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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Anne Vallayer aka Coster is in Painters.
On 21st December 1744 Anne Vallayer aka Coster was born to [her father] Joseph Vallayer (age 40).
1769. Anne Vallayer aka Coster (age 24). "Basket of Plums".
In 1770 [her father] Joseph Vallayer (age 66) died.
1770. Alexander Roslin (age 51). Portrait of Anne Vallayer aka Coster (age 25).
1773. Anne Vallayer aka Coster (age 28). "Portrait of a Violinist".
1774. Anne Vallayer aka Coster (age 29). "Garden Still Life with Implements, Vegetables, Dead Game and a Bust of Ceres (The Attributes of Gardening)".
Around 1774. Anne Vallayer aka Coster (age 29). "A still life of mackerel, glassware, a loaf of bread and lemons on a table with a white cloth".
Around 1781 Jean-Pierre Silvestre Coster (age 36) and Anne Vallayer aka Coster (age 36) were married in the presence of Queen Marie Antoinette of France (age 25) who signed the marriage contract as witness.
1783. Alexander Roslin (age 64). Portrait of Anne Vallayer aka Coster (age 38).
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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1817. Anne Vallayer aka Coster (age 72). "Vase, Lobster, Fruits, and Game".
On 28th February 1818 Anne Vallayer aka Coster (age 73) died.
In 1824 [her former husband] Jean-Pierre Silvestre Coster (age 79) died.