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: Hope
On Charle Hope-Weir aka Vere and Helen Dunbar were married. He the son of Charles Hope 1st Earl Hopetoun and Henrietta Johnstone.
On 31st August 1699 [his father] Charles Hope 1st Earl Hopetoun [aged 18] and [his mother] Henrietta Johnstone [aged 16] were married.
On 8th May 1710 Charle Hope-Weir aka Vere was born to Charles Hope 1st Earl Hopetoun [aged 29] and Henrietta Johnstone [aged 27].
On 14th December 1723 [his brother-in-law] James Ogilvy 5th Earl Findlater 2nd Earl Seafield [aged 34] and [his sister] Sophia Hope Countess Findlater [aged 21] were married. She the daughter of [his father] Charles Hope 1st Earl Hopetoun [aged 42] and [his mother] Henrietta Johnstone [aged 41]. He the son of James Ogilvy 1st Earl Seafield 4th Earl Findlater [aged 60].
On 15th August 1730 James Ogilvy 1st Earl Seafield 4th Earl Findlater [aged 67] died. His son [his brother-in-law] James [aged 41] succeeded 5th Earl Findlater, 2nd Earl Seafield. [his sister] Sophia Hope Countess Findlater [aged 28] by marriage Countess Findlater.
On 26th July 1733 Charle Hope-Weir aka Vere [aged 23] and Catherine Weir were married. He the son of Charles Hope 1st Earl Hopetoun [aged 52] and Henrietta Johnstone [aged 50].
On 14th September 1733 [his brother] John Hope 2nd Earl Hopetoun [aged 29] and [his sister-in-law] Anne Ogilvy Countess Hopetoun [aged 23] were married. She the daughter of [his brother-in-law] James Ogilvy 5th Earl Findlater 2nd Earl Seafield [aged 44] and Elizabeth Hay. He the son of [his father] Charles Hope 1st Earl Hopetoun [aged 52] and [his mother] Henrietta Johnstone [aged 50].
On 26th February 1742 [his father] Charles Hope 1st Earl Hopetoun [aged 61] died. His son [his brother] John [aged 37] succeeded 2nd Earl Hopetoun. [his sister-in-law] Anne Ogilvy Countess Hopetoun [aged 32] by marriage Countess Hopetoun.
In 1743 [his wife] Catherine Weir died.
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 20th March 1745 Charle Hope-Weir aka Vere [aged 34] and Anne Vane [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of Henry Vane 1st Earl Darlington [aged 40] and Grace Fitzroy Countess Darlington [aged 47]. He the son of Charles Hope 1st Earl Hopetoun and Henrietta Johnstone [aged 62].
On 25th November 1750 [his mother] Henrietta Johnstone [aged 68] died.
In 1757 Charle Hope-Weir aka Vere [aged 46] and Anne Vane [aged 31] were divorced by Act of Parliament.
On 19th March 1757 [his former brother-in-law] Henry Vane 2nd Earl Darlington [aged 30] and Margaret Lowther Countess Darlington [aged 29] were married at London. He the son of [his former father-in-law] Henry Vane 1st Earl Darlington [aged 52] and [his former mother-in-law] Grace Fitzroy Countess Darlington [aged 59].
On 6th March 1758 [his former father-in-law] Henry Vane 1st Earl Darlington [aged 53] died. His son [his former brother-in-law] Henry [aged 31] succeeded 2nd Earl Darlington, 2nd Viscount Barnard, 4th Baron Barnard. Margaret Lowther Countess Darlington [aged 30] by marriage Countess Darlington.
On 25th April 1761 [his sister] Sophia Hope Countess Findlater [aged 58] died.
On 30th September 1762 [his brother] John Hope 2nd Earl Hopetoun [aged 58] and [his sister-in-law] Jane Oliphant Countess Hopetoun were married. She by marriage Countess Hopetoun. He the son of [his father] Charles Hope 1st Earl Hopetoun and [his mother] Henrietta Johnstone.
On 12th February 1781 [his brother] John Hope 2nd Earl Hopetoun [aged 76] died. His son [his nephew] James [aged 39] succeeded 3rd Earl Hopetoun.
On 30th December 1791 Charle Hope-Weir aka Vere [aged 81] died.
On 8th September 1792 [his former wife] Anne Vane [aged 66] died.
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 daughter] Elizabeth Vere Hope was born to Charle Hope-Weir aka Vere and Helen Dunbar. She married 1798 her first cousin John Hope 4th Earl Hopetoun, son of John Hope 2nd Earl Hopetoun and Jane Oliphant Countess Hopetoun.
Kings Wessex: Great x 20 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 17 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 23 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 18 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 11 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 19 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 27 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 15 Grand Son of Philip V King France I King Navarre
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 25 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 1 Grandfather: James Hope of Hopetoun
GrandFather: John Hope of Hopetoun
Father: Charles Hope 1st Earl Hopetoun 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Hamilton of Priestfield
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Hamilton 1st Earl Haddington
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Hamilton 2nd Earl Haddington
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Hamilton 4th Earl Haddington 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Erskine 18th Earl of Mar 10 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Erskine 19th Earl of Mar 11 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Catherine Erskine 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Stewart Countess Mar 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox
GrandMother: Margaret Hamilton 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Lindsay 7th Lord Lindsay of the Byres 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Lindsay 9th Lord Lindsay of the Byres 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Lindsay 1st Earl Lindsay 17th Earl Crawford 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Christian Lindsay Countess Haddington 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Hamilton 1st Marquess Hamilton 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: James Hamilton 2nd Marquess Hamilton 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Lyon Marchioness Hamilton 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Hamilton Countess Lindsay and Crawford 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Cunningham 7th Earl Glencairn 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Ann Cunningham Marchioness Hamilton 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Charle Hope-Weir aka Vere 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: James Johnstone 1st Earl of Hartnell
GrandFather: William Johnstone 1st Marquess of Annandale
Mother: Henrietta Johnstone