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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Army Ranks

Army Ranks is in Army.

Brigadier

In 1968 Arthur Valerian Wellesley 8th Duke Wellington (age 52) retired from the Army. He was granted the honorary rank of Brigadier.

Captain

In 1946 Arthur Valerian Wellesley 8th Duke Wellington (age 30) was promoted Captain in the Royal Horse Guards Regiment.

Colonel

In 1960 Arthur Valerian Wellesley 8th Duke Wellington (age 44) was promoted Colonel in the Household Cavalry Regiment.

Colonel in Chief

In 1974 Arthur Valerian Wellesley 8th Duke Wellington (age 58) was appointed Colonel in Chief of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment; the only non-Royal Colonel in Chief.

Colonel of Horse

In 1645 William Compton (age 20) was appointed Colonel of Horse.

Deputy Colonel in Chief

In 2006 Arthur Valerian Wellesley 8th Duke Wellington (age 90) was appointed Deputy Colonel in Chief of the Yorkshire Regiment into which the Duke of Wellington's Regiment had been amalgamated.

Lieutenant

In 1946 Arthur Valerian Wellesley 8th Duke Wellington (age 30) was promoted Lieutenant in the Royal Horse Guards Regiment.

Lieutenant Colonel

In 1954 Arthur Valerian Wellesley 8th Duke Wellington (age 38) was promoted Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Horse Guards Regiment.

Second Lieutenant

In 1936 Arthur Valerian Wellesley 8th Duke Wellington (age 20) was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Territorial Army.

Memoires of Jacques du Clercq

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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In 1940 Arthur Valerian Wellesley 8th Duke Wellington (age 24) was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Royal Horse Guards Regiment service number 68268.