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: Lusignan
Around 1150 Guy I King Jerusalem was born to Hugh VIII of Lusignan [aged 42] and Bourgogne Dame de Fontenay Taillebourg Countess Lusignan at Lusignan.
On 27th March 1168 Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [aged 46] and her party were ambushed by brothers Guy I King Jerusalem [aged 18] and Geoffrey Lusignan [aged 18].
Patrick of Salisbury 1st Earl Salisbury [aged 46] was killed. He was buried at the Church of St Hilary, Poitiers. His son William [aged 18] succeeded 2nd Earl Salisbury.
William Marshal 1st Earl Pembroke [aged 22] held off the enemy, was wounded and captured whilst Eleanor escaped. Eleanor subsequently paid his ransom.
Around 1170 [his father] Hugh VIII of Lusignan [aged 62] died. His grandson Hugh [aged 7] succeeded IX Seigneur of Lusignan.
In August 1186 Guy I King Jerusalem [aged 36] was appointed I King Jerusalem.
In August 1186 [his brother-in-law] Baldwin IV King Jerusalem [aged 25] died at Jerusalem [Map]. He was buried in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre [Map]. His nephew [his step-son] Baldwin [aged 9] succeeded V King Jerusalem.
In August 1186 [his step-son] Baldwin V King Jerusalem [aged 9] died. His mother [his wife] Sibylla [aged 26] succeeded Queen Jerusalem.
In August 1186 Guy I King Jerusalem [aged 36] and Sibylla Anjou Queen Jerusalem [aged 26] were married. She the daughter of Almaric I King Jerusalem and Agnes Courtenay Queen Jerusalem.
In 1190 [his wife] Sibylla Anjou Queen Jerusalem [aged 30] died. Her half sister [his sister-in-law] Isabella [aged 18] succeeded Queen Jerusalem.
In 1190 Conrad of Montferrat King of Jerusalem [aged 44] and [his sister-in-law] Isabella Anjou Queen Jerusalem [aged 18] were married; see
Ralph of Coggeshall. The difference in their ages was 26 years. She the daughter of Almaric I King Jerusalem and Maria Komnenos Queen Jerusalem [aged 36].
On 6th May 1191 King Richard "Lionheart" I of England [aged 33] arrived in Limassol [Map] where he met with Guy I King Jerusalem [aged 41].
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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[his father] Hugh VIII of Lusignan and [his mother] Bourgogne Dame de Fontenay Taillebourg Countess Lusignan were married. She by marriage Seigneur of Lusignan. He the son of [his grandfather] Hugh "Brown" VII of Lusignan II Count of La Marche and [his grandmother] Saracine Lezay Countess Lusignan and La Marche.
In or before 1177 William Montferrat and Sibylla Anjou Queen Jerusalem were married. She the daughter of Almaric I King Jerusalem and Agnes Courtenay Queen Jerusalem.
Great x 2 Grandfather: Hugh "Fair and Pious" Lusignan
Great x 1 Grandfather: Hugh "Devil" VI of Lusignan I Count of La Marche
Great x 3 Grandfather: Bernard La Marche Count La Marche
Great x 2 Grandmother: Almodis La Marche Margrave Provence
GrandFather: Hugh "Brown" VII of Lusignan II Count of La Marche
Great x 3 Grandfather: Geoffrey Thouars
Great x 2 Grandfather: Aimery Thouars
Great x 1 Grandmother: Hildegarde Thouars Countess Lusignan and La Marche
Great x 2 Grandmother: Aremgarde Mauleon
Father: Hugh VIII of Lusignan
GrandMother: Saracine Lezay Countess Lusignan and La Marche
GrandFather: Geoffroy de Rancon Taillebourg
Mother: Bourgogne Dame de Fontenay Taillebourg Countess Lusignan