Text this colour links to Pages. Text this colour links to Family Trees. Text this colour are links that disabled for Guests.
Place the mouse over images to see a larger image. Click on paintings to see the painter's Biography Page.
Mouse over links for a preview. Move the mouse off the painting or link to close the popup.
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.
On 25th April 1857 Mary Rothes Tyssen-Amherst 2nd Baroness Amherst was born to [her father] William Tyssen-Amherst 1st Baron Amherst (age 22) at Didlington Hall, Swaffham.
On 2nd September 1885 William Cecil (age 30) and Mary Rothes Tyssen-Amherst 2nd Baroness Amherst (age 28) were married. He the son of William Alleyne Cecil 3rd Marquess Exeter (age 60).
In 1886 [her son] William Amherst Cecil was born to [her husband] William Cecil (age 31) and Mary Rothes Tyssen-Amherst 2nd Baroness Amherst (age 28). He married 14th April 1910 Gladys Evelyn Baggallay and had issue.
In 1887 [her son] Thomas James Amherst Cecil was born to [her husband] William Cecil (age 32) and Mary Rothes Tyssen-Amherst 2nd Baroness Amherst (age 29). He married Vera Agnes Barclay.
In 1890 [her son] John Francis Amherst Cecil was born to [her husband] William Cecil (age 35) and Mary Rothes Tyssen-Amherst 2nd Baroness Amherst (age 32). He married Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt.
The London Gazette 26328. Whitehall, September 22, 1892. THE Queen has been pleased, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, dated the 26th August, 1892, to grant the dignity of a Baron of the said United Kingdom unto [her father] William Amhurst Tyssen-Amherst (age 57), of Amherst, in the county of Kent, Didlington Hall, in the county of Norfolk, and of Hackney, in the county of London, Esq, and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style, and title of Baron Amherst of Hackney, in the county of London, and, in default of such issue male, to hold the name, style, and title of Baroness Amherst of Hackney, to Mary Rothes Margaret Cecil (age 35), wife of [her husband] William Cecil (age 37) (commonly called Lord William Cecil), Lieutenant-Colonel of the 4th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment, eldest daughter of the said William Amhurst Tyssen Amherst; and, after her decease, and in default of such issue of the said William Amhurst Tyssen-Amherst, to hold the name, style, and title of Baron Amherst of Hackney, to the heirs male lawfully begotten of the body of the said Mary Rothes Margaret Cecil.
In 1893 [her son] Henry Mitford Amherst Cecil was born to [her husband] William Cecil (age 38) and Mary Rothes Tyssen-Amherst 2nd Baroness Amherst (age 35). He married Yvonne Cornwallis, daughter of Fiennes Cornwallis 1st Baron Cornwallis and Mabel Leigh Baroness Cornwallis.
On 14th July 1895 [her father-in-law] William Alleyne Cecil 3rd Marquess Exeter (age 70) died. His son [her brother-in-law] Brownlow (age 45) succeeded 4th Marquess Exeter, 13th Earl Exeter, 14th Baron Burghley. Monument in the Church of St John the Baptist, Barnack [Map].
Brownlow Henry George Cecil 4th Marquess Exeter: On 20th December 1849 he was born to William Alleyne Cecil 3rd Marquess Exeter and and Georgina Sophia Pakenham Marchioness Exeter. On 7th September 1875 Brownlow Henry George Cecil 4th Marquess Exeter and Isabella Whichcote Marchioness of Exeter were married at St Denys' Church, Aswarby. He the son of William Alleyne Cecil 3rd Marquess Exeter.
On 9th April 1898 [her brother-in-law] Brownlow Henry George Cecil 4th Marquess Exeter (age 48) died. His son William (age 21) succeeded 5th Marquess Exeter, 14th Earl Exeter, 15th Baron Burghley. Monument in the Church of St John the Baptist, Barnack [Map].
William Cecil 5th Marquess Exeter: On 27th October 1876 he was born to Brownlow Henry George Cecil 4th Marquess Exeter and Isabella Whichcote Marchioness of Exeter. On 16th April 1901 William Cecil 5th Marquess Exeter and Myra Rowena Sibell Orde-Powlett Marchioness of Exeter were married. She by marriage Marchioness Exeter. He the son of Brownlow Henry George Cecil 4th Marquess Exeter and Isabella Whichcote Marchioness of Exeter. In 1937 he was appointed 885th Knight of the Garter by King George VI of the United Kingdom. In 1956 William Cecil 5th Marquess Exeter died. His son David succeeded 6th Marquess Exeter, 15th Earl Exeter, 16th Baron Burghley.
In 1901 Mary Rothes Tyssen-Amherst 2nd Baroness Amherst (age 43) began excavations at Qubbet el-Hawa near Aswan. In all, Lady William Cecil uncovered thirty-two tombs at the site which became known as the "Cecil Tombs".
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 1903 Mary Rothes Tyssen-Amherst 2nd Baroness Amherst (age 45) published her findings "Report on the Work Done at Aswan" in the Annales du Service des Antiquités de l'Égypte.
On 16th January 1909 [her father] William Tyssen-Amherst 1st Baron Amherst (age 73) died. His daughter Mary (age 51) succeeded 2nd Baroness Amherst of Hackney in London.
On 14th April 1910 [her son] William Amherst Cecil (age 24) and [her daughter-in-law] Gladys Evelyn Baggallay (age 26) were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square.
On 19th September 1914 [her son] William Amherst Cecil (age 28) was killed in action at the Battle of Aisne. He was buried at Soupir Communal Cemetery.
On 21st December 1919 Mary Rothes Tyssen-Amherst 2nd Baroness Amherst (age 62) died. Her grandson [her grandson] William (age 7) succeeded 3rd Baron Amherst of Hackney in London.
On 14th August 1924 [her former husband] William Cecil (age 69) and Violet Maud Freer were married. He the son of [her former father-in-law] William Alleyne Cecil 3rd Marquess Exeter.
On 16th April 1943 [her former husband] William Cecil (age 88) died at Haywards Heath West Sussex.
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Daniel
Great x 1 Grandfather: William George Daniel-Tyssen
GrandFather: William George Daniel-Tyssen
Great x 3 Grandfather: Jeffrey Amherst
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Amherst
Great x 1 Grandmother: Amelia Amherst
Father: William Tyssen-Amherst 1st Baron Amherst
Great x 3 Grandfather: Captain William Price
Great x 2 Grandfather: Brigg Price
Great x 4 Grandfather: Colonel Edward Clent of Knightwick in Worcestershire
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Clent
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Fountaine
Great x 1 Grandfather: Andrew Fountaine
Great x 3 Grandfather: George Hogge of Lynn Regis
Great x 2 Grandmother: Mary Hogge
GrandMother: Mary Fountaine
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Penrice
Great x 1 Grandmother: Hannah Penrice