William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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Paternal Family Tree: Mitford
In February 1904 [her father] David Freeman-Mitford 2nd Baron Redesdale [aged 25] and [her mother] Sydney Bowles Baroness Redesdale [aged 24] were married.
On 31st March 1920 Deborah Vivien Mitford Duchess Devonshire was born to [her father] David Freeman-Mitford 2nd Baron Redesdale [aged 42] and [her mother] Sydney Bowles Baroness Redesdale [aged 40].
6th February 1929. The Sketch. The marriage of Mr. Bryan Guinness [aged 23], son of the Hon. Walter Guinness, to the Hon. Diana Mitford [aged 18], third daughter of Lord and Lady Redesdale, was solemnised at St. Margaret's, Westminster [Map]. The lovely nineteen-year-old bride was attended by eleven bridesmaids.
Note. Her sisters Nancy [aged 24] and Unity [aged 14] were two of the eleven bridesmaid. Her younger sisters Jessica Lucy Freeman-Mitford [aged 11] and Deborah Vivien Mitford Duchess Devonshire [aged 8] were unwell but threw rice as her car passed.
On 18th May 1937 Esmond Romilly [aged 18] and [her sister] Jessica Lucy Freeman-Mitford [aged 19] were married in a civil ceremony in Bayonne. Both mothers, Sydney Bowles Baroness Redesdale [aged 57] and Nellie Hozier [aged 49] attended the ceremony. They were second cousins.
13th April 1938. The Bystander. Photograph of Deborah Mitford [aged 18].
On 19th April 1941 Andrew Cavendish 11th Duke Devonshire [aged 21] and Deborah Mitford [aged 21] were married. He the son of Edward William Spencer Cavendish 10th Duke Devonshire [aged 45] and Mary Alice Gascoyne-Cecil Duchess Devonshire [aged 45].
At the commencement of their honeymoon Deborah 'stopped the car when starting on her honeymoon and registered at a small Labour Exchange for National Service,' as per The Sketch.
On 26th March 1943 [her daughter] Emma Cavendish was born to [her husband] Andrew Cavendish 11th Duke Devonshire [aged 23] and Deborah Vivien Mitford Duchess Devonshire [aged 22] She married 3rd September 1963 Tobias Tennant, son of Christopher Tennant 2nd Baron Glenconner, and had issue.
On 27th April 1944 [her son] Peregrine Cavendish 12th Duke of Devonshire was born to [her husband] Andrew Cavendish 11th Duke Devonshire [aged 24] and Deborah Vivien Mitford Duchess Devonshire [aged 24] at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire [Map]. He was educated at Eton College, Exeter College, Oxford, where he read history, and at the Royal Agricultural College (now the Royal Agricultural University), Cirencester. He married 28th June 1967 Amanda Carmen Heywood-Lonsdale Duchess of Devonshire and had issue.
On 6th May 1944 [her brother-in-law] William Cavendish [aged 26] and Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy [aged 24] were married at Chelsea Register Office. She the daughter of Joseph Patrick Kennedy [aged 55] and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald [aged 53]. He the son of [her father-in-law] Edward William Spencer Cavendish 10th Duke Devonshire [aged 49] and [her mother-in-law] Mary Alice Gascoyne-Cecil Duchess Devonshire [aged 48].
The Duke of Devonshire and the bride's eldest brother Joseph P. Kennedy Jr [aged 28], a lieutenant in the United States Navy, signed the marriage register. The Duke of Rutland [aged 24] served as best man.
The photos, from left to right, Mary, Duchess of Devonshire, the groom William, Marquess of Hartington, the bride Kathleen Kennedy, Joseph Kennedy, Edward, 10th Duke of Devonshire.
Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy: On 20th February 1920 she was born to Joseph Patrick Kennedy and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald at Brookline Massachusetts. On 13th May 1948 Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy and William Henry Lawrence Peter Wentworth-Fitzwilliam 8th and 6th Earl Fitzwilliam died in a plane crash at the Plateau du Coiron, Saint-Bauzile during the course of their journey from Paris [Map] to the French Riviera for a vacation aboard a de Havilland DH.104 Dove.. His first cousin once removed Eric succeeded 9th Earl Fitzwilliam, 7th Earl Fitzwilliam, 11th Baron Fitzwilliam of Liffer in Donegal. His wealth, estimated at 45 million pounds, including half of the Wentworth Woodhouse estate, the Coolattin estate in County Wicklow, Ireland, and a large part of the Fitzwilliam art collection went to his daughter Ann Juliet Dorothea Maud Wentworth-Fitzwilliam Marchioness Bristol.
Joseph Patrick Kennedy: On 25th July 1915 he was born to Joseph Patrick Kennedy and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald. On 12th August 1944 Joseph Patrick Kennedy was killed at Blythburgh, Suffolk when his plane exploded over the English Channel during a top-secret mission.
On 9th September 1944 [her brother-in-law] William Cavendish [aged 26] was killed in action by a sniper whilst leading a company trying to capture the town of Heppen in Belgium. He was buried at the Leopoldsburg War Cemetery.
Before 31st August 1945. William Acton [aged 39]. Portrait of Deborah Vivien Mitford Duchess Devonshire [aged 25].
On 26th November 1950 [her father-in-law] Edward William Spencer Cavendish 10th Duke Devonshire [aged 55] died. His son [her husband] Andrew [aged 30] succeeded 11th Duke Devonshire, 14th Earl Devonshire, 6th Earl Burlington, 14th Baron Cavendish Hardwick. Deborah Vivien Mitford Duchess Devonshire [aged 30] by marriage Duchess Devonshire. On 24th December 1988 [her mother-in-law] Mary Alice Gascoyne-Cecil Duchess Devonshire [aged 55] died. Both the Duke and Duchess were buried in the Cavendish Plot, St Peter's Church, Edensor [Map].
On 18th March 1957 [her daughter] Sophia Cavendish Baroness Margdale was born to [her husband] Andrew Cavendish 11th Duke Devonshire [aged 37] and Deborah Vivien Mitford Duchess Devonshire [aged 36] She married (1) 19th July 1988 her third cousin Alastair Morrison 3rd Baron Margadale, son of James Morrison 2nd Baron Margadale.
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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On 17th March 1958 [her father] David Freeman-Mitford 2nd Baron Redesdale [aged 80] died. His brother [her uncle] Bertram [aged 78] succeeded 3rd Baron Redesdale of Redesdale in Northumberland.
In 1963 [her mother] Sydney Bowles Baroness Redesdale [aged 83] died.
On 3rd September 1963 [her son-in-law] Tobias Tennant [aged 22] and Emma Cavendish [aged 20] were married. She the daughter of Andrew Cavendish 11th Duke Devonshire [aged 43] and Deborah Vivien Mitford Duchess Devonshire [aged 43].
On 28th June 1967 Peregrine Cavendish 12th Duke of Devonshire [aged 23] and Amanda Carmen Heywood-Lonsdale Duchess of Devonshire [aged 23] were married. He the son of Andrew Cavendish 11th Duke Devonshire [aged 47] and Deborah Vivien Mitford Duchess Devonshire [aged 47].
On 19th July 1988 [her son-in-law] Alastair Morrison 3rd Baron Margadale [aged 30] and Sophia Cavendish Baroness Margdale [aged 31] were married. She the daughter of Andrew Cavendish 11th Duke Devonshire [aged 68] and Deborah Vivien Mitford Duchess Devonshire [aged 68]. They were third cousins.
Before 2nd September 1999 [her son-in-law] Alastair Morrison 3rd Baron Margadale [aged 41] and [her daughter] Sophia Cavendish Baroness Margdale [aged 42] were divorced.
On 3rd May 2004 [her husband] Andrew Cavendish 11th Duke Devonshire [aged 84] died. His son Peregrine [aged 60] succeeded 12th Duke Devonshire, 15th Earl Devonshire, 15th Baron Cavendish Hardwick, 7th Earl Burlington. Amanda Carmen Heywood-Lonsdale Duchess of Devonshire [aged 60] by marriage Duchess Devonshire.
After 3rd May 2004. Cavendish Plot, St Peter's Church, Edensor [Map]. [her former husband] Andrew Cavendish 11th Duke Devonshire [deceased] and Deborah Vivien Mitford Duchess Devonshire [aged 84].
On 24th September 2014 Deborah Vivien Mitford Duchess Devonshire [aged 94] died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 25 Grand Daughter of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 22 Grand Daughter of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 28 Grand Daughter of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 23 Grand Daughter of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 25 Grand Daughter of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 8 Grand Daughter of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland
Kings Scotland: Great x 24 Grand Daughter of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 31 Grand Daughter of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 10 Grand Daughter of Henry IV King France
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 29 Grand Daughter of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Mitford
Great x 3 Grandfather: Colonel William Mitford
Great x 2 Grandfather: Captain Henry Reveley Mitford
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Molloy of Dublin
Great x 3 Grandmother: Fanny Molloy
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Pye 
Great x 1 Grandfather: Henry Reveley Mitford
GrandFather: Algernon Freeman-Mitford 1st Baron Redesdale 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Ashburnham 1st Earl Ashburnham 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Ashburnham 2nd Earl Ashburnham 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jemima Grey Countess Ashburham 
10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: George Ashburnham 3rd Earl Ashburnham 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Crowley
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Crowley Countess Ashburham
Great x 1 Grandmother: Georgiana Jemima Ashburnham 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Hugh Percy 1st Duke Northumberland 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Algernon Percy 1st Earl Beverley 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Seymour Duchess Northumberland 
7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 2 Grandmother: Charlotte Percy Countess Ashburham 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Peter Burrell
Great x 3 Grandmother: Isabella Susan Burrell Countess Beverley
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Lewis 
Father: David Freeman-Mitford 2nd Baron Redesdale 7 x Great Grand Son of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 1 Grandfather: David Ogilvy 10th Earl of Airlie
GrandMother: Clementina Gertrude Helen Ogilvy 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Thomas Stanley 6th Baronet 
14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Stanley 1st Baron Stanley Alderley 15 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Edward John Stanley 2nd Baron Stanley and 1st Baron Eddisbury 16 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Baker Holroyd 1st Earl Sheffield
Great x 3 Grandmother: Maria Josepha Holroyd Baroness Stanley Alderley
Great x 4 Grandmother: Abigail Way Countess Sheffield
Great x 1 Grandmother: Henrietta Blanche Stanley 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Charles Dillon Lee 12th Viscount Dillon 
2 x Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Augustus Dillon Lee 13th Viscount Dillon 3 x Great Grand Son of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Henrietta Maria Phipps 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 2 Grandmother: Henrietta Maria Dillon Baroness Stanley Alderley and Eddisbury 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland
Deborah Vivien Mitford Duchess Devonshire 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Milner Gibson
GrandFather: Thomas Bowles
Great x 1 Grandmother: Susannah Bowles
Mother: Sydney Bowles Baroness Redesdale
GrandMother: Jessica Gordon