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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Exchequer is in Miscellaneous.
In 1673 Robert Howard [aged 46] was appointed Auditor of the Exchequer.
In 1207 William Cantilupe Baron [aged 48] was appointed Baron of the Exchequer.
Before 1448 Piers Arderne [aged 27] was appointed Baron of the Exchequer.
Close Rolls Edward IV Edward V Richard III 1476-1485. 30th June 1483 William Catesby [aged 33] was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer. King Richard III of England [aged 30]. Westminster Palace [Map] Grant for life to William Catesby, esquire, of the office of Baron of the Exchequer, receiving the accustomed fees at the Exchequer or the receipt of the Exchequer, with all rights, profits and commodities. By p.s.
In 1522 John Hales of Tenterden [aged 52] was appointed third Baron of the Exchequer.
In 1564 John Birch [aged 15] was appointed Baron of the Exchequer which post he held until 1572.
In 1564 John Birch was appointed Baron of the Exchequer.
On 23rd October 1584 Edward Flowerdew was appointed Baron of the Exchequer.
On 30th May 1654 Richard Pepys [aged 64] was appointed Baron of the Exchequer.
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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On 20th June 1673 Hugh Wyndham Baron of the Exchequer [aged 71] was appointed Baron of the Exchequer.
In July 1443 Ralph Cromwell 3rd Baron Cromwell [aged 40] was appointed Chamberlain of the Exchequer.
In 1471 William Hastings 1st Baron Hastings [aged 40] was appointed Chamberlain of the Exchequer.
In 1525 Henry Guildford [aged 36] was appointed Chamberlain of the Exchequer.
On 3rd June 1532 Robert Radclyffe 1st Earl of Sussex [aged 49] was appointed Chamberlain of the Exchequer.
On 26th July 1538 Francis Talbot 5th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 38] was appointed Chamberlain of the Exchequer.
On 25th September 1560 George Talbot 6th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 32] was appointed Chamberlain of the Exchequer.
In 1605 William Killigrew [aged 50] was appointed Chamberlain of the Exchequer.
In 1609 Walter Cope [aged 56] was appointed Chamberlain of the Exchequer.
In 1613 Nicholas Carew [aged 46] was appointed Chamberlain of the Exchequer.
John Evelyn's Diary. 4th April 1701. The Duke of Norfolk [deceased] died of an apoplexy, and Mr. Thomas Howard of complicated disease since his being cut for the stone; he was one of the Tellers of the Exchequer. Mr. How [aged 52] made a Baron.
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 1736 Philip Yorke 2nd Earl of Hardwicke [aged 15] was appointed Teller of the Exchequer.