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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.
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Paternal Family Tree: Cust
On 16th October 1770 [his father] Brownlow Cust 1st Baron Brownlow (age 25) and Jocosa Drury Lady Cust (age 21) were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square. She by marriage Lady Cust of Stamford in Lincolnshire.
In 1775 [his father] Brownlow Cust 1st Baron Brownlow (age 30) and [his mother] Frances Bankes Baroness Brownlow were married. She by marriage Lady Cust of Stamford in Lincolnshire.
On 17th March 1794 Edward Cust 1st Baronet was born to [his father] Brownlow Cust 1st Baron Brownlow (age 49) and [his mother] Frances Bankes Baroness Brownlow at Hill Street, Berkeley Square.
On 25th December 1807 [his father] Brownlow Cust 1st Baron Brownlow (age 63) died. His son [his brother] John (age 28) succeeded 2nd Baron Brownlow of Belton in Lincolnshire, 5th Baronet Cust of Stamford in Lincolnshire, and inherited Belton House [Map]. Monument in St Peter and St Paul Church, Belton [Map] sculpted by Richard "The Elder" Westmacott (age 60).
On 24th July 1810 [his brother] John Cust 1st Earl Brownlow (age 30) and [his sister-in-law] Amelia Sophia Hume (age 21) were married. She by marriage Baroness Brownlow of Belton in Lincolnshire.
In 1818 Edward Cust 1st Baronet (age 23) was elected MP Grantham.
Before 1819 [his brother] John Cust 1st Earl Brownlow (age 39) and [his sister-in-law] Caroline Fludyer Countess Brownlow (age 24) were married. She by marriage Countess Brownlow.
In 1826 Edward Cust 1st Baronet (age 31) was elected MP Lostwithiel.
Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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On 17th July 1828 [his brother] John Cust 1st Earl Brownlow (age 48) and [his sister-in-law] Emma Sophie Edgecumbe Countess Brownlow (age 36) were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square. She by marriage Countess Brownlow. She the daughter of Richard Edgecumbe 2nd Earl of Mount Edgcumbe (age 63) and Sophia Hobart Countess Mount Edgcumbe.
In 1831 Edward Cust 1st Baronet (age 36) was knighted by King William IV of the United Kingdom (age 65) for his military service.
In 1831 [his son] Leopold Cust 2nd Baronet was born to Edward Cust 1st Baronet (age 36). He married 16th May 1863 Charlotte Bridgeman Lady Cust and had issue.
In February 1834 Edward Cust 1st Baronet (age 39) was elected Fellow of the Royal Society.
In 1835 [his daughter] Margaret Amy Frances Cust was born to Edward Cust 1st Baronet (age 40). She married December 1850 Commander Charles Randle Egerton.
Before 28th April 1849 [his son-in-law] Simon Yorke III (age 38) and [his daughter] Victoria Mary Louisa Cust were married. They were second cousins.
In December 1850 [his son-in-law] Commander Charles Randle Egerton (age 32) and [his daughter] Margaret Amy Frances Cust (age 15) were married.
On 15th September 1853 [his brother] John Cust 1st Earl Brownlow (age 74) died. His grandson John (age 11) succeeded 2nd Earl Brownlow, 2nd Viscount Alford, 3rd Baron Brownlow of Belton in Lincolnshire, 6th Baronet Cust of Stamford in Lincolnshire, and inherited Belton House [Map].
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
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On 16th May 1863 [his son] Leopold Cust 2nd Baronet (age 32) and [his daughter-in-law] Charlotte Bridgeman Lady Cust were married.
In 1876 Edward Cust 1st Baronet (age 81) was created 1st Baronet Cust of Leasowe Castle in Cheshire.
On 14th January 1878 Edward Cust 1st Baronet (age 83) died. His son Leopold (age 47) succeeded 2nd Baronet Cust of Leasowe Castle in Cheshire. [his daughter-in-law] Charlotte Bridgeman Lady Cust by marriage Lady Cust of Leasowe Castle in Cheshire.
[his daughter] Victoria Mary Louisa Cust was born to Edward Cust 1st Baronet. She married before 28th April 1849 her second cousin Simon Yorke III and had issue.
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Cust 1st Baronet
Great x 2 Grandfather: Pury Cust
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Pury
Great x 3 Grandmother: Beatrice Pury Lady Dering
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Cust 2nd Baronet
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Woodcock
Great x 2 Grandmother: Ursula Woodcock
GrandFather: John Cust 3rd Baronet
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Brownlow 1st Baronet 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Brownlow 2nd Baronet
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Duncombe 
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Brownlow 4th Baronet
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Freke of Stretton in Dorset
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Freke Lady Brownlow
Great x 1 Grandmother: Anne Brownlow Lady Cust
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Mason
Great x 2 Grandmother: Dorothy Mason Baroness Brownlow
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Long 2nd Baronet
Great x 3 Grandmother: Anna Margaret Long
Father: Brownlow Cust 1st Baron Brownlow
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Payne
GrandMother: Etheldreda Payne Lady Cust
Great x 2 Grandfather: Martin Folkes 
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Folkes
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Hovell 
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Hovell of Hillington
Great x 4 Grandmother: Dorothy Chicheley 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Dorothy Hovell
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Lilly of South Lynn
Great x 3 Grandmother: Ethelreda Lilly
GrandFather: Henry Bankes
Mother: Frances Bankes Baroness Brownlow