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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South America is in America.
In 1842 Anne Appleyard was born at Buenos Aires.
On 18th June 1896 Mercedes Santamarina Gastañaga was born to Ramón Santamarina Alduncín (age 35) and María Sebastiana de Gastañaga (age 35) at Buenos Aires.
On 23rd August 1904 Ramón Santamarina Valcárcel (age 77) died at Buenos Aires.
On 23rd May 1972 Mercedes Santamarina Gastañaga (age 75) died at Buenos Aires.
On 21st January 1861 Ramón Santamarina Alduncín was born to Ramón Santamarina Valcárcel (age 33) at Tandil. He married before 18th June 1896 María Sebastiana de Gastañaga and had issue.
On 9th July 1892 María Dolores "Lala" Piñeiro was born to Andrés Piñeiro (age 34) and Dolores 'Lola' García Láinez (age 28) at Tandil. She married 17th June 1911 Alfredo Enrique Wellesley Wesley.
In 1954 Alfredo Enrique Wellesley Wesley (age 76) died at Tandil.
On 25th November 1828 George Joseph Stanhope (age 22) died at Rio de Janeiro.
On 9th July 1834 Michael Seymour 1st Baronet (age 65) died at Rio de Janeiro. He was buried at the Cemitério dos Ingleses, Gamboa on 15th July 1834. His son John (age 34) succeeded 2nd Baronet Seymour of High Mount in Cork and Friery Park in Devon.
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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On 3rd June 1947 King Carol II Hohenzollern Sigmaringen (age 53) and Magda Lupescu were married at Rio de Janeiro.
On 9th July 1834 Michael Seymour 1st Baronet (age 65) died at Rio de Janeiro. He was buried at the Cemitério dos Ingleses, Gamboa on 15th July 1834. His son John (age 34) succeeded 2nd Baronet Seymour of High Mount in Cork and Friery Park in Devon.
On 1st November 1914 Peter Robert Heathcote-Willoughby-Drummond (age 28) was killed in the sinking of Monmouth at Coronel during the Battle of Coronel.
On 5th March 1908 William Nelthorpe Beauclerk (age 58) died at Lima.