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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On 6th May 1786 Jesse Watts-Russell was born to [his father] Jesse Russell.
On 29th January 1811 Jesse Watts-Russell (age 24) and Mary Watts (age 19) were married. She the heiress of a welthy wine merchant.
In 1812 [his son] Jesse David Watts-Russll was born to Jesse Watts-Russell (age 25) and [his wife] Mary Watts (age 20). He married 4th June 1835 Mary Nevill Wright.
On 29th July 1816 [his father-in-law] David Pike Watts (age 62) died. His daughter [his wife] Mary Watts (age 24) and her husband Jesse Watts-Russell (age 30) inherited Ilam Hall, Staffordshire.
On 28th March 1817 Jesse Watts-Russell (age 30) took the name of Watts before Russell by Royal Licence.
In 1819 Jesse Watts-Russell (age 32) was appointed High Sheriff of Staffordshire.
Memorials of Francis Chantrey RA in Hallamshire and Elsewhere Part V London Life and Works. The interest of my visit to the mausoleum containing this affecting piece of sculpture, was considerably enhanced by the appearance of a most exquisite stone cross, which had just been erected in the adjacent village, by the benevolent proprietor (age 32) of Ilam, in memory of his [his wife] wife (age 27), the lady above mentioned, one or two of whose children, with their father, the clergyman of the place, and Mr. Derrick, of Oxford, the architect, were at the moment inspecting the newly-finished work. This out door incident formed a touching commentary on the monument in the church! I have always understood that the elegant residence of Jesse Watts Russell, Esq., owes something of its architectural beauty to the taste of Chantrey (age 37), who certainly designed the Parsonage House adjacent.
Before 21st June 1820 Jesse Watts-Russell (age 34) was elected MP Gatton which seat he held until 1826.
After 21st June 1820 [his father] Jesse Russell died. During his life he was described as a soap boiler, of Goodman's Yard, Minories, London and Walthamstow, Essex. His son Jesse Watts-Russell (age 34) received a half-share of estates in Essex and a third-share of the residue of personalty sworn under £500,000; see PROB 11/1632/437; IR26/836/679. The date 21st June 1820 is based on his son Jesse Watts-Russell taking a fortnight's leave from Parliament on account of his father's illness
In 1821 Jesse Watts-Russell (age 34) commissioned James Trubshaw to build a Ilam Hall, Staffordshire to designs by John Shaw. Construction was completed in 1826.
On 31st May 1831 [his son-in-law] Norton Joseph Knatchbull 10th Baronet (age 22) and [his daughter] Mary Watts-Russell were married.
On 4th June 1835 [his son] Jesse David Watts-Russll (age 23) and [his daughter-in-law] Mary Nevill Wright were married. They had nine or more children.
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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In 1840 [his wife] Mary Watts (age 48) died.
On 20th June 1843 Jesse Watts-Russell (age 57) and Maria Barker were married.
On 30th October 1844 [his wife] Maria Barker died.
On 22nd November 1862 Jesse Watts-Russell (age 76) and Martha Leach were married.
On 3rd September 1874 [his daughter] Mary Watts-Russell died.
On 28th March 1875 Jesse Watts-Russell (age 88) died. He left Ilam Hall, Staffordshire, which he had had rebuilt 'in the Gothic style' in the 1820s, and which Dyott deemed 'most magnificent' and 'splendidly furnished', together with estates in Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, to his eldest son, [his son] Jesse David Watts-Russll (age 63).
[his daughter] Mary Watts-Russell was born to Jesse Watts-Russell and Mary Watts. She married 31st May 1831 Norton Joseph Knatchbull 10th Baronet, son of Edward Knatchbull 9th Baronet and Annabella Christiana Honywood, and had issue.