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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Earl Exeter is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically, Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extant Earldoms of England.
Summary
1601. Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 58] created.
8th February 1623. Son William Cecil 2nd Earl Exeter [aged 57] succeeded.
6th July 1640. Nephew David Cecil 3rd Earl Exeter [aged 40] succeeded.
1643. Son John Cecil 4th Earl Exeter [aged 15] succeeded.
February 1678. Son John Cecil 5th Earl Exeter [aged 30] succeeded.
29th August 1700. Son John Cecil 6th Earl Exeter [aged 26] succeeded.
24th December 1721. Son John Cecil 7th Earl Exeter [aged 21] succeeded.
1722. Brother Brownlow Cecil 8th Earl Exeter [aged 20] succeeded.
3rd November 1754. Son Brownlow Cecil 9th Earl Exeter [aged 29] succeeded.
26th December 1793. Nephew Henry Cecil 1st Marquess Exeter [aged 39] succeeded.
1st May 1804. Son Brownlow Cecil 2nd Marquess Exeter [aged 8] succeeded.
16th January 1867. Son William Alleyne Cecil 3rd Marquess Exeter [aged 41] succeeded.
14th July 1895. Son Brownlow Henry George Cecil 4th Marquess Exeter [aged 45] succeeded.
9th April 1898. Son William Cecil 5th Marquess Exeter [aged 21] succeeded.
1956. Son David George Brownlow-Cecil 6th Marquess Exeter [aged 50] succeeded.
22nd October 1981. Brother William Martin Alleyne Brownlow-Cecil 7th Marquess Exeter [aged 72] succeeded.
12th January 1988. Son Michael Cecil 8th Marquess of Exeter [aged 52] succeeded.
In 1601 Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 58] was created 1st Earl Exeter. Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter [aged 53] by marriage Countess Exeter.
In 1610 Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 67] and Frances Brydges Countess Exeter [aged 30] were married. She by marriage Countess Exeter. The difference in their ages was 37 years.
On 8th February 1623 Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter [aged 80] died. He was buried at Chapel of St John the Baptist, Westminster Abbey [Map]. His son William [aged 57] succeeded 2nd Earl Exeter, 3rd Baron Burghley. Elizabeth Drury Countess Exeter [aged 45] by marriage Countess Exeter.
On 6th July 1640 William Cecil 2nd Earl Exeter [aged 74] died. His nephew David [aged 40] succeeded 3rd Earl Exeter, 4th Baron Burghley. Elizabeth Egerton Countess Exeter by marriage Countess Exeter.
In 1643 David Cecil 3rd Earl Exeter [aged 43] died. In 1643 His son John [aged 15] succeeded 4th Earl Exeter, 5th Baron Burghley.
Before 1648 John Cecil 4th Earl Exeter [aged 19] and Frances Manners Countess Exeter [aged 17] were married. She by marriage Countess Exeter. She the daughter of John Manners 8th Earl of Rutland [aged 43] and Frances Montagu Countess Rutland [aged 33]. He the son of David Cecil 3rd Earl Exeter and Elizabeth Egerton Countess Exeter. They were half sixth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
On 25th January 1670 John Cecil 4th Earl Exeter [aged 42] and Mary Fane Countess Exeter [aged 31] were married. She by marriage Countess Exeter. She the daughter of Mildmay Fane 2nd Earl of Westmoreland and Mary Vere Countess of Westmoreland. He the son of David Cecil 3rd Earl Exeter and Elizabeth Egerton Countess Exeter.
In February 1678 John Cecil 4th Earl Exeter [aged 50] died. His son John [aged 30] succeeded 5th Earl Exeter, 6th Baron Burghley. Anne Cavendish Countess Exeter [aged 29] by marriage Countess Exeter.
On 29th August 1700 John Cecil 5th Earl Exeter [aged 52] died. His son John [aged 26] succeeded 6th Earl Exeter, 7th Baron Burghley. Elizabeth Brownlow Countess Exeter [aged 19] by marriage Countess Exeter.
He was buried at St Martin's Church, Stamford [Map]. Monument to John Cecil and his wife Anne Cavendish Countess Exeter [aged 51] sculpted by the French sculptor Pierre Etienne Monnot [aged 43] who was working in Rome. Neo-classical statuary group. One of the finest tombs of its day in the country, displaying strong antique tendencies as befits its Roman creation.
John Cecil 5th Earl Exeter: Around 1648 he was born to John Cecil 4th Earl Exeter and Frances Manners Countess Exeter. On 2nd May 1670 John Cecil 5th Earl Exeter and Anne Cavendish Countess Exeter were married. She the daughter of William Cavendish 3rd Earl Devonshire and Elizabeth Cecil Countess Devonshire. He the son of John Cecil 4th Earl Exeter and Frances Manners Countess Exeter. They were half third cousin once removed. In February 1678 John Cecil 4th Earl Exeter died. His son John succeeded 5th Earl Exeter, 6th Baron Burghley. Anne Cavendish Countess Exeter by marriage Countess Exeter.
Elizabeth Brownlow Countess Exeter: In 1681 she was born to John Brownlow 3rd Baronet and Alice Sherard Baroness Brownlow. In 1699 John Cecil 6th Earl Exeter and she were married. He the son of John Cecil 5th Earl Exeter and Anne Cavendish Countess Exeter. In 1710 Margaret Brownlow died of smallpox. Her estate of £40,000 was divided between her four sisters: Jane Brownlow Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven, Elizabeth Brownlow Countess Exeter, Alicia Brownlow Baroness Guildford and Eleanor Brownlow Viscountess Tyconnel. In 1723 Elizabeth Brownlow Countess Exeter died.
On 24th December 1721 John Cecil 6th Earl Exeter [aged 47] died. His son John [aged 21] succeeded 7th Earl Exeter, 8th Baron Burghley.
In 1722 John Cecil 7th Earl Exeter [aged 22] died. His brother Brownlow [aged 20] succeeded 8th Earl Exeter, 9th Baron Burghley.
On 3rd November 1754 Brownlow Cecil 8th Earl Exeter [aged 53] died. His son Brownlow [aged 29] succeeded 9th Earl Exeter, 10th Baron Burghley. Laetitia Townshend Countess Exeter [aged 28] by marriage Countess Exeter.
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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On 23rd April 1770 Brownlow Cecil 9th Earl Exeter [aged 44] and Anne Maria Cheatham Countess Exeter [aged 20] were married. She by marriage Countess Exeter. The difference in their ages was 24 years. He the son of Brownlow Cecil 8th Earl Exeter.
On 26th December 1793 Brownlow Cecil 9th Earl Exeter [aged 68] died. His nephew Henry [aged 39] succeeded 10th Earl Exeter, 11th Baron Burghley. Sarah Hoggins Countess Exeter [aged 19] by marriage Countess Exeter.
In 1800 Henry Cecil 1st Marquess Exeter [aged 45] and Elizabeth Anne Burrell Duchess Hamilton Duchess Brandon [aged 42] were married. She by marriage Countess Exeter.
On 1st May 1804 Henry Cecil 1st Marquess Exeter [aged 50] died. His son Brownlow [aged 8] succeeded 2nd Marquess Exeter, 11th Earl Exeter, 12th Baron Burghley.
On 16th January 1867 Brownlow Cecil 2nd Marquess Exeter [aged 71] died. His son William [aged 41] succeeded 3rd Marquess Exeter, 12th Earl Exeter, 13th Baron Burghley. Georgina Sophia Pakenham Marchioness Exeter [aged 39] by marriage Marchioness Exeter.
He was buried at St Martin's Church, Stamford [Map].
Brownlow Cecil 2nd Marquess Exeter: On 2nd July 1795 he was born to Henry Cecil 1st Marquess Exeter and Sarah Hoggins Countess Exeter. On 1st May 1804 Henry Cecil 1st Marquess Exeter died. His son Brownlow succeeded 2nd Marquess Exeter, 11th Earl Exeter, 12th Baron Burghley. On 12th May 1824 Brownlow Cecil 2nd Marquess Exeter and Frances Isabella Selina Poyntz Marchioness of Exeter were married. She by marriage Marchioness Exeter. He the son of Henry Cecil 1st Marquess Exeter and Sarah Hoggins Countess Exeter. In 1827 he was appointed 664th Knight of the Garter by King George IV of Great Britain and Ireland.
On 14th July 1895 William Alleyne Cecil 3rd Marquess Exeter [aged 70] died. His son Brownlow [aged 45] succeeded 4th Marquess Exeter, 13th Earl Exeter, 14th Baron Burghley. Monument in the Church of St John the Baptist, Barnack [Map].
Brownlow Henry George Cecil 4th Marquess Exeter: On 20th December 1849 he was born to William Alleyne Cecil 3rd Marquess Exeter and and Georgina Sophia Pakenham Marchioness Exeter. On 7th September 1875 Brownlow Henry George Cecil 4th Marquess Exeter and Isabella Whichcote Marchioness of Exeter were married at St Denys' Church, Aswarby. He the son of William Alleyne Cecil 3rd Marquess Exeter.
On 9th April 1898 Brownlow Henry George Cecil 4th Marquess Exeter [aged 48] died. His son William [aged 21] succeeded 5th Marquess Exeter, 14th Earl Exeter, 15th Baron Burghley. Monument in the Church of St John the Baptist, Barnack [Map].
William Cecil 5th Marquess Exeter: On 27th October 1876 he was born to Brownlow Henry George Cecil 4th Marquess Exeter and Isabella Whichcote Marchioness of Exeter. On 16th April 1901 William Cecil 5th Marquess Exeter and Myra Rowena Sibell Orde-Powlett Marchioness of Exeter were married. She by marriage Marchioness Exeter. He the son of Brownlow Henry George Cecil 4th Marquess Exeter and Isabella Whichcote Marchioness of Exeter. In 1937 he was appointed 885th Knight of the Garter by King George VI of the United Kingdom. In 1956 William Cecil 5th Marquess Exeter died. His son David succeeded 6th Marquess Exeter, 15th Earl Exeter, 16th Baron Burghley.
In 1956 William Cecil 5th Marquess Exeter [aged 79] died. His son David [aged 50] succeeded 6th Marquess Exeter, 15th Earl Exeter, 16th Baron Burghley.
On 22nd October 1981 David George Brownlow-Cecil 6th Marquess Exeter [aged 76] died. His brother William [aged 72] succeeded 7th Marquess Exeter, 16th Earl Exeter, 17th Baron Burghley.
On 12th January 1988 William Martin Alleyne Brownlow-Cecil 7th Marquess Exeter [aged 78] died. His son Michael [aged 52] succeeded 8th Marquess Exeter, 17th Earl Exeter, 18th Baron Burghley.