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: Capell
Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth May Viscountess Campden 1562-1643
On 28th November 1627 [her father] Arthur Capell 1st Baron Capell Hadham [aged 19] and [her mother] Elizabeth Morrison Baroness Capell Hadham [aged 16] were married.
On or before 16th September 1630 Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort was born to [her father] Arthur Capell 1st Baron Capell Hadham [aged 22] and [her mother] Elizabeth Morrison Baroness Capell Hadham [aged 19] at Little Hadham, Hertfordshire [Map].
On 6th August 1641 [her father] Arthur Capell 1st Baron Capell Hadham [aged 33] was created 1st Baron Capell Hadham. [her mother] Elizabeth Morrison Baroness Capell Hadham [aged 30] by marriage Baroness Capell Hadham.
On 28th June 1648 Henry Seymour [aged 22] and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 17] were married at Little Hadham, Hertfordshire [Map]. He the son of William Seymour 2nd Duke of Somerset [aged 60] and Frances Devereux Duchess of Somerset [aged 48]. They were fourth cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
On 9th March 1649 at the Old Palace Yard, Westminster Palace three Royalist Lords were beheaded ...
[her father] Arthur Capell 1st Baron Capell Hadham [aged 41] was beheaded. His son Arthur [aged 17] succeeded 2nd Baron Capell Hadham.
Henry Rich 1st Earl Holland [aged 58] was beheaded. His son Robert [aged 30] succeeded 2nd Earl Holland. Elizabeth Ingram Countess Holland [aged 26] by marriage Countess Holland.
James Hamilton 1st Duke Hamilton [aged 42] was beheaded. His brother William [aged 32] succeeded 2nd Duke Hamilton, 3rd Earl Cambridge, 3rd Baron Innerdale by special remainder.
John Owen [aged 49] had been sentenced to death but was subsequently pardoned.
Around 1650 Heneage Finch 3rd Earl Winchilsea [aged 22] and [her sister-in-law] Mary Seymour Countess Winchelsea [aged 13] were married. She by marriage Countess Winchilsea. She the daughter of [her father-in-law] William Seymour 2nd Duke of Somerset [aged 62] and [her mother-in-law] Frances Devereux Duchess of Somerset [aged 50]. He the son of Thomas Finch 2nd Earl Winchilsea and Cecily Wentworth Countess Winchelsea. They were third cousins. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
Before 25th June 1652 [her brother-in-law] Charles Dormer 2nd Earl Carnarvon [aged 19] and [her sister] Elizabeth Capell Countess Carnarvon [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Carnarvon. He the son of Robert Dormer 1st Earl Carnarvon and Anne Sophia Herbert Countess Carnarvon. They were fourth cousins.
On 19th May 1653 [her brother] Arthur Capell 1st Earl Essex [aged 21] and [her sister-in-law] Elizabeth Percy Countess Essex [aged 17] were married. She the daughter of Algernon Percy 10th Earl of Northumberland [aged 50] and Anne Cecil. They were fourth cousin once removed.
In 1654 [her son] William Seymour 3rd Duke of Somerset was born to [her husband] Henry Seymour [aged 28] and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 23].
On 30th March 1654 [her husband] Henry Seymour [aged 28] died. He was buried at Bedwyn Magna Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire.
Around 1655 [her daughter] Elizabeth Seymour Countess Elgin and Ailesbury was born to [her former husband] Henry Seymour and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 24]. She married 31st August 1676 her fourth cousin Thomas Bruce 3rd Earl Elgin 2nd Earl Ailesbury, son of Robert Bruce 2nd Earl Elgin 1st Earl Ailesbury, and had issue.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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John Evelyn's Diary. 19th September 1655. Came to see me Sir Edward Hales [aged 29], Mr. Ashmole [aged 38], Mr. Harlakenton, and Mr. Thornhill: and, the next day, I visited Sir Henry Newton at Charlton, where I met the Earl of Winchelsea [aged 27] and Baroness Beauchamp [aged 25], daughter to the Lord Capel.
Before 25th December 1660 Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 31] and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 30] were married. He the son of Edward Somerset 2nd Marquess Worcester [aged 58] and Elizabeth Dormer. They were fourth cousins.
On 25th December 1660 [her son] Charles Somerset Marquess Worcester was born to [her husband] Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 31] and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 30]. He married 6th June 1682 Rebecca Child Marchioness Worcester and had issue.
In 1664 [her daughter] Mary Somerset Duchess Ormonde was born to [her husband] Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 35] and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 33]. She married 1685 James Butler 2nd Duke Ormonde, son of Thomas Butler 6th Earl Ossory and Emilia Nassau Beverweert Countess Ossory, and had issue.
On 19th January 1667 Percy Herbert 2nd Baron Powis [aged 69] died. His son William [aged 41] succeeded 3rd Baron Powis of Powis Castle in Powys, 2nd Baronet Powis of Red Castle in Montgomeryshire. [her sister-in-law] Elizabeth Somerset Marchioness Powis [aged 32] by marriage Baroness Powis of Powis Castle in Powys.
On 3rd April 1667 [her father-in-law] Edward Somerset 2nd Marquess Worcester [aged 65] died. His son [her husband] Henry [aged 38] succeeded 3rd Marquess Worcester, 7th Earl Worcester, 9th Baron Herbert of Raglan. Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 36] by marriage Marchioness Worcester.
Around 1669 [her daughter] Henrietta Somerset Countess Suffolk was born to [her husband] Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 40] and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 38]. She married (1) 24th June 1686 her fourth cousin once removed Henry Horatio O'Brien, son of Henry O'Brien 7th Earl Thomond and Sarah Russell Countess Thomond, and had issue (2) April 1705 her fifth cousin Henry Howard 6th Earl Suffolk, son of Henry Howard 5th Earl Suffolk and Mary Stewart.
On 29th September 1671 [her son] Arthur Somerset was born to [her husband] Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 42] and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 41]. He married 1695 Mary Russell, daughter of William Russell 1st Baronet and Hester Rouse Lady Russell, and had issue.
On 12th December 1671 [her son] William Seymour 3rd Duke of Somerset [aged 17] died. His uncle [her former brother-in-law] John [aged 26] succeeded 4th Duke Somerset, 3rd Marquess Hertford, 4th Earl Hertford, 4th Baron Beauchamp of Hatch Beauchamp in Somerset. Sarah Alston Duchess Somerset [aged 29] by marriage Duchess Somerset.
On 22nd July 1673 [her daughter] Anne Somerset Countess Coventry was born to [her husband] Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 44] and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 42]. She married 1691 her sixth cousin Thomas Coventry 2nd Earl Coventry, son of Thomas Coventry 1st Earl Coventry and Winifred Edgecumbe, and had issue.
In 1674 William Herbert 1st Marquess Powis [aged 48] was created 1st Earl Powis. [her sister-in-law] Elizabeth Somerset Marchioness Powis [aged 39] by marriage Countess Powis.
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 31st August 1676 [her son-in-law] Thomas Bruce 3rd Earl Elgin 2nd Earl Ailesbury [aged 20] and Elizabeth Seymour Countess Elgin and Ailesbury [aged 21] were married. She the daughter of Henry Seymour and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 45]. He the son of Robert Bruce 2nd Earl Elgin 1st Earl Ailesbury [aged 50]. They were fourth cousins. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
In 1678 [her sister] Elizabeth Capell Countess Carnarvon [aged 45] died.
On 6th June 1682 Charles Somerset Marquess Worcester [aged 21] and Rebecca Child Marchioness Worcester [aged 16] were married. He the son of Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 53] and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 51].
On 2nd December 1682 [her husband] Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 53] was created 1st Duke Beaufort by King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 52]. Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 52] by marriage Duchess Beaufort.
On 13th July 1683 [her brother] Arthur Capell 1st Earl Essex [aged 51] committed suicide at the Tower of London [Map]. He was buried at St Peter ad Vincula Church, Tower of London [Map]. He was said to have been discovered in his chamber with his throat cut whilst awaiting execution for treason. His son [her nephew] Algernon [aged 12] succeeded 2nd Earl Essex, 3rd Baron Capell Hadham.
In 1685 [her son-in-law] James Butler 2nd Duke Ormonde [aged 19] and Mary Somerset Duchess Ormonde [aged 21] were married. She the daughter of Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 56] and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 54]. He the son of Thomas Butler 6th Earl Ossory and Emilia Nassau Beverweert Countess Ossory [aged 49].
On 24th June 1686 [her son-in-law] Henry Horatio O'Brien and Henrietta Somerset Countess Suffolk [aged 17] were married. She the daughter of Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 57] and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 55]. He the son of Henry O'Brien 7th Earl Thomond [aged 66] and Sarah Russell Countess Thomond [aged 48]. They were fourth cousin once removed.
In 1687 William Herbert 1st Marquess Powis [aged 61] was created 1st Marquess Powis. [her sister-in-law] Elizabeth Somerset Marchioness Powis [aged 52] by marriage Marchioness Powis.
In 1691 [her son-in-law] Thomas Coventry 2nd Earl Coventry [aged 29] and Anne Somerset Countess Coventry [aged 17] were married. She the daughter of Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 62] and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 60]. He the son of Thomas Coventry 1st Earl Coventry [aged 62] and Winifred Edgecumbe [aged 54]. They were sixth cousins.
On 16th March 1691 [her sister-in-law] Elizabeth Somerset Marchioness Powis [aged 56] died.
On 11th April 1692 [her brother] Henry Capell 1st Baron Capell Tewkesbury [aged 54] was created 1st Baron Capell Tewkesbury by King William III of England, Scotland and Ireland [aged 41].
In 1695 Arthur Somerset [aged 23] and Mary Russell [aged 26] were married. He the son of Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 66] and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 64].
On 30th May 1696 [her brother] Henry Capell 1st Baron Capell Tewkesbury [aged 58] died at Chapelizod. Baron Capell Tewkesbury extinct.
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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In 1697 [her daughter] Elizabeth Seymour Countess Elgin and Ailesbury [aged 42] died.
On 13th July 1698 [her son] Charles Somerset Marquess Worcester [aged 37] died.
On 21st January 1700 [her husband] Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 71] died at Badminton, Gloucestershire. He was buried at Beaufort Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle [Map]. His grandson Henry [aged 15] succeeded 2nd Duke Beaufort, 4th Marquess Worcester, 8th Earl Worcester, 10th Baron Herbert of Raglan.
In April 1705 [her son-in-law] Henry Howard 6th Earl Suffolk [aged 35] and Henrietta Somerset Countess Suffolk [aged 36] were married. She the daughter of Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 74]. He the son of Henry Howard 5th Earl Suffolk [aged 77] and Mary Stewart. They were fifth cousins.
On 7th January 1715 Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 84] died.
[her son] Henry Somerset was born to Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort.
Kings Wessex: Great x 18 Grand Daughter of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 15 Grand Daughter of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 21 Grand Daughter of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 16 Grand Daughter of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 19 Grand Daughter of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 9 Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 17 Grand Daughter of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 25 Grand Daughter of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 19 Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 22 Grand Daughter of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Giles Capell of Rayne Hall 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Capell 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Capell 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Arthur Capell 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Manners 11th Baron Ros Helmsley 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Manners 1st Earl of Rutland 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne St Leger Baroness Ros of Helmsley 
3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Catherine Manners 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Paston 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Eleanor Paston Countess Rutland 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Bridget Heydon 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
GrandFather: Henry Capell 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset 
3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Grey 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Wotton of Boughton Malherbe 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Wotton Marchioness Dorset
Great x 1 Grandmother: Margaret Grey 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Anthony Browne 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Anthony Browne 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Lucy Neville 
3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Mary Browne 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Gage
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alice Gage
Great x 4 Grandmother: Philippa Guildford
Father: Arthur Capell 1st Baron Capell Hadham 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Ladde Montagu 
5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Montagu 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Edward Montagu 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Dudley 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Agnes Dudley
Great x 1 Grandfather: Edward Montagu 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Roper 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Roper of Well Hall
Great x 2 Grandmother: Helen Roper
GrandMother: Theodosia Montagu 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Harrington 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Alexander Harrington
Great x 2 Grandfather: James Harrington
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Moton of Peckleton in Leicestershire
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Moton
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Harrington
Great x 4 Grandfather: Nicholas Sidney 
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Sidney
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Brandon 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Lucy Sidney
Great x 4 Grandfather: Hugh Pakenham
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Pakenham
Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Morison of Hertfordshire 
Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard Morrison
Great x 1 Grandfather: Charles Morrison 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Hussey 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Hussey 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford 9 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Berkeley 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Bridget Hussey Countess Bedford 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Grey 2nd Earl Kent 3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Grey Baroness Hussey Sleaford 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Katherine Herbert Countess Kent 
9 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
GrandFather: Charles Morrison 1st Baronet 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Nicholas Clerke
Great x 1 Grandmother: Dorothea Clerke
Mother: Elizabeth Morrison Baroness Capell Hadham 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Hicks
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Hicks
Great x 1 Grandfather: Baptist Hicks 1st Viscount Campden
GrandMother: Mary Hicks Lady Cooper and Morrison
Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard May
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth May Viscountess Campden