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: Osborne
On 29th November 1773 [his father] Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds [aged 22] and [his mother] Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Robert Darcy 4th Earl Holderness [aged 55]. He the son of Thomas Osborne 4th Duke Leeds [aged 60] and Mary Godolphin Duchess Leeds.
On 21st July 1775 George William Frederick Osborne 6th Duke Leeds was born to Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds [aged 24] and Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers [aged 20].
On 16th May 1778 [his grandfather] Robert Darcy 4th Earl Holderness [aged 59] died. Earl Holderness, Baron Darcy of Meinhill extinct. His daughter [his mother] Amelia [aged 23] succeeded 12th Baroness Darcy of Knayth, 9th Baroness Conyers.
In 1779 [his step-father] John "Mad Jack" Byron [aged 22] and [his mother] Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers [aged 24] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Robert Darcy 4th Earl Holderness. They were sixth cousins. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
On 27th January 1784 [his mother] Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers [aged 29] died. Her son George [aged 8] succeeded 13th Baron Darcy of Knayth, 10th Baron Conyers.
In 1788 [his father] Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds [aged 36] and [his step-mother] Catherine Anguish Duchess Leeds [aged 23] were married. He the son of [his grandfather] Thomas Osborne 4th Duke Leeds [aged 74] and [his grandmother] Mary Godolphin Duchess Leeds.
On 23rd March 1789 [his grandfather] Thomas Osborne 4th Duke Leeds [aged 75] died at St James' Square. He was buried at the Osborne Family Chapel at All Hallows' Church Harthill [Map]. His son [his father] Francis [aged 38] succeeded 5th Duke Leeds, 5th Earl of Danby, 5th Viscount Osborne, 5th Viscount Latimer, 5th Baron Osborne of Kinderton, 6th Baronet Osborne of Kiveton. [his step-mother] Catherine Anguish Duchess Leeds [aged 25] by marriage Duchess Leeds.
On 17th August 1797 George William Frederick Osborne 6th Duke Leeds [aged 22] and Charlotte Townshend Duchess Leeds [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Baroness Darcy of Knayth, Baroness Conyers. She the daughter of George Townshend 1st Marquess Townshend [aged 73] and Anne Montgomery Marchioness Townshend [aged 45]. He the son of Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds [aged 46] and Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers. They were sixth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
On 21st May 1798 [his son] Francis Godolphin Osborne 7th Duke Leeds was born to George William Frederick Osborne 6th Duke Leeds [aged 22] and [his wife] Charlotte Townshend Duchess Leeds [aged 22]. He married 24th April 1828 Louisa Catharine Caton Duchess Leeds.
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 31st January 1799 [his father] Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds [aged 48] died. His son George [aged 23] succeeded 6th Duke Leeds, 6th Earl of Danby, 6th Viscount Osborne, 6th Viscount Latimer, 6th Baron Osborne of Kinderton, 7th Baronet Osborne of Kiveton. [his wife] Charlotte Townshend Duchess Leeds [aged 22] by marriage Duchess Leeds.
On 31st March 1800 [his brother] Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin [aged 22] and [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth Charlotte Eden Baroness Godolphin [aged 20] were married. He the son of [his father] Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds and [his mother] Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers.
In 1801 [his brother-in-law] Thomas Pelham 2nd Earl Chichester [aged 44] and [his sister] Mary Henrietta Juliana Osborne Countess Chichester [aged 24] were married. The difference in their ages was 20 years. She the daughter of [his father] Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds and [his mother] Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers. He the son of Thomas Pelham 1st Earl Chichester [aged 72] and Anne Frankland Countess Chichester [aged 66].
In 1802 George William Frederick Osborne 6th Duke Leeds [aged 26] was appointed Lord Lieutenant of North Riding Yorkshire.
On 8th January 1805 Thomas Pelham 1st Earl Chichester [aged 76] died. His son [his brother-in-law] Thomas [aged 48] succeeded 2nd Earl Chichester, 3rd Baron Pelham of Stanmer in Sussex and 7th Baronet Pelham of Laughton. [his sister] Mary Henrietta Juliana Osborne Countess Chichester [aged 28] by marriage Countess Chichester.
Around 1806 [his daughter] Charlotte Mary Anne Georgiana Osborne was born to George William Frederick Osborne 6th Duke Leeds [aged 30] and [his wife] Charlotte Townshend Duchess Leeds [aged 29]. She married 1826 Sackville Lane-Fox and had issue.
On 14th September 1807 [his father-in-law] George Townshend 1st Marquess Townshend [aged 83] died. His son [his brother-in-law] George [aged 54] succeeded 2nd Marquess Townshend, 5th Viscount Townsend, 5th Baron Townshend of Lynn Regis in Norfolk, 7th Baronet Townshend.
On 27th July 1811 [his brother-in-law] George Townshend 2nd Marquess Townshend [aged 58] died. His son George [aged 32] succeeded 3rd Marquess Townshend, 2nd Earl of Leicester, 6th Viscount Townsend, 6th Baron Townshend of Lynn Regis in Norfolk, 8th Baronet Townshend, 18th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, 9th Baron Compton of Compton in Warwickshire. Sarah Dunn-Gardner Marchioness Townshend by marriage Marchioness Townshend.
In 1812 [his son] Conyers George Thomas William Osborne was born to George William Frederick Osborne 6th Duke Leeds [aged 36] and [his wife] Charlotte Townshend Duchess Leeds [aged 35].
In 1826 [his son-in-law] Sackville Lane-Fox [aged 28] and Charlotte Mary Anne Georgiana Osborne [aged 20] were married. She the daughter of George William Frederick Osborne 6th Duke Leeds [aged 50] and Charlotte Townshend Duchess Leeds [aged 49].
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 1 Chapters 1-60 1307-1342
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel offer one of the most vivid and immediate accounts of 14th-century Europe, written by a knight who lived through the events he describes, and experienced some of them first hand. Covering the early decades of the Hundred Years’ War, this remarkable chronicle follows the campaigns of Edward III of England, the politics of France and the Low Countries, and the shifting alliances that shaped medieval warfare. Unlike later historians, Jean le Bel writes with a strong sense of eyewitness authenticity, drawing on personal experience and the testimony of fellow soldiers. His narrative captures not only battles and sieges, but also the realities of military life, diplomacy, and the ideals of chivalry that governed noble society. A key source for Jean Froissart, Le Bel’s chronicle stands on its own as a compelling and insightful work, at once historical record and literary achievement. This translation builds on the 1905 edition published in French by Jules Viard, adding extensive translations from other sources Rymer's Fœdera, the Chronicles of Adam Murimuth, William Nangis, Walter of Guisborough, a Bourgeois of Valenciennes, Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke and Richard Lescot to enrich the original text and Viard's notes.
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In 1827 George William Frederick Osborne 6th Duke Leeds [aged 51] was appointed 662nd Knight of the Garter by King George IV of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 64].
In 1827 George William Frederick Osborne 6th Duke Leeds [aged 51] was appointed Privy Council.
On 24th April 1828 Francis Godolphin Osborne 7th Duke Leeds [aged 29] and Louisa Catharine Caton Duchess Leeds [aged 35] were married. He the son of George William Frederick Osborne 6th Duke Leeds [aged 52] and Charlotte Townshend Duchess Leeds [aged 52].
She one of the four Caton sisters, daughters of Richard Caton [aged 65], a merchant from Baltimore, the three eldest, known as the "The Three American Graces", married European husbands. Only the fourth daughter Emily Caton [aged 33] had children.
Marianne Caton Marchioness Wellesley [aged 40] married Richard Wellesley 1st Marquess Wellesley [aged 67],
Elizabeth Caton Baroness Stafford [aged 38] married George William Stafford-Jerningham 8th Baron Stafford [aged 56],
Louisa Catharine Caton Duchess Leeds married firstly Felton Elwell Hervey-Bathurst 1st Baronet and secondly Francis Godolphin Osborne 7th Duke Leeds.
Emily Caton married Consul John MacTavish [aged 41].
In 1831 [his son] Conyers George Thomas William Osborne [aged 19] died.
On 14th May 1832 [his brother] Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin [aged 54] was created 1st Baron Godolphin of Farnham Royal in Buckinghamshire. [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth Charlotte Eden Baroness Godolphin [aged 52] by marriage Baroness Godolphin of Farnham Royal in Buckinghamshire.
In January 1836 [his daughter] Charlotte Mary Anne Georgiana Osborne [aged 30] died.
On 10th July 1838 George William Frederick Osborne 6th Duke Leeds [aged 62] died. His son Francis [aged 40] succeeded 7th Duke Leeds, 7th Earl of Danby, 7th Viscount Osborne, 7th Viscount Latimer, 7th Baron Osborne of Kinderton, 8th Baronet Osborne of Kiveton, 14th Baron Darcy of Knayth, 11th Baron Conyers. Louisa Catharine Caton Duchess Leeds [aged 45] by marriage Duchess Leeds.
On 30th July 1856 [his former wife] Charlotte Townshend Duchess Leeds [aged 80] 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 5 Grand Son of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Kings Scotland: Great x 5 Grand Son of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Kings France: Great x 12 Grand Son of King Charles V of France
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 26 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Kings Spain: Great x 18 Grand Son of Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Osborne 1st Baronet 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Osborne 1st Duke Leeds 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Walmesley Lady Osborne 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Peregrine Osborne 2nd Duke Leeds 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Montagu Bertie 2nd Earl Lindsey 
9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Bridget Bertie Duchess Leeds 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Martha Cockayne Countess Holderness 
Great x 1 Grandfather: Peregrine Osborne 3rd Duke Leeds 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Nicholas Hyde 1st Baronet 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Hyde 2nd Baronet
Great x 2 Grandmother: Bridget Hyde Duchess Leeds
GrandFather: Thomas Osborne 4th Duke Leeds 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Harley 10 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Harley 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Brilliana Conway 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Harley 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Harley 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Foley
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Foley
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Foley Countess of Oxford and Mortimer
Father: Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Godolphin 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Francis Godolphin
Great x 2 Grandfather: Sidney Godolphin 1st Earl Godolphin 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Berkeley of Bruton 
8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Dorothy Berkeley 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Neville 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Francis Godolphin 2nd Earl Godolphin 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Blagge
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Blagge
Great x 4 Grandfather: Roger North of Mildenhall
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary North
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Gilbert
GrandMother: Mary Godolphin Duchess Leeds 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Winston Churchill 
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Drake
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Drake 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Helen Boteler 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Henrietta Churchill 2nd Duchess of Marlborough 15 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Jennings
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Jennings
Great x 2 Grandmother: Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough
Great x 4 Grandfather: Gifford Thornhurst 1st Baronet
Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Thornhurst
Great x 4 Grandmother: Susanna Temple 
George William Frederick Osborne 6th Duke Leeds 5 x Great Grand Son of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Conyers Darcy 1st Earl Holderness 
8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Conyers Darcy 2nd Earl Holderness 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Grace Rokeby
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Darcy 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Howard 1st Earl Berkshire 
8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Howard 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Cecil Countess Berkshire 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert Darcy 3rd Earl Holderness 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Sutton 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Sutton 1st Baron Lexinton
Great x 4 Grandmother: Susan Cony
Great x 2 Grandmother: Bridget Sutton 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Anthony St Leger 
11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary St Leger Baroness Lexington 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
GrandFather: Robert Darcy 4th Earl Holderness 3 x Great Grand Son of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Hans Meinhard Schomberg
Great x 3 Grandfather: Frederick Schomberg 1st Duke Schomberg 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Dudley 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Meinhart Schomberg 3rd Duke Schomberg 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Frederica Schomberg Countess Holderness and Fitzwalter 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Frederick Palatinate Simmern V Elector Palatine Rhine 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Charles V of France
Great x 3 Grandfather: Charles Louis Palatinate Simmern Grand Son of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Princess Elizabeth Stewart Queen Bohemia 
Daughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Great x 2 Grandmother: Karoline von der Pfalz Great Grand Daughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandmother: Maria Susanne Luise von Degenfeld
Mother: Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland