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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Before 28th December 1804 [her father] George Augustus Nash and [her mother] Lydia Watson were married.
On 24th June 1826 Frederic Leighton (age 26) and Augusta Susan Nash (age 21) were married.
On 23rd November 1828 [her daughter] Alexandra Leighton was born to [her husband] Frederic Leighton (age 29) and Augusta Susan Nash (age 23). She married 7th March 1857 Major Sutherland George Gordon Orr.
On 3rd December 1830 [her son] Frederick Leighton 1st Baron Leighton was born to [her husband] Frederic Leighton (age 31) and Augusta Susan Nash (age 25). at Scarborough, North Yorkshire [Map].
Around 1833 [her husband] Frederic Leighton (age 33) and Augusta Susan Nash (age 28) relocated to 22 Argyle Street, London.
On 10th September 1835 [her daughter] Augusta Leighton was born to [her husband] Frederic Leighton (age 35) and Augusta Susan Nash (age 30). She married 9th May 1859 Arthur Matthews.
In 1853 [her husband] Frederic Leighton (age 53) and Augusta Susan Nash (age 48) moved to 9 The Circus, Bath, to be near Fred's mother and also Augusta Susan's uncle, James Watson.
On 7th March 1857 [her son-in-law] Major Sutherland George Gordon Orr (age 41) and [her daughter] Alexandra Leighton (age 28) were married at Bath, Somerset [Map]. He died fifteen months later.
In 1859 [her husband] Frederic Leighton (age 59) and Augusta Susan Nash (age 54) travelled to Florence with their daughters Gussie and the recently widowed1 [her daughter] Alexandra aka Lina (age 30).
Note 1. Her husband [her former son-in-law] Major Sutherland George Gordon Orr (age 42) had died on 19th June 1858.
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 9th May 1859 [her son-in-law] Arthur Matthews and [her daughter] Augusta Leighton (age 23) were married.
In 1865 Augusta Susan Nash (age 60) died.
On 24th January 1892 [her former husband] Frederic Leighton (age 92) died at 11 Kensington-park-gardens.