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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Earl Desmond is in Earl Ireland.
See: Earl Desmond, Earl Desmond.
In 1418 James Fitzgerald 6th Earl Desmond succeeded 6th Earl Desmond.
In 1462 Thomas Fitzgerald 7th Earl Desmond succeeded 7th Earl Desmond.
In 1468 James Fitzgerald 8th Earl Desmond [aged 9] succeeded 8th Earl Desmond.
On 7th December 1487 James Fitzgerald 8th Earl Desmond [aged 28] was murdered by John Murtagh at the instigation of his brother John at Rathkeale, County Limerick. His brother Maurice succeeded 9th Earl Desmond.
In 1520 Maurice Fitzgerald 9th Earl Desmond died. His son James [aged 25] succeeded 10th Earl Desmond.
On 8th June 1529 James Fitzgerald 10th Earl Desmond [aged 34] died at Dingle. He was buried at Tralee. His uncle Thomas [aged 75] succeeded 11th Earl Desmond.
In 1534 Thomas Fitzgerald 11th Earl Desmond [aged 80] died. His brother John succeeded 12th Earl Desmond.
In December 1536 John Fitzgerald 12th Earl Desmond died. His son James succeeded 13th Earl Desmond.
On 14th October 1558 James Fitzgerald 13th Earl Desmond died. His son Gerald [aged 25] succeeded 14th Earl Desmond.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 22nd November 1622 George Feilding 1st Earl Desmond [aged 8] was created 1st Earl Desmond, 1st Viscount Callan of Callan in Kilkenny, 1st Baron Feilding of Lecagh in Tipperary. Bridget Stanhope Countess Desmond [aged 7] by marriage Countess Desmond.
On 31st January 1665 George Feilding 1st Earl Desmond [aged 51] died. His son William [aged 24] succeeded 2nd Earl Desmond, 2nd Viscount Callan of Callan in Kilkenny, 2nd Baron Feilding of Lecagh in Tipperary.
Before 1668 William Feilding 2nd Earl Desmond 3rd Earl Denbigh [aged 27] and Mary Carey Countess Desmond and Denbigh [aged 35] were married. She by marriage Countess Desmond Countess Denbigh. She the daughter of Henry Carey 2nd Earl Monmouth and Martha Cranfield Countess Monmouth [aged 66]. He the son of George Feilding 1st Earl Desmond and Bridget Stanhope Countess Desmond [aged 52].
On 23rd August 1685 William Feilding 2nd Earl Desmond 3rd Earl Denbigh [aged 44] died. His son Basil [aged 17] succeeded 3rd Earl Desmond, 4th Earl Denbigh, 4th Viscount Feilding, 4th Baron Feilding of Newnham Paddocks in Warwickshire, 3rd Viscount Callan of Callan in Kilkenny, 3rd Baron Feilding of Lecagh in Tipperary, 3rd Baron St Liz.
On 22nd June 1695 Basil Feilding 3rd Earl Desmond 4th Earl Denbigh [aged 27] and Hester Firebrace Countess Desmond and Denbigh [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Desmond and Countess Denbigh. He the son of William Feilding 2nd Earl Desmond 3rd Earl Denbigh and Mary Carey Countess Desmond and Denbigh.
On 18th March 1717 Basil Feilding 3rd Earl Desmond 4th Earl Denbigh [aged 49] died. His son William [aged 20] succeeded 4th Earl Desmond, 5th Earl Denbigh, 5th Viscount Feilding, 5th Baron Feilding of Newnham Paddocks in Warwickshire, 4th Viscount Callan of Callan in Kilkenny, 4th Baron Feilding of Lecagh in Tipperary, 4th Baron St Liz.
Before 3rd January 1719 William Feilding 4th Earl Desmond 5th Earl Denbigh [aged 22] and Isabella Jong Countess Desmond and Denbigh were married. She by marriage Countess Desmond, Countess Denbigh. He the son of Basil Feilding 3rd Earl Desmond 4th Earl Denbigh and Hester Firebrace Countess Desmond and Denbigh [aged 42].
On 2nd August 1755 William Feilding 4th Earl Desmond 5th Earl Denbigh [aged 58] died. His son Basil [aged 36] succeeded 5th Earl Desmond, 6th Earl Denbigh, 6th Viscount Feilding, 6th Baron Feilding of Newnham Paddocks in Warwickshire, 5th Viscount Callan of Callan in Kilkenny, 5th Baron Feilding of Lecagh in Tipperary, 5th Baron St Liz.
On 12th April 1757 Basil Feilding 5th Earl Desmond 6th Earl Denbigh [aged 38] and Mary Cotton Countess Desmond and Denbigh [aged 4] were married. She by marriage Countess Desmond, Countess Denbigh. The difference in their ages was 33 years. He the son of William Feilding 4th Earl Desmond 5th Earl Denbigh and Isabella Jong Countess Desmond and Denbigh.
On 21st July 1783 Basil Feilding 5th Earl Desmond 6th Earl Denbigh [aged 64] and Sarah Farnham Countess Desmond and Denbigh were married. She by marriage Countess Desmond, Countess Denbigh. He the son of William Feilding 4th Earl Desmond 5th Earl Denbigh and Isabella Jong Countess Desmond and Denbigh.
On 14th July 1800 Basil Feilding 5th Earl Desmond 6th Earl Denbigh [aged 81] died. His grandson William [aged 4] succeeded 6th Earl Desmond, 7th Earl Denbigh, 7th Viscount Feilding, 7th Baron Feilding of Newnham Paddocks in Warwickshire, 6th Viscount Callan of Callan in Kilkenny, 6th Baron Feilding of Lecagh in Tipperary, 6th Baron St Liz.
On 8th May 1822 William Feilding 6th Earl Desmond 7th Earl Denbigh [aged 26] and Mary Elizabeth Kitty Moreton Countess Desmond and Denbigh [aged 23] were married. She by marriage Countess Desmond Countess Denbigh. She the daughter of Thomas Reynolds-Moreton 1st Earl Ducie [aged 45] and Frances Herbert Baroness Ducie Tortworth [aged 40].
On 25th June 1865 William Feilding 6th Earl Desmond 7th Earl Denbigh [aged 69] died. His son Rudolph [aged 42] succeeded 7th Earl Desmond, 8th Earl Denbigh, 8th Viscount Feilding, 8th Baron Feilding of Newnham Paddocks in Warwickshire, 7th Viscount Callan of Callan in Kilkenny, 7th Baron Feilding of Lecagh in Tipperary, 7th Baron St Liz.
On 10th March 1892 Rudolph Feilding 8th Earl of Denbigh 7th Earl Desmond [aged 68] died. His son Rudolph [aged 32] succeeded 8th Earl Desmond, 9th Earl Denbigh, 9th Viscount Feilding, 9th Baron Feilding of Newnham Paddocks in Warwickshire, 8th Viscount Callan of Callan in Kilkenny, 8th Baron Feilding of Lecagh in Tipperary, 8th Baron St Liz.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 25th November 1939 Rudolph Feilding 9th Earl of Denbigh [aged 80] died. His grandson William [aged 27] succeeded 9th Earl Desmond, 10th Earl Denbigh, 10th Viscount Feilding, 10th Baron Feilding of Newnham Paddocks in Warwickshire, 9th Viscount Callan of Callan in Kilkenny, 9th Baron Feilding of Lecagh in Tipperary, 9th Baron St Liz.
On 31st December 1966 William Feilding 10th Earl of Denbigh [aged 54] died. His son Rollo [aged 23] succeeded 10th Earl Desmond, 11th Earl Denbigh, 11th Viscount Feilding, 11th Baron Feilding of Newnham Paddocks in Warwickshire, 10th Viscount Callan of Callan in Kilkenny, 10th Baron Feilding of Lecagh in Tipperary, 10th Baron St Liz.
On 23rd March 1995 Rollo Feilding 11th Earl of Denbigh [aged 51] died. His son Alexander [aged 24] succeeded 11th Earl Desmond, 12th Earl Denbigh, 12th Viscount Feilding, 12th Baron Feilding of Newnham Paddocks in Warwickshire, 11th Viscount Callan of Callan in Kilkenny, 11th Baron Feilding of Lecagh in Tipperary, 11th Baron St Liz.
On 19th July 1619 Richard Preston 1st Earl Desmond was created 1st Earl Desmond.
In 1329 Maurice Fitzgerald 1st Earl Desmond was created 1st Earl Desmond. Eleanor Fitzmaurice Countess Desmond [aged 21] by marriage Countess Desmond.
On 25th January 1356 Maurice Fitzgerald 1st Earl Desmond died at Dublin Castle, Dublin. His son Maurice succeeded 2nd Earl Desmond.
In 1358 Gerald Fitzgerald 3rd Earl Desmond [aged 23] succeeded 3rd Earl Desmond.
In 1359 Gerald Fitzgerald 3rd Earl Desmond [aged 24] and Eleanor Butler Countess Desmond were married. She by marriage Countess Desmond. She the daughter of James Butler 2nd Earl Ormonde [aged 27] and Elizabeth Darcy Countess Ormonde [aged 26]. He the son of Maurice Fitzgerald 1st Earl Desmond and Eleanor Fitzmaurice Countess Desmond.
In 1398 John Fitzgerald 4th Earl Desmond succeeded 4th Earl Desmond.
In 1399 Thomas Fitzgerald 5th Earl Desmond [aged 13] succeeded 5th Earl Desmond.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 22nd August 1455 Thomas Fitzgerald 7th Earl Desmond and Ellice Barry Countess Desmond [aged 35] were married. She by marriage Countess Desmond. He the son of James Fitzgerald 6th Earl Desmond.
Maurice Fitzgerald 2nd Earl Desmond and Beatrice Stafford Countess Desmond were married. She by marriage Countess Desmond. She the daughter of Ralph Stafford 1st Earl Stafford and Margaret Audley Countess Stafford. He the son of Maurice Fitzgerald 1st Earl Desmond and Catherine Burgh. They were sixth cousins. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.