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 Jersey is in Earldoms of England Alphabetically, Earldoms of England Chronologically, Extant Earldoms of England.
Summary
1697. Edward Villiers 1st Earl Jersey [aged 41] created.
25th August 1711. Son William Villiers 2nd Earl Jersey [aged 29] succeeded.
13th July 1721. Son William Villiers 3rd Earl Jersey [aged 14] succeeded.
28th August 1769. Son George Bussy Villiers 4th Earl Jersey [aged 34] succeeded.
22nd August 1805. Son George Child-Villiers 5th Earl Jersey [aged 32] succeeded.
3rd October 1859. Son George Child-Villiers 6th Earl Jersey [aged 51] succeeded.
24th October 1859. Son Victor Albert George Child-Villiers 7th Earl Jersey [aged 14] succeeded.
31st May 1915. Son George Child-Villiers 8th Earl of Jersey [aged 41] succeeded.
31st December 1923. Son George Child-Villiers 9th Earl of Jersey [aged 13] succeeded.
9th August 1998. Grandson William Child-Villiers 10th Earl of Jersey [aged 22] succeeded.
In 1697 Edward Villiers 1st Earl Jersey [aged 41] was created 1st Earl Jersey probably as a consequence of his sister Barbara Villiers Viscountess Fitzhardinge [aged 43] being a mistress of King William III of England, Scotland and Ireland [aged 46]. Barbara Chiffinch Countess Jersey [aged 34] by marriage Countess Jersey.
On 25th August 1711 Edward Villiers 1st Earl Jersey [aged 55] died. His son William [aged 29] succeeded 2nd Earl Jersey, 2nd Viscount Villiers, 2nd Baron Villiers.
On 13th July 1721 William Villiers 2nd Earl Jersey [aged 39] died. His son William [aged 14] succeeded 3rd Earl Jersey, 3rd Viscount Villiers, 3rd Baron Villiers.
On 23rd June 1733 William Villiers 3rd Earl Jersey [aged 26] and Anne Egerton Duchess Bedford were married. She by marriage Countess Jersey. She the daughter of Scroop Egerton 1st Duke Bridgewater [aged 51] and Elizabeth Churchill Countess Bridgewater. He the son of William Villiers 2nd Earl Jersey. They were fourth cousin once removed.
On 28th August 1769 William Villiers 3rd Earl Jersey [aged 62] died. His son George [aged 34] succeeded 4th Earl Jersey, 7th Viscount Grandison, 4th Viscount Villiers, 4th Baron Villiers.
On 22nd August 1805 George Bussy Villiers 4th Earl Jersey [aged 70] died. His son George [aged 32] succeeded 5th Earl Jersey, 8th Viscount Grandison, 5th Viscount Villiers, 5th Baron Villiers. Sarah Sophia Fane Countess Jersey [aged 20] by marriage Countess Jersey.
On 3rd October 1859 George Child-Villiers 5th Earl Jersey [aged 86] died. His son George [aged 51] succeeded 6th Earl Jersey, 9th Viscount Grandison, 6th Viscount Villiers, 6th Baron Villiers. Julia Peel Countess Jersey by marriage Countess Jersey.
On 24th October 1859 George Child-Villiers 6th Earl Jersey [aged 51] died. His son Victor [aged 14] succeeded 7th Earl Jersey, 10th Viscount Grandison, 7th Viscount Villiers, 7th Baron Villiers.
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 19th September 1872 Victor Albert George Child-Villiers 7th Earl Jersey [aged 27] and Margaret Elizabeth Leigh Countess Jersey [aged 22] were married. She by marriage Countess Jersey. He the son of George Child-Villiers 6th Earl Jersey and Julia Peel Countess Jersey. They were half fourth cousins.
On 31st May 1915 Victor Albert George Child-Villiers 7th Earl Jersey [aged 70] died at Osterley Park. His son George [aged 41] succeeded 8th Earl Jersey, 11th Viscount Grandison, 8th Viscount Villiers, 8th Baron Villiers. Cynthia Almina Needham Countess Jersey by marriage Countess Jersey.
On 31st December 1923 George Child-Villiers 8th Earl of Jersey [aged 50] died. His son George [aged 13] succeeded 9th Earl Jersey, 12th Viscount Grandison, 9th Viscount Villiers, 9th Baron Villiers.
On 9th August 1998 George Child-Villiers 9th Earl of Jersey [aged 88] died. His grandson William [aged 22] succeeded 10th Earl Jersey, 13th Viscount Grandison, 10th Viscount Villiers, 10th Baron Villiers.