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: Capet
Maternal Family Tree: Dangereuse Ile Bouchard Viscountess Chatellerault 1079-1151
In 1206 [his father] Alfonso "Fat" II King Portugal [aged 20] and [his mother] Urraca Ivrea Queen Consort Portugal [aged 18] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Alfonso VIII King Castile [aged 50] and [his grandmother] Eleanor Plantagenet Queen Consort Castile [aged 44]. He the son of Sancho "Populator" I King Portugal [aged 51] and Dulce Barcelona Queen Consort Portugal. They were second cousin once removed. She a granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
On 5th May 1210 Alfonso III King Portugal was born to [his father] Alfonso "Fat" II King Portugal [aged 25] and [his mother] Urraca Ivrea Queen Consort Portugal [aged 22]. He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
On 26th March 1211 [his grandfather] Sancho "Populator" I King Portugal [aged 56] died. His son [his father] Alfonso [aged 25] succeeded II King Portugal. [his mother] Urraca Ivrea Queen Consort Portugal [aged 23] by marriage Queen Consort Portugal.
On 3rd November 1220 [his mother] Urraca Ivrea Queen Consort Portugal [aged 33] died.
On 25th March 1223 [his father] Alfonso "Fat" II King Portugal [aged 37] died at Coimbra. His son [his brother] Sancho [aged 13] succeeded II King Portugal.
In 1239 Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 28] and Matilda Dammartin Queen Consort Portugal [aged 37] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Portugal. She the daughter of Renaud Dammartin I Count Boulogne, Dammartin and Aumale and Ida Metz Countess Boulogne. He the son of Alfonso "Fat" II King Portugal and Urraca Ivrea Queen Consort Portugal. They were third cousin once removed. He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She a great granddaughter of King Stephen I England.
On 4th January 1248 Sancho "Pious" II King Portugal [aged 38] died. His brother Alfonso [aged 37] succeeded III King Portugal.
In 1250 [his illegitimate son] Martim Afonso Chichorro was born illegitimately to Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 39] and Madragana Bat Aloandro aka Mór Afonso [aged 20]. It is through this descent that Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England is considered by some to have had African ancestry - Martim is Charlotte's 12 x Great Grandfather. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
Around 1250 [his illegitimate son] Martim Afonso Chichorro Burgundy was born illegitimately to Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 39] and Madragana Ben Aloandro [aged 20]. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
In 1253 Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 42] and Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal [aged 11] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Portugal. The difference in their ages was 31 years. She the illegitmate daughter of Alfonso X King Castile X King Leon [aged 31] and Mayor Guillén de Guzmán [aged 48]. He the son of Alfonso "Fat" II King Portugal and Urraca Ivrea Queen Consort Portugal. They were first cousin twice removed. He a great grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
In 1253 Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 42] and Matilda Dammartin Queen Consort Portugal [aged 51] were divorced.
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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In January 1259 [his former wife] Matilda Dammartin Queen Consort Portugal [aged 57] died.
On 25th February 1259 [his daughter] Blanche Burgundy was born to Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 48] and [his wife] Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal [aged 17]. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.41%.
Around 1260 [his illegitimate daughter] Urraca Afonso Burgundy was born illegitimately to Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 49] and Madragana Ben Aloandro [aged 30]. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
In 1260 [his son] Ferdinand Burgundy was born to Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 49] and [his wife] Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal [aged 18]. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.41%. He died aged two in 1262.
Around 1260 [his illegitimate son] Afonso Dinis Burgundy was born illegitimately to Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 49] and Maria Peres Enxara. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
On 9th October 1261 [his son] Denis I King Portugal was born to Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 51] and [his wife] Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal [aged 19]. Denis I King Portugal succeeded I King Portugal. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.41%. He married 1282 his half third cousin once removed Elisabeth Barcelona Queen Consort Portugal, daughter of Peter III King Aragon and Constance Hohenstaufen Queen Consort Aragon, and had issue.
In 1262 [his son] Ferdinand Burgundy [aged 2] died.
On 8th February 1263 [his son] Afonso Burgundy was born to Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 52] and [his wife] Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal [aged 21]. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.41%. He married 1287 his first cousin once removed Violante Manuel.
On 2nd February 1264 [his daughter] Sancha Burgundy was born to Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 53] and [his wife] Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal [aged 22]. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.41%.
On 21st November 1264 [his daughter] Maria Burgundy was born to Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 54] and [his wife] Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal [aged 22]. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.41%.
In 1266 [his daughter] Constanza Burgundy was born to Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 55] and [his wife] Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal [aged 24]. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.41%. She died aged five in 1271.
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
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In 1268 [his son] Vincent Burgundy was born to Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 57] and [his wife] Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal [aged 26]. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.41%. He died aged three in 1271.
In 1271 [his son] Vincent Burgundy [aged 3] died.
In 1271 [his daughter] Constanza Burgundy [aged 5] died.
On 16th February 1279 Alfonso III King Portugal [aged 68] died.
On 27th October 1303 [his former wife] Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal [aged 61] died.
[his son] Fernando Burgundy was born to Alfonso III King Portugal and Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.41%.
[his son] Rodrigo Burgundy was born to Alfonso III King Portugal and Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.41%.
[his son] Leonor Burgundy was born to Alfonso III King Portugal and Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.41%.
[his son] Gil Burgundy was born to Alfonso III King Portugal and Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.41%.
[his son] Leonor Burgundy was born to Alfonso III King Portugal and Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.41%.
[his son] Henrique Burgundy was born to Alfonso III King Portugal and Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.41%.
Philip Capet Count Boulogne and Matilda Dammartin Queen Consort Portugal were married. She the daughter of Renaud Dammartin I Count Boulogne, Dammartin and Aumale and Ida Metz Countess Boulogne. He the son of King Philip II of France and Agnes of Merania Queen Consort France. They were third cousins. He a great x 3 grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England. She a great granddaughter of King Stephen I England.
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
[his son] Urraca Burgundy was born to Alfonso III King Portugal and Beatrice Queen Consort Portugal. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.41%.
Kings Wessex: Great x 6 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings England: Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 5 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 13 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 6 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 10 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert I Duke Burgundy 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry "Gallant" Burgundy
Great x 4 Grandmother: Helie Samur Duchess Burgundy
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Burgundy Count Portugal
Great x 1 Grandfather: Afonso "Conqueror Founder Great" I King Portugal 
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ferdinand "Great" I King Leon
Great x 3 Grandfather: Alfonso "Brave" VI King Leon VI King Castile
Great x 4 Grandmother: Sancha Astur Leonese
Great x 2 Grandmother: Teresa Alfónsez Jiménez
Great x 3 Grandmother: Jimena Munoz
GrandFather: Sancho "Populator" I King Portugal
Great x 4 Grandfather: Amadeus Savoy II Count Savoy
Great x 3 Grandfather: Humbert "Fat" Savoy II Count Savoy
Great x 2 Grandfather: Amadeus Savoy III Count Savoy
Great x 4 Grandfather: William I Count Burgundy 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Gisela Ivrea Countess Savoy
Great x 4 Grandmother: Ettiennette Countess Burgundy
Great x 1 Grandmother: Malfada Savoy Queen Consort Portugal
Great x 2 Grandmother: Mahaut Albon Countess Savoy
Father: Alfonso "Fat" II King Portugal
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ramon Berenguer "Old" Barcelona I Count Barcelona
Great x 3 Grandfather: Ramon Berenguer "Towhead" Barcelona II Count Barcelona
Great x 2 Grandfather: Raymond III Count Barcelona
Great x 1 Grandfather: Raymond V Count Barcelona 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Gilbert Gevaudan
Great x 2 Grandmother: Douce Gevaudan Countess Barcelona
Great x 4 Grandfather: Geoffrey Arles 1st Count Arles 1st Count Provence
Great x 3 Grandmother: Gerberga Arles
Great x 4 Grandmother: Etienette Countess Provence and Arles
GrandMother: Dulce Barcelona Queen Consort Portugal
Alfonso III King Portugal 
Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William I Count Burgundy
Great x 3 Grandfather: Raymond Ivrea
Great x 4 Grandmother: Ettiennette Countess Burgundy
Great x 2 Grandfather: Alfonso VII King Castile VII King Leon
Great x 4 Grandfather: Alfonso "Brave" VI King Leon VI King Castile
Great x 3 Grandmother: Urracca "Reckless" Jiménez Queen Consort Aragon and Pamplona
Great x 4 Grandmother: Constance Burgundy Queen Consort Castile and Leon
Great x 1 Grandfather: Sancho III King Castile
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ramon Berenguer "Towhead" Barcelona II Count Barcelona
Great x 3 Grandfather: Raymond III Count Barcelona
Great x 2 Grandmother: Berenguela Barcelona Queen Consort Castile and Leon
Great x 4 Grandfather: Gilbert Gevaudan
Great x 3 Grandmother: Douce Gevaudan Countess Barcelona
Great x 4 Grandmother: Gerberga Arles
GrandFather: Alfonso VIII King Castile
Great x 4 Grandfather: Sancho Jiménez
Great x 3 Grandfather: Ramiro Jiménez
Great x 4 Grandmother: Constanza Unknown
Great x 2 Grandfather: García "Restorer" IV King Navarre
Great x 4 Grandfather: Rodrigo Díaz Vivar
Great x 3 Grandmother: Cristina Rodríguez Vivar
Great x 1 Grandmother: Blanche Ramirez Queen Consort Castile
Great x 4 Grandfather: Engenulphe Aigle
Great x 3 Grandfather: Gilbert Aigle Lord Aigle
Great x 4 Grandmother: Richvaride Unknown
Great x 2 Grandmother: Marguerite Aigle Queen Consort Navarre
Great x 4 Grandfather: Geoffrey Chateaudun II Count Mortain III Count Perche
Great x 3 Grandmother: Juliette du Perche Chateaudun
Great x 4 Grandmother: Beatrix de Ramerupt Montdidier Countess Mortain and Perche
Mother: Urraca Ivrea Queen Consort Portugal Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Fulk "Réchin" Anjou 4th Count Anjou 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Fulk "Young" King Jerusalem
Great x 4 Grandmother: Bertrade Montfort Queen Consort France
Great x 2 Grandfather: Geoffrey Plantagenet Duke Normandy
Great x 4 Grandfather: Elias I Count Maine
Great x 3 Grandmother: Ermengarde of Maine Countess of Anjou
Great x 4 Grandmother: Matilda Chateau Du Loir Countess Maine
Great x 1 Grandfather: King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: King William "Conqueror" I of England 
-2 x Great Grand Son of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: King Henry I "Beauclerc" England Son of King William "Conqueror" I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Empress Matilda Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: King Malcolm III of Scotland 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Edith aka Matilda Dunkeld Queen Consort England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Wessex Queen Consort Scotland
GrandMother: Eleanor Plantagenet Queen Consort Castile Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Guy William Poitiers VIII Duke Aquitaine
Great x 3 Grandfather: William "Troubadour" Poitiers IX Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandmother: Hildegarde Burgundy Duchess Aquitaine
Great x 2 Grandfather: William "Saint" Poitiers X Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Rouerge Duke Narbonne
Great x 3 Grandmother: Philippa Rouerge Duchess Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandmother: Emma Mortain Duchess Narbonne
Great x 1 Grandmother: Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Aimery Chatellerault Viscount Châtellerault
Great x 2 Grandmother: Aenor Chatellerault Duchess Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Bartholomew Île Bouchard
Great x 3 Grandmother: Dangereuse Ile Bouchard Viscountess Chatellerault