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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Count is in Lords Temporal.
In 1065 Waleran Luxemburg Count Limburg Count Arlon was created Count Arlon. Jutta Luxemburg Ardennes Countess Limburg and Arlon by marriage Countess Arlon.
In 1082 Waleran Luxemburg Count Limburg Count Arlon died. His son Henry [aged 23] succeeded Count Limburg, Count Arlon.
Before 1085 Henry Luxemburg I Duke Lower Lorraine [aged 25] and Adelaide Pottenstein Duchess Lower Lorraine were married. She by marriage Countess Limburg, Countess Arlon. He the son of Waleran Luxemburg Count Limburg Count Arlon and Jutta Luxemburg Ardennes Countess Limburg and Arlon.
Around 1070 Louis Arnstein 3rd Count Arnstein succeeded 3rd Count Arnstein.
On 19th May 1305 William of Avesnes I Count Hainaut III Count Avesnes III Count Holland II Count Zeeland [aged 19] and Joan Valois Countess Zeeland Holland Avesnes and Hainaut [aged 11] were married. She by marriage Countess Zeeland, Countess Holland, Countess Avesnes, Countess Hainault. She the daughter of Charles Valois I Count Valois [aged 35] and Margaret Capet Countess Valois. He the son of John of Avesnes II Count Hainaut II Count Holland and Philippa Luxemburg Countess Hainaut and Holland [aged 53]. They were fourth cousin once removed. He a great x 4 grandson of King Stephen I England. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
Herman Brabant Count Brabant was appointed Count Brabant.
John Harcourt VI Count Harcourt succeeded VI Count Harcourt.
In 1052 Waleran Luxemburg Count Limburg Count Arlon was appointed Count Limburg.
Before 1059 Waleran Luxemburg Count Limburg Count Arlon and Jutta Luxemburg Ardennes Countess Limburg and Arlon were married. She by marriage Countess Limburg. She the daughter of Frederick Luxemburg Ardennes Duke Lower Lorraine [aged 55] and Gerberga Flanders Duchess Lower Lorraine [aged 43].
In 1082 Waleran Luxemburg Count Limburg Count Arlon died. His son Henry [aged 23] succeeded Count Limburg, Count Arlon.
Before 1085 Henry Luxemburg I Duke Lower Lorraine [aged 25] and Adelaide Pottenstein Duchess Lower Lorraine were married. She by marriage Countess Limburg, Countess Arlon. He the son of Waleran Luxemburg Count Limburg Count Arlon and Jutta Luxemburg Ardennes Countess Limburg and Arlon.
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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Giselbert Luxemburg Ardennes Count Longwy Count Luxemburg Count Salm was created Count Longwy, Count Luxemburg, Count Salm.
Around 1134 Louis I Count Loon [aged 26] and Agnes Metz Countess Loon [aged 20] were married. She by marriage Countess Loon.
In 1139 Louis I Count Loon [aged 31] succeeded I Count Loon.
Before 2nd August 1218 Louis II Count Loon was fatally poisoned. His brother Henry [aged 82] succeeded Count Loon.
On 2nd August 1218 Henry Count Loon [aged 82] was fatally poisoned a few days after his brother had been. His brother Arnold succeeded III Count Loon.
In 973 Reginar Reginar III Count Hainaut [aged 53] died. His son Reginar [aged 23] succeeded IV Count Mons.
Before 995 Reginar Reginar IV Count Mons [aged 44] and Hedwig Capet Countess Mons [aged 24] were married. She by marriage Countess Mons. The difference in their ages was 20 years. She the daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks [aged 53] and Adelaide Poitiers Queen Consort France [aged 49]. He the son of Reginar Reginar III Count Hainaut.
In 1013 Reginar Reginar IV Count Mons [aged 63] died. His son Reginar [aged 18] succeeded V Count Mons.
Before 1039 Reginar Reginar V Count Mons [aged 43] and Mathilde Brabant Countess Mons were married. She by marriage Countess Mons. She the daughter of Herman Brabant Count Brabant. He the son of Reginar Reginar IV Count Mons and Hedwig Capet Countess Mons.
Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
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In 1039 Reginar Reginar V Count Mons [aged 44] died. In 1039 His son Herman succeeded Reginar V Count Mons.
In 1040 Herman Reginar V Count Mons III Count Hainaut and Richilde Unknown Countess Mons and Hainaut were married. She by marriage Countess Mons, Countess Hainault. He the son of Reginar Reginar V Count Mons and Mathilde Brabant Countess Mons.
Henry Luxemburg Ardennes Count Palatine Lorraine was appointed Count Palatine Lorraine.
In 1059 Herman Luxemburg Ardennes I Count Salm succeeded I Count Salm.
Giselbert Luxemburg Ardennes Count Longwy Count Luxemburg Count Salm was created Count Longwy, Count Luxemburg, Count Salm.
On 20th March 1671 Charles Theodore Salm Prince Salm [aged 26] and Luise Marie Palatinate Simmern Countess Salm [aged 23] were married. She by marriage Countess Salm Salm.
In 1710 Charles Theodore Salm Prince Salm [aged 65] died. His son Louis [aged 35] succeeded Count Salm Salm. Albertine Johannette Nassau Hadamar Countess Salm [aged 35] by marriage Countess Salm Salm.
Charles Theodore Salm Prince Salm succeeded Count Salm Salm.
On 19th May 1305 William of Avesnes I Count Hainaut III Count Avesnes III Count Holland II Count Zeeland [aged 19] and Joan Valois Countess Zeeland Holland Avesnes and Hainaut [aged 11] were married. She by marriage Countess Zeeland, Countess Holland, Countess Avesnes, Countess Hainault. She the daughter of Charles Valois I Count Valois [aged 35] and Margaret Capet Countess Valois. He the son of John of Avesnes II Count Hainaut II Count Holland and Philippa Luxemburg Countess Hainaut and Holland [aged 53]. They were fourth cousin once removed. He a great x 4 grandson of King Stephen I England. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
In 1354 William Wittelsbach I Duke Lower Bavaria [aged 23] succeeded V Count Hainault, V Count Zeeland.
On 13th December 1404 Albert Wittelsbach I Duke Lower Bavaria [aged 68] died at The Hague. His son William [aged 39] succeeded IV Count Holland, VI Count Hainault, V Count Zeeland. Margaret Valois Countess Holland [aged 30] by marriage Countess Holland.
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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John "Pitiless" Wittelsbach II Duke Bavaria Straubing succeeded III Count Holland, VI Count Hainault, V Count Zeeland, II Duke Bavaria Straubing.
In 1465 Adolf Egmont 2nd Duke Guelders [aged 26] was appointed Count Zutphen.
Otto Zutphen 2nd Count Zutphen succeeded 2nd Count Zutphen.