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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MP Staffordshire is in Member Parliament.
In 1324 John Arderne (age 24) was elected MP Staffordshire.
In 1427 Humphrey Stafford (age 27) was elected MP Staffordshire.
In March 1553 William Devereux of Merevale (age 28) was elected MP Staffordshire.
In 1572 John Fleetwood (age 55) was elected MP Staffordshire.
In 1586 William Bassett (age 34) was elected MP Staffordshire.
Before 1601 John "Black Sir John" Egerton (age 49) was elected MP Staffordshire.
In 1607 John "Black Sir John" Egerton (age 56) was elected MP Staffordshire.
In 1621 William Bowyer (age 33) was elected MP Staffordshire. He was re-elected in 1624 and 1626, April and November 1640.
In 1646 John Skeffington 2nd Viscount Massereene was elected MP Staffordshire which seat he held until 1647.
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 1646 John Bowyer 1st Baronet (age 22) was elected MP Staffordshire.
In 1660 William Sneyd (age 47) was elected MP Staffordshire.
In 1678 Walter Bagot 3rd Baronet (age 33) was elected MP Staffordshire which he held until 1695.
On 7th November 1695 Henry Paget 1st Earl Uxbridge (age 32) was elected MP Staffordshire.
On 15th February 1704 Edward Bagot 4th Baronet (age 30) was elected MP Staffordshire which seat he held until 1708.
In 1741 Walter Wagstaffe Bagot 5th Baronet (age 38) was elected MP Staffordshire unopposed.
In 1747 Walter Wagstaffe Bagot 5th Baronet (age 44) was elected MP Staffordshire in a fiercely fought contest. He stood down in 1754 in favour of his son William Bagot 1st Baron Bagot (age 18).
In 1757 Henry Carteret 1st Baron Carteret (age 22) was elected MP Staffordshire.
On 5th July 1768 John Wrottesley 8th Baronet (age 23) was elected MP Staffordshire which seat he held for the remainder of his life.
In 1780 George Legge 3rd Earl Dartmouth (age 24) was elected MP Horsham and MP Staffordshire. He chose to sit for the latter which he represented until 1784.
On 8th April 1784 Edward Littleton 4th Baronet (age 57) was elected MP Staffordshire unopposed.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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In 1799 Granville Leveson-Gower 1st Earl Granville (age 25) was elected MP Staffordshire.
In 1820 John Fletcher aka Boughey 2nd Baronet (age 35) was elected MP Staffordshire which seat he held until his death in 1823.
In 1823 John Wrottesley 1st Baron Wrottesley (age 51) was elected MP Staffordshire which seat he held until 1832.