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: Gordon
In 1679 William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen was born to [his father] George Gordon 1st Earl Aberdeen [aged 41].
On 13th November 1682 [his father] George Gordon 1st Earl Aberdeen [aged 45] was created 1st Earl Aberdeen.
After 1694 [his brother] George Gordon [deceased] died [his father] George Gordon 1st Earl Aberdeen [aged 56].
Around 1705 William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen [aged 26] and Mary Melville were married. He the son of George Gordon 1st Earl Aberdeen [aged 67].
In 1709 [his daughter] Anne Gordon Countess Dumfries was born to William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen [aged 30] and [his wife] Mary Melville. She married 2nd April 1731 William Dalrymple Crichton 5th Earl Dumfries 4th Earl of Stair, son of Colonel William Dalrymple Earl Dumfries and Penelope Crichton 4th Countess of Dumfries, and had issue.
In 1710 [his wife] Mary Melville died in childbirth.
In 1710 [his daughter] Mary Gordon died.
In 1710 [his daughter] Mary Gordon was born to William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen [aged 31] and [his wife] Mary Melville. She died aged less than one years old.
After 1710 William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen [aged 31] and Susan Murray [aged 10] were married. The difference in their ages was 20 years. She the daughter of John Murray 1st Duke Atholl [aged 49] and Catherine Hamilton Duchess Atholl. He the son of George Gordon 1st Earl Aberdeen [aged 72].
In 1718 [his daughter] Catherine Gordon Duchess Gordon was born to William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen [aged 39] and [his wife] Susan Murray [aged 18]. She married 3rd September 1741 her fourth cousin Cosmo George Gordon 3rd Duke Gordon, son of Alexander Gordon 2nd Duke Gordon and Henrietta Mordaunt Duchess Gordon, and had issue.
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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On 20th April 1720 [his father] George Gordon 1st Earl Aberdeen [aged 82] died. His son William [aged 41] succeeded 2nd Earl Aberdeen. [his future wife] Anne Gordon Duchess Mantua by marriage Duchess Mantua.
On 19th June 1722 [his son] George Gordon 3rd Earl Aberdeen was born to William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen [aged 43] and [his wife] Susan Murray [aged 23]. He married 1759 Catherine Elizabeth Hanson Couness Aberdeen and had issue.
On 14th November 1724 [his father-in-law] John Murray 1st Duke Atholl [aged 64] died. His son [his brother-in-law] James [aged 34] succeeded 2nd Duke Atholl, 3rd Marquess Atholl, 4th Earl Atholl, 5th Earl Tullibardine.
In 1725 [his daughter] Susan Gordon died.
On 22nd June 1725 [his wife] Susan Murray [aged 26] died in childbirth.
After 22nd June 1725 William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen [aged 46] and Anne Gordon Duchess Mantua were married. She the daughter of Alexander Gordon 2nd Duke Gordon [aged 47] and Henrietta Mordaunt Duchess Gordon. He the son of George Gordon 1st Earl Aberdeen.
In 1727 [his son] John Gordon died.
On 2nd April 1731 [his son-in-law] William Dalrymple Crichton 5th Earl Dumfries 4th Earl of Stair [aged 32] and Anne Gordon Countess Dumfries [aged 22] were married. She by marriage Countess Dumfries. She the daughter of William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen [aged 52] and Mary Melville. He the son of Colonel William Dalrymple Earl Dumfries [aged 57] and Penelope Crichton 4th Countess of Dumfries.
On 28th October 1734 [his daughter] Elizabeth Gordon was born to William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen [aged 55] and [his wife] Anne Gordon Duchess Mantua.
In 1736 [his son] William Gordon was born to William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen [aged 57] and [his wife] Anne Gordon Duchess Mantua.
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 1739 [his son] Alexander Gordon was born to William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen [aged 60] and [his wife] Anne Gordon Duchess Mantua. He married July 1769 Anne Duff Countess Dumfries and had issue.
On 3rd September 1741 [his son-in-law] Cosmo George Gordon 3rd Duke Gordon [aged 21] and Catherine Gordon Duchess Gordon [aged 23] were married. She by marriage Duchess Gordon. She the daughter of William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen [aged 62] and Susan Murray. He the son of Alexander Gordon 2nd Duke Gordon and Henrietta Mordaunt Duchess Gordon. They were fourth cousins.
On 12th September 1745 Francis Charteris de jure 7th Earl of Wemyss [aged 21] and [his sister-in-law] Catherine Gordon Countess Wemyss [aged 32] were married. She the daughter of [his father-in-law] Alexander Gordon 2nd Duke Gordon and [his mother-in-law] Henrietta Mordaunt Duchess Gordon. He the son of James Wemyss 5th Earl of Wemyss [aged 46] and Janet Charteris. They were fourth cousins.
On 30th March 1746 William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen [aged 67] died. His son George [aged 23] succeeded 3rd Earl Aberdeen. Catherine Elizabeth Hanson Couness Aberdeen [aged 16] by marriage Countess Aberdeen.
In 1786 [his former wife] Anne Gordon Duchess Mantua died.
[his daughter] Harriet Gordon was born to William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen and Anne Gordon Duchess Mantua.
[his son] Cosmo Gordon was born to William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen and Anne Gordon Duchess Mantua.
[his daughter] Susan Gordon was born to William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen and Susan Murray.
[his son] John Gordon was born to William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen and Susan Murray.
[his son] Charles Gordon was born to William Gordon 2nd Earl Aberdeen and Anne Gordon Duchess Mantua.
Great x 2 Grandfather: James Gordon
Great x 1 Grandfather: George Gordon
GrandFather: John Gordon 1st Baronet
Father: George Gordon 1st Earl Aberdeen