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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Alderman is in England.
See: Alderman Stamford.
From 1450 to 1472 Matthew Philip was appointed Alderman of Aldersgate Ward.
In 1470 John Croke was appointed Alderman of Bishopsgate Ward.
On 7th February 1594 Thomas Bennett (age 51) was appointed Alderman of the Vintry Ward.
In 1599 Thomas Smythe (age 41) was elected Alderman of Farringdon Without.
In 1604 Thomas Bennett (age 61) was appointed Alderman of the Lime Street Ward.
On 28th February 1611 Edward Barkham (age 41) was appointed Alderman of Farringdon Within.
In 1612 Thomas Bennett (age 69) was appointed Alderman of the Bassishaw Ward.
In 1621 Edward Barkham (age 51) was appointed Alderman of Cheap Ward.
On 12th February 1628 William Acton 1st Baronet (age 58) was elected Alderman for Aldersgate Ward.
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
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On 23rd June 1629 Edmund Wright was elected Alderman of Cordwainer Ward.
On 29th January 1639 Isaac Penington (age 55) was appointed Alderman of Bridge Without Ward.
On 22nd September 1653 John Frederick (age 51) was elected Alderman of Vintry.
In 1654 Richard Hill of Lime Street was appointed Alderman of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers.
In 1659 William Bolton was elected Alderman for Baynard's Castle [Map].
On 4th October 1659 Alderman William Crow Upholster (age 42) was elected Alderman of Aldgate Ward.
In 1660 Alderman Edward Backwell (age 42) was elected Alderman of Bishopsgate [Map].
In 1661 John Frederick (age 59) was elected Alderman of Coleman Street Ward.
On 24th June 1664 Alderman William Hooker (age 52) was elected Alderman of Wallbrook Ward in which position he remained until 6th June 1666.
On 3rd March 1701 Samuel Garrard 4th Baronet (age 51) was elected Alderman of Aldersgate Ward.
Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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On 3rd May 1709 George Thorold 1st Baronet (age 43) was elected Alderman of Cordwainer Ward.
On 23rd January 1711 Francis Eyles 1st Baronet was appointed Alderman of Bridge Without Ward which position he held for life.
On 19th June 1716 John Eyles 2nd Baronet (age 33) was appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers and Alderman of Vintry.
On 22nd July 1737 John Eyles 2nd Baronet (age 54) was appointed Alderman of Bridge Without Ward.
In 1739 Joseph Eyles (age 49) was appointed Alderman of Cheapside.
On 20th June 1745 Crisp Gascoyne (age 45) was elected Alderman of the Vintry Ward.
In 1504 David Cecil (age 44) was appointed Alderman Stamford.
In 1515 David Cecil (age 55) was appointed Alderman Stamford.
In 1526 David Cecil (age 66) was appointed Alderman Stamford.