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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: Cholmeley of Easton
On 14th September 1801 [his father] Montague Cholmeley 1st Baronet (age 29) and [his mother] Elizabeth Harrison Lady Cholmeley were married.
On 5th August 1802 Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet was born to [his father] Montague Cholmeley 1st Baronet (age 30) and [his mother] Elizabeth Harrison Lady Cholmeley.
On 25th February 1806 [his father] Montague Cholmeley 1st Baronet (age 33) was created 1st Baronet Cholmeley of Easton in Lincolnshire. [his mother] Elizabeth Harrison Lady Cholmeley by marriage Lady Cholmeley of Easton in Lincolnshire.
In 1820 [his father] Montague Cholmeley 1st Baronet (age 47) was elected MP Grantham which seat he held until 1826 when he retired in favour of his son Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet (age 17).
In 1822 [his mother] Elizabeth Harrison Lady Cholmeley died.
On 26th March 1826 [his father] Montague Cholmeley 1st Baronet (age 54) and Catherine Way Lady Cholmeley were married. She by marriage Lady Cholmeley of Easton in Lincolnshire.
On 10th February 1829 Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet (age 26) and Georgiana Beauclerk Lady Cholmeley (age 20) were married. She the daughter of William Beauclerk 8th Duke St Albans and Maria Janetta Nelthorpe Duchess St Albans.
On 10th March 1831 [his father] Montague Cholmeley 1st Baronet (age 58) died. He was buried at St Andrew and St Mary's Church, Stoke Rochford where he has a monument by Robert Blore (age 51). His son Montague (age 28) succeeded 2nd Baronet Cholmeley of Easton in Lincolnshire. [his wife] Georgiana Beauclerk Lady Cholmeley (age 22) by marriage Lady Cholmeley of Easton in Lincolnshire.
In 1836 Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet (age 33) was appointed High Sheriff of Lincolnshire.
On 29th May 1839 [his brother-in-law] William Beauclerk 9th Duke St Albans (age 38) and Elizabeth Catherine Gubbins Duchess St Albans (age 21) were married at Church of St Mary the Virgin Harby, Leicestershire. She by marriage Duchess St Albans. William Beauclerk 9th Duke St Albans donated a new clock, a bible, a prayer book, and £30 with the rector to be invested for the poor. He the son of William Beauclerk 8th Duke St Albans and Maria Janetta Nelthorpe Duchess St Albans.
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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On 18th October 1839 [his son] Hugh Cholmeley 3rd Baronet was born to Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet (age 37) and [his wife] Georgiana Beauclerk Lady Cholmeley (age 30). He a great x 4 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. He married 12th August 1874 Edith Sophia Rowley Lady Cholmeley, daughter of Charles Robert Rowley 4th Baronet and Maria Louisa Vanneck, and had issue.
In 1847 Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet (age 44) was elected MP North Lincolnshire which seat he held until 1852.
On 27th May 1849 [his brother-in-law] William Beauclerk 9th Duke St Albans (age 48) died. His son William (age 9) succeeded 10th Duke St Albans, 10th Earl Burford, 10th Baron Heddington, 7th Baron Vere of Hanworth in Middlesex.
On 14th July 1853 [his son-in-law] Henry Vivian 1st Baron Swansea (age 32) and [his daughter] Flora Caroline Elizabeth Cholmeley were married.
In 1857 Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet (age 54) was elected MP North Lincolnshire which seat he held until 1874.
On 22nd August 1862 [his sister-in-law] Caroline Janetta Beauclerk Countess Essex (age 58) died.
On 25th January 1868 [his daughter] Flora Caroline Elizabeth Cholmeley died.
On 18th January 1874 Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet (age 71) died. His son Hugh (age 34) succeeded 3rd Baronet Cholmeley of Easton in Lincolnshire.
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 8th January 1880 [his former wife] Georgiana Beauclerk Lady Cholmeley (age 71) died.
[his daughter] Flora Caroline Elizabeth Cholmeley was born to Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet and Georgiana Beauclerk Lady Cholmeley. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. She married 14th July 1853 Henry Vivian 1st Baron Swansea.
GrandFather: Montague Cholmeley of Easton 
Father: Montague Cholmeley 1st Baronet
Montague Cholmeley 2nd Baronet
GrandFather: John Harrison
Mother: Elizabeth Harrison Lady Cholmeley