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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Europe is in Continents.
On 2nd July 1035 Robert "Magnificent" Normandy I Duke Normandy [aged 35] died at Nicaea. His son William [aged 7] succeeded II Duke Normandy.
On 10th May 1290 Rudolf Habsburg II Duke Austria [aged 20] died at Prague.
On 18th June 1297 Queen Judith of Bohemia and Poland [aged 26] died at Prague.
On 16th October 1306 Rudolph Habsburg III Duke Austria [aged 24] and Elizabeth Richeza Unknown Duchess Austria were married at Prague. She by marriage Duchess Austria. He the son of Albert Habsburg I Duke Austria [aged 51] and Elizabeth Carinthia Duchess Austria.
On 11th May 1366 Anne of Bohemia Queen Consort England was born to Charles IV King Bohemia Holy Roman Emperor Luxemburg [aged 49] and Elizabeth Pomerania Holy Roman Empress Luxemburg [aged 19] at Prague. She married (1) 20th January 1382 her fourth cousin King Richard II of England, son of Edward "Black Prince" and Joan "Fair Maid of Kent" Princess Wales.
On 27th July 1420 Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund [aged 52] was crowned I King Bohemia at Prague.
Chronicle of Gregory. 1433. Ande that same year be ganne the generalle consayle at Basyle of alle Crystyn londys; and thedyr come the Parganers, that is to saye they of Parge1; and Mayster Perrys, clerke, of Ingelonde, a regeaunte2 and a herytyke, come from Oxforde thedyr whym3 as an hery tyke; and there were many artyculys and poyntys of the faythe determyte ande spokyn. And soo they partyde, and wente agayn unto Prage why the out any lettynge; and the cause was for they of Prage hadde worthy clerkys of our faythe in plegge for them of Prage for to goo save and come save, and ellys they hadde gon to the fyre, as moste men supposyd.
Note 1. The heretics of Prague in Bohemia.
Note 2. The writer means, apparently, a renegade, as Fabyan calls him.
Note 3. whym. The writer probably meant to have written "with them."
On 17th December 1619 Prince Rupert Palatinate Simmern 1st Duke Cumberland was born to Frederick Palatinate Simmern V Elector Palatine Rhine [aged 23] and Princess Elizabeth Stewart Queen Bohemia [aged 23] at Prague. He a grandson of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
On 9th December 1437 Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund [aged 69] died at Znojmo.
On 28th September 1396 John Grandison [aged 49] died at Nikopol.
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
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John Evelyn's Diary. 12th September 1686. Buda now taken from the Turks; a form of thanksgiving was ordered to be used in the (as yet remaining) Protestant chapels and church of Whitehall and Windsor.
On 30th April 1869 Philip de László was born in Budapest.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 18th February 1663. Up, leaving my wife sick as last night in bed. I to my office all the morning, casting up with Captain Cocke [aged 46] their accounts of 500 tons of hemp brought from Riga, and bought by him and partners upon account, wherein are many things worth my knowledge.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 2nd March 1663. There also coming into the river two Dutchmen, we sent a couple of men on board and bought three Hollands cheeses, cost 4d. a piece, excellent cheeses, whereof I had two and Commissioner Pett [aged 52] one. So back again to Woolwich, Kent [Map], and going aboard the Hulke to see the manner of the iron bridles, which we are making of for to save cordage to put to the chain, I did fall from the shipside into the ship (Kent), and had like to have broke my left hand, but I only sprained some of my fingers, which, when I came ashore I sent to Mrs. Ackworth for some balsam, and put to my hand, and was pretty well within a little while after. We dined at the White Hart [Map] with several officers with us, and after dinner went and saw The Royal James brought down to the stern of the Docke (the main business we came for), and then to the Ropeyard [Map], and saw a trial between Riga hemp and a sort of Indian grass, which is pretty strong, but no comparison between it and the other for strength, and it is doubtful whether it will take tarre or no.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 12th March 1663. Up betimes and to my office all the morning with Captain Cocke [aged 46] ending their account of their Riga contract for hemp.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 3rd August 1663. Up both of us very betimes and to the Yard, and see the men called over and choose some to be discharged. Then to the Ropehouses and viewed them all and made an experiment which was the stronger, English or Riga hemp, the latter proved the stronger, but the other is very good, and much better we believe than any but Riga. We did many other things this morning, and I caused the Timber measurer to measure some timber, where I found much fault and with reason, which we took public notice of, and did give them admonition for the time to come.
On 4th April 1808 Philip Yorke [aged 23] drowned in a storm off Memel in a ship called the Agatha of Lübeck.
On 14th August 1846 Giuseppe Calì was born in Valetta, Malta.
Around 1925 Annie Stager died at Monte Carlo. She left a total estate of $847,207, half of which was left to Ellen Stager Marchioness Ormonde.
On 14th March 1905 Henry Cyril "Toppy" Paget 5th Marquess Anglesey [aged 29] died of tuberculosis at the Hotel Royale, Monte Carlo; his former wife [aged 29] was present. He was buried at St Edwen's Church, Llanedwen [Map] in the same grave as his father. His first cousin Charles [aged 19] succeeded 6th Marquess Anglesey, 7th Earl Uxbridge, 15th Baron Paget Beaudasert, 9th Baronet Bayly of Plas Newydd in Anglesey.
Charles Henry Alexander Paget 6th Marquess Anglesey: On 14th April 1885 he was born to Alexander Victor Paget. On 3rd August 1912 Charles Henry Alexander Paget 6th Marquess Anglesey and Victoria Marjorie Harriet Manners Marchioness Anglesey were married. She by marriage Marchioness Anglesey. She the daughter of Henry John Brinsley Manners 8th Duke Rutland and Violet Lindsay Duchess Rutland. They were fifth cousins.
On 3rd December 1944 Andrew Glücksburg [aged 62] died at the Metropole Hotel Monte Carlo.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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Around 1694 Enoch "The Younger" Seeman was born in Gdańsk aka Danzig.
On 12th September 1759 Karl Anton Oldenburg I Duke Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck died at Szczecin. His son Friedrich [aged 2] succeeded Karl I Duke Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck.
On 18th May 1760 Elizabeth Murray was born to David Murray 2nd Earl Mansfield [aged 32] and Henrietta Frederica von Bünau at Warsaw. She married 10th December 1785 George Finch-Hatton and had issue.
On 31st August 1918 King Carol II Hohenzollern Sigmaringen [aged 24] and Joanna Marie "Zizi" Rangabe Lambrino [aged 19] were married at Cathedral Church.