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: Bigod
Maternal Family Tree: Adeliza Clermont 1058-1117
In or before 1144 [his father] Hugh Bigod 1st Earl Norfolk [aged 48] and [his mother] Juliana de Vere were married.
Around 1144 Roger Bigod 2nd Earl Norfolk was born to [his father] Hugh Bigod 1st Earl Norfolk [aged 49] and [his mother] Juliana de Vere.
In or before 1156 [his father] Hugh Bigod 1st Earl Norfolk [aged 60] and [his step-mother] Gundred Beaumont Countess Norfolk [aged 20] were married. The difference in their ages was 40 years. She the daughter of Roger Beaumont 2nd Earl Warwick and Gundred Warenne Countess Warwick.
In 1177 [his father] Hugh Bigod 1st Earl Norfolk [aged 82] died at Palestine. His son Roger [aged 33] succeeded 2nd Earl Norfolk. [his future wife] Ida Tosny Countess Norfolk [aged 21] by marriage Countess Norfolk.
Around December 1181 Roger Bigod 2nd Earl Norfolk [aged 37] and Ida Tosny Countess Norfolk [aged 25] were married. He the son of Hugh Bigod 1st Earl Norfolk and Juliana de Vere. They were half sixth cousins.
Around 1182 [his son] Hugh Bigod 3rd Earl Norfolk was born to Roger Bigod 2nd Earl Norfolk [aged 38] and [his wife] Ida Tosny Countess Norfolk [aged 26]. He married December 1206 his third cousin Maud Marshal Countess Norfolk and Surrey, daughter of William Marshal 1st Earl Pembroke and Isabel Clare Countess Pembroke, and had issue.
Chronicle of Roger de Hoveden. 30th March 1194. On the thirtieth day of March, a Wednesday, Richard, King of England, held the first day of his council at Nottingham. Present at this council were: Queen Eleanor [aged 72], his mother, Hubert [aged 34], Archbishop of Canterbury, who sat on the king's right, Geoffrey [aged 42], Archbishop of York, who sat on the king's left, Hugh [aged 69], Bishop of Durham, Hugh [aged 54], Bishop of Lincoln, William, Bishop of Ely, the king's chancellor, [his uncle] William, Bishop of Hereford, Henry, Bishop of Worcester, Henry [aged 46], Bishop of Exeter, John, Bishop of Whithorn (Candida Casa), Count David [aged 42], brother of the King of Scotland, Hamelin [aged 65], Earl of Warenne, Ranulf [aged 24], Earl of Chester, William [aged 26], Earl of Ferrers, [his illegitimate step-son] William [aged 18], Earl of Salisbury, Roger Bigod [aged 50].
Tricesima die mensis Martii, feria quarta, Ricardus rex Angiiæ celebravit primum conciJii sui diem apud Notingliam; cui interfueiunt Alienor regina mater ejus, et Hubertus Cantuariensis arcbiepiscopus, qui in dextris regis sedebat in concilio illo, et Gaufridus Eboracensis arcbiepiscopus, qui a sinistris ejus sedebat, et Hugo Dunelmensis, et Hugo Lincolniensis, et Willelmus Eliensis regis cancellarius, et Willelmus Herefordensis, et Henriecus Wigornensis, et Henricus Exoniensis, et Johannes Candidæ Casæ episcopi; et comes David frater regis, Scotiæ, et Hamelinus comes de Warenna, et Ranulfus comes Cestriæ, et Willelmus comes de Ferreres, et Willelmus comes de Salesbiria, et Rogerus Bigot.
Chronicle of Roger de Hoveden. 17th April 1194. On the seventeenth day of April, a Sunday within the Octave of Easter, a great assembly gathered in the Church of St. Swithun [Map]. Present were: Hubert [aged 34], Archbishop of Canterbury, John [aged 44], Archbishop of Dublin, Hugh [aged 69], Bishop of Durham, Hugh of Lincoln, Richard of London, Gilbert of Rochester, William of Ely, Seffrid of Chichester, Henry of Exeter, William of Hereford, the Bishop of Worcester, the Bishop of St. David's, and the Bishop of Bangor, together with many abbots, clergy, and laypeople. Richard, King of England, clothed in royal garments and wearing a golden crown on his head, came forth from his chamber already crowned. He held in his right hand the royal sceptre, topped with the sign of the cross, and in his left hand a golden rod, topped with the figure of a dove. On his right walked William, Bishop of Ely, his chancellor, and on his left, Richard, Bishop of London. Preceding them in ordered procession were the archbishops, bishops, abbots, monks, and clerics. Following the king were earls, barons, knights, and a great multitude of common people.
And a silken canopy, supported by four lances, was carried above the king [King Richard "Lionheart" I of England [aged 36]] by four earls: Roger Bigod [aged 50], Earl of Norfolk, William, Earl of the Isle of Wight, the [his illegitimate step-son] Earl of Salisbury [aged 18], the Earl of Ferrers [aged 26].Three swords taken from the royal treasury were carried before the king: one sword was carried by William [aged 51], King of Scotland. another was borne by Hamelin [aged 65], Earl of Warenne. The third was carried by Ranulf [aged 24], Earl of Chester. Among them, the King of Scotland walked in the middle, with the Earl of Warenne at his right and the Earl of Chester at his left.
Septima decima die mensis Aprilis, die Dominica in octavis Paschæ, convenientibus in unum in ecclesia Sancti Swithuni Huberto Cantuariensi, et Johanne Dublinensi archiepiscopis; et Hugone Dunelmensi, et Hugone Lincolniensi, et Ricardo Londoniensi, et Gilberto Roffensi, et Willelmo Eliensi, et Sefrido Cicestrensi, et Henrico Exoniensi, et1.... Willelmo Herefordensi, et Wigornensi, et de S. David, et1.... Pangorensi episcopis; et abbatibus multis, et clero et populo; Ricardus rex Angliæ vestimentis regalibus indutus, coronam auream habens in capite,2 processit de thalamo suo coronatus, gestans in manu sua dextra sceptrum regale, cujus sum mitate habetur signum crucis, et in manu sinistra virgam auream, in cujus summitate habetur species columbz et a dextris ejus ibat Willelmus Eliensis episcopus, cancellarius suus, et a sinistris Ricardus Londoniensis episcopus. Præcedebat quoque eos ordinata processio archiepiscoporum et episcoporum, et abbatum, et monachorum et clericorum. Comites vero, et barones, et milites, et magna plebis multitudo, sequebantur regem.
Et pannus sericus quatuor lanceis superpositus ferebatur supra regem a quatuor comitibus: videlicet, Rogero Bigot comite de Norfolchia, et Willelmo comite de Insula Vectæ et—comite Salesbiriensi, et—comite de Ferreres. Et tres gladii de thesauro regis sumpti gestabantur ante regem; quorum unum gestabat Willelmus rex Scottorum, et alterum portabat Hamelinus comes de Warenna, et tertium gestabat Ranulfus comes Cestriæ: medius autem illorum ibat rex Scottorum, et comes Warennæ a dextris ejus, et comes Cestriæ a sinistris ejus.
Note 1. blanks for names of the bishops of Worcester and Bangor.
Note 2. coronam auream habens in capite. It is worthwhile remarking that notwithstanding the political significance given to this second coronation of Richard, it was a ceremony different in kind from the first, and far more in itself analogous to the great crown-wearing days of the earlier Norman kings. The king receives the crown from the archbishop privately (Gerv. l.?S7), and presents himself to the people already crowned and in his royal robes. It is not so much a renewal of his "inauguration" after an eclipse of dignity or even a loss of it, as an assertion that that dignity has undergone no diminution. The day and place recall the Easter crown-wearing of William the Conqueror at Winchester. Gervase was reminded by them of the Canterbury crowning of king Stephen, c. 1588.
In 1196 [his illegitimate step-son] William Longespée Earl Salisbury [aged 20] and Ela of Salisbury 3rd Countess of Salisbury [aged 9] were married. He by marriage Earl Salisbury. She the daughter of William of Salisbury 2nd Earl Salisbury [aged 46] and Eleanor Vitre Countess of Salisbury [aged 38]. He the illegitmate son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England and [his wife] Ida Tosny Countess Norfolk [aged 40]. They were fifth cousin once removed.
In 1199 [his mother] Juliana de Vere died.
Around December 1206 Hugh Bigod 3rd Earl Norfolk [aged 24] and Maud Marshal Countess Norfolk and Surrey [aged 12] were married. She the daughter of William Marshal 1st Earl Pembroke [aged 60] and Isabel Clare Countess Pembroke [aged 34]. He the son of Roger Bigod 2nd Earl Norfolk [aged 62] and Ida Tosny Countess Norfolk [aged 50]. They were third cousins.
On 15th June 1215 King John of England [aged 48] met with his Baron's at Runnymede [Map] where he agreed to the terms of the Magna Carta which attempted to reduce the King's authority through political reform. Those who signed as surety included:
Roger Bigod 2nd Earl Norfolk [aged 71]
his son Hugh Bigod 3rd Earl Norfolk [aged 33]
Henry Bohun 1st Earl Hereford [aged 39]
Richard Clare 3rd Earl Hertford [aged 62]
his son Gilbert Clare 5th Earl Gloucester 4th Earl Hertford [aged 35]
William "The Younger" Marshal 2nd Earl Pembroke [aged 25]
William Mowbray 6th Baron Thirsk [aged 42]
Saer Quincy 1st Earl Winchester [aged 45]
Robert Ros [aged 43], Richard Percy 5th Baron Percy Topcliffe [aged 45]
Robert de Vere 3rd Earl of Oxford [aged 50]
Eustace Vesci [aged 46]
John Fitzrobert 3rd Baron Warkworth [aged 25]
John Lacy Earl Lincoln [aged 23].
William de Albini [aged 64], Geoffrey Mandeville 2nd Earl Essex [aged 24]
William Forz 3rd Earl Albemarle
William Hardell
William Huntingfield
William Llanvallei
William Malet 1st Baron Curry Mallet
Roger Montbegon, Richard Montfichet
Geoffrey Saye [aged 60] signed as surety the Magna Carta.
Ranulf de Blondeville Gernon 6th Earl Chester 1st Earl Lincoln [aged 45] witnessed.
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 1221 Roger Bigod 2nd Earl Norfolk [aged 77] died. His son Hugh [aged 39] succeeded 3rd Earl Norfolk. Maud Marshal Countess Norfolk and Surrey [aged 27] by marriage Countess Norfolk.
On 7th March 1226 [his former wife] Ida Tosny Countess Norfolk [aged 70] died at Framlingham, Suffolk [Map].
[his daughter] Mary Bigod was born to Roger Bigod 2nd Earl Norfolk and Ida Tosny Countess Norfolk. She married Ralph Fitzrobert.
[his son] Roger Bigod was born to Roger Bigod 2nd Earl Norfolk and Ida Tosny Countess Norfolk.
[his son] Ralph Bigod was born to Roger Bigod 2nd Earl Norfolk and Ida Tosny Countess Norfolk.
[his son] William Bigod was born to Roger Bigod 2nd Earl Norfolk and Ida Tosny Countess Norfolk.
[his daughter] Margery Bigod was born to Roger Bigod 2nd Earl Norfolk and Ida Tosny Countess Norfolk. She married (1) William Hastings and had issue (2) 1240 William Devereux and had issue.
Philippa of Lancaster Queen Consort Portugal [1]
Philippa Lancaster Queen Consort Denmark [1]
Joan Beaufort Queen Consort Scotland [1]
King Richard III of England [4]
Anne Neville Queen Consort England [8]
King Henry VII of England and Ireland [1]
Queen Anne Boleyn of England [8]
Queen Jane Seymour [10]
Catherine Parr Queen Consort England [6]
Queen Catherine Howard of England [8]
Maximilian Habsburg Spain II Holy Roman Emperor [2]
Jane Grey I Queen England and Ireland [14]
Maximilian "The Great" Wittelsbach I Duke Bavaria I Elector Bavaria [2]
Maria Anna Wittelsbach Holy Roman Empress [2]
Marie de Medici Queen Consort France [2]
Ferdinand of Spain II Holy Roman Emperor [4]
George Wharton [73]
Margaret of Austria Queen Consort Spain [4]
Anna of Austria Holy Roman Empress [4]
John George Wettin Elector Saxony [2]
Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg [2]
Eleonora Gonzaga Queen Consort Bohemia [4]
Maria Leopoldine Habsburg Spain Queen Consort Bohemia [4]
Hedwig Eleonora Queen Consort Sweden [2]
Charlotte Amalie Hesse-Kassel Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [2]
Louise of Mecklenburg Güstrow Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [2]
Maria Anna Neuburg Queen Consort Spain [4]
Joseph I Holy Roman Emperor [4]
Charles Habsburg Spain VI Holy Roman Emperor [4]
Adolph Frederick King Sweden [2]
President George Washington [5]
King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [4]
Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England [2]
Caroline Matilda Hanover Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [4]
Marie Sophie Hesse-Kassel Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [6]
Caroline of Brunswick Queen Consort England [4]
Frederick William III King Prussia [2]
Frederica Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort Hanover [4]
Queen Fredrika Dorotea Vilhelmina [4]
King Christian I of Norway and VIII of Denmark [6]
Frederick William IV King Prussia [4]
Frederick VII King of Denmark [10]
Queen Louise Hesse-Kassel of Denmark [12]
King Christian IX of Denmark [6]
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom [8]
Queen Sophia of Sweden and Norway [10]
Victoria Empress Germany Queen Consort Prussia [22]
King Edward VII of the United Kingdom [22]
Maria Christina of Austria Queen Consort Spain [6]
Brigadier-General Charles Fitz-Clarence [310]
Victoria Mary Teck Queen Consort England [12]
Frederick Charles I King Finland [12]
Alexandrine Mecklenburg-Schwerin Queen Consort Denmark [16]
Victoria Eugénie Mountbatten Queen Consort Spain [28]
Louise Mountbatten Queen Consort Sweden [34]
Ingrid Bernadotte Queen Consort Denmark [26]
Philip Mountbatten Duke Edinburgh [40]
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom [1242]
Carl XVI King Sweden [54]
Queen Consort Camilla Shand [416]
Diana Spencer Princess Wales [3654]
GrandFather: Roger Bigod 
Father: Hugh Bigod 1st Earl Norfolk
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert de Todeni
GrandMother: Adelisa Todeni
Great x 1 Grandfather: Aubrey I de Vere 
GrandFather: Aubrey II de Vere
Great x 1 Grandmother: Beatrice Unknown
Mother: Juliana de Vere
Great x 4 Grandfather: Geoffrey Normandy 1st Count of Eu 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Gilbert Clare 2nd Count of Eu
Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard de Clare
Great x 1 Grandfather: Gilbert de Clare
Great x 4 Grandfather: Osberne de Bolbec Giffard 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Walter Giffard
Great x 4 Grandmother: Avelina Unknown
Great x 2 Grandmother: Rohese Giffard
Great x 4 Grandfather: Gerard Flaitel
Great x 3 Grandmother: Ermengarde Flaitel
GrandMother: Adelize de Clare
Great x 2 Grandfather: Hugh Clermont Count of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis
Great x 1 Grandmother: Adeliza Clermont