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: Bulwer
On 25th May 1803 Edward George Bulwer-Lytton 1st Baron Lytton was born to General William Earle Bulwer.
In 1831 Edward George Bulwer-Lytton 1st Baron Lytton [aged 27] was elected MP St Ives which seat he held until 1832.
On 8th November 1831 [his son] Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton 1st Earl was born to Edward George Bulwer-Lytton 1st Baron Lytton [aged 28]. He married 4th October 1864 Edith Villiers Countess Lytton and had issue.
In 1832 Edward George Bulwer-Lytton 1st Baron Lytton [aged 28] was elected MP Lincoln which seat he held until 1841.
The London Gazette 19631. Whitehall. June 30, 1838.
The Queen has been pleased to direct letters patent to be passed under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, granting the dignity of a Baronet of the said United Kingdom to the following Gentlemen, and the respective heirs male of their bodies lawfully begotten, viz.
The Right Honourable Michael O'Loghlen, Master of the Rolls in Ireland.
Sir John Frederick William Herschel, Knt.
Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer [aged 35], of Knebworth, in the county of Herts Esq. [Baronet Bulwer of Knebworth in Hertfordshire]
Lieutenant-General Sir Lionel Smith, K. C. B.
Peter Hesketh Fleetwood, of Rossall-hall, in the county palatine of Lancaster, Esq.
Samuel Crompton, of Wood End, in the county of York, Esq.
John Edwards, of Garth, in the county of Montgomery, Esq.
John Peter Boileau [aged 43], of Tacolnest-hall, in the county of Norfolk, Esq. [Baronet Boileau of Tacolneston Hall in Norfolk. Catherine Sarah Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound Lady Boileau [aged 40] by marriage Lady Boileau of Tacolneston Hall in Norfolk.]
George McPherson Grant, of Ballindalloch, in the county of Elgin, and of Invereshie, in the county of Inverness, Esq.
Ralph Howard, of Bushy-park, in the county of Wicklow, Esq.
Sotherton Branthwayt Peckham Micklethwait, of Iridge-place, in the county of Sussex, Esq.
John Dunlop, of Dunlop, in the county of Ayr, Esq.
Charles Peter Shakerley [aged 45]of Somerford-park, in the county of Chester, Esq.
John Henry Scale, of Mount Boone, in the county of Devon, Esq.
Edward Marwood Elton, of Widworthy-court, in the county of Devon, Esq.
Robert, Slrfifto Adair, of Flixton-hall, in the county of Suffolk, Esq.
William Foster, of the city of Norwich, Esq.
Sir Augustus William James Clifford, Knt. Captain in the Royal Navy, and C. B.
Charles Denham Orlando Jephson, of Mallow, in the county of Cork, Esq.
The Right Honourable James Forrest, of Comiston, in the county of Mid Lothian, Lord Provost of Edinburgh.
David Roche, of Carass, in the county of Limerick, and of Barnetick, in the county of Clare, Esq.
Benjamin Heywood, of Claremont, in the-county palatine of Lancaster, Esq.
William Worsley, of Huvinghain, in the county of York, Esq.
Hugh Morgan Taite, of Sound, in the county of Westmfeath, Esq.
Charles Granville. Stuart Menteath, of Closeburn, in the county of Dumfries, Esq.
Major-General James Kyrle Money, of Homhouse, in the county of Hereford, Whetham in the county of Wilts. and Pitsford, in the county of Northampton, Esq.
Josiah John Guest, of Dowlais, in the county of Glamorgan, Esq,
Michael Dillon Beilew, of Mount Bellew, in the county of Galway, Esq.
Benjamin Hall, of Llanover-court, in the county of Monmouth, Esq.
East George Clayton East, of Hall-place, in the county of Berks, Esq.
Sir James Crofton, of Longford-house, in the county of Sligo, Knt.
On 20th February 1844 Edward George Bulwer-Lytton 1st Baron Lytton [aged 40] changed his name from Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer to Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton by Royal Licence.
In 1852 Edward George Bulwer-Lytton 1st Baron Lytton [aged 48] was elected MP Hertfordshire which seat he held until 186.
In 1856 Edward George Bulwer-Lytton 1st Baron Lytton [aged 52] was appointed Rector of Glasgow University.
On 4th October 1864 [his son] Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton 1st Earl [aged 32] and [his daughter-in-law] Edith Villiers Countess Lytton [aged 23] were married.
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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On 14th July 1866 Edward George Bulwer-Lytton 1st Baron Lytton [aged 63] was created 1st Baron Lytton of Knebworth in Hertfordshire.
On 18th January 1873 Edward George Bulwer-Lytton 1st Baron Lytton [aged 69] died. His son Edward [aged 41] succeeded 2nd Baron Lytton of Knebworth in Hertfordshire, 2nd Baronet Bulwer of Knebworth in Hertfordshire.