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: Feilding
Before 1585 [his father] Basil Feilding of Newnham Paddock in Monk's Kirby in Warwickshire [aged 17] and [his mother] Elizabeth Aston were married.
Around 1587 William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh was born to Basil Feilding of Newnham Paddock in Monk's Kirby in Warwickshire [aged 20] and Elizabeth Aston.
In 1603 William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 16] was educated at Queen's College, Cambridge University [Map].
In 1606 William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 19] and Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh [aged 23] were married. She the daughter of George Villiers of Brokesby [aged 62] and Mary Beaumont 1st Countess Buckingham [aged 36].
In 1607 William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 20] was knighted.
Around 1608 [his son] Basil Feilding 2nd Earl Denbigh was born to William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 21] and [his wife] Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh [aged 25]. He married (1) before 10th March 1635 Anne Weston, daughter of Richard Weston 1st Earl of Portland and Frances Waldegrave Countess Portland (2) 12th August 1639 Barbara Lamb (3) 8th July 1641 Elizabeth Bourchier Countess Denbigh, daughter of Edward Bourchier 4th Earl Bath and Dorothy St John Countess Bath (4) after 22nd September 1670 Dorothy Lane Countess Denbigh.
In 1613 [his daughter] Margaret aka Mary Feilding was born to William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 26] and [his wife] Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh [aged 30]. She married 16th June 1622 James Hamilton 1st Duke Hamilton, son of James Hamilton 2nd Marquess Hamilton and Ann Cunningham Marchioness Hamilton, and had issue.
Around 1614 [his son] George Feilding 1st Earl Desmond was born to William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 27] and [his wife] Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh [aged 31]. He married before 29th December 1640 Bridget Stanhope Countess Desmond and had issue.
On 5th January 1617 [his brother-in-law] George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham [aged 24] was created 1st Earl Buckingham by King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland [aged 50]; his favourite.
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 1618 [his brother-in-law] George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham [aged 25] was created 1st Marquess of Buckingham.
On 16th May 1620 [his brother-in-law] George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham [aged 27] and Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Countess Buckingham. She the daughter of Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland [aged 42] and Frances Knyvet Lady Bevill. He the son of [his father-in-law] George Villiers of Brokesby and [his mother-in-law] Mary Beaumont 1st Countess Buckingham [aged 50].
On 30th December 1620 William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 33] was created 1st Viscount Feilding, 1st Baron Feilding of Newnham Paddocks in Warwickshire. [his wife] Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh [aged 37] by marriage Viscountess Feilding.
In 1622 William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 35] was appointed Master of the Great Wardrobe to King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland [aged 55].
In 1622 William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 35] was appointed Custos Rotulorum Warwickshire.
On 27th March 1622 Edward Wray and Elizabeth Norreys 3rd Baroness Norreys Rycote [aged 19] were married at Church of St Mary Aldermary. [his brother-in-law] Christopher Villiers [aged 29], brother of George, Duke of Buckingham [aged 29], had, with Royal encouragement, sought her hand. To avoid being forced into a marriage with him she eloped with Edward Wray. She the daughter of Francis Norreys 1st Earl Berkshire and Bridget Vere Baroness Norreys Rycote [aged 37].
On 16th June 1622 [his son-in-law] James Hamilton 1st Duke Hamilton [aged 15] and Margaret aka Mary Feilding [aged 9] were married. She the daughter of William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 35] and Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh [aged 39]. He the son of James Hamilton 2nd Marquess Hamilton [aged 33] and Ann Cunningham Marchioness Hamilton [aged 37].
On 14th September 1622 William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 35] was created 1st Earl Denbigh. [his wife] Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh [aged 39] by marriage Countess Denbigh.
Before 18th April 1623 [his brother-in-law] Christopher Villiers 1st Earl Anglesey [aged 30] and Elizabeth Sheldon Countess Anglesey [aged 15] were married. He the son of [his father-in-law] George Villiers of Brokesby and [his mother-in-law] Mary Beaumont 1st Countess Buckingham [aged 53].
On 18th April 1623 [his brother-in-law] Christopher Villiers 1st Earl Anglesey [aged 30] was created 1st Earl Anglesey, 1st Baron Villiers of Daventry. Elizabeth Sheldon Countess Anglesey [aged 15] by marriage Countess Anglesey.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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On 18th May 1623 [his brother-in-law] George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham [aged 30] was created 1st Duke of Buckingham by King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland [aged 56] for being his favourite; what favourite means is open to debate. Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham [aged 21] by marriage Duchess of Buckingham.
On 23rd August 1628 [his brother-in-law] George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham [aged 35] was murdered at Greyhound Pub, Portsmouth by a disgruntled soldier John Felton [aged 33]. He was buried at Westminster Abbey [Map]. His son George succeeded 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 2nd Marquess of Buckingham, 2nd Earl Buckingham.
Felton was considered a hero by many who blamed Buckingham for the failures of the 1625 Cádiz Expedition and 1627 Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré. Felton was subsequently hanged.
On 29th November 1628 John Felton [aged 33] was hanged at Tyburn [Map] for having murdered the [his brother-in-law] Duke of Buckingham.
On 3rd April 1630 [his brother-in-law] Christopher Villiers 1st Earl Anglesey [aged 37] died at Windsor, Berkshire [Map]. He was buried at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle [Map]. His son Charles succeeded 2nd Earl Anglesey, 2nd Baron Villiers of Daventry.
In January 1631 Frederick Cornwallis 1st Baron Cornwallis [aged 19] and Elizabeth Ashburnham [aged 18] were married. After the wedding King Charles I [aged 30], Henrietta Maria [aged 21] and [his wife] Susan Feilding, Countess of Denbigh [aged 48] wrote to congratulate his mother Jane, Baroness Cornwallis Bacon [aged 50], and ask her to forgive him for his disobedience and return him to her favour. Denbigh said Ashburnham was her cousin "though her family be unfortunate".
On 25th December 1632 [his son-in-law] Baptist Noel 3rd Viscount Campden [aged 21] and Anne Feilding were married. She the daughter of William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 45] and Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh [aged 49].
Around 1633 Anthony Van Dyck [aged 33]. Portrait of William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 46].
In August 1633 [his father] Basil Feilding of Newnham Paddock in Monk's Kirby in Warwickshire [aged 66] died.
Before 10th March 1635 Basil Feilding 2nd Earl Denbigh [aged 27] and Anne Weston were married. She the daughter of Richard Weston 1st Earl of Portland [aged 58] and Frances Waldegrave Countess Portland [aged 58]. He the son of William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 48] and Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh [aged 52].
In 1636 [his daughter] Anne Feilding died.
Before 10th May 1638 [his daughter] Margaret aka Mary Feilding [aged 25] died.
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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On 12th August 1639 Basil Feilding 2nd Earl Denbigh [aged 31] and Barbara Lamb were married. He the son of William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 52] and Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh [aged 56].
On 26th December 1639 [his son-in-law] Lewis Boyle 1st Viscount Boyle [aged 20] and Elizabeth Feilding Countess Guildford were married at the Chapel Royal, Whitehall Palace. She the daughter of William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 52] and Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh [aged 56]. He the son of Richard Boyle 1st Earl Cork [aged 73] and Catherine Fenton Countess Cork.
Before 29th December 1640 George Feilding 1st Earl Desmond [aged 26] and Bridget Stanhope Countess Desmond [aged 25] were married. He the son of William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 53] and Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh [aged 57].
On 8th July 1641 Basil Feilding 2nd Earl Denbigh [aged 33] and Elizabeth Bourchier Countess Denbigh [aged 15] were married three months after the death of his second wife Barbara Lamb. She the daughter of Edward Bourchier 4th Earl Bath and Dorothy St John Countess Bath. He the son of William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 54] and Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh [aged 58].
On 23rd October 1642 the Battle of Edge Hill was fought at Edge Hill [Map]. The Royal army was commanded by King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland [aged 41] (with his son King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 12] present), Prince Rupert Palatinate Simmern 1st Duke Cumberland [aged 22] and Richard Spencer [aged 49] commanded the army that included Maurice Palatinate Simmern [aged 21], Richard Byron 2nd Baron Byron [aged 36], Lucius Carey 2nd Viscount Falkland [aged 32], Charles Cavendish [aged 22], Henry Newton aka Puckering 3rd Baronet [aged 24], Spencer Compton 2nd Earl of Northampton [aged 41], Thomas Salusbury 2nd Baronet [aged 30], John Byron 1st Baron Byron [aged 43] and William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 55].
George Stewart 9th Seigneur D'Aubigny [aged 24] was killed.
Of the Parliamentary army Basil Feilding 2nd Earl Denbigh [aged 34] and Robert Devereux 3rd Earl Essex [aged 51]. Oliver St John 5th Baron St John [aged 39] was wounded.
Samuel Sandes [aged 27] commanded a troop of horse.
Richard Sandes [aged 26] was killed.
Thomas Strickland [aged 20] was knighted on the field for his gallantry.
Henry Hunloke 1st Baronet [aged 24] was knighted by King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland.
William Dugdale [aged 37] witnessed the battle and subsequently surveyed the battlefield.
John Hinton [aged 38] was present.
Edward Verney [aged 52] was killed.
John Assheton [aged 29] was killed.
Robert Bertie 1st Earl Lindsey [aged 59] was killed. His son Montagu [aged 34] succeeded 2nd Earl Lindsey, 15th Baron Willoughby de Eresby.
William Pennyman 1st Baronet [aged 35] commanded a regiment, of which he served as Colonel, which he led for the King.
Edward Stradling 2nd Baronet [aged 42] fought for the King, was captured imprisoned for seven months, and died a month after his release.
On 3rd April 1643 a company of Parliamentarians from the Lichfield garrison with the support of some of the local townsmen, approximately 300 men, attempted to stop a detachment of 1,400 Royalists under the command of Prince Rupert [aged 23] from passing through the unfortified parliamentary town of Birmingham.
William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 56] was wounded during the Battle of Camp Hill; he died five days later.
On 8th April 1643 William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh [aged 56] died from wounds received at the Battle of Camp Hill at Monks Kikby, Warwickshire. His son Basil [aged 35] succeeded 2nd Earl Denbigh, 2nd Viscount Feilding, 2nd Baron Feilding of Newnham Paddocks in Warwickshire. Elizabeth Bourchier Countess Denbigh [aged 17] by marriage Countess Denbigh.
In 1652 [his former wife] Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh [aged 69] died.
On 2nd February 1664 [his son] Basil Feilding 2nd Earl Denbigh [aged 56] was created 1st Baron St Liz with special remainder to the heirs male of his father William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh.
[his daughter] Anne Feilding, Elizabeth Feilding Countess Guildford and Henrietta Marie Feilding were born to William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh and Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh.
GrandFather: William Feilding of Newnham Paddock 
Father: Basil Feilding of Newnham Paddock in Monk's Kirby in Warwickshire
William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh
GrandFather: Walter Aston of Tixall in Staffordshire
Mother: Elizabeth Aston