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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Earl of Sunderland is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically.
Earl of Sunderland is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extinct Earldoms of England.
Summary
19th June 1627. Emanuel Scrope 1st Earl of Sunderland [aged 42] created.
30th May 1630. Emanuel Scrope 1st Earl of Sunderland extinct.
On 19th June 1627 Emanuel Scrope 1st Earl of Sunderland [aged 42] was created 1st Earl of Sunderland.
On 30th May 1630 Emanuel Scrope 1st Earl of Sunderland [aged 45] died. Earl of Sunderland extinct. His aunt Mary de jure 12th Baroness Scrope of Bolton; she didn't claim the title.
Earl of Sunderland is also in Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extant Earldoms of England.
Summary
1643. Henry Spencer 1st Earl of Sunderland [aged 22] created.
20th September 1643. Son Robert Spencer 2nd Earl of Sunderland [aged 2] succeeded.
28th September 1702. Son Charles Spencer 3rd Earl of Sunderland [aged 27] succeeded.
19th April 1722. Son Robert Spencer 4th Earl of Sunderland [aged 20] succeeded.
27th February 1729. Brother Charles Spencer 3rd Duke of Marlborough [aged 22] succeeded.
20th October 1758. Son George Spencer 4th Duke of Marlborough [aged 19] succeeded.
29th January 1817. Son George Spencer-Churchill 5th Duke of Marlborough [aged 50] succeeded.
5th March 1840. Son George Spencer-Churchill 6th Duke of Marlborough [aged 46] succeeded.
1st July 1857. Son John Winston Spencer-Churchill 7th Duke of Marlborough [aged 35] succeeded.
5th July 1883. Son George Charles Spencer-Churchill 8th Duke of Marlborough [aged 39] succeeded.
9th November 1892. Son Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough [aged 20] succeeded.
30th June 1934. Son John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough [aged 36] succeeded.
11th March 1972. Son John Spencer-Churchill 11th Duke of Marlborough [aged 45] succeeded.
16th October 2014. Son James Spencer-Churchill 12th Duke of Marlborough [aged 58] succeeded.
In 1643 Henry Spencer 1st Earl of Sunderland [aged 22] was created 1st Earl of Sunderland. Dorothy Sidney Countess Sunderland [aged 25] by marriage Countess of Sunderland.
On 20th September 1643 Henry Spencer 1st Earl of Sunderland [aged 22] died. His son Robert [aged 2] succeeded 2nd Earl of Sunderland, 4th Baron Spencer Wormleighton.
On 9th June 1665 Robert Spencer 2nd Earl of Sunderland [aged 23] and Anne Digby Countess Sunderland [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess of Sunderland. She the daughter of George Digby 2nd Earl Bristol [aged 52] and Anne Russell Countess Bristol [aged 45]. He the son of Henry Spencer 1st Earl of Sunderland and Dorothy Sidney Countess Sunderland [aged 47]. They were half fifth cousins.
On 28th September 1702 Robert Spencer 2nd Earl of Sunderland [aged 61] died at Althorp House, Northamptonshire [Map]. His son Charles [aged 27] succeeded 3rd Earl of Sunderland, 5th Baron Spencer Wormleighton. Anne Churchill Countess Sunderland [aged 19] by marriage Countess of Sunderland.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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Before 1718 Charles Spencer 3rd Earl of Sunderland [aged 42] and Judith Tichborne Countess Sunderland [aged 32] were married. She by marriage Countess of Sunderland. He the son of Robert Spencer 2nd Earl of Sunderland and Anne Digby Countess Sunderland.
On 19th April 1722 Charles Spencer 3rd Earl of Sunderland [aged 46] died. His son Robert [aged 20] succeeded 4th Earl of Sunderland, 6th Baron Spencer Wormleighton.
On 27th February 1729 Robert Spencer 4th Earl of Sunderland [aged 27] died. His brother Charles [aged 22] succeeded 5th Earl of Sunderland, 7th Baron Spencer Wormleighton.
On 23rd May 1732 Charles Spencer 3rd Duke of Marlborough [aged 25] and Elizabeth Trevor Duchess of Marlborough [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess of Sunderland. He the son of Charles Spencer 3rd Earl of Sunderland and Anne Churchill Countess Sunderland.
On 20th October 1758 Charles Spencer 3rd Duke of Marlborough [aged 51] died. His son George [aged 19] succeeded 4th Duke Marlborough, 4th Marquess of Blandford, 4th Earl of Marlborough, 4th Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire, 6th Earl of Sunderland, 8th Baron Spencer Wormleighton.
On 29th January 1817 George Spencer 4th Duke of Marlborough [aged 78] died. His son George [aged 50] succeeded 5th Duke Marlborough, 5th Marquess of Blandford, 5th Earl of Marlborough, 5th Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire, 7th Earl of Sunderland, 9th Baron Spencer Wormleighton. Susan Stewart Duchess of Marlborough [aged 49] by marriage Duchess Marlborough.
On 5th March 1840 George Spencer-Churchill 5th Duke of Marlborough [aged 73] died. His son George [aged 46] succeeded 6th Duke Marlborough, 6th Marquess of Blandford, 6th Earl of Marlborough, 6th Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire, 8th Earl of Sunderland, 10th Baron Spencer Wormleighton. Jane Stewart Duchess of Marlborough [aged 42] by marriage Duchess Marlborough.
On 1st July 1857 George Spencer-Churchill 6th Duke of Marlborough [aged 63] died. His son John [aged 35] succeeded 7th Duke Marlborough, 7th Marquess of Blandford, 7th Earl of Marlborough, 7th Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire, 9th Earl of Sunderland, 11th Baron Spencer Wormleighton. Frances Anne Emily Vane Duchess of Marlborough [aged 35] by marriage Duchess Marlborough.
On 5th July 1883 John Winston Spencer-Churchill 7th Duke of Marlborough [aged 61] died. His son George [aged 39] succeeded 8th Duke Marlborough, 8th Marquess of Blandford, 8th Earl of Marlborough, 8th Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire, 10th Earl of Sunderland, 12th Baron Spencer Wormleighton. Albertha Frances Anne Hamilton Duchess of Marlborough [aged 36] by marriage Duchess Marlborough.
On 9th November 1892 George Charles Spencer-Churchill 8th Duke of Marlborough [aged 48] died. His son Charles [aged 20] succeeded 9th Duke Marlborough, 9th Marquess of Blandford, 9th Earl of Marlborough, 9th Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire, 11th Earl of Sunderland, 13th Baron Spencer Wormleighton.
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 30th June 1934 Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough [aged 62] died. His son John [aged 36] succeeded 10th Duke Marlborough, 10th Marquess of Blandford, 10th Earl of Marlborough, 10th Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire, 12th Earl of Sunderland, 14th Baron Spencer Wormleighton. Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough [aged 34] by marriage Duchess Marlborough.
On 11th March 1972 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough [aged 74] died. He was buried at St Martin's Church, Bladon [Map] next to the grave of his first wife Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough who died in 1961. His son John [aged 45] succeeded 11th Duke Marlborough, 11th Marquess of Blandford, 11th Earl of Marlborough, 11th Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire, 13th Earl of Sunderland, 15th Baron Spencer Wormleighton.
On 16th October 2014 John Spencer-Churchill 11th Duke of Marlborough [aged 88] died. His son James [aged 58] succeeded 12th Duke Marlborough, 12th Marquess of Blandford, 12th Earl of Marlborough, 12th Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire, 14th Earl of Sunderland, 16th Baron Spencer Wormleighton.