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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St Andrew's Church, Bolam is in Bolam, Northumberland, Churches in Northumberland.
St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map]. Mediaeval church with Saxon tower and other features dating from 12-14th centuries. The church is open every day.
Interior of St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Churchyard St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Medieval graves and effigies of St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
In 1658 Charles Middleton of Belsay died. He was buried at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Archaeologia Aeliana Series 4 Volume 33 Pagess 134-141. In 1767 the manor of Shortflatt [Map] was divided, John Dent taking the mansion house and the western moiety, and William Hepple, and his associate. Lancelot Robson of Belsay, sharing the eastern moiety. The deed also provided that John Dent and his heirs should "use, possess and enjoy" the eastern moiety of the "Shortflatt Isle" in Bolam Church [Map], and that Hepple and Robson and their heirs should have the western moiety (pi. XVI). In the same year the three proprietors of Shortflatt were summoned to a Court Leet of the manor of Bywell—an interesting survival of the feudal connection with the barony of Bolbec.
On 23rd December 1809 Robert Horsley of Bolam House in Northumberland [aged 60] died. Monument at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map] to Robert Horsley, his wife Catherine, who died in 1818, and five of their children. His daughter Charlotte Philadelphia Horsley [aged 35] inherited Bolam Hall, Northumberland [Map].
Robert Horsley of Bolam House in Northumberland: Around 1749 he was born to John Horlsey. Before 1809 Robert Horsley of Bolam House in Northumberland commissioned the building of Bolam Hall, Northumberland [Map].
Charlotte Philadelphia Horsley: On 20th January 1774 she was born to Robert Horsley of Bolam House in Northumberland. On 26th July 1810 John Horsley Beresford 2nd Baron Decies and she were married.
On 9th March 1852 Charlotte Philadelphia Horsley [aged 78] died. She has a monument at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map] commissioned by her only son William Horsley-Beresford 3rd Baron Decies [aged 40].
On 17th April 1861 Emily Maud Dent died. Wall memorial at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Emily Maud Dent: On 7th September 1860 he was born to Commander William Dent Hedley aka Dent and Ellen Mary Kerr.
On 5th December 1866 Louisa Horsley-Beresford died. Memorial in St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Louisa Horsley-Beresford: In 1866 she was born to William Horsley-Beresford 3rd Baron Decies and Catherine Anne Dent Baroness Decies.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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On 18th May 1880 Captain William Seton Dent of Shortflatt Tower [aged 39] died. Memorial window at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Captain William Seton Dent of Shortflatt Tower: On 16th April 1841 he was born to Commander William Dent Hedley aka Dent and Ellen Mary Kerr.
On 28th January 1883 Maria Georgiana Hedley Dent [aged 33] died. Memorial at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Maria Georgiana Hedley Dent: On 22nd February 1849 she was born to Commander William Dent Hedley aka Dent and Ellen Mary Kerr.
On 8th May 1926 Edward Dent [aged 70] died. Wall memorial at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Edward Dent: On 8th June 1855 he was born to Commander William Dent Hedley aka Dent and Ellen Mary Kerr. Archaeologia Aeliana Series 4 Volume 33 Pagess 134-141. Edward John Dent, who became owner in 1880, made Shortflatt [Map] famous in sporting circles, his record as a breeder and trainer of greyhounds being six winners of the Waterloo Cup in eight years. His son, Lieut.-Colonel W. E. Hedley-Dent, assumed the name of Hedley-Dent in 192632, and he and his wife have created a charming garden, and wide stretches of lawn, with beds of roses and lavender, and fine trees in the background, making a delightful setting for the old Border house, whose history I have told.
On 11th May 1939 Lieutenant John Arthur Tournay Middleton [aged 32] died. Monument at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Lieutenant John Arthur Tournay Middleton: On 1st July 1906 he was born to Lieutenant Hugh Jeffery Middleton and Mary Katherine Long.
In 1942 a German bomb dropped on St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map]; it failed to explode.