On 15th June 1832 Louisa Vonalten Duchess Devonshire and Manchester was born to Karl Franz Viktor Vonalten [aged 31].
On 22nd July 1852 William Drogo Montagu 7th Duke Manchester [aged 28] and Louisa Vonalten Duchess Devonshire and Manchester [aged 20] were married at Hanover Lower Saxony. He the son of George Montagu 6th Duke Manchester [aged 53] and Millicent Sparrow Duchess Manchester.
On 17th June 1853 [her son] George Victor Drogo Montagu 8th Duke Manchester was born to [her husband] William Drogo Montagu 7th Duke Manchester [aged 29] and Louisa Vonalten Duchess Devonshire and Manchester [aged 21] at Kimbolton. He married 22nd May 1876 Consuelo Yznaga Duchess Manchester and had issue.
On 27th December 1854 [her daughter] Mary Louisa Elizabeth Montagu Duchess Hamilton Duchess Brandon was born to [her husband] William Drogo Montagu 7th Duke Manchester [aged 31] and Louisa Vonalten Duchess Devonshire and Manchester [aged 22]. She married 10th December 1873 her fourth cousin once removed William Douglas Hamilton 12th Duke Hamilton 9th Duke Brandon, son of William Alexander Archibald Hamilton 11th Duke Hamilton 8th Duke Brandon, and had issue.
On 18th August 1855 [her father-in-law] George Montagu 6th Duke Manchester [aged 56] died. His son [her husband] William [aged 31] succeeded 7th Duke Manchester, 10th Earl Manchester, 10th Viscount Mandeville, 10th Baron Montagu of Kimbolton. Louisa Vonalten Duchess Devonshire and Manchester [aged 23] by marriage Duchess Manchester.
On 17th January 1856 [her daughter] Louisa Augusta Beatrice Montagu Countess Gosford was born to [her husband] William Drogo Montagu 7th Duke Manchester [aged 32] and Louisa Vonalten Duchess Devonshire and Manchester [aged 23]. She married 10th August 1876 her half second cousin once removed Archibald Brabazon Sparrow Acheson 4th Earl Gosford, son of Archibald Acheson 3rd Earl Gosford and Theodosia Brabazon Countess Gosford, and had issue.
On 25th June 1859 Charles Augustus Bennet 5th Earl Tankerville [aged 83] died. His son Charles [aged 49] succeeded 6th Earl Tankerville, 7th Baron Ossulston of Ossulston in Middlesex. [her sister-in-law] Olivia Montagu Countess Tankerville [aged 28] by marriage Countess Tankerville.
On 23rd November 1860 [her son] Charles William Augustus Montagu was born to [her husband] William Drogo Montagu 7th Duke Manchester [aged 37] and Louisa Vonalten Duchess Devonshire and Manchester [aged 28]. He married 4th December 1930 his sixth cousin Mildred Cecilia Sturt Lady Montagu, daughter of Henry Gerard Sturt 1st Baron Alington and Augusta Bingham Baroness Alington.
On 15th August 1862 [her daughter] Alice Maude Olivia Montagu Countess Derby was born to [her husband] William Drogo Montagu 7th Duke Manchester [aged 38] and Louisa Vonalten Duchess Devonshire and Manchester [aged 30]. She married 5th January 1889 Edward George Villiers Stanley 17th Earl of Derby, son of Frederick Arthur Stanley 16th Earl of Derby and Constance Villiers Countess Derby, and had issue.
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.
On 10th December 1873 [her son-in-law] William Douglas Hamilton 12th Duke Hamilton 9th Duke Brandon [aged 28] and Mary Louisa Elizabeth Montagu Duchess Hamilton Duchess Brandon [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Duchess Hamilton, Duchess Brandon of Suffolk. She the daughter of William Drogo Montagu 7th Duke Manchester [aged 50] and Louisa Vonalten Duchess Devonshire and Manchester [aged 41]. He the son of William Alexander Archibald Hamilton 11th Duke Hamilton 8th Duke Brandon. They were fourth cousin once removed.
On 22nd May 1876 George Victor Drogo Montagu 8th Duke Manchester [aged 22] and Consuelo Yznaga Duchess Manchester [aged 23] were married at Grace Church, Manhattan. Arguably a Dollar Princess. He the son of William Drogo Montagu 7th Duke Manchester [aged 52] and Louisa Vonalten Duchess Devonshire and Manchester [aged 43].
On 10th August 1876 [her son-in-law] Archibald Brabazon Sparrow Acheson 4th Earl Gosford [aged 35] and Louisa Augusta Beatrice Montagu Countess Gosford [aged 20] were married. She by marriage Countess Gosford. She the daughter of William Drogo Montagu 7th Duke Manchester [aged 52] and Louisa Vonalten Duchess Devonshire and Manchester [aged 44]. He the son of Archibald Acheson 3rd Earl Gosford and Theodosia Brabazon Countess Gosford. They were half second cousin once removed.
On 9th March 1879 [her father] Karl Franz Viktor Vonalten [aged 78] died at Leipzig.
On 5th January 1889 [her son-in-law] Edward George Villiers Stanley 17th Earl of Derby [aged 23] and Alice Maude Olivia Montagu Countess Derby [aged 26] were married. She the daughter of William Drogo Montagu 7th Duke Manchester [aged 65] and Louisa Vonalten Duchess Devonshire and Manchester [aged 56]. He the son of Frederick Arthur Stanley 16th Earl of Derby [aged 47] and Constance Villiers Countess Derby [aged 49].
On 22nd March 1890 [her husband] William Drogo Montagu 7th Duke Manchester [aged 66] died. His son George [aged 36] succeeded 8th Duke Manchester, 11th Earl Manchester, 11th Viscount Mandeville, 11th Baron Montagu of Kimbolton. Consuelo Yznaga Duchess Manchester [aged 37] by marriage Duchess Manchester.
On 21st December 1891 William Cavendish 7th Duke Devonshire [aged 83] died. He was buried at the Cavendish Plot, St Peter's Church, Edensor [Map]. His son [her future husband] Spencer [aged 58] succeeded 8th Duke Devonshire, 11th Earl Devonshire, 3rd Earl Burlington, 11th Baron Cavendish Hardwick.
On 16th August 1892 Spencer Cavendish 8th Duke Devonshire [aged 59] and Louisa Vonalten Duchess Devonshire and Manchester [aged 60] were married at Christ Church, Mayfair. She by marriage Duchess Devonshire. He the son of William Cavendish 7th Duke Devonshire and Blanche Georgiana Howard.
On 18th August 1892 George Victor Drogo Montagu 8th Duke Manchester [aged 39] died at Tandragee Castle. His son William [aged 15] succeeded 9th Duke Manchester, 12th Earl Manchester, 12th Viscount Mandeville, 12th Baron Montagu of Kimbolton.
On 24th March 1908 [her husband] Spencer Cavendish 8th Duke Devonshire [aged 74] died of pneumonia at Hotel Metropol. His nephew Victor [aged 39] succeeded 9th Duke Devonshire, 12th Earl Devonshire, 4th Earl Burlington, 12th Baron Cavendish Hardwick. On 28th March 1908 he was buried in the Cavendish Plot, St Peter's Church, Edensor [Map].
4th April 1908. St Peter's Church, Edensor [Map]. Pictures from The Sphere of the funeral of [her former husband] Spencer Cavendish 8th Duke Devonshire [deceased].
"The Bishop of Derby officiated ... The little boy is the new Marquis of Hartington [aged 12]. His father [aged 39] is seen supporting the Dowager Duchess [aged 75].
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 15th July 1911 Louisa Vonalten Duchess Devonshire and Manchester [aged 79] died.
Adeline Horsey Recollections. I used often to meet Louise, Duchess of Devonshire (then Duchess of Manchester) in the country. At that time she was in the freshness of her somewhat opulent German beauty, but we were never intimate, and have always disliked each other.