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: Stewart
Maternal Family Tree: Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox
In 1579 Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox was born to [his father] Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox [aged 37] and [his mother] Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox.
On 21st July 1581 [his brother-in-law] George Gordon 1st Marquess Huntly [aged 19] and [his sister] Henrietta Stewart Marchioness Huntly [aged 8] were married. She by marriage Countess Huntley. She the daughter of [his father] Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox [aged 39] and [his mother] Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox. He the son of George Gordon 5th Earl Huntley and Anne Hamilton Countess Huntley. They were third cousin once removed.
On 5th August 1581 [his father] Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox [aged 39] was created 1st Duke Lennox. [his mother] Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox by marriage Duchess Lennox.
On 26th May 1583 [his father] Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox [aged 41] died. His son [his brother] Ludovic [aged 8] succeeded 2nd Duke Lennox, 2nd Earl Lennox.
Before June 1590 [his brother] Ludovic Stewart 2nd Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond [aged 15] and [his sister-in-law] Sophia Ruthven Duchess Lennox were married. She by marriage Duchess Lennox. She the daughter of William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie and Dorothea Stewart Countess Gowrie [aged 49]. He the son of [his father] Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox and [his mother] Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox. They were third cousins.
In December 1592 [his brother-in-law] John Erskine 19th Earl of Mar [aged 30] and [his sister] Mary Stewart Countess Mar [aged 10] were married. She by marriage Countess Mar. The difference in their ages was 20 years. She the daughter of [his father] Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox and [his mother] Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox. He the son of John Erskine 18th Earl of Mar. They were third cousin once removed.
Around August 1598 [his brother] Ludovic Stewart 2nd Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond [aged 23] and [his sister-in-law] Jean Campbell Duchess Lennox [aged 45] were married. She by marriage Duchess Lennox. The difference in their ages was 21 years; she, unusually, being older than him. He the son of [his father] Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox and [his mother] Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox. They were second cousin once removed.
On 7th April 1599 [his brother-in-law] George Gordon 1st Marquess Huntly [aged 37] was created 1st Marquess Huntly. [his sister] Henrietta Stewart Marchioness Huntly [aged 26] by marriage Marchioness Huntly.
On 9th February 1608 John Ramsay, Viscount Haddington [aged 28] and Elizabeth Radclyffe were married at Whitehall Palace [Map]. She by marriage Viscountess Haddington. She the daughter of Robert Radclyffe 5th Earl of Sussex [aged 34] and Bridget Morrison Countess Sussex.
James I [aged 41] gave the bride away and sent the bride a gold cup containing a grant of lands worth an income of £600 per year, also paid off Ramsay's debts of £10,000.
The marriage was celebrated with the Masque of The Hue and Cry After Cupid in the evening at the Banqueting House, Whitehall Palace [Map] written by Ben Johnson [aged 36].
The principal masquers, nobles and gentlemen of the Court, appeared in the guise of the twelve signs of the Zodiac; the men, five English and seven Scottish courtiers, were:
[his brother] Ludovic Stewart 2nd Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond [aged 33].
Thomas Howard 14th or 21st Earl of Arundel 4th Earl of Surrey 1st Earl Norfolk [aged 22].
Philip Herbert 4th Earl Pembroke 1st Earl Montgomery [aged 23].
William Herbert 3rd Earl Pembroke [aged 27].
Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 29].
Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk [aged 25].
James Hay 1st Earl Carlisle [aged 28].
Robert Crichton 8th Lord Sanquhar.
John Kennedy, Master of Mar.
Robert Rich 2nd Earl Warwick [aged 20].
Mr Erskine.
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In 1609 Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 30] and Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 17] were married. He the son of Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox and Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox.
In 1610 [his daughter] Elizabeth Stewart Countess Arundel and Norfolk was born to Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 31] and [his wife] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 18]. She married 7th March 1626 her half fifth cousin Henry Howard 15th or 22nd Earl of Arundel 5th Earl of Surrey 2nd Earl Norfolk, son of Thomas Howard 14th or 21st Earl of Arundel 4th Earl of Surrey 1st Earl Norfolk and Alethea Talbot Countess Arundel, Surrey and Norfolk, and had issue.
On 6th April 1612 [his son] James Stewart 4th Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond was born to Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 33] and [his wife] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 20]. He married 3rd August 1637 his half fifth cousin once removed Mary Villiers Duchess Lennox Duchess Richmond, daughter of George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham and Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham, and had issue.
In 1614 [his daughter] Anne Stewart was born to Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 35] and [his wife] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 22]. She married 1628 her fourth cousin once removed Archibald Douglas 1st Earl Ormonde 12th Earl Angus, son of William Douglas 1st Marquess Douglas and Margaret Hamilton Countess Angus, and had issue.
In 1616 [his son] Francis Stewart was born to Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 37] and [his wife] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 24]. He died aged one in 1617.
In 1616 [his son] Henry Stewart was born to Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 37] and [his wife] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 24].
In 1617 [his daughter] Frances Stewart Countess Portland was born to Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 38] and [his wife] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 25]. She married 10th June 1632 Jerome Weston 2nd Earl of Portland, son of Richard Weston 1st Earl of Portland and Frances Waldegrave Countess Portland, and had issue.
In 1617 [his son] Francis Stewart [aged 1] died.
In 1618 [his daughter] Margaret Stewart died.
In 1618 [his daughter] Margaret Stewart was born to Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 39] and [his wife] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 26]. She died aged less than one years old.
On 17th July 1618 [his son] George Stewart 9th Seigneur D'Aubigny was born to Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 39] and [his wife] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 26]. He married May 1638 his half fifth cousin once removed Catherine Howard Countess Newburgh, daughter of Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk and Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk, and had issue.
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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On 14th October 1618 [his father-in-law] Gervase Clifton 1st Baron Clifton [aged 48] stabbed himself to death in the Fleet Prison [Map]. His daughter [his wife] Katherine [aged 26] succeeded 2nd Baroness Clifton of Leighton Bromswold in Huntingdonshire. According to a letter from Reverend Thomas Lorkin the date was the 5th of October and the location "at his lodgings in Holborn" - see Letter.
In 1619 Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 40] was created 1st Earl March. [his wife] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 27] by marriage Countess March.
On 14th October 1619 [his son] Cardinal Ludovic Stewart 10th Lord Aubigny was born to Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 40] and [his wife] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 27] at March House.
On 16th June 1621 [his brother] Ludovic Stewart 2nd Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond [aged 46] and [his sister-in-law] Frances Howard Duchess Lennox and Richmond [aged 42] were married. She by marriage Duchess Lennox. He the son of [his father] Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox and [his mother] Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox. They were fifth cousin once removed.
On 23rd October 1621 [his son] John Stewart was born to Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 42] and [his wife] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 29].
On 16th February 1624 Ludovic Stewart 2nd Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond [aged 49] died. He was buried at Westminster Abbey [Map]. Duke Richmond and Earl Newcastle upon Tyne extinct. His brother Esmé [aged 45] succeeded 3rd Duke Lennox. Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 32] by marriage Duchess Lennox.
On 30th July 1624 Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 45] died. His son James [aged 12] succeeded 4th Duke Lennox, 2nd Earl March.
In 1627 James Hamilton 2nd Earl Abercorn [aged 23] and [his former wife] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 35] were married. She by marriage Baroness Hamilton of Strabane. He the son of James Hamilton 1st Earl Abercorn and Marion Boyd Countess Abercorn [aged 44].
Before 17th September 1637 [his former wife] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 45] died. She was buried on 17th September 1637. Her son James [aged 25] succeeded 3rd Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold in Huntingdonshire.
[his son] Bernard Stewart was born to Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox and Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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413th Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox.
[his father] Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox and [his mother] Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox were married.
Kings Wessex: Great x 15 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 12 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 18 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 13 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 16 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 6 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 14 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 22 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 11 Grand Son of Philip V King France I King Navarre
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 20 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Alan Stewart of Darnley 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Stewart 1st Earl Lennox 10 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Seton 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Matthew Stewart 2nd Earl Lennox 11 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Alexander Montgomerie 1st Lord Montgomerie
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Montgomerie Countess Lennox
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Boyd
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Stewart 3rd Earl Lennox 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Hamilton
Great x 3 Grandfather: James Hamilton 1st Lord Hamilton
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Hamilton Countess Lennox 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: King James II of Scotland 
2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Stewart Countess Arran 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary of Guelders Queen Consort Scotland 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
GrandFather: John Stewart Duke Orkney 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Stewart of Innermeath 3rd of Lorn
Great x 3 Grandfather: James "Black Knight of Lorn" Stewart
Great x 4 Grandmother: Isabel Macdougall
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Stewart 1st Earl Atholl 2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset 
Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Beaufort Queen Consort Scotland Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Holland Duchess Clarence 
2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Isabel or Elizabeth Stewart Countess Lennox 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Sinclair 2nd Earl Orkney
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Sinclair 3rd Earl Orkney 1st Earl Caithness 6 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Egidia "Fair Maid of Nithsdale" Douglas Countess Orkney 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Eleanor Sinclair Countess Atholl 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Marjory Sutherland Countess Orkney and Caithness
Father: Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
GrandMother: Anne Queuille Lady Aubigny
Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Mother: Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox