Roger Whitley's Diary. 1st January 1690: Wednesday (new yeares day) I took phisick; Tovey came (past 10) to see me; I dined at home with Biddolph, Thomas &c; Lady Wood supt with us.
Roger Whitley's Diary. 28th January 1690. Tuesday, went to Lord Delamer [aged 38] (with G.Mainwaring [aged 47]) then to the Treasurer of Chambers office; spoke with Hall about my warrants; he hath them all together (being 5 & the summe 336:6:6) I went to Lord Shrewsbury's office, spoke with Vernon about the Mayor of Chester's having Pooles Armes; went with G.Mainwaring & Elwyn to London; then to Mosier; then to [fo. 114r] Jan: the Sunne with the spectacle maker; there were 2 Radfords; gave them a bottle of wine; I dined at Pontacks with Mainwaring my sonne [aged 39] & 2 Edisbury's; went (with 2 Mainwarings) to the Post office. there was Wildman & his sonne; then to the Sunne Taverne; there were 2 Edisbury's, my sonne, Dashwood, 2 Mainwarings, Hannibal Baskerville, Monteage & another (the 2 last went first) Mainwaring & I left them neare 8, went to Nag's Head; there was Wood, Titus, Harris, Craven, Maxwell, Partridge &c; parted past 9; found Biddolph at home.
Roger Whitley's Diary. 29th January 1690. Wednesday, Mainwaring went to meete Crew at Dunstable; I dined at home with Biddolph, Roger, & Thomas; went in the evening to Woods, saw Lady & daughters; called on Biddolph in Holborne; went to Bishop of Chester; Kidder was with him; stayd awhile; called on Baroby, went to the printer; there was Biddolph, Baroby, Dashwood, G.Mainwaring [aged 47] Gerard & Wade; parted past 9, came home.
Roger Whitley's Diary. 30th January 1690. Thursday, Jarrat came about money for Rogers watch; I dined at home; Biddolph & I went to Nag's Head about 7; there was Wood, Biddolph, G.Mainwaring [aged 47] Maxfeild, Coling.
Roger Whitley's Diary. 31st January 1690. Friday, I dined at Ship in Gratious Streete with Biddolph, 2 Mainwarings, 2 sons, daughters, Morgan, Minshall &c; went about 6 to a Quakers Taverne in Cornehill; there was Dashwood, Lewes, Thomas, Smith, Morgan, Mainwaring, my sonne [aged 39] &c; parted past 9.
Roger Whitley's Diary. 1st February 1690. Satorday, Wood, Lady, daughters, Edisbury, Mrs Shakerly dined with us with Biddolph; Mainwaring, sonnes, daughter &c; parted betimes; I stayd at home all day.
Roger Whitley's Diary. 3rd February 1690. Monday, went to Westminster, dined at Woods (with my family); after dinner came Titus; we parted presently; I went to Mosiers & to Crowne Taverne; there was Biddolph; Lewes, Dashwood, Thomas, Smith, my sonne [aged 39], 2 Mainwarings, Nevet &c; we parted past 9.
Roger Whitley's Diary. 4th February 1690. Tuesday, Barington came about his bills; I went to Toll about Chester money; I dined at home with Biddolph, Mainwaring, his brother, my 2 sons; brother, Morgan, Thomas &c; about 3, I went to Sir R: Gwynn; he was at dinner with Colt, Owens, Rud, Rawley, & severall others; I dranck a glasse of wine; stayd ½ houer; my daughters called me; went to Sir Robert Cottons; he & daughters & sonne [aged 39] were at home; 2 other gentlemen with them, with musick books & instruments on the table; went then to cosen Fairefax; saw him & Lady; then called on Mrs Shakerly; they brought me home; Jones came & settled accounts: I took him in my coach to Nag's Head; there we parted; I went up to Wood, Maxfeild, Cooper & another; then came Biddolph, Mainwaring & Coling; we parted neare 10.
Roger Whitley's Diary. 5th February 1690. Wednesday, I went to Lord Delamer [aged 38] then to Lord Macclesfeild [aged 31], then to Wood, to Pigeon, to Hall at the Treasurer of Chamber's office; walked in Whitehall an houer; spoke with severall acquaintance there; came home past 12; dined with Biddolph, Mainwaring, 2 sons, brother, Morgan, William Morgan &c; went about 7 to St Albans Taverne; there was Wood, Colt, Biddolph, Mainwaring, Bedisford came about 9. we parted at 10.
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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Roger Whitley's Diary. 10th February 1690. Monday, we set out past 8; dined at the Harp; there Biddolph parted with us; severall frinds from Lichfeild meeting him there; he went with them to Lichfeild; we lay that night at the 4 Crosses.
Roger Whitley's Diary. 16th February 1690. Sonday, I went twice to Parish church; dined with Mainwaring at Angells; after evening sermon, went home with the Mayor; there were 2 Mainwarings Streete, severall Aldermen & Sheriffe Partington; I moved, that if the Parliament writ did not come tomorrow, before the rising of the Court; that the Court might be kept in being by short ajournemts; seeing that the messenger promised at London (as Cotton writes) to deliver it on Satorday & Sir Michael Biddolph writes from Lichfeild that they had theire writ on Friday & the messenger told them there that he would be at Chester on Satorday & we might reasonably conclude that the messenger would be with us in a few houers; not that we desired a spedy Election (by surprise) but to be possessed of the writ & then to ajourne to a convenient day for the Election but the Sherffe would not consent to it; I went that evening to the Sunne with 2 Mainwarings, Streete & Robert Anderson; parted about 10.