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: Bowyer
Maternal Family Tree: Margaret Ivery
In or before 1736 [his father] William Bowyer 3rd Baronet (age 25) and [his mother] Anne Stonhouse were married.
On 3rd May 1740 George Bowyer 5th and 1st Baronet was born to [his father] William Bowyer 3rd Baronet (age 30) and [his mother] Anne Stonhouse at Denham, Buckinghamshire.
On 17th May 1750 Jacob Garrard Downing 4th Baronet (age 33) and [his future wife] Margaret Price were married. She by marriage Lady Downing of East Hatley in Cambridgeshire.
On 6th February 1764 Jacob Garrard Downing 4th Baronet (age 47) died without issue at Hill Street, Berkeley Square. Baronet Downing of East Hatley in Cambridgeshire extinct. The will of George Downing 3rd Baronet stated the estate should be left to establish a Cambridge college in his name if Jacob Garrard Downing 4th Baronet had no son. Jacob Garrard Downing 4th Baronet, however, left the estate to his widow [his future wife] Margaret Price leading to forty years of litigation.
On 12th July 1767 [his father] William Bowyer 3rd Baronet (age 57) died. His son [his brother] William (age 31) succeeded 4th Baronet Bowyer of Denham Court.
On 4th June 1768 George Bowyer 5th and 1st Baronet (age 28) and Henrietta Brett Lady Bowyer (age 15) were married.
On 11th September 1768 George Bowyer 5th and 1st Baronet (age 28) and Margaret Price were married. No issue.
On 18th September 1778 [his wife] Margaret Price died.
On 3rd March 1783 [his son] George Bowyer 6th and 2nd Baronet was born to George Bowyer 5th and 1st Baronet (age 42) and [his wife] Henrietta Brett Lady Bowyer (age 30).
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 1784 George Bowyer 5th and 1st Baronet (age 43) was elected MP Queenborough.
On 22nd May 1785 [his mother] Anne Stonhouse died.
In 1794 George Bowyer 5th and 1st Baronet (age 53) was created 1st Baronet Bowyer of Radley.
In 1799 [his brother] William Bowyer 4th Baronet (age 63) died. His brother George (age 58) succeeded 5th Baronet Bowyer of Denham Court.
On 6th December 1800 George Bowyer 5th and 1st Baronet (age 60) died at Radley Hall, Oxfordshire. His son George (age 17) succeeded 6th Baronet Bowyer of Denham Court, 2nd Baronet Bowyer of Radley.
In 1845 [his former wife] Henrietta Brett Lady Bowyer (age 92) died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 22 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 19 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 25 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 20 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 22 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 12 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 28 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 23 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 26 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Bowyer
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Bowyer 1st Baronet
Great x 4 Grandfather: Nicholas Salter
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Salter
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Bowyer 2nd Baronet
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Weld
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Weld Lady Bowyer
GrandFather: Cecil Bowyer 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Cecil 1st Earl Salisbury 
11 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Cecil 2nd Earl Salisbury 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Brooke 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Charles Cecil 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk 
7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Catherine Howard Countess Salisbury 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Knyvet Countess Suffolk 
9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Frances Cecil 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: James Maxwell 1st Earl Dirletoun 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Diana Maxwell
Father: William Bowyer 3rd Baronet 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
George Bowyer 5th and 1st Baronet 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Stonhouse 1st Baronet
Great x 2 Grandfather: George Stonhouse 1st and 3rd Baronet
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Stonhouse 2nd Baronet
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Lovelace 1st Baron Lovelace
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Lovelace
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Dodworth of London
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Dodworth Baroness Lovelace
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Cartwright
GrandFather: John Stonhouse 3rd Baronet
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Briggs Merchant of St. Paul's Churchyard London
Great x 1 Grandmother: Martha Briggs
Mother: Anne Stonhouse
Great x 3 Grandfather: Samuel Dashwood 
Great x 2 Grandfather: George Dashwood
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert Dashwood 1st Baronet
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Perry
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Perry
GrandMother: Penelope Dashwood
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Chamberlayne 1st Baronet
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Chamberlayne 2nd Baronet
Great x 1 Grandmother: Penelope Chamberlayne Lady Dashwood
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edmund Prideaux
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Prideaux
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Ivery