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: Hohenzollern
Maternal Family Tree: Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England 1683-1737
On 1st March 1683 Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England was born to [her father] John Frederick Hohenzollern [aged 28].
On 22nd March 1686 [her father] John Frederick Hohenzollern [aged 31] died.
On 22nd August 1705 King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 21] and Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 22] were married. He the son of King George I [aged 45] and Sophia Dorothea of Celle [aged 38].
In 1706 [her husband] King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 22] was created 1st Duke Cambridge. Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 22] by marriage Duchess Cambridge.
On 28th November 1706 Frederick William "Soldier King" I King Prussia [aged 18] and [her sister-in-law] Sophia Dorothea Hanover Queen Consort Prussia [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of [her father-in-law] King George I [aged 46] and [her mother-in-law] Sophia Dorothea of Celle [aged 40]. He the son of Frederick I King Prussia [aged 49] and Sophia Charlotte Hanover Queen Consort Prussia. They were first cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
On 31st January 1707 or 1st February 1707 [her son] Frederick Louis Hanover Prince of Wales was born to [her husband] King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 23] and Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 23]. He married 8th May 1736 his half fourth cousin once removed Augusta Saxe Coburg Altenburg, daughter of Frederick Saxe Coburg Altenburg II Duke Saxe Gotha Altenburg and Magdalena Augusta Anhalt-Zerbst Duchess Saxe Gotha Altenburg, and had issue.
On 2nd November 1709 [her daughter] Princess Anne Hanover was born to [her husband] King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 26] and Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 26]. She married 25th March 1734 her fourth cousin Prince William of Orange and had issue.
On 10th June 1711 [her daughter] Princess Amelia Hanover was born to [her husband] King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 27] and Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 28].
On 25th February 1713 Frederick I King Prussia [aged 55] died. His son Frederick [aged 24] succeeded I King Prussia. [her sister-in-law] Sophia Dorothea Hanover Queen Consort Prussia [aged 25] by marriage Queen Consort Prussia.
On 10th June 1713 [her daughter] Princess Caroline Hanover was born to [her husband] King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 29] and Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 30].
In 1714 Henrietta Hobart Countess Suffolk [aged 25] was appointed Lady of the Bedchamber to Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 30].
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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Before 1715 Camilla Colville Countess Tankerville [aged 17] was appointed Lady of the Bedchamber to Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 31].
On 13th November 1717 [her son] George William Hanover was born to [her husband] King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 34] and Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 34]. He died aged less than one years old.
In 1718 [her son] Miscarriage Hanover was born to [her husband] King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 34] and Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 34].
On 17th February 1718 [her son] George William Hanover died.
On 26th April 1721 [her son] William Augustus Hanover 1st Duke Cumberland was born to [her husband] King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 37] and Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 38].
On 5th March 1723 [her daughter] Mary Hanover was born to [her husband] King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 39] and Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 40]. She married 8th May 1740 her fourth cousin Frederick Hesse-Kassel, son of William Hesse-Kassel, and had issue.
On 18th December 1724 [her daughter] Louise Hanover Queen Consort Denmark and Norway was born to [her husband] King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 41] and Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 41]. She married 11th December 1743 her third cousin once removed Frederick V King of Denmark and Norway and had issue.
On 11th June 1727 [her father-in-law] King George I [aged 67] died. His son [her husband] George [aged 43] succeeded II King Great Britain and Ireland. Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 44] by marriage Queen Consort England.
On 22nd October 1727 [her husband] King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 43] was crowned II King Great Britain and Ireland at Westminster Abbey [Map].
Around 1730. Style of Michael Dahl [aged 71]. Portrait of Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 46].
On 8th December 1731 Francis Howard 1st Earl of Effingham [aged 48] was created 1st Earl of Effingham by [her husband] King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 48].
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 5th September 1733 Philip Stanhope 4th Earl Chesterfield [aged 38] and [her illegitimate sister-in-law] Petronilla Melusine Schulenburg Countess Chesterfield [aged 40] were married at Isleworth. She by marriage Countess Chesterfield. She the illegitmate daughter of [her father-in-law] King George I and Melusine Schulenburg 1st Duchess Munster 1st Duchess Kendal [aged 65]. He the son of Philip Stanhope 3rd Earl Chesterfield and Elizabeth Savile.
On 25th March 1734 [her son-in-law] Prince William of Orange [aged 22] and Princess Anne Hanover [aged 24] were married at St James's Palace [Map]. She the daughter of King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 50] and Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 51]. They were fourth cousins.
On 8th May 1736 Frederick Louis Hanover Prince of Wales [aged 29] and Augusta Saxe Coburg Altenburg [aged 16] were married. She the daughter of Frederick Saxe Coburg Altenburg II Duke Saxe Gotha Altenburg and Magdalena Augusta Anhalt-Zerbst Duchess Saxe Gotha Altenburg. He the son of King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 52] and Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 53]. They were half fourth cousin once removed.
Before 1737 Enoch "The Younger" Seeman [aged 42]. Portrait of Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 53].
On 20th November 1737 Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England [aged 54] died.
Before 2nd November 1739 Charles Jervas [aged 64]. Portrait of Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England.
On 25th October 1760 [her former husband] King George II of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 76] died at Kensington Palace. His grandson George [aged 22] succeeded III King Great Britain and Ireland. Duke Cambridge merged with the Crown.
[her son] Stillborn Hanover was born to King George II of Great Britain and Ireland and Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England.
Kings Wessex: Great x 20 Grand Daughter of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Godwinson: Great x 19 Grand Daughter of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 15 Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 19 Grand Daughter of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 26 Grand Daughter of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 21 Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 24 Grand Daughter of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Louise Hanover Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [1]
King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [1]
Caroline Matilda Hanover Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [1]
Marie Sophie Hesse-Kassel Queen Consort Denmark and Norway [1]
Caroline of Brunswick Queen Consort England [1]
Queen Louise Hesse-Kassel of Denmark [1]
King Christian IX of Denmark [1]
Queen Sophia of Sweden and Norway [2]
Maria Christina of Austria Queen Consort Spain [1]
Victoria Mary Teck Queen Consort England [2]
Great x 4 Grandfather: Joachim "Nestor" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Joachim Hohenzollern Margrave of Brandenburg 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John George Hohenzollern Margrave of Brandenburg 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Joachim Ernst Hohenzollern 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst
GrandFather: Albert Hohenzollern 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Father: John Frederick Hohenzollern 14 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Caroline Hohenzollern Queen Consort England 15 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England