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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Master of Arts is in Degrees.
In 1588 Thomas Clinton 3rd Earl Lincoln [age 17] was awarded Master of Arts at Oxford University.
On 23rd June 1642 William Parr [age 25] commenced his Master of Arts.
On 1st November 1642 Thomas Tully Divine [age 22] graduated Master of Arts.
Around 1660 Richard Newport 2nd Earl Bradford [age 15] was awarded Master of Arts at Christ Church College, Oxford University.
On 8th September 1665 Charles Dormer [age 13] graduated Master of Arts at Merton College, Oxford University.
In 1672 Henry Godolphin [age 23] was awarded Master of Arts at All Souls College, Oxford University.
In 1705 Francis Godolphin 2nd Earl Godolphin [age 26] was awarded Master of Arts at King's College, Cambridge University [Map].
In 1712 Francis Willoughby 2nd Baron Middleton [age 19] graduated Master of Arts at Jesus College, Cambridge University.
In 1828 John Allen Giles [age 19] was awarded a double first class, and graduated Bachelor of Arts. In 1831 he was awared Master of Arts.
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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In 1835 Charles Manners 6th Duke Rutland [age 19] was awarded Master of Arts at Trinity College, Cambridge University [Map].
In 1871 Sewallis Edward Shirley 10th Earl Ferrers [age 23] was awarded Master of Arts at Trinity College, Cambridge University [Map].