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: Brownlow
Maternal Family Tree: Margaret Dewe 1668
Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven was born to John Brownlow 3rd Baronet and Alice Sherard Baroness Brownlow.
On 3rd July 1668 [her grandfather] Richard Brownlow 2nd Baronet [aged 25] died. His son [her father] John [aged 9] succeeded 3rd Baronet Brownlow of Humby in Lincolnshire.
Monument St Peter and St Paul Church, Belton [Map]. Armorial 
Brownlow Arms with a canton of the Rad Hand of Ulster impaled his wife's Freke Arms.
Richard Brownlow 2nd Baronet: Before 1643 he was born to William Brownlow 1st Baronet and Elizabeth Duncombe. Before 26th June 1659 Richard Brownlow 2nd Baronet and Elizabeth Freke Lady Brownlow were married. In 1666 William Brownlow 1st Baronet died. His son Richard succeeded 2nd Baronet Brownlow of Humby in Lincolnshire. Elizabeth Freke Lady Brownlow by marriage Lady Brownlow of Humby in Lincolnshire.
On 12th September 1668 [her grandfather] Richard Sherard of Lobthorpe [aged 51] died at Lobthorpe. He was buried at St Mary's Church, North Witham. His memorial reads: "Near this Place lies the Body of Richard Sherard Of the Hamlet of Lopthorp in the County of Lincoln, Esq;, the only Son of John Sherard, Esq;, who was the eldest Son of Sir William Sherard; the which Richard married [her grandmother] Margaret, Daughter of Lumley Dewe of Bishop-Upton [aged 68] in the County of Hereford, Esq;, and had by her six Children, namely, three Sons, (viz.) [her uncle] John [aged 6], Richard [aged 2], and Brownlow; and Three Daughters, (viz.) Alice [aged 9], Mary, and Elizabeth. He died the twelfth Day of September in the Year of our Lord 1668."
On 27th March 1676 [her father] John Brownlow 3rd Baronet [aged 16] and [her mother] Alice Sherard Baroness Brownlow [aged 17] were married at Westminster Abbey [Map]. She by marriage Lady Brownlow of Humby in Lincolnshire. They were half second cousins.
On 24th November 1679 John "Old Sir John" Brownlow 1st Baronet [aged 89] died without issue. Baronet Brownlow of Belton in Lincolnshire extinct. He left Belton House [Map] to his great-nephew [her father] John Brownlow 3rd Baronet [aged 20] (grand-son of his brother William Brownlow 1st Baronet) and niece [her mother] Alice Sherard Baroness Brownlow [aged 20] (grand-daughter of his sister Elizabeth Brownlow ) who had married three years before in 1676. He also left them an income of £9,000 per annum and £20,000 in cash. They immediately bought a townhouse in Southampton Square.
On 16th July 1697 [her father] John Brownlow 3rd Baronet [aged 38] committed suicide after suffering from severe gout. His brother [her uncle] William [aged 31] succeeded 4th Baronet Brownlow of Humby in Lincolnshire and inherited Belton House [Map]. Dorothy Mason Baroness Brownlow [aged 30] by marriage Lady Brownlow of Humby in Lincolnshire.
Monument in St Peter and St Paul Church, Belton [Map] sculpted by William Stanton [aged 58].
In 1699 [her brother-in-law] John Cecil 6th Earl Exeter [aged 24] and [her sister] Elizabeth Brownlow Countess Exeter [aged 18] were married. He the son of John Cecil 5th Earl Exeter [aged 51] and Anne Cavendish Countess Exeter [aged 50].
On 29th August 1700 John Cecil 5th Earl Exeter [aged 52] died. His son [her brother-in-law] John [aged 26] succeeded 6th Earl Exeter, 7th Baron Burghley. [her sister] Elizabeth Brownlow Countess Exeter [aged 19] by marriage Countess Exeter.
He was buried at St Martin's Church, Stamford [Map]. Monument to John Cecil and his wife Anne Cavendish Countess Exeter [aged 51] sculpted by the French sculptor Pierre Etienne Monnot [aged 43] who was working in Rome. Neo-classical statuary group. One of the finest tombs of its day in the country, displaying strong antique tendencies as befits its Roman creation.
John Cecil 5th Earl Exeter: Around 1648 he was born to John Cecil 4th Earl Exeter and Frances Manners Countess Exeter. On 2nd May 1670 John Cecil 5th Earl Exeter and Anne Cavendish Countess Exeter were married. She the daughter of William Cavendish 3rd Earl Devonshire and Elizabeth Cecil Countess Devonshire. He the son of John Cecil 4th Earl Exeter and Frances Manners Countess Exeter. They were half third cousin once removed. In February 1678 John Cecil 4th Earl Exeter died. His son John succeeded 5th Earl Exeter, 6th Baron Burghley. Anne Cavendish Countess Exeter by marriage Countess Exeter.
Elizabeth Brownlow Countess Exeter: In 1681 she was born to John Brownlow 3rd Baronet and Alice Sherard Baroness Brownlow. In 1699 John Cecil 6th Earl Exeter and she were married. He the son of John Cecil 5th Earl Exeter and Anne Cavendish Countess Exeter. In 1710 Margaret Brownlow died of smallpox. Her estate of £40,000 was divided between her four sisters: Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven, Elizabeth Brownlow Countess Exeter, Alicia Brownlow Baroness Guildford and Eleanor Brownlow Viscountess Tyconnel. In 1723 Elizabeth Brownlow Countess Exeter died.
In 1703 [her brother-in-law] Francis North 2nd Baron Guildford [aged 29] and [her sister] Alicia Brownlow Baroness Guildford [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Baroness Guildford.
In 1710 Margaret Brownlow [aged 23] died of smallpox. Her estate of £40,000 was divided between her four sisters: Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven, Elizabeth Brownlow Countess Exeter [aged 29], Alicia Brownlow Baroness Guildford [aged 26] and Eleanor Brownlow Viscountess Tyconnel [aged 19].
Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
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In June 1711 Peregrine Bertie 2nd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven [aged 25] and Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven were married. He the son of Robert Bertie 1st Duke Ancaster and Kesteven [aged 50] and Mary Wynn.
In 1712 [her brother-in-law] John Brownlow 1st Viscount Tyconnel [aged 21] and [her sister] Eleanor Brownlow Viscountess Tyconnel [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Lady Brownlow of Humby in Lincolnshire. They were first cousins.
In 1714 [her son] Peregrine Bertie 3rd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven was born to [her husband] Peregrine Bertie 2nd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven [aged 27] and Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven. He married (1) 1735 Elizabeth Blundell (2) 27th November 1750 Mary Panton Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven and had issue.
In 1718 [her brother-in-law] John Brownlow 1st Viscount Tyconnel [aged 27] was created 1st Viscount Tyconnel. [her sister] Eleanor Brownlow Viscountess Tyconnel [aged 27] by marriage Viscountess Tyconnel.
On 27th July 1721 [her mother] Alice Sherard Baroness Brownlow [aged 62] died.
In 1723 [her sister] Elizabeth Brownlow Countess Exeter [aged 42] died.
On 26th July 1723 [her father-in-law] Robert Bertie 1st Duke Ancaster and Kesteven [aged 62] died. His son [her husband] Peregrine [aged 37] succeeded 2nd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven, 2nd Marquess Lindsay, 5th Earl Lindsey, 18th Baron Willoughby de Eresby. Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven by marriage Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven.
In 1727 [her sister] Alicia Brownlow Baroness Guildford [aged 43] died.
On 1st May 1729 [her son] Brownlow Bertie 5th Duke Ancaster and Kesteven was born to [her husband] Peregrine Bertie 2nd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven [aged 43] and Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven at Lindsey House Cheyne Walk, Chelsea. He married (1) 11th November 1762 Harriot Pitt (2) 2nd January 1769 Mary Anne Layard and had issue.
In 1730 [her sister] Eleanor Brownlow Viscountess Tyconnel [aged 39] died.
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
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In 1735 Peregrine Bertie 3rd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven [aged 21] and Elizabeth Blundell were married. He the son of Peregrine Bertie 2nd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven [aged 48] and Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven.
In 1736 Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven died.
On 1st January 1741 [her former husband] Peregrine Bertie 2nd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven [aged 54] died. His son Peregrine [aged 27] succeeded 3rd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven, 3rd Marquess Lindsay, 6th Earl Lindsey, 19th Baron Willoughby de Eresby.
After 1st January 1741. Church of St Michael and All Angels, Edenham [Map]. Monument to [her former husband] Peregrine Bertie 2nd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven [deceased]. Flat Obelisk before which stands life sized carving of the deceased leaning on an Urn, in Roman dress, a putto holding a medallion of the Duchess Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven. Sculpted by Louis Francois Roubiliac [aged 38].
[her daughter] Jane Bertie was born to Peregrine Bertie 2nd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven and Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven. She married 31st March 1743 Edward Mathew.
[her daughter] Caroline Bertie was born to Peregrine Bertie 2nd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven and Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven.
[her daughter] Albinia Bertie was born to Peregrine Bertie 2nd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven and Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven. She married 1744 Francis Beckford.
[her daughter] Mary Bertie was born to Peregrine Bertie 2nd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven and Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven. She married 21st February 1747 Samuel Greatheed.
[her son] Albemarle Bertie was born to Peregrine Bertie 2nd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven and Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven.
Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard Brownlow
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Brownlow 1st Baronet
GrandFather: Richard Brownlow 2nd Baronet
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Duncombe 
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Duncombe
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Bennett
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Bennett
Father: John Brownlow 3rd Baronet
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Freke of Iwerne Courtney
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Freke
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Swayne of Blandford
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alice Swayne
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Freke of Stretton in Dorset
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Taylor of Burton Bradstock
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Taylor
GrandMother: Elizabeth Freke Lady Brownlow
Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Sherard
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Sherard of Lobthorpe
GrandFather: Richard Sherard of Lobthorpe
Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard Brownlow
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Brownlow
Mother: Alice Sherard Baroness Brownlow
Great x 1 Grandfather: Lumley Dewe of Bishop Upton in Hereforeshire
GrandMother: Margaret Dewe