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: Abbott
On 9th January 1834 [his father] Charles Abbott (age 30) and [his mother] Emily Frances Stuart were married at St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, Marylebone.
On 26th December 1834 Charles Stuart Abbott 3rd Baron Tenterden was born to [his father] Charles Abbott (age 31) and [his mother] Emily Frances Stuart.
In 1838 [his father] Charles Abbott (age 34) died. His son Charles (age 3) succeeded 3rd Baron Tenterden of Hendon in Middlesex.
In 1854 Charles Stuart Abbott 3rd Baron Tenterden (age 19) was appointed a Clerk in the Foreign Office.
On 2nd August 1859 Charles Stuart Abbott 3rd Baron Tenterden (age 24) and Penelope Smyth Baroness Tenterden (age 19) were married at St Gabriel's Church, Pimlico. She by marriage Baroness Tenterden of Hendon in Middlesex. They were first cousins.
On 30th October 1865 [his son] Charles Abbott 4th Baron Tenterden was born to Charles Stuart Abbott 3rd Baron Tenterden (age 30) and [his wife] Penelope Smyth Baroness Tenterden (age 25). Coefficient of inbreeding 6.25%.
On 30th March 1879 [his wife] Penelope Smyth Baroness Tenterden (age 39) died.
On 13th January 1880 Charles Stuart Abbott 3rd Baron Tenterden (age 45) and Emma Mary Bailey Baroness Tenterden (age 37) were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square. She by marriage Baroness Tenterden of Hendon in Middlesex.
On 22nd September 1882 Charles Stuart Abbott 3rd Baron Tenterden (age 47) died at Nelson House, Lynmouth. His son Charles (age 16) succeeded 4th Baron Tenterden of Hendon in Middlesex.
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.
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On 21st May 1928 [his former wife] Emma Mary Bailey Baroness Tenterden (age 85) died at Monte Carlo.
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Abbott of Centrebury
GrandFather: Charles Abbott 1st Baron Tenterden
Father: Charles Abbott
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Lagier Lamotte of Grotto House, Basildon
GrandMother: Mary Lamotte
Charles Stuart Abbott 3rd Baron Tenterden
GrandFather: Rear-Admiral George Stuart
Mother: Emily Frances Stuart