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: Amyand aka Cornewell
In 1748 [his father] George Amyand 1st Baronet (age 27) and [his mother] Anna Maria Korteen Lady Amyand were married.
On 8th November 1748 George Amyand aka Cornewall 2nd Baronet was born to [his father] George Amyand 1st Baronet (age 28) and [his mother] Anna Maria Korteen Lady Amyand.
On 16th August 1766 [his father] George Amyand 1st Baronet (age 45) died. His son George (age 17) succeeded 2nd Baronet Amyand aka Cornewall of Moccas Court in Herefordshire.
In 1767 [his mother] Anna Maria Korteen Lady Amyand died.
On 18th July 1771 George Amyand aka Cornewall 2nd Baronet (age 22) and Catherine Cornewall (age 19) were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square. She her father's heir. He adopted his father-in-law's surname Cornewall two days later on 20 Jul 1771.
In 1773 [his daughter] Catherine-Frances Cornewall was born to George Amyand aka Cornewall 2nd Baronet (age 24) and [his wife] Catherine Cornewall (age 21). She married 15th March 1796 Samuel Peploe of Garnstone Castle in Weobley.
In 1774 George Amyand aka Cornewall 2nd Baronet (age 25) was elected MP Herefordshire which seat he held until 1796.
On 16th January 1774 [his son] George Cornewall 3rd Baronet was born to George Amyand aka Cornewall 2nd Baronet (age 25) and [his wife] Catherine Cornewall (age 22). He was baptised at St George's Church, Hanover Square. He married 26th September 1815 Jane Naper Lady Cornewall and had issue.
In 1777 [his brother-in-law] Gilbert Elliot 1st Earl Minto (age 25) and [his sister] Anna-Maria Amyand Countess Minto (age 24) were married.
In 1777 [his brother-in-law] James Harris 1st Earl Malmesbury (age 30) and [his sister] Harriet Maria Amyand Countess Malmesbury (age 16) were married.
In 1779 [his son] Anna-Maria Cornewall was born to George Amyand aka Cornewall 2nd Baronet (age 30) and [his wife] Catherine Cornewall (age 27).
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 1783 [his daughter] Frances Elizabeth Cornewall Viscountess Hereford was born to George Amyand aka Cornewall 2nd Baronet (age 34) and [his wife] Catherine Cornewall (age 31). She married 12th December 1805 Henry Devereux 14th Viscount Hereford, son of George Devereux 13th Viscount Hereford and Marianna Devereux Viscountess Hereford, and had issue.
In 1789 [his daughter] Caroline Cornewall Lady Duff-Gordon was born to George Amyand aka Cornewall 2nd Baronet (age 40) and [his wife] Catherine Cornewall (age 37). She married 5th February 1810 William Duff-Gordon 2nd Baronet, son of Alexander Gordon and Anne Duff Countess Dumfries, and had issue.
On 15th March 1796 [his son-in-law] Samuel Peploe of Garnstone Castle in Weobley and [his daughter] Catherine-Frances Cornewall (age 23) were married.
In 1802 and 1806 George Amyand aka Cornewall 2nd Baronet (age 53) was elected MP Herefordshire. He stood down in 1807.
On 12th December 1805 [his son-in-law] Henry Devereux 14th Viscount Hereford (age 28) and [his daughter] Frances Elizabeth Cornewall Viscountess Hereford (age 22) were married. They had five sons and one daughter. She by marriage Viscountess Hereford.
On 5th February 1810 [his son-in-law] William Duff-Gordon 2nd Baronet (age 37) and [his daughter] Caroline Cornewall Lady Duff-Gordon (age 21) were married. They had four children. She by marriage Lady Duff of Halkin in Aberdeenshire. He the son of Alexander Gordon and Anne Duff Countess Dumfries (age 72).
In 1813 [his brother-in-law] Gilbert Elliot 1st Earl Minto (age 61) was created 1st Earl Minto of Minto in Roxburghshire. [his sister] Anna-Maria Amyand Countess Minto (age 60) by marriage Countess Minto of Minto in Roxburghshire.
On 26th September 1815 [his son] George Cornewall 3rd Baronet (age 41) and [his daughter-in-law] Jane Naper Lady Cornewall were married.
On 26th August 1819 George Amyand aka Cornewall 2nd Baronet (age 70) died. His son George (age 45) succeeded 3rd Baronet Amyand aka Cornewall of Moccas Court in Herefordshire. [his daughter-in-law] Jane Naper Lady Cornewall by marriage Lady Amyand aka Cornewall of Moccas Court in Herefordshire.
In 1835 [his former wife] Catherine Cornewall (age 83) died.
Father: George Amyand 1st Baronet
George Amyand aka Cornewall 2nd Baronet
GrandFather: John Abraham Korteen
Mother: Anna Maria Korteen Lady Amyand