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: Tremoille
Maternal Family Tree: Antoinette Polignac 1460
After 1597 [her father] Claude de La Tremoille 2nd Duke Thouars [aged 31] and [her mother] Charlotte Flandrina Orange Nassau [aged 17] were married. She by marriage Duchess Thouars. He the son of [her grandfather] Louis III de La Tremoille 1st Duke Thouars and [her grandmother] Jeanne Montmorency.
In December 1599 Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby was born to [her father] Claude de La Tremoille 2nd Duke Thouars [aged 33] and [her mother] Charlotte Flandrina Orange Nassau [aged 20] in Chateau Thouars.
On 25th October 1604 [her father] Claude de La Tremoille 2nd Duke Thouars [aged 38] died.
In 1626 Michiel Janszoon van Mierevelt [aged 59]. Portrait of Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 26].
On 26th June 1626 James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby [aged 19] and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 26] were married. She by marriage Baroness Strange Knockin. She the daughter of Claude de La Tremoille 2nd Duke Thouars and Charlotte Flandrina Orange Nassau [aged 46]. He the son of William Stanley 6th Earl of Derby [aged 65] and Elizabeth Vere Countess Derby [aged 50].
On 19th January 1628 [her son] Charles Stanley 8th Earl of Derby was born to [her husband] James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby [aged 20] and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 28]. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry VII of England and Ireland. He married before 1655 Dorothea Helena Kirkoven Countess Derby, daughter of Jehan Lord of Heenvliet and Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield, and had issue.
On 17th November 1630 [her daughter] Henriette Stanley Countess Strafford was born to [her husband] James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby [aged 23] and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 30]. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland. She married 27th February 1654 her fourth cousin William Wentworth 2nd Earl Strafford, son of Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford and Arabella Holles.
In 1633 [her daughter] Amelia Stanley Marchioness Atholl was born to [her husband] James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby [aged 25] and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 33]. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland. She married 5th May 1659 John Murray 1st Marquess Atholl, son of John Murray 1st Earl Atholl and Jean Campbell Countess Atholl, and had issue.
Around 1635 Anthony Van Dyck [aged 35]. Portrait of [her husband] James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby [aged 27] and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 35] and their daughter.
On 7th January 1639 [her son] Edward Stanley was born to [her husband] James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby [aged 31] and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 39]. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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On 16th April 1640 [her mother] Charlotte Flandrina Orange Nassau [aged 60] died.
On 18th October 1640 [her son] William Stanley was born to [her husband] James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby [aged 33] and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 40]. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
On 29th September 1642 [her father-in-law] William Stanley 6th Earl of Derby [aged 81] died. His son [her husband] James [aged 35] succeeded 7th Earl Derby. Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 42] by marriage Countess Derby.
Between September 1651 and November 1651 a rebellion against the Royalist leader of the Isle of Man James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby [aged 44] who had been captured at the Battle of Worcester. His wife Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 51] resisted the rebels with the aid of Philip Musgrave 2nd Baronet [aged 44] and Illiam Dhone (her husband's Receiver General). The Countess eventually surrendered after hearing of her husband's death. Illiam Dhone changed sides and worked with Parliamentarian soldiers to achieve a bloodless coup. Illiam Dhone was eventually arrested by the Earl's son Charles Stanley 8th Earl of Derby [aged 23] and executed by firing squad at Hango Hill on 2nd January 1663.
On 15th October 1651 [her husband] James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby [aged 44] died. His son Charles [aged 23] succeeded 8th Earl Derby, 2nd Baron Strange Knockin.
In September 1652 [her son-in-law] Henry Pierrepont 1st Marquess Dorchester [aged 46] and Catherine Stanley Marchioness Dorchester were married. She the daughter of James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 52]. He the son of Robert Pierrepont 1st Earl Kingston and Gertrude Talbot Baroness Pierrepont Holme Pierrepoint. They were fifth cousin once removed. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
On 27th February 1654 [her son-in-law] William Wentworth 2nd Earl Strafford [aged 27] and Henriette Stanley Countess Strafford [aged 23] were married. She the daughter of James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 54]. He the son of Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford and Arabella Holles. They were fourth cousins. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
Before 1655 Charles Stanley 8th Earl of Derby [aged 26] and Dorothea Helena Kirkoven Countess Derby [aged 24] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. She the daughter of Jehan Lord of Heenvliet [aged 60] and Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield [aged 45]. He the son of James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 55].
On 5th May 1659 [her son-in-law] John Murray 1st Marquess Atholl [aged 28] and Amelia Stanley Marchioness Atholl [aged 26] were married. She the daughter of James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 59]. He the son of John Murray 1st Earl Atholl and Jean Campbell Countess Atholl.
On 31st March 1664 Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 64] died.
[her daughter] Catherine Stanley Marchioness Dorchester was born to James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland. She married September 1652 her fifth cousin once removed Henry Pierrepont 1st Marquess Dorchester, son of Robert Pierrepont 1st Earl Kingston and Gertrude Talbot Baroness Pierrepont Holme Pierrepoint.
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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[her son] Two sons Stanley was born to James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
[her daughter] Charlotte Stanley was born to James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
Kings Wessex: Great x 17 Grand Daughter of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Godwinson: Great x 16 Grand Daughter of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 10 Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 16 Grand Daughter of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 22 Grand Daughter of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 9 Grand Daughter of Philip V King France I King Navarre
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 20 Grand Daughter of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Louis I de la Tremoille
Great x 3 Grandfather: Louis II de la Tremoille
Great x 2 Grandfather: Charles I de La Tremoille
Great x 1 Grandfather: François II de La Tremoille
GrandFather: Louis III de La Tremoille 1st Duke Thouars
Father: Claude de La Tremoille 2nd Duke Thouars 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: William de Montmorency
Great x 1 Grandfather: Anne I Duke of Montmorency
GrandMother: Jeanne Montmorency 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Louis Savoy I Count Savoy 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Philip "Landless" Savoy II Duke Savoy 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Cyprus Countess Savoy
Great x 2 Grandfather: René of Savoy 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Libera Portoneri
Great x 1 Grandmother: Madeleine of Savoy 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Lascaris
Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: William "The Rich" I Count of Nassau Dillenburg
GrandFather: William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange
Mother: Charlotte Flandrina Orange Nassau 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Louis Bourbon 1st Count Vendôme 1st Count Castres 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Bourbon VIII Count Vendôme 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jeanne Laval Countess Vendôme and Castres 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Louis Bourbon Prince of La Roche sur Yon 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Isabelle Beauvau Countess Vendôme
Great x 1 Grandfather: Louis Duke of Montpensier 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Louis Bourbon 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Gilbert Bourbon Count of Monpensier 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Gabrielle La Tour
Great x 2 Grandmother: Louise Bourbon Duchess of Monpensier 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Frederico Gonzaga Marquess Mantua
Great x 3 Grandmother: Clara Gonzaga 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Wittelsbach 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
GrandMother: Charlotte Bourbon Princess Orange 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Jean IV de Longwy Seigneur de Givry
Great x 1 Grandmother: Jacqueline de Longwy 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Valois Orléans 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Charles Valois Orléans Count Angoulême 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Marguerite Rohan
Great x 2 Grandmother: Jeanne Valois 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Antoinette Polignac