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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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Chichester Cathedral is in Chichester [Map], Cathedrals in England.
Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 23rd May 1070. On Whitsunday [3rd May] the king (age 42), at Windsor, Berkshire [Map], gave the archbishopric of York to the venerable Thomas, canon of Bayeux, and the bishopric of Winchester to his chaplain, Walkeline. On the following day, by the king's command, Ermenfrid, bishop of Sion, held a synod, [the other legates] the cardinals John and Peter having returned to Rome. At this synod, Ethelric, bishop of Sussex, was uncanonically deposed; and although he was guilty of no crime, the king soon afterwards placed him in confinement at Marlborough, Wiltshire [Map]; several abbots were also deprived. After these depositions, the king gave the bishopric of East-Anglia to Arfast, and the bishopric of Sussex to Stigand79, who were both his chaplains; which Stigand transferred his see to Chichester, the chief city in his diocese: the king also gave abbeys to some Norman monks. The archbishop of Canterbury being degraded, and the archbishop of York dead, Walkeline was, by the king's command, consecrated by the same Ermenfrid, bishop of Sion, on the octave of Whitsunday [30th May].
Note 79. This first bishop of Chichester must not be confounded with the archbishop of the same name.
Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 1125. Simon, the queen's chancellor, and Sigefred, abbot of Glastonbury, both men of distinguished worth and piety, were chosen bishops while they were in Normandy; Simon being appointed to the see of Worcester, and Sigefred to the see of Chichester. Hugh, a man of great prudence, archdeacon successively to Samson and Theowulf, bishops of Worcester, died on the twelfth of the calends of April [21st March). After Easter [29th March], the bishops-elect, Simon and Sigefred, with the archbishops William (age 55) and Thurstan (age 55), and a cardinal of Rome named John, came to England,
Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 12th April 1125. ... and Sigefred was consecrated as bishop of Chichester at Lambeth by archbishop William (age 55) on the second of the ides [the 12th] of April; there being present at this consecration the Roman cardinal, Thurstan (age 55), archbishop of York, Everard, bishop of Norwich, Richard of Hereford, Bernard of St. David's, David of Bangor, Urban of Glamorgan (age 49), and John, bishop-elect of Rochester.
In or before 1178 Seffrid was appointed Dean of Chichester Cathedral.
On 16th November 1180 Bishop Seffrid was consecrated Bishop of Chichester.
In or before 1215 Bishop Richard Poore was appointed Bishop of Chichester.
Before 1st November 1222 Bishop Ralph Neville was elected Bishop of Chichester.
On 5th April 1305 Bishop John Langton was elected Bishop of Chichester.
On 19th September 1305 Bishop John Langton was consecrated Bishop of Chichester.
Between 23rd July 1337 and 18th August 1337 Robert de Stratford (age 45) was elected Bishop of Chichester.
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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On 17th November 1389 Bishop Richard Mitford was elected Bishop of Chichester.
On 10th April 1390 Bishop Richard Mitford was consecrated Bishop of Chichester.
In 1429 Bishop Thomas Brunce (age 41) was elected Bishop of Chichester although Bishop Simon Sydenham was awared the position.
On 11th February 1431 Bishop Simon Sydenham was consecrated Bishop of Chichester.
On 24th September 1445 Bishop Adam Moleyns was elected Bishop of Chichester.
On 6th February 1446 Bishop Adam Moleyns was consecrated Bishop of Chichester at Lambeth Palace [Map].
On 23rd March 1450 Bishop Reginald Peacock (age 55) was translated to Bishop of Chichester.
In January 1459 Bishop Reginald Peacock (age 64) was forced to resign as Bishop of Chichester.
On 11th February 1478 Bishop Edward Story was translated to Bishop of Chichester.
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 29th November 1503 Bishop Richard Fitzjames was translated to Bishop of Chichester.
In 1508 Bishop Robert Sherbourne (age 55) was appointed Bishop of Chichester.
On 11th June 1536 Bishop Richard Sampson was elected Bishop of Chichester.
In 1541 Bishop Henry Man was appointed Dean of Chichester Cathedral.
In 1543 Bishop George Day (age 42) was consecrated Bishop of Chichester by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer (age 53).
In October 1551 Bishop George Day (age 50) was deprived of the Bishopric of Chichester.
In 1552 Bishop John Scory (age 42) was appointed Bishop of Chichester.
Before 30th September 1553 Bishop George Day (age 52) was restored to the Bishopric of Chichester.
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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In 1557 Bishop John Christopherson was appointed Bishop of Chichester which post he held until 1558.
In 1559 five new Bishops were consecrated including:
Archbishop Edwin Sandes (age 40) was consecrated Bishop of Worcester.
Bishop William Barlow (age 61) was consecrated Bishop of Chichester.
Archbishop Edmund Grindal (age 40) was consecrated Bishop of London.
In 1596 Bishop Anthony Watson was appointed Bishop of Chichester.
On 31st October 1605 Bishop Lancelot Andrewes (age 50) was elected Bishop of Chichester.
On 3rd November 1605 Bishop Lancelot Andrewes (age 50) was consecrated Bishop of Chichester.
On 18th November 1605 Bishop Lancelot Andrewes (age 50) was installed Bishop of Chichester at Chichester Cathedral [Map].
In 1638 Bishop Brian Duppa (age 48) was elected Bishop of Chichester.
John Evelyn's Diary. 9th July 1638. I went home to visit my friends, and, on the 26th, with my brother (age 21) and sister to Lewes [Map], where we abode till the 31st; and thence to one Mr. Michael's, of Houghton, near Arundel [Map], where we were very well treated; and, on the 2d of August, to Portsmouth, Hampshire [Map], and thence, having surveyed the fortifications (a great rarity in that blessed halcyon time in England), we passed into the Isle of Wight [Map], to the house of my Baroness Richards, in a place called Yaverland; but were turned the following day to Chichester [Map], where, having viewed the city and fair cathedral [Map], we returned home.
On 6th February 1642 Bishop Henry King (age 50) was appointed Bishop of Chichester.
In 1669 Zachary Crodock (age 6) was appointed Canon Chichester Cathedral.
In 1669 Bishop Peter Gunning (age 55) was appointed Bishop of Chichester.
John Evelyn's Diary. 26th March 1675. Dr. Brideoak (age 62) was elected Bishop of Chichester, on the translation of Dr. Gunning (age 61) to Ely.
Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.
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John Evelyn's Diary. 24th March 1676. Dr. Brideoake (age 63), Bishop of Chichester, preached a mean discourse for a Bishop. I also heard Dr. Fleetwood (age 72), Bishop of Worcester, on Matt. xxvi. 38, of the sorrows of Christ, a deadly sorrow caused by our sins; he was no great preacher.
John Evelyn's Diary. 2nd September 1676. The Dean of Chichester preached before the King (age 46), on Acts xxiv. 16; and Dr. Crichton preached the second sermon before him on Psalm xc. 12, of wisely numbering our days, and well employing our time.
On 19th October 1685 Bishop John Lake (age 61) was translated to Bishop of Chichester.
In 1689 Bishop Simon Patrick (age 62) was appointed Bishop of Chichester.
On 30th August 1691 Bishop Robert Grove (age 57) was consecrated Bishop of Chichester.
On 25th September 1696 Bishop Robert Grove (age 62) died in a carriage accident. He was buried in Chichester Cathedral [Map].
On 29th December 1806 Charles Lennox 3rd Duke Richmond (age 71) died at Goodwood West Sussex. He was buried at Chichester Cathedral [Map]. His nephew Charles (age 42) succeeded 4th Duke Richmond, 4th Earl March, 4th Baron Settrington. Charlotte Gordon Duchess Richmond (age 38) by marriage Duchess Richmond.
In 1824 James Lloyd 1st Baronet (age 61) was appointed Bishop of Chichester.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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In 1831 Bishop Edward Maltby (age 60) was appointed Bishop of Chichester.
In 1836 Bishop William Otter (age 67) was appointed Bishop of Chichester.