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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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Ruddock
In 1766 Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners was born to [her father] Francis Gray and [her mother] Elizabeth Ruddock at Lehena.
On 12th January 1790 William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 23) and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 24) were married. He the son of John Manners (age 59) and Louisa Tollemache 7th Countess Dysart (age 44).
In 1791 [her daughter] Louisa Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 24) and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 25). She married in or before 1820 Joseph Burke 11th Baronet and had issue.
In 1792 [her daughter] Catherine Camilla Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 25) and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 26).
In 1793 Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 27) published Poems by Lady Manners.
In 1793 [her daughter] Emily Frances Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 26) and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 27).
On 12th January 1793 [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 26) was created 1st Baronet Tollemache of Hanby Hall in Lincolnshire.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
1794. Thomas Lawrence (age 24). Portrait of Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 28).
On 18th November 1794 [her son] Lionel Tollemache 8th Earl Dysart was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 28) and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 28). He married 1819 Maria Elizabeth Toone Countess Dysart and had issue.
In 1796 [her son] Felix Thomas Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 29) and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 30).
In 1797 [her son] Arthur Caesar Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 30) and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 31).
In 1799 [her daughter] Caroline Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 32) and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 33).
In 1800 [her daughter] Catherine Octavia Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 33) and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 34).
On 15th August 1802 Aubrey Beauclerk 6th Duke St Albans (age 36) and [her sister-in-law] Louisa Grace Manners Duchess St Albans (age 25) were married. She by marriage Duchess St Albans. She the daughter of [her father-in-law] John Manners and [her mother-in-law] Louisa Tollemache 7th Countess Dysart (age 57). He the son of Aubrey Beauclerk 5th Duke St Albans and Catherine Ponsonby Duchess St Albans. They were half third cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland.
On 19th September 1802 [her son] Hugh Francis Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 36) and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 36) at Petersham, Surrey.
On 16th April 1804 [her son] Frederick James Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 37) and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 38). He married (1) 26th August 1831 Sarah-Maria Bomford and had issue (2) 4th September 1847 Isabella Anne Forbes and had issue.
In 1805 [her son] Algernon Gray Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 38) and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 39).
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In 1807 [her daughter] Laura Maria Tollemache was born to [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 40) and Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 41).
On 19th February 1816 [her sister-in-law] Louisa Grace Manners Duchess St Albans (age 39) died. The same day her son Aubrey Beauclerk 7th Duke St Albans died. His uncle William (age 49) succeeded 8th Duke St Albans, 8th Earl Burford, 8th Baron Heddington, 5th Baron Vere of Hanworth in Middlesex. Maria Janetta Nelthorpe Duchess St Albans by marriage Duchess St Albans. Both at the home of her sister [her sister-in-law] Laura Manners Countess Stair and her husband John Dalrymple 7th Earl of Stair (age 31) at Portman Square Marylebone.
In 1819 [her son] Lionel Tollemache 8th Earl Dysart (age 24) and [her daughter-in-law] Maria Elizabeth Toone Countess Dysart were married.
In or before 1820 [her son-in-law] Joseph Burke 11th Baronet (age 33) and [her daughter] Louisa Tollemache (age 28) were married.
On 9th March 1821 Wilbrahim Tollemache 6th Earl Dysart (age 81) died. His sister [her mother-in-law] Louisa (age 75) succeeded 7th Countess Dysart. Baronet Talmash of Helmingham in Suffolk extinct. Her grandson [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 54) assumed the name Tollemache.
In 1825 [her daughter] Caroline Tollemache (age 26) died.
On 18th April 1830 [her daughter] Louisa Tollemache (age 39) died.
On 26th August 1831 [her son] Frederick James Tollemache (age 27) and [her daughter-in-law] Sarah-Maria Bomford were married.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 11th March 1833 [her husband] William Manners aka Tollemache 1st Baronet (age 66) died. His son [her son] Lionel (age 38) succeeded 2nd Baronet Tollemache of Hanby Hall in Lincolnshire.
On 5th October 1843 [her son] Felix Thomas Tollemache (age 47) died.
On 4th September 1847 [her son] Frederick James Tollemache (age 43) and [her daughter-in-law] Isabella Anne Forbes were married.
In 1848 [her son] Arthur Caesar Tollemache (age 51) died.
On 21st March 1852 Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners (age 86) died.
Poems by Lady Manners. Catherine Rebecca Gray Lady Manners. Second edition. London: John Bell, 1793. 126p.