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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In 1628 Henry Stanhope and [his mother] Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield [aged 19] were married. He the son of Philip Stanhope 1st Earl Chesterfield [aged 44] and Catherine Hastings Countess Chesterfield.
Before 9th May 1630 [his father] Jehan Lord of Heenvliet [aged 35] and [his mother] Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield [aged 21] were married.
On 9th May 1643 Charles Kirkoven 1st Earl Bellomont was born to [his father] Jehan Lord of Heenvliet [aged 48] and [his mother] Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield [aged 34] at The Hague.
In 1649 Charles Kirkoven 1st Earl Bellomont [aged 5] was created 1st Baron Wotton.
In 1652 [his half-brother] Philip Stanhope 2nd Earl Chesterfield [aged 18] and [his sister-in-law] Anne Percy 2nd Countess Chesterfield [aged 17] were married. She by marriage Countess Chesterfield. She the daughter of Algernon Percy 10th Earl of Northumberland [aged 49] and Anne Cecil. He the son of Henry Stanhope and [his mother] Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield [aged 43]. They were fourth cousin once removed.
After 1654 [his half-brother] Philip Stanhope 2nd Earl Chesterfield [aged 20] and [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth Butler Countess Chesterfield [aged 13] were married. She by marriage Countess Chesterfield. She the daughter of James Butler 1st Duke Ormonde [aged 43] and Elizabeth Preston Duchess Ormonde [aged 38]. He the son of Henry Stanhope and [his mother] Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield [aged 45].
Before 1655 [his brother-in-law] Charles Stanley 8th Earl of Derby [aged 26] and [his sister] Dorothea Helena Kirkoven Countess Derby [aged 24] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. She the daughter of [his father] Jehan Lord of Heenvliet [aged 60] and [his mother] Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield [aged 45]. He the son of James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby and Charlotte Thouars Countess Derby [aged 55].
On 12th September 1656 Philip Stanhope 1st Earl Chesterfield [aged 72] died. His grandson [his half-brother] Philip [aged 22] succeeded 2nd Earl Chesterfield, 2nd Baron Stanhope of Shelford in Nottinghamshire.
In 1660 [his mother] Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield [aged 51] was created 1st Countess Chesterfield.
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 7th March 1660 [his father] Jehan Lord of Heenvliet [aged 65] died.
In September 1660 [his step-father] Daniel O'Neill [aged 48] and [his mother] Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield [aged 51] were married.
Before 1662 [his brother-in-law] William Alington 1st and 3rd Baron Alington [aged 21] and [his half-sister] Catherine Stanhope Baroness Alington were married. She by marriage Baroness Alington of Killard. She the daughter of Henry Stanhope and [his mother] Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield [aged 52]. They were third cousin once removed.
On 19th November 1662 [his half-sister] Catherine Stanhope Baroness Alington died.
After July 1665 [his half-brother] Philip Stanhope 2nd Earl Chesterfield [aged 31] and [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth Dormer Countess Chesterfield [aged 12] were married. She by marriage Countess Chesterfield. She the daughter of Charles Dormer 2nd Earl Carnarvon [aged 32] and Elizabeth Capell Countess Carnarvon [aged 32]. He the son of Henry Stanhope and [his mother] Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield [aged 56]. They were third cousin once removed.
On 9th April 1667 [his mother] Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield [aged 58] died. Earl Chesterfield extinct. Her son Charles Kirkoven 1st Earl Bellomont [aged 23] inherited Boughton aka Bocton Place, Kent [Map].
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 17th August 1668. Up, and by water to White Hall, and so to St. James's, and thence with Mr. Wren [aged 39] by appointment in his coach to Hampstead, to speak with the Atturney-general [aged 70], whom we met in the fields, by his old route and house; and after a little talk about our business of Ackeworth, went and saw the Lord Wotton's [aged 25] house and garden, which is wonderfull fine: too good for the house the gardens are, being, indeed, the most noble that ever I saw, and brave orange and lemon trees.
On 6th April 1673 [his sister] Dorothea Helena Kirkoven Countess Derby [aged 43] died.
John Evelyn's Diary. 2nd June 1676. We returned in the evening by Hampstead, to see Lord Wotton's [aged 33] house and garden (Bellsize House), built with vast expense by [his step-father] Mr. O'Neale, an Irish gentleman who married Lord Wotton's mother, Baroness Stanhope. The furniture is very particular for Indian cabinets, porcelain, and other solid and noble movables. The gallery very fine, the gardens very large, but ill kept, yet woody and chargeable. The soil a cold weeping clay, not answering the expense.
On 25th August 1679 Charles Kirkoven 1st Earl Bellomont [aged 36] and Frances Willoughby Countess Bellomont [aged 36] were married. She by marriage Baroness Wotton. His paternal grandfather Thomas Wotton 2nd Baron Wotton had been the last of the previous creation of Baron Wotton. He the son of Jehan Lord of Heenvliet and Katherine Wotton Countess Chesterfield.
In 1680 Charles Kirkoven 1st Earl Bellomont [aged 36] was created 1st Earl Bellomont. [his wife] Frances Willoughby Countess Bellomont [aged 37] by marriage Countess Bellomont.
In 1683 Charles Kirkoven 1st Earl Bellomont [aged 39] died. Earl Bellomont and Baron Wotton extinct. He was buried at Canterbury Cathedral [Map]. He willed Boughton aka Bocton Place, Kent [Map] to his nephew, Charles Stanhope aka Wooton [aged 7], son of his half-brother Philip Stanhope 2nd Earl Chesterfield [aged 49].
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 25th May 1714 [his former wife] Frances Willoughby Countess Bellomont [aged 71] died in Derby, Derbyshire [Map].
Father: Jehan Lord of Heenvliet
Charles Kirkoven 1st Earl Bellomont
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Wotton of Boughton Malherbe 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Wotton of Boughton Place in Kent
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Wotton
Great x 1 Grandfather: Edward Wotton 1st Baron Wotton
GrandFather: Thomas Wotton 2nd Baron Wotton