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: Bennett
On 28th July 1806 [his father] Charles Augustus Bennet 5th Earl Tankerville [aged 30] and [his mother] Corisande Armandine Sophie Léonie Hélène Gramont Countess Tankerville [aged 23] were married at Devonshire House. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Antoine 8th Duke Gramont [aged 50] and [his grandmother] Aglae de Polignac "Guichette" Duchess Gramont. He the son of Charles Bennet 4th Earl Tankerville [aged 62] and Emma Colebrooke Countess Tankerville [aged 54].
On 10th January 1810 Charles Bennet 6th Earl Tankerville was born to [his father] Charles Augustus Bennet 5th Earl Tankerville [aged 33] and [his mother] Corisande Armandine Sophie Léonie Hélène Gramont Countess Tankerville [aged 27] at Charles Street, Berkeley Square.
On 10th December 1822 [his grandfather] Charles Bennet 4th Earl Tankerville [aged 79] died. His son [his father] Charles [aged 46] succeeded 5th Earl Tankerville, 6th Baron Ossulston of Ossulston in Middlesex. [his mother] Corisande Armandine Sophie Léonie Hélène Gramont Countess Tankerville [aged 40] by marriage Countess Tankerville.
On 13th May 1830 [his brother-in-law] James Harris 3rd Earl Malmesbury [aged 23] and [his sister] Corisande Emma Bennet Countess Malmesbury [aged 22] were married. She by marriage Countess Malmesbury. She the daughter of [his father] Charles Augustus Bennet 5th Earl Tankerville [aged 54] and [his mother] Corisande Armandine Sophie Léonie Hélène Gramont Countess Tankerville [aged 47]. He the son of James Edward Harris 2nd Earl Malmesbury [aged 51] and Harriet Susan Dashwood.
In 1832 Charles Bennet 6th Earl Tankerville [aged 21] was elected MP North Northumberland.
On 29th January 1850 Charles Bennet 6th Earl Tankerville [aged 40] and Olivia Montagu Countess Tankerville [aged 19] were married at Kimbolton Castle [Map]. The difference in their ages was 20 years. She the daughter of George Montagu 6th Duke Manchester [aged 50] and Millicent Sparrow Duchess Manchester. He the son of Charles Augustus Bennet 5th Earl Tankerville [aged 73] and Corisande Armandine Sophie Léonie Hélène Gramont Countess Tankerville [aged 67].
On 31st December 1850 [his son] Charles Bennet was born to Charles Bennet 6th Earl Tankerville [aged 40] and [his wife] Olivia Montagu Countess Tankerville [aged 20].
On 30th March 1852 [his son] George Montagu Bennet 7th Earl Tankerville was born to Charles Bennet 6th Earl Tankerville [aged 42] and [his wife] Olivia Montagu Countess Tankerville [aged 21] at Claridge's Hotel, Brook Street. He married 23rd October 1895 Leonora Sophia van Marter Countess of Tancerville and had issue.
On 22nd July 1852 [his brother-in-law] 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 [his father-in-law] George Montagu 6th Duke Manchester [aged 53] and Millicent Sparrow Duchess Manchester.
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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On 30th May 1853 [his son] Frederick Augustus Bennet was born to Charles Bennet 6th Earl Tankerville [aged 43] and [his wife] Olivia Montagu Countess Tankerville [aged 22].
In 1855 [his daughter] Corisande Olivia Bennet was born to Charles Bennet 6th Earl Tankerville [aged 44] and [his wife] Olivia Montagu Countess Tankerville [aged 24].
On 18th August 1855 [his father-in-law] George Montagu 6th Duke Manchester [aged 56] died. His son [his brother-in-law] 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 22nd June 1857 [his daughter] Ida Louise Bennet Countess Dalhousie was born to Charles Bennet 6th Earl Tankerville [aged 47] and [his wife] Olivia Montagu Countess Tankerville [aged 26]. She married 1877 John William Maule Ramsay 13th Earl Dalhousie and had issue.
On 25th June 1859 [his father] 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. [his wife] Olivia Montagu Countess Tankerville [aged 28] by marriage Countess Tankerville.
On 23rd January 1865 [his mother] Corisande Armandine Sophie Léonie Hélène Gramont Countess Tankerville [aged 82] died.
In 1866 Jacob Wilson was appointed land agent to Charles Bennet 6th Earl Tankerville [aged 55] for his estates at Chillingham, Northumberland [Map].
On 17th May 1876 [his sister] Corisande Emma Bennet Countess Malmesbury [aged 68] died. Memorial in Christchurch Priory [Map] sculpted by Gaetano Trentanove [aged 18].
Sacred To The Memory Of Corisande Emma Countess Of Malmesbury, Daughter Of [his father] Charles Fifth Earl Of Tankerville, And [his mother] Corisande, Daughter Of The [his grandfather] Duke De Gramont. Born Aug. 19, 1807. Died May 17, 1876.
From her it never was our fate to find a deed ungentle or a word unkind, the mildes manners with the bravest mind."
Corisande Emma Bennet Countess Malmesbury: On 10th August 1807 she was born to Charles Augustus Bennet 5th Earl Tankerville and Corisande Armandine Sophie Léonie Hélène Gramont Countess Tankerville. On 13th May 1830 James Harris 3rd Earl Malmesbury and she were married. She by marriage Countess Malmesbury. She the daughter of Charles Augustus Bennet 5th Earl Tankerville and Corisande Armandine Sophie Léonie Hélène Gramont Countess Tankerville. He the son of James Edward Harris 2nd Earl Malmesbury and Harriet Susan Dashwood.
In 1877 [his son-in-law] John William Maule Ramsay 13th Earl Dalhousie [aged 29] and Ida Louise Bennet Countess Dalhousie [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of Charles Bennet 6th Earl Tankerville [aged 66] and Olivia Montagu Countess Tankerville [aged 46].
On 29th June 1879 [his son] Charles Bennet [aged 28] died of cholera at India.
On 24th November 1887 [his daughter] Ida Louise Bennet Countess Dalhousie [aged 30] died.
On 22nd March 1890 [his brother-in-law] 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.
Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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On 5th September 1891 [his son] Frederick Augustus Bennet [aged 38] died.
On 23rd October 1895 George Montagu Bennet 7th Earl Tankerville [aged 43] and Leonora Sophia van Marter Countess of Tancerville were married. He the son of Charles Bennet 6th Earl Tankerville [aged 85] and Olivia Montagu Countess Tankerville [aged 65].
On 18th December 1899 Charles Bennet 6th Earl Tankerville [aged 89] died. His son George [aged 47] succeeded 7th Earl Tankerville, 8th Baron Ossulston of Ossulston in Middlesex. Leonora Sophia van Marter Countess of Tancerville by marriage Countess Tankerville.
On 15th February 1922 [his former wife] Olivia Montagu Countess Tankerville [aged 91] died at Greystones, Tunbridge Wells. She was buried at Chillingham, Northumberland [Map].
Kings Wessex: Great x 23 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 20 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 26 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 21 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 23 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 13 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 22 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 29 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 23 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 27 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Bennet 1st Baron Ossulston 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Charles Bennet 1st Earl Tankerville 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Bridget Howe Baroness Ossulston 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Charles Bennet 2nd Earl Tankerville 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ford Grey 1st Earl Tankerville 
10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Grey Baroness Ossulston 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Berkeley Countess Tankerville 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Charles Bennet 3rd Earl Tankerville 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Colville
Great x 2 Grandmother: Camilla Colville Countess Tankerville
GrandFather: Charles Bennet 4th Earl Tankerville 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Walter Astley 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Astley 1st Baronet 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Grace Trentham
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Astley 2nd Baronet 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Alice Astley Countess Tankerville 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Father: Charles Augustus Bennet 5th Earl Tankerville 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: James Colebrooke
Great x 1 Grandfather: James Colebrooke 1st Baronet
GrandMother: Emma Colebrooke Countess Tankerville
Charles Bennet 6th Earl Tankerville 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Antoine Charles 4th Duke Gramont
Great x 2 Grandfather: Louis 6th Duke of Gramont
Great x 4 Grandfather: Anne Jules 2nd Duke de Noailles
Great x 3 Grandmother: Marie Christine de Noailles
Great x 1 Grandfather: Antoine 7th Duke Gramont
Great x 3 Grandfather: Charles-Armand de Gontaut Duc de Biron
Great x 2 Grandmother: Geneviève de Gontaut
Great x 3 Grandmother: Marie-Antoinette Duchesse de Lauzun
GrandFather: Antoine 8th Duke Gramont
Mother: Corisande Armandine Sophie Léonie Hélène Gramont Countess Tankerville
Great x 1 Grandfather: Jules 1st Duke of Polignac
GrandMother: Aglae de Polignac "Guichette" Duchess Gramont
Great x 1 Grandmother: Yolande Martine Gabrielle Polastron Duchess Gramont