Vere 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John de Vere 15th Earl of Oxford 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Alice Colbroke
Great x 2 Grandmother: Frances Vere Countess of Surrey 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Trussell
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Trussell Countess of Oxford 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Donne 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
GrandFather: Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ralph Audley 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Geoffrey Audley
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Audley 1st Baron Audley Walden
Great x 1 Grandmother: Margaret Audley Duchess Norfolk 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset 
3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Grey Baroness Audley 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Wotton of Boughton Malherbe 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Wotton Marchioness Dorset
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Belknap
Father: Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edmund Knyvet 
8 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Knyvet 9 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Knyvet of Charlton Wiltshire 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Howard 2nd Duke of Norfolk 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Muriel Howard Viscountess Lisle 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Tilney Countess of Surrey 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Henry Knyvet 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Pickering 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Christopher Pickering 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Pickering 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Roger Lewknor
Great x 3 Grandmother: Jane Lewknor 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor Tuchet 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
GrandMother: Catherine Knyvet Countess Suffolk 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Stumpe
James Howard 3rd Earl Suffolk 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: David Home
Great x 3 Grandfather: George Home
Great x 2 Grandfather: David Home
Great x 1 Grandfather: Alexander Manderston Home
GrandFather: George Home 1st Earl Dunbar
Mother: Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk 15 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Gordon 2nd Earl Huntley 10 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Gordon of 1st of Gight 11 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: James Gordon 2nd of Gight 12 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Alexander Gordon 3rd of Gight 13 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
GrandMother: Elizabeth Gordon Countess Dunbar 14 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Cardinal David Beaton
Great x 1 Grandmother: Agnes Beaton
Great x 3 Grandfather: James Ogilvy
Great x 2 Grandmother: Marion Ogilvy
Great x 3 Grandmother: Janet Lyle