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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Paternal Family Tree: Astley
Maternal Family Tree: Susan Alinton
Around 21st February 1723 [his father] Jacob Astley 3rd Baronet [aged 31] and [his mother] Lucy L'Estrange [aged 24] were married. They were second cousins.
On 26th December 1729 Edward Astley 4th Baronet was born to [his father] Jacob Astley 3rd Baronet [aged 37] and [his mother] Lucy L'Estrange [aged 30]. Coefficient of inbreeding 1.56%.
Before 1739. Attributed to Petrus Johannes van Reysschoot [aged 36]. Portrait of [his father] Jacob Astley 3rd Baronet [aged 46], [his mother] Lucy L'Estrange [aged 39] and their children [his sister] Isabella Astley [aged 14], Blanche Astley, Edward Astley 4th Baronet [aged 9] and the Reverend John Astley.
On 25th June 1739 [his mother] Lucy L'Estrange [aged 40] died.
On 7th July 1739 [his grandfather] Philip Astley 2nd Baronet [aged 71] died. His son [his father] Jacob [aged 47] succeeded 3rd Baronet Astley of Hill Morton.
On 23rd May 1751 Edward Astley 4th Baronet [aged 21] and Rhoda Delaval [aged 25] were married.
Around 1755 [his son] Edward Astley was born to Edward Astley 4th Baronet [aged 25] and [his wife] Rhoda Delaval [aged 29]. [his daughter] She died before 12th May 1755 when she was buried at St Matthew's Church Widcombe. Given the close of the dates he may have been a twin. Before 1757 Edward Astley died.
On 14th April 1755 [his daughter] Editha Rhoda Astley was born to Edward Astley 4th Baronet [aged 25] and [his wife] Rhoda Delaval [aged 29]. She died before 12th May 1755 when she was buried at St Matthew's Church Widcombe.
On 12th September 1756 [his son] Jacob Astley 5th Baronet was born to Edward Astley 4th Baronet [aged 26] and [his wife] Rhoda Delaval [aged 31]. He married 14th January 1789 Hester Browne Lady Astley and had issue.
In 1757 [his wife] Rhoda Delaval [aged 31] died from childbirth following the birth of her son Francis.
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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In 1757 [his son] Francis Astley was born to Edward Astley 4th Baronet [aged 27] and [his wife] Rhoda Delaval [aged 31]. He died shortly after birth.
In 1759 Edward Astley 4th Baronet [aged 29] and Anne Milles were married at St Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map].
On 5th January 1760 [his father] Jacob Astley 3rd Baronet [aged 68] died. His son Edward [aged 30] succeeded 4th Baronet Astley of Hill Morton.
On 31st August 1764 [his son] Bernard Astley was born to Edward Astley 4th Baronet [aged 34] and [his wife] Anne Milles. He married 1787 Anne Hase.
1769. Francis Cotes [aged 42]. Portrait of Edward Astley 4th Baronet [aged 39].
1772. Benjamin West [aged 33]. Portrait of Edward Astley 4th Baronet [aged 42].
In 1787 [his son] Bernard Astley [aged 22] and [his daughter-in-law] Anne Hase were married.
On 14th January 1789 [his son] Jacob Astley 5th Baronet [aged 32] and [his daughter-in-law] Hester Browne Lady Astley [aged 21] were married.
In November 1789 [his son] Bernard Astley [aged 25] died.
On 27th March 1802 Edward Astley 4th Baronet [aged 72] died. He was buried at St Peter's Church, Melton Constable [Map]. His son Jacob [aged 45] succeeded 5th Baronet Astley of Hill Morton. Hester Browne Lady Astley [aged 34] by marriage Lady Astley of Hill Morton.
Kings Wessex: Great x 19 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 16 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 22 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 17 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 19 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 9 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 18 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 25 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 20 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 23 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Isaac Astley 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Astley 14 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Edward Astley 15 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Jacob Astley 1st Baronet 16 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
GrandFather: Philip Astley 2nd Baronet 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Philip Wodehouse 1st Baronet 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Wodehouse 2nd Baronet
Great x 4 Grandmother: Grizell Yelverton
Great x 2 Grandfather: Philip Wodehouse 3rd Baronet 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Carey 3rd Baron Hunsdon 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Blanche Carey Lady Woodhouse 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Hyde Baroness Hunsdon 
Great x 1 Grandmother: Blanche Wodehouse Lady Astley 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Bruce Cotton 1st Baronet 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Cotton 2nd Baronet 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Lucy Cotton Lady Woodhouse 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Howard 
7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Howard 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Dacre 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Father: Jacob Astley 3rd Baronet 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Edward Astley 4th Baronet 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Nicholas Strange 
7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Hamon Strange 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Nicholas L'Estrange 1st Baronet 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Stubbe
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Stubbe
Great x 1 Grandfather: Nicholas L'Estrange 3rd Baronet 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Lewknor of Denham 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Lewknor of Denham 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Lewknor Lady Strange 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Neville of Billingbear 
5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Neville 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Killigrew 
11 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
GrandFather: Nicholas L'Estrange 4th Baronet 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Coke 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Coke
Great x 4 Grandmother: Winifred Knightley 
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Coke 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Paston 
3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Bridget Paston 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Mary Coke 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Wheatley
Great x 3 Grandfather: Anthony Wheatley
Great x 4 Grandmother: Martha Skinner
Great x 2 Grandmother: Meriall Wheatley
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Armiger of North Creeke
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Armiger
Mother: Lucy L'Estrange 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Philip Wodehouse 1st Baronet
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Wodehouse 2nd Baronet
Great x 4 Grandmother: Grizell Yelverton
Great x 2 Grandfather: Philip Wodehouse 3rd Baronet 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Carey 3rd Baron Hunsdon 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Blanche Carey Lady Woodhouse 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Hyde Baroness Hunsdon
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Wodehouse 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Bruce Cotton 1st Baronet 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Cotton 2nd Baronet 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Lucy Cotton Lady Woodhouse 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Howard 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Howard 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Dacre 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
GrandMother: Ann Wodehouse Lady Strange 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Armyn of Osgodby South Kesteven Lincolnshire
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Armine 1st Baronet 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Martha Eure 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Armine 2nd Baronet 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Michael Hicks
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Hicks Lady Armine
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Colston
Great x 1 Grandmother: Anne Armine 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Crane 1st Baronet
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Crane
Great x 4 Grandfather: Giles Alington
Great x 3 Grandmother: Susan Alinton