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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Before 19th September 1806 [his father] William Dyce of Fonthill and Cuttlehill [aged 36] and [his mother] Margaret Chambers of Westburn [aged 30] were married.
On 19th September 1806 William Dyce was born to [his father] William Dyce of Fonthill and Cuttlehill [aged 36] and [his mother] Margaret Chambers of Westburn [aged 30] at 48 Marischal Street, Aberdeen.
In 1825 William Dyce [aged 18] travelled to Rome, Italy [Map] returning after nine months.
In 1827 William Dyce [aged 20] returned to Rome, Italy [Map], staying for eighteen months.
1827. William Dyce [aged 20]. "Bacchus Nursed by the Nymphs of Nyssa".
1834 to 1835. William Dyce [aged 27]. Portrait of Galbraith Lowry-Cole [aged 61].
Galbraith Lowry-Cole: On 1st May 1772 he was born to William Willoughby Cole 1st Earl Enniskillen and Anne Lowry-Corry Countess Enniskillen. In 1802 Galbraith Lowry-Cole and Catherine Pakenham were engaged; it was broken off a year later. She married his friend Arthur Wellesley, future Duke of Wellington, in 1806. On 15th June 1815 Galbraith Lowry-Cole and Frances Harris were married. She the daughter of James Harris 1st Earl Malmesbury and Harriet Maria Amyand Countess Malmesbury. He the son of William Willoughby Cole 1st Earl Enniskillen and Anne Lowry-Corry Countess Enniskillen. On 4th October 1842 Galbraith Lowry-Cole died.
In 1835 [his father] William Dyce of Fonthill and Cuttlehill [aged 65] died.
1848. William Dyce [aged 41]. Portrait of Princess Victoria [aged 4].
Princess Alice Saxe Coburg Gotha: On 25th April 1843 she was born to Prince Albert Saxe Coburg Gotha and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Coefficient of inbreeding 7.25%. On 1st July 1862 Prince Louis Hesse Darmstadt IV Grand Duke and she were married at Osborne House, Isle of Wight. She the daughter of Prince Albert Saxe Coburg Gotha and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. On 14th December 1878 Princess Alice Saxe Coburg Gotha died.
18th January 1848. William Dyce [aged 41]. Portrait of Princess Victoria [aged 7]. See Queen Victoria's Journal.
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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Queen Victoria's Journal 1848. 18th January 1848. Windsor Castle [Map]. A fine, frosty morning. — We took a walk after breakfast. — Poor Ld Powis [deceased] has died in a most melancholy way. The whole party were out shooting & his 3rd son [aged 22] accidentally shot his father in the thigh. At 1st he went on well, but unfortunately mortification set in, & he died. It is too dreadful for the unfortunate son. — Vicky [aged 7] sat to Dyce [aged 41] [See image], who began a new drawing. — Mama [aged 61] came to luncheon, & we walked out again afterwards. — Mama, &c — & Ld Liverpool [aged 63] (staying till the end of the week) dined. —
In 1850 William Dyce [aged 43] and Jane Bickerton Brand were married.
1856. William Dyce [aged 49]. "Portrait of a Lady". The artist's wife Jane Bickerton Brand.
Jane Bickerton Brand: In 1850 William Dyce and she were married. In 1885 she died.
In 1856 [his mother] Margaret Chambers of Westburn [aged 80] died.
1860. William Dyce [aged 53]. George Herbert at Bemerton, Salisbury.
George Herbert: On 3rd April 1593 he was born to Richard Herbert and Magdalen Newport. On 1st March 1633 George Herbert died.
On 14th February 1864 William Dyce [aged 57] died.
In 1885 [his former wife] Jane Bickerton Brand died.