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: Paston
William Paston and Bridget Heydon were married.
Before 1478 [his father] John Paston [aged 33] and [his mother] Margery Brewes were married.
Around 1479 William Paston was born to [his father] John Paston [aged 35] and [his mother] Margery Brewes.
Around 1495 [his daughter] Eleanor Paston Countess Rutland was born to William Paston [aged 16] and Bridget Heydon [aged 10]. She married before 1523 Thomas Manners 1st Earl of Rutland, son of George Manners 11th Baron Ros Helmsley and Anne St Leger Baroness Ros of Helmsley, and had issue.
In 1495 [his mother] Margery Brewes died.
On 28th August 1504 [his father] John Paston [aged 60] died.
In 1506 [his son] Erasmus Paston was born to William Paston [aged 27] and Bridget Heydon [aged 21]. He married in or before 1528 Mary Wyndham of Felbrigg and had issue.
In 1509 [his daughter] Elizabeth Paston was born to William Paston [aged 30] and Bridget Heydon [aged 24]. She married in or before 1544 Francis Leke and had issue.
Around 1515 [his son] Thomas Paston was born to William Paston [aged 36] and Bridget Heydon [aged 30]. He married before 1551 his sixth cousin Agnes Leigh and had issue.
In 1517 William Paston [aged 38] was appointed High Sheriff of Norfolk.
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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In 1517 William Paston [aged 38] was appointed High Sheriff of Suffolk.
Before 1520 William Paston [aged 40] was knighted.
Around 1520 [his daughter] Mary Paston was born to William Paston [aged 41] and Bridget Heydon [aged 35]. She married John Chaworth and had issue.
In June 1520 Henry VIII [aged 28] hosted Field of the Cloth of Gold at Balinghem [Map].
Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset [aged 42] carried the Sword of State.
Bishop John Stokesley [aged 45] attended as Henry VIII's chaplain.
Edmund Braye 1st Baron Braye [aged 36], Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas Deheubarth [aged 42], Anthony Poyntz [aged 40], William Coffin [aged 25], William "Great" Courtenay [aged 43], Robert Radclyffe 1st Earl of Sussex [aged 37], William Paston [aged 41], William Denys [aged 50], Richard Cecil [aged 25], William Parr 1st Baron Parr of Horton [aged 37], Ralph Neville 4th Earl of Westmoreland [aged 22], John Mordaunt 1st Baron Mordaunt [aged 40], Henry Guildford [aged 31], Marmaduke Constable [aged 40], William Compton [aged 38], William Blount 4th Baron Mountjoy [aged 42], Thomas Cheney [aged 35], Henry Willoughby [aged 69], John Rodney [aged 59], John Marney 2nd Baron Marney [aged 36], William Sidney [aged 38], John de Vere 14th Earl of Oxford [aged 20], John de Vere 15th Earl of Oxford [aged 49], Edmund Walsingham [aged 40], William Skeffington [aged 55] and Thomas West 8th Baron De La Warr 5th Baron West [aged 63] attended.
William Carey [aged 20] jousted.
William Sandys 1st Baron Sandys of the Vyne [aged 50] organised.
Jane Parker Viscountess Rochford [aged 15] attended.
Thomas Brooke 8th Baron Cobham [aged 50], Robert Willoughby 2nd Baron Willoughby 10th Baron Latimer [aged 48], Anthony Wingfield [aged 33], William Scott [aged 61], Thomas Wriothesley [aged 32], Bishop Thomas Ruthall [aged 48], Margaret Dymoke aka Mistress Coffin [aged 20] and Edward Chamberlayne [aged 36] were present.
Around 1521 [his son] Admiral Clement Paston was born to William Paston [aged 42] and Bridget Heydon [aged 36]. He married before 18th February 1598 Alice Pakington.
Before 1523 [his son-in-law] Thomas Manners 1st Earl of Rutland [aged 30] and [his daughter] Eleanor Paston Countess Rutland [aged 27] were married. She by marriage Baroness Ros Helmsley.
In or before 1528 [his son] Erasmus Paston [aged 21] and [his daughter-in-law] Mary Wyndham of Felbrigg were married.
In 1540 Erasmus Paston [aged 34] died. Brasses to Erasmus and his wife Mary Wyndham of Felbrigg (missing) at St Margaret's Church, Paston [Map]. The inscription reads .. Here Erasmus Paston and Mary his wife enclosed in clay, Which is the resting place of ffleach until the latter day; Of sonnes three and daughters nine the Lord then parent made, Ere cruel death worke his cruel spite of fykell liff did fade.
Erasmus Paston: In 1506 he was born to William Paston and Bridget Heydon. In or before 1528 Erasmus Paston and Mary Wyndham of Felbrigg were married.
Mary Wyndham of Felbrigg: she was born to Vice-Admiral Thomas Wyndham and Eleanor Scrope.
In or before 1544 [his son-in-law] Francis Leke [aged 33] and [his daughter] Elizabeth Paston [aged 34] were married.
In 1544 [his daughter] Elizabeth Paston [aged 35] died.
On 4th September 1550 [his son] Thomas Paston [aged 35] died.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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Before 1551 [his son] Thomas Paston and [his former daughter-in-law] Agnes Leigh were married. They were sixth cousins.
In 1551 [his daughter] Eleanor Paston Countess Rutland [aged 56] died.
On 22nd September 1554 William Paston [aged 75] died in Paston, Norfolk.
Great x 2 Grandfather: Clement Paston 
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Paston
Great x 2 Grandmother: Beatrice Somerton
GrandFather: John Paston
Great x 2 Grandfather: Edmund Barry
Great x 1 Grandmother: Agnes Barry
Father: John Paston
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Mautby
GrandMother: Margaret Mautby
GrandFather: Thomas Brewes
Mother: Margery Brewes
GrandMother: Elizabeth Debenham