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 27th December 1643 [his father] John Coryton 1st Baronet (age 22) and [his mother] Elizabeth Mills Lady Coryton were married. They had two sons and two daughters.
On or before 24th May 1650 William Coryton 3rd Baronet was born to [his father] John Coryton 1st Baronet (age 28) and [his mother] Elizabeth Mills Lady Coryton. He was baptised on 24th May 1650 at St Melanus' Church, St Mellion.
On 27th February 1662 [his father] John Coryton 1st Baronet (age 40) was created 1st Baronet Coryton of Newton. [his mother] Elizabeth Mills Lady Coryton by marriage Lady Coryton of Newton.
On 23rd November 1666 brothers [his brother] John Coryton 2nd Baronet (age 18) and William Coryton 3rd Baronet (age 16) matriculated Exeter College, Oxford University.
On 27th September 1667 [his mother] Elizabeth Mills Lady Coryton died. She was buried at Colebrooke Church, where her mural monument with Corinthian columns and scrollwork pediment survives.
In 1679 William Coryton 3rd Baronet (age 28) was elected MP Newport which seat he held until 1681.
In 1679 William Coryton 3rd Baronet (age 28) was elected MP Bossiney.
On or after 24th May 1680, the date of the licence, [his father] John Coryton 1st Baronet (age 58) and Anne Wayte Lady Coryton were married. He died within two months of the marriage. She by marriage Lady Coryton of Newton. She, presumably widow of Mr. D. Wayte, who was buied in the church at Acton, 29 March 1677.
Before 23rd August 1680, the date of his burial at St Melanus' Church, St Mellion, [his father] John Coryton 1st Baronet (age 59) died. His son [his brother] John (age 32) succeeded 2nd Baronet Coryton of Newton.
In 1681 William Coryton 3rd Baronet (age 30) was elected MP Callington.
In 1685 William Coryton 3rd Baronet (age 34) was elected MP Callington which seat he held until 1687.
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.
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On 11th December 1688 William Coryton 3rd Baronet (age 38) and Susanna Littleton were married at Lee, Kent. He subsequently remarried the widow of Thomas Williams of London.
In September 1689 William Coryton 3rd Baronet (age 39) was elected MP St Michael which seat he held until Feb 1690.
Around 1690 [his son] John Coryton 4th Baronet was born to William Coryton 3rd Baronet (age 39) and [his wife] Susanna Littleton.
On or before 30th July 1690 [his brother] John Coryton 2nd Baronet (age 42) died. He was buried on 30th July 1690 at St Melanus' Church, St Mellion. His brother William (age 40) succeeded 3rd Baronet Coryton of Newton.
In 1695 William Coryton 3rd Baronet (age 44) was elected MP Callington which seat he held until 1701.
On 6th August 1695 [his wife] Susanna Littleton died. She was buried at St Melanus' Church, St Mellion.
In November 1703 William Coryton 3rd Baronet (age 53) was elected MP Callington which seat he held until his death in 1711.
In 1711 [his son-in-law] Edward Eliot (age 27) and [his daughter] Susanna Coryton were married at St Melanus' Church, St Mellion.
On 6th December 1711 William Coryton 3rd Baronet (age 61) died. He was buried at St Melanus' Church, St Mellion. His son John (age 21) succeeded 4th Baronet Coryton of Newton. His widow married, as the 2nd of his three wives, 29 October 1716, at St. Stephen's-by-Saltash, Sir Nicholas Trevannion, Commissioner of Portsmouth Dockyard, who died 16 Nov. 1737. She died 27 Sep 1719 and was buried 30 Sep 1719, at St. Germans.
[his daughter] Susanna Coryton was born to William Coryton 3rd Baronet and Susanna Littleton. She married 1711 Edward Eliot.
Kings Wessex: Great x 18 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 15 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 21 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 16 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 19 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 9 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 17 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 25 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 19 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 23 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 1 Grandfather: Peter Coryton of Coryton
GrandFather: William Coryton
Great x 3 Grandfather: Walter Wrey of North Russell
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Wrey of North Russell
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Shilstone
Great x 3 Grandmother: Bridget Shilstone
Great x 1 Grandmother: Jane aka Joan Wrey
Father: John Coryton 1st Baronet 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Chichester
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Chichester
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Chichester
5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Bourchier 1st Earl Bath
3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Bourchier
4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Cecily Daubeney Baroness Fitzwarin
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Chichester
6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Courtenay 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William "Great" Courtenay 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Cecily Cheney
Great x 2 Grandmother: Gertrude Courtenay 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Gainsford
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Gainsford
Great x 4 Grandmother: Audrey Shaa
GrandMother: Elizabeth Chichester
7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Denys
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Denys
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Denys
Great x 1 Grandmother: Anne Denys 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Blount 3rd Baron Mountjoy
11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Blount 4th Baron Mountjoy
8 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Lora Berkeley Countess Ormonde
7 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Mary Blount
5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset
6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Dorothy Grey Baroness Mountjoy, Willoughby and Latimer
4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset
3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
William Coryton 3rd Baronet 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
GrandFather: John Mills of Colebrooke
Mother: Elizabeth Mills Lady Coryton