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.
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On 23rd August 1904 Gloria aka Maria Mercedes Morgan was born to Harry Hays Morgan Senior. She was an identical twin with her sister Thelma Morgan Viscountess Furness. She married 6th March 1923 Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt.
On 23rd August 1904 Thelma Morgan Viscountess Furness was born to [her father] Harry Hays Morgan Senior. She was an identical twin with her sister Gloria aka Maria Mercedes Morgan.
On 10th November 1912 Christopher Furness 1st Baron Furness [aged 60] died. His son [her future husband] Marmaduke [aged 29] succeeded 2nd Baron Furness of Grantley in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
In 1918 [her future husband] Marmaduke Furness 1st Viscount Furness [aged 34] was created 1st Viscount Furness of Grantley in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
Before 28th February 1921 [her future husband] Marmaduke Furness 1st Viscount Furness [aged 37] and Ada "Daisy" Hogg Viscountess Furness were married. She by marriage Viscountess Furness of Grantley in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
On 27th June 1926 Marmaduke Furness 1st Viscount Furness [aged 42] and Thelma Morgan Viscountess Furness [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Viscountess Furness of Grantley in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The difference in their ages was 20 years.
On 31st March 1929 [her son] William Anthony Furness 2nd Viscount Furness was born to [her husband] Marmaduke Furness 1st Viscount Furness [aged 45] and Thelma Morgan Viscountess Furness [aged 24].
On 14th June 1929 the Duke of Windsor [aged 34] and Thelma Morgan Viscountess Furness [aged 24] met at the Leicestershire Agricultural Show. Edward asked her to dine and they met regularly until she joined him on safari in East Africa early in 1930, when a closer relationship developed. On Edward's return to Britain in April 1930 she was his regular weekend companion at the newly acquired Fort Belvedere until January 1934.
On 10th January 1931 Thelma Morgan Viscountess Furness [aged 26], at her country house Burrough Court, near Melton Mowbray, introduced the Duke of Windsor [aged 36] to Wallis Warfield aka Simpson Duchess of Windsor [aged 34]. She, Wallis, was visiting Thelma's sister Gloria aka Maria Mercedes Morgan [aged 26].
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 1933 Marmaduke Furness 1st Viscount Furness [aged 49] and Thelma Morgan Viscountess Furness [aged 28] were divorced.
January 1938. Unknown Photographer. Photograph of Thelma Morgan Viscountess Furness [aged 33], Dorothé Mabel Lewis [aged 38], a month before she died, and Patrick Plunket 7th Baron Plunket [aged 14].
Dorothé Mabel Lewis: In 1900 she was born illegitimately to Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart 7th Marquess of Londonderry and Fanny Ward aka Buchanan. On 24th February 1938 husband and wife Terence Plunket 6th Baron Plunket and Dorothé Mabel Lewis died in a plane crash. They were bound for the Hearst ranch at San Simeon, now known as Hearst Castle. In the coastal fog surrounding the airstrip on the ranch, the pilot overshot the field by nearly a mile and a half. One wing struck the ground, causing the plane to burst into flames and crash. James Lawrence was the only survivor, having been thrown clear of the plane. He suffered burns and a broken ankle. Her son Patrick succeeded 7th Baron Plunket of Newtown in County Cork. Their children were subsequently were raised by Lord Plunket's sister, The Helen Rhodes, and her husband, Arthur Rhodes.
Patrick Plunket 7th Baron Plunket: On 8th September 1923 he was born to Terence Plunket 6th Baron Plunket and Dorothé Mabel Lewis. On 19th December 1961 David Armstrong-Jones 2nd Earl of Snowdon was baptised in the Music Room, Buckingham Palace. His godparents were Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth Cavendish, Patrick Plunket 7th Baron Plunket, Rupert Charles Montacute Neville and Bishop Simon Phipps. On 28th May 1975 Patrick Plunket 7th Baron Plunket died. His brother Robin succeeded 8th Baron Plunket of Newtown in County Cork.
On 24th May 1940 [her former step-son] Lieutenant Christopher Furness [aged 28] was killed in action.
On 6th October 1940 [her former husband] Marmaduke Furness 1st Viscount Furness [aged 56] died. His son William [aged 11] succeeded 2nd Viscount Furness of Grantley in the West Riding of Yorkshire, 3rd Baron Furness of Grantley in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
On 29th January 1970 Thelma Morgan Viscountess Furness [aged 65] died.