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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Ivrea
On 30th November 1219 [his father] Ferdinand III King Castile III King Leon [aged 20] and [his mother] Elisabeth Hohenstaufen Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon [aged 14] were married in Burgos [Map]. She by marriage Queen Consort Castile, Queen Consort Leon. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Philip King Germany. He the son of Alfonso IX King Leon [aged 48] and Berengaria Ivrea I Queen Castile [aged 40]. They were fourth cousins. He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
On 23rd November 1221 Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon was born to [his father] Ferdinand III King Castile III King Leon [aged 22] and [his mother] Elisabeth Hohenstaufen Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon [aged 16]. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
On 24th September 1230 [his grandfather] Alfonso IX King Leon [aged 59] died. His son [his father] Ferdinand [aged 31] succeeded III King Leon.
On 5th November 1235 (possibly March) [his mother] Elisabeth Hohenstaufen Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon [aged 30] died in Toro, Zamora.
In October 1237 [his father] Ferdinand III King Castile III King Leon [aged 38] and [his step-mother] Joan Dammartin Queen Consort Castile and Leon [aged 17] were married in Burgos [Map]. She by marriage Queen Consort Castile, Queen Consort Leon. The difference in their ages was 21 years. She the daughter of Simon Dammartin [aged 57] and Marie Montgomery Countess Ponthieu [aged 38]. He the son of [his grandfather] Alfonso IX King Leon and [his grandmother] Berengaria Ivrea I Queen Castile [aged 58]. They were second cousin once removed. He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
In 1242 or 1244 [his illegitimate daughter] Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal was born illegitimately to Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 20] and Mayor Guillén de Guzmán [aged 37]. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
In 1249 Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 27] and Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon were married. She the daughter of James I King Aragon [aged 40] and Violant Árpád Queen Consort Aragon [aged 34]. He the son of Ferdinand III King Castile III King Leon [aged 50] and Elisabeth Hohenstaufen Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon. They were half third cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
On 30th May 1252 [his father] Ferdinand III King Castile III King Leon [aged 53] died. His son Alfonso [aged 30] succeeded X King Castile, X King Leon. [his wife] Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon by marriage Queen Consort Castile, Queen Consort Leon.
In 1253 [his son-in-law] Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 42] and [his illegitimate daughter] Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal [aged 11] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Portugal. The difference in their ages was 31 years. She the illegitmate daughter of Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 31] and Mayor Guillén de Guzmán [aged 48]. He the son of Alfonso "Fat" II King Portugal and Urraca Ivrea Queen Consort Portugal. They were first cousin twice removed. He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In 1253 [his daughter] Berengaria Ivrea was born to Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 31] and [his wife] Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
In 1254 [his daughter] Beatrice Ivrea Marchinoness of Montferrat was born to Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 32] and [his wife] Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She married 1271 William 7th Marquis of Montferrat.
Letters. 13th February 1254. Letter XII. Eleanor of Provence Queen Consort England [aged 31] and Richard of Cornwall 1st Earl Cornwall [aged 45] to King Henry III of England [aged 46].
To their most excellent lord, the lord Henry, by God's grace the illustrious king of England, lord of Ireland, duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and earl of Anjou, his most devoted consort Eleanora, by the same grace queen of England, and his devoted and faithful Richard earl of Cornwall, send health with all reverence and honour.
Be it known to your revered lordship that the lords the earl marshall [aged 45] and John de Bailiol [aged 46], being hindered at sea by a contrary wind during twelve days, came to us in England on the Wednesday after the Purification of Blessed Mary last past.
We had been treating with your prelates and the magnates of your kingdom of England before the advent of the said Earl and John, on the quinzaines of St. Hilary last past about your subsidy, and after the arrival of the said Earl and John, with certain of the aforesaid prelates and magnates, the archbishops and bishops answered us that if the King of Castile [aged 32] should come against you in Gascony each of them would assist you from his own property, so that you would be under perpetual obli gations to them; but with regard to granting you an aid from their clergy, they could do nothing without the assent of the said clergy; nor do they believe that their clergy can be induced to give you any help, unless the tenth of clerical goods granted to you for the first year of the crusade, which should begin in the present year, might be relaxed at once by your letters patent, and the collection of the said tenth for the said crusade, for the two following years, might be put in respite up to the term of two years before your passage to the Holy Land; and they will give diligence and treat with the clergy submitted to them, to induce them to assist you according to that form with a tenth of their benefices, in case the King of Castile should attack you in Gascony; but at the departure of the bearer of these presents no subsidy had as yet been granted by the aforesaid clergy. Moreover, as we have elsewhere signified to you, if the King of Castile should come against you in Gascony, all the earls and barons of your kingdom, who are able to cross the sea, will come to you in Gascony, with all their power; but from the other laymen who do not sail over to you we do not think that we can obtain any help for your use, unless you write to your lieutenants in England firmly to maintain your great charters of liberties, and to let this be distinctly perceived by your letters to each Sheriff of your kingdom, and publicly proclaimed through each county of the said kingdom; since, by this means, they would be more strongly animated cheerfully to grant you aid; for many persons complain that the aforesaid charters are not kept by your sheriffs and other bailiffs as they ought to be kept. Be it known, therefore, to your lordship, that we shall hold a conference with the aforesaid clergy and laity at Westminster, in the quinzaines of Passover next, about the aforesaid aid, and we supplicate your lordship that you will write us your good pleasure concerning these affairs with the utmost possible haste. For you will find us prepared and devoted, according to our power, to solicit the aforesaid aid for your use, and to do and procure all other things ....* which can contribute to your convenience and the increase of your honour. Given at Windsor [Map], the 13th of February, in the thirty-eighth year of your reign.
Become a Member via our Buy Me a Coffee page to read more.
On 1st November 1254 [his brother-in-law] King Edward I of England [aged 15] and [his half-sister] Eleanor of Castile Queen Consort England [aged 13] were married at Abbey of Santa Maria la Real de Huelgas [Map]. She the daughter of [his father] Ferdinand III King Castile III King Leon and [his step-mother] Joan Dammartin Queen Consort Castile and Leon [aged 34]. He the son of King Henry III of England [aged 47] and Eleanor of Provence Queen Consort England [aged 31]. They were second cousin once removed. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
On 20th August 1255 Louis Capet [aged 11] was betrothed to Berengaria Ivrea [aged 2] daughter of Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 33] and, for a brief time, was heir to the throne of Castile. The marriage didn't take place since he died in 1260.
On 20th October 1255 [his son] Ferdinand de la Cerda Ivrea was born to Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 33] and [his wife] Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon. He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. He married November 1269 his second cousin once removed Blanche Capet, daughter of King Louis IX of France and Margaret Provence Queen Consort France, and had issue.
In 1257 [his daughter] Eleanor Ivrea was born to Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 35] and [his wife] Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
In 1258 [his daughter] Constance Ivrea was born to Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 36] and [his wife] Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
On 13th May 1258 [his son] Sancho IV King Castile IV King Leon was born to Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 36] and [his wife] Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon. He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. He married 1282 Maria Molina Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon and had issue.
In June 1260 [his son] Peter Lord Ivrea was born to Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 38] and [his wife] Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon. He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
In April 1262 [his son] John Lord Ivrea was born to Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 40] and [his wife] Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon. He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
In 1265 [his daughter] Violant Ivrea was born to Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 43] and [his wife] Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
In August 1266 [his son] James Lord Ivrea was born to Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 44] and [his wife] Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon. He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In November 1269 Ferdinand de la Cerda Ivrea [aged 14] and Blanche Capet [aged 16] were married. She the daughter of King Louis IX of France [aged 55] and Margaret Provence Queen Consort France [aged 48]. He the son of Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 47] and Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon. They were second cousin once removed. He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
Around 1271 [his son-in-law] William 7th Marquis of Montferrat [aged 31] and Beatrice Ivrea Marchinoness of Montferrat [aged 17] were married. She the daughter of Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 49] and Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon.
On 16th November 1272 King Henry III of England [aged 65] died at Westminster [Map]. His son [his brother-in-law] Edward [aged 33] succeeded I King of England. [his half-sister] Eleanor of Castile Queen Consort England [aged 31] by marriage Queen Consort England.
On 24th November 1273 [his nephew] Alfonso Plantagenet was born to [his brother-in-law] King Edward I of England [aged 34] and [his half-sister] Eleanor of Castile Queen Consort England [aged 32] in Bayonne [Map]. Their ninth child. He was named after Eleanor's half-brother Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 52] who was also the child's godfather and attended his christening. He died aged ten in 1284.
In 1275 [his daughter] Eleanor Ivrea [aged 18] died.
On 25th July 1275 [his son] Ferdinand de la Cerda Ivrea [aged 19] died.
In 1280 [his daughter] Beatrice Ivrea Marchinoness of Montferrat [aged 26] died.
On 22nd August 1280 [his daughter] Constance Ivrea [aged 22] died.
In 1282 Sancho IV King Castile IV King Leon [aged 23] and Maria Molina Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon were married. He the son of Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 60] and Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon.
On 10th October 1283 [his son] Peter Lord Ivrea [aged 23] died.
After 1284 [his daughter] Berengaria Ivrea [deceased] died.
On 2nd April 1284 Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 62] died. His son Sancho [aged 25] succeeded IV King Castile, IV King Leon. Maria Molina Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon by marriage Queen Consort Castile, Queen Consort Leon.
[his daughter] Isabella Ivrea was born to Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon and Violante Barcelona Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
Kings Wessex: Great x 7 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings England: Great x 2 Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 6 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 13 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 7 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 11 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: William I Count Burgundy 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Raymond Ivrea
Great x 4 Grandmother: Ettiennette Countess Burgundy
Great x 2 Grandfather: Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon
Great x 4 Grandfather: Alfonso "Brave" VI King Leon VI King Castile
Great x 3 Grandmother: Urracca "Reckless" Jiménez Queen Consort Aragon and Pamplona
Great x 4 Grandmother: Constance Burgundy Queen Consort Castile and Leon 
Great x 1 Grandfather: Ferdinand II King Leon
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ramon Berenguer "Towhead" Barcelona II Count Barcelona
Great x 3 Grandfather: Raymond III Count Barcelona
Great x 2 Grandmother: Berenguela Barcelona Queen Consort Castile and Leon
Great x 4 Grandfather: Gilbert Gevaudan
Great x 3 Grandmother: Douce Gevaudan Countess Barcelona
Great x 4 Grandmother: Gerberga Arles
GrandFather: Alfonso IX King Leon
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry "Gallant" Burgundy
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Burgundy Count Portugal
Great x 2 Grandfather: Afonso "Conqueror Founder Great" I King Portugal 
Great x 4 Grandfather: Alfonso "Brave" VI King Leon VI King Castile
Great x 3 Grandmother: Teresa Alfónsez Jiménez
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jimena Munoz
Great x 1 Grandmother: Urraca Burgundy Queen Consort Leon
Great x 4 Grandfather: Humbert "Fat" Savoy II Count Savoy
Great x 3 Grandfather: Amadeus Savoy III Count Savoy
Great x 4 Grandmother: Gisela Ivrea Countess Savoy
Great x 2 Grandmother: Malfada Savoy Queen Consort Portugal
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mahaut Albon Countess Savoy
Father: Ferdinand III King Castile III King Leon Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Raymond Ivrea
Great x 3 Grandfather: Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon
Great x 4 Grandmother: Urracca "Reckless" Jiménez Queen Consort Aragon and Pamplona
Great x 2 Grandfather: Sancho III King Castile
Great x 4 Grandfather: Raymond III Count Barcelona
Great x 3 Grandmother: Berenguela Barcelona Queen Consort Castile and Leon
Great x 4 Grandmother: Douce Gevaudan Countess Barcelona
Great x 1 Grandfather: Alfonso VIII King Castile
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ramiro Jiménez
Great x 3 Grandfather: García "Restorer" IV King Navarre
Great x 4 Grandmother: Cristina Rodríguez Vivar
Great x 2 Grandmother: Blanche Ramirez Queen Consort Castile
Great x 4 Grandfather: Gilbert Aigle Lord Aigle
Great x 3 Grandmother: Marguerite Aigle Queen Consort Navarre
Great x 4 Grandmother: Juliette du Perche Chateaudun
GrandMother: Berengaria Ivrea I Queen Castile Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Fulk "Young" King Jerusalem 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Geoffrey Plantagenet Duke Normandy
Great x 4 Grandmother: Ermengarde of Maine Countess of Anjou
Great x 2 Grandfather: King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: King Henry I "Beauclerc" England 
Son of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Empress Matilda Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Edith aka Matilda Dunkeld Queen Consort England 
Great x 1 Grandmother: Eleanor Plantagenet Queen Consort Castile Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William "Troubadour" Poitiers IX Duke Aquitaine
Great x 3 Grandfather: William "Saint" Poitiers X Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandmother: Philippa Rouerge Duchess Aquitaine
Great x 2 Grandmother: Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Aimery Chatellerault Viscount Châtellerault
Great x 3 Grandmother: Aenor Chatellerault Duchess Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandmother: Dangereuse Ile Bouchard Viscountess Chatellerault
Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon 2 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Frederick "One Eyed" Hohenstaufen I Holy Roman Emperor 
Great x 1 Grandfather: Frederick "Barbarossa" Hohenstaufen I Holy Roman Emperor
Great x 4 Grandfather: Welf I Duke Bavaria
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry "Black" Welf IX Duke Bavaria
Great x 4 Grandmother: Judith Flanders Duchess Bavaria
Great x 2 Grandmother: Judith Welf Holy Roman Empress
Great x 4 Grandfather: Magnus Billung Duke Saxony
Great x 3 Grandmother: Wulfhilde of Saxony Duchess Bavaria
GrandFather: Philip King Germany
Great x 4 Grandfather: William I Count Burgundy
Great x 3 Grandfather: Stephen Ivrea I Count Burgundy
Great x 4 Grandmother: Ettiennette Countess Burgundy
Great x 2 Grandfather: Reginald Ivrea III Count Burgundy
Great x 4 Grandfather: Gerard Metz I Duke Lorraine
Great x 3 Grandmother: Beatrice Metz Countess Burgundy
Great x 4 Grandmother: Hedwige Namur Duchess Lorraine
Great x 1 Grandmother: Beatrice of Burgundy Holy Roman Empress
Mother: Elisabeth Hohenstaufen Queen Consort Castile Queen Consort Leon