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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Burton
On 5th July 1794 [his father] Henry Conyngham 1st Marquess Conyngham [age 27] and [his mother] Elizabeth Denison Marchioness Conyngham [age 25] were married.
On 21st October 1805 Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough was born to [his father] Henry Conyngham 1st Marquess Conyngham [age 38] and [his mother] Elizabeth Denison Marchioness Conyngham [age 36].
In January 1816 [his father] Henry Conyngham 1st Marquess Conyngham [age 49] was created 1st Marquess Conyngham in Donegal. [his mother] Elizabeth Denison Marchioness Conyngham [age 46] by marriage Marchioness Conyngham in Donegal.
On 23rd April 1824 [his brother] Francis Nathaniel Conyngham 2nd Marquess Conyngham [age 26] and [his sister-in-law] Jane Paget Marchioness Conyngham [age 25] were married. She the daughter of Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [age 55] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [age 49]. He the son of [his father] Henry Conyngham 1st Marquess Conyngham [age 57] and [his mother] Elizabeth Denison Marchioness Conyngham [age 55].
On 28th December 1832 [his father] Henry Conyngham 1st Marquess Conyngham [age 66] died. His son [his brother] Francis [age 35] succeeded 2nd Marquess Conyngham in Donegal, 4th Baron Conyngham, 2nd Baron Minster of Minster Abbey in Kent. [his sister-in-law] Jane Paget Marchioness Conyngham [age 34] by marriage Marchioness Conyngham in Donegal.
In or before 1833 [his daughter] Augusta Elizabeth Denison Baroness Wrottesley was born to Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [age 27] and [his future wife] Henrietta Maria Weld-Forester. She married 18th July 1861 her sixth cousin Arthur Wrottesley 3rd Baron Wrottesley, son of John Wrottesley 2nd Baron Wrottesley, and had issue.
On 6th July 1833 Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [age 27] and Henrietta Maria Weld-Forester were married. He the son of Henry Conyngham 1st Marquess Conyngham and Elizabeth Denison Marchioness Conyngham [age 64].
On 19th June 1834 [his son] William Henry Forester Denison 1st Earl Londesborough was born to Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [age 28] and [his wife] Henrietta Maria Weld-Forester. He married 1863 his third cousin Edith Somerset Countess Londesborough, daughter of Henry Somerset 7th Duke Beaufort and Emily Frances Smith Duchess Beaufort, and had issue.
On 4th October 1835 [his son] Rear Admiral Albert Denison was born to Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [age 29] and [his wife] Henrietta Maria Weld-Forester.
In 1836 [his daughter] Henrietta Denison Lady Egerton was born to Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [age 30] and [his wife] Henrietta Maria Weld-Forester. She married July 1861 Philip le Belward Grey-Egerton 11th Baronet, son of Philip de Malpas Grey-Egerton 10th Baronet, and had issue.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 22nd April 1841 [his wife] Henrietta Maria Weld-Forester died.
Archaeologia Volume 30 Section 12. 12. Description of some Gold Ornaments recently found in Ireland, in a Letter from Lord Albert Conyngham [age 37], F.S.A., to Sir Henry Ellis, K.H., F.R.S., Secretary. Read 22nd December 1842.
Bifrons, December 19th, 1842. My Dear Sir Henry,
The golden ornaments which you will receive to-morrow evening to exhibit to the Society of Antiquaries, should you consider them sufficiently interesting, I have numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6. (Plate XII.)
The first five were accidentally found by a labouring man about a fortnight since, within a few yards of the entrance to the caves at New Grange. They were at the depth of two feet from the surface of the ground, and without any covering or protection from the earth about them. Another labouring man, hearing of this discovery, carefully searched the spot whence they were taken, and found a denarius of Geta, and two other coins of small brass, but quite defaced; they are all in my possession.
The Collar which I have marked 6 was found in the neighbourhood of Ardrah, in the county of Donegal. I understood that a labourer found it concealed in the cleft of a rock ; but the person who brought it to me made a condition of selling it to me, that I would neither inquire the finder's name nor the precise spot where it was found, the finder of the collar fearing that the money he received from me would be forced from him by his landlord or his agent, should his name be known.
I remain, my dear Sir Henry, Very sincerely yours, Albert Conyngham.
On 21st December 1847 Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [age 42] and Ursula Lucy Grace Bridgeman [age 24] were married. He the son of Henry Conyngham 1st Marquess Conyngham and Elizabeth Denison Marchioness Conyngham [age 78].
In 1849 Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [age 43] changed his name to Denison to comply with the terms of the will of his uncle Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough who left him the bulk of his substantial fortune.
On 2nd August 1849 [his uncle] William Joseph Denison Banker [age 80] died unmarried. He left the bulk of his estate to his nephew Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [age 43].
On 28th October 1849 [his son] Captain Henry Denison was born to Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [age 44] and [his wife] Ursula Lucy Grace Bridgeman [age 26].
In 1850 Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [age 44] was created 1st Baron Londesborough of Londesborough in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
On 5th March 1851 [his son] Commander Conyngham Denison was born to Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [age 45] and [his wife] Ursula Lucy Grace Bridgeman [age 27].
On 26th March 1856 [his son] Harold Denison was born to Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [age 50] and [his wife] Ursula Lucy Grace Bridgeman [age 32]. He married 3rd August 1899 Katherine Lister and had issue.
Before 1860. Francis Grant [age 56]. Portrait of Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [age 54].
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 15th January 1860 Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough [age 54] died. His son William [age 25] succeeded 2nd Baron Londesborough of Londesborough in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
On 14th December 1861 Otho Augustus Fitzgerald [age 34] and [his former wife] Ursula Lucy Grace Bridgeman [age 38] were married. He the son of Augustus Fitzgerald 3rd Duke Leinster [age 70] and Charlotte Augusta Stanhope Duchess Leinster. They were sixth cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland.
On 11th November 1882 [his former wife] Ursula Lucy Grace Bridgeman [age 59] died.
Great x 2 Grandfather: Francis Burton
Great x 1 Grandfather: Francis Burton
GrandFather: Francis Burton aka Conyngham 2nd Baron Conyngham 
Great x 4 Grandfather: Alexander Cunningham
Great x 3 Grandfather: Colonel Albert Conyngham
Great x 2 Grandfather: Major-General Henry Conyngham of Slane Castle
Great x 1 Grandmother: Mary Conyngham
Great x 4 Grandfather: John William
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Williams 1st Baronet
Great x 2 Grandmother: Mary Williams Baroness Shelburne
Father: Henry Conyngham 1st Marquess Conyngham
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Clements
Great x 1 Grandfather: Nathaniel Clements
GrandMother: Elizabeth Clements
Great x 1 Grandmother: Hannah Gore
Albert Conygham aka Denison 1st Baron Londesborough
GrandFather: Joseph Denison 