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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On 1st April 1904 Sylvia Hawkes Baroness Stanley was born.
On 3rd February 1927 Major Anthony Ashley-Cooper [aged 26] and Sylvia Hawkes Baroness Stanley [aged 22] were married. He the son of Anthony Ashley-Cooper 9th Earl of Shaftesbury [aged 57] and Constance Grosvenor Countess of Shaftesbury [aged 51].
On 22nd August 1931 Arthur Stanley 5th Baron Stanley, 5th Baron Sheffield, 4th Baron Eddisbury [aged 55] died. His son [her future husband] Edward [aged 23] succeeded 6th Baron Stanley Alderley, 6th Baron Sheffield of Roscommon in Roscommon, 5th Baron Eddisbury of Winnington in Cheshire, 12th Baronet Stanley of Alderley in Cheshire.
On 28th November 1934 Major Anthony Ashley-Cooper [aged 34] and Sylvia Hawkes Baroness Stanley [aged 30] were divorced after she began an affair with American actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr, who was named as co-respondent in the petition for divorce.
On 31st March 1937 [her former husband] Major Anthony Ashley-Cooper [aged 36] and Françoise Soulier were married. He the son of [her former father-in-law] Anthony Ashley-Cooper 9th Earl of Shaftesbury [aged 67] and [her former mother-in-law] Constance Grosvenor Countess of Shaftesbury [aged 61].
Before 18th January 1944 [her future husband] Edward Stanley 6th Baron Stanley, 6th Baron Sheffield, 5th Baron Eddisbury [aged 36] and Victoria Audrey Chetwynd-Talbot [aged 33] were married.
On 18th January 1944 Edward Stanley 6th Baron Stanley, 6th Baron Sheffield, 5th Baron Eddisbury [aged 36] and Sylvia Hawkes Baroness Stanley [aged 39] were married. She by marriage Baroness Stanley Alderley.
On 8th March 1947 [her former husband] Major Anthony Ashley-Cooper [aged 46] died.
In 1948 Edward Stanley 6th Baron Stanley, 6th Baron Sheffield, 5th Baron Eddisbury [aged 40] and Sylvia Hawkes Baroness Stanley [aged 43] were divorced.
This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
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On 3rd March 1971 [her former husband] Edward Stanley 6th Baron Stanley, 6th Baron Sheffield, 5th Baron Eddisbury [aged 63] died. His brother [her former brother-in-law] Lyulph [aged 55] succeeded 7th Baron Stanley Alderley, 7th Baron Sheffield of Roscommon in Roscommon, 6th Baron Eddisbury of Winnington in Cheshire, 13th Baronet Stanley of Alderley in Cheshire.
On 29th June 1977 Sylvia Hawkes Baroness Stanley [aged 73] died.