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 1666 Angelica Magdalena Pellissary Viscountess St John was born to [her father] Claude Pellissary.
On 11th January 1673 [her future husband] Henry St John 1st Viscount St John (age 20) and Mary Rich (age 35) were married. She the daughter of Robert Rich 3rd Earl Warwick and Anne Cheeke Countess Warwick.
Before 20th November 1684 William Estcourt 3rd Baronet (age 30) served as foreman of the jury which acquitted Edward Nosworthy (age 46). During the course of the celebrations that followed in the Globe Tavern, Fleet Street an altercation broke out between [her future husband] Henry St John 1st Viscount St John (age 32) and Francis Stonehouse (age 31). William Estcourt 3rd Baronet was killed by either or both Henry St John 1st Viscount St John and Francis Stonehouse. Both were fined and pardoned. Baronet Estcourt of Newton in Wiltshire extinct.
On 1st January 1687 Henry St John 1st Viscount St John (age 34) and Angelica Magdalena Pellissary Viscountess St John (age 21) were married.
On 22nd May 1701 [her step-son] Henry St John 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (age 22) and Frances Winchcombe Viscountess Bolingbroke (age 20) were married at St Dunstan's in the East Parish.
On 3rd May 1702 [her son] John St John 2nd Viscount St John was born to [her husband] Henry St John 1st Viscount St John (age 49) and Angelica Magdalena Pellissary Viscountess St John (age 36). He married before 21st December 1732 Anne Furnese, daughter of Robert Furnese 2nd Baronet and Anne Balam, and had issue.
On 5th November 1702 Henry Winchcombe 2nd Baronet (age 43) died. Baronet Winchcombe of Bucklebury in Berkshire extinct. His estate Bucklebury Manor, Berkshire were inherited by his daughter Frances Winchcombe Viscountess Bolingbroke (age 21) and her husband [her step-son] Henry St John 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (age 24).
On 3rd July 1708 [her father-in-law] Walter St John 3rd Baronet (age 86) died. His son [her husband] Henry (age 55) succeeded 4th Baronet St John Lydiard Tregoze in Wiltshire. Angelica Magdalena Pellissary Viscountess St John (age 42) by marriage Lady St John Lydiard Tregoze in Wiltshire.
Before June 1712 [her step-son] Henry St John 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (age 33) was created 1st Viscount Bolingbroke. Frances Winchcombe Viscountess Bolingbroke (age 31) by marriage Viscountess Bolingbroke.
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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In 1716 [her husband] Henry St John 1st Viscount St John (age 63) was created 1st Viscount St John. Angelica Magdalena Pellissary Viscountess St John (age 50) by marriage Viscountess St John.
Before 21st December 1732 [her son] John St John 2nd Viscount St John (age 30) and [her daughter-in-law] Anne Furnese (age 20) were married.
Before 5th August 1736 John Vanderbank (age 41) (circle of). Portrait of Angelica Magdalena Pellissary Viscountess St John (age 70) in Coronation Robes.
Before 5th August 1736 Enoch "The Younger" Seeman (age 42). Portrait of a Lady from the St John Family. Thought to be Angelica Magdalena Pellissary Viscountess St John (age 70).
On 5th August 1736 Angelica Magdalena Pellissary Viscountess St John (age 70) died.
On 8th April 1742 [her former husband] Henry St John 1st Viscount St John (age 89) died. He was buried at St Mary's Church Battersea, Surrey. His son [her son] John (age 39) succeeded 2nd Viscount St John, 5th Baronet St John Lydiard Tregoze in Wiltshire.
[her daughter] Daughter St John was born to Henry St John 1st Viscount St John and Angelica Magdalena Pellissary Viscountess St John.