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.
Paternal Family Tree: Cooper
Maternal Family Tree: Anne Paggett of Lacock Abbey 1607
In 1709 [his father] Anthony Ashley-Cooper 3rd Earl Shaftesbury (age 37) and [his mother] Jane Ewer Countess Shafetsbury (age 29) were married. She by marriage Countess Shaftesbury. He the son of [his grandfather] Anthony Ashley-Cooper 2nd Earl Shaftesbury and [his grandmother] Dorothy Manners Countess Shaftesbury. They were third cousins.
On 9th February 1711 Anthony Ashley-Cooper 4th Earl Shaftesbury was born to [his father] Anthony Ashley-Cooper 3rd Earl Shaftesbury (age 39) and [his mother] Jane Ewer Countess Shafetsbury (age 31).
On 16th February 1713 [his father] Anthony Ashley-Cooper 3rd Earl Shaftesbury (age 41) died. His son Anthony (age 2) succeeded 4th Earl Shaftesbury, 4th Baron Ashley of Wimborne St Giles, 5th Baronet Cooper of Rockbourne in Southampton.
Diary of Viscount Egmont afterwards Earl Egmont 1741. 20th January 1741. The Committee present were: Mr. Ayers, Hen. Archer, Lord Shaftsbury (age 29), Mr. Smith, Mr. Vernon, who made some progress in the affair and adjourned the affair to Friday.
On 23rd November 1751 [his mother] Jane Ewer Countess Shafetsbury (age 71) died.
In 1754 Anthony Ashley-Cooper 4th Earl Shaftesbury (age 42) was elected Fellow of the Royal Society.
Before 1758 Anthony Ashley-Cooper 4th Earl Shaftesbury (age 46) and Susannah Noel Countess Shaftesbury (age 47) were married. She by marriage Countess Shaftesbury. She the daughter of Baptist Noel 3rd Earl Gainsborough and Dorothy Manners Countess Gainsborough. He the son of Anthony Ashley-Cooper 3rd Earl Shaftesbury and Jane Ewer Countess Shafetsbury. They were second cousins.
In 1758 [his wife] Susannah Noel Countess Shaftesbury (age 48) died.
In 1761 Anthony Ashley-Cooper 4th Earl Shaftesbury (age 49) was appointed Privy Council.
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Before 17th September 1761 Anthony Ashley-Cooper 4th Earl Shaftesbury (age 50) and Mary Bouverie Countess Shaftesbury (age 30) were married. She by marriage Countess Shaftesbury. He the son of Anthony Ashley-Cooper 3rd Earl Shaftesbury and Jane Ewer Countess Shafetsbury.
On 17th September 1761 [his son] Anthony Ashley-Cooper 5th Earl Shaftesbury was born to Anthony Ashley-Cooper 4th Earl Shaftesbury (age 50) and [his wife] Mary Bouverie Countess Shaftesbury (age 30). He married 17th July 1786 his sixth cousin Barbara Webb Countess Shaftesbury, daughter of John Webb 5th Baronet and Mary Salvin Lady Webb, and had issue.
In 1765 [his brother-in-law] William Pleydell-Bouverie 1st Earl Radnor (age 39) was created 1st Earl Radnor.
On 21st December 1768 [his son] Cropley Ashley-Cooper 6th Earl Shaftesbury was born to Anthony Ashley-Cooper 4th Earl Shaftesbury (age 57) and [his wife] Mary Bouverie Countess Shaftesbury (age 38). He married 1796 his third cousin twice removed Anne Spencer-Churchill Countess Shaftesbury, daughter of George Spencer 4th Duke of Marlborough and Caroline Russell Duchess of Marlborough, and had issue.
On 27th May 1771 Anthony Ashley-Cooper 4th Earl Shaftesbury (age 60) died. His son Anthony (age 9) succeeded 5th Earl Shaftesbury, 5th Baron Ashley of Wimborne St Giles, 6th Baronet Cooper of Rockbourne in Southampton.
Around 1782 Pompeo Batoni (age 73). Portrait of Anthony Ashley-Cooper 4th Earl Shaftesbury.
On 12th November 1804 [his former wife] Mary Bouverie Countess Shaftesbury (age 74) died.
[his daughter] Mary Anne Ashley Cooper was born to Anthony Ashley-Cooper 4th Earl Shaftesbury and Mary Bouverie Countess Shaftesbury. She married before 9th August 1795 Charles Sturt of Crichel and Brownsea Castle and had issue.
Kings Wessex: Great x 20 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 16 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 22 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 17 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 20 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 8 Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Kings Scotland: Great x 19 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 26 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 11 Grand Son of Charles "Beloved Mad" VI King France
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 24 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Cooper of Rudgwick
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Cooper
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Cooper 1st Baronet
Great x 4 Grandfather: Anthony Skutt of Stanton Drew in Somerset
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Skutt
Great x 1 Grandfather: Anthony Ashley-Cooper 1st Earl Shaftesbury 
Great x 4 Grandfather: Anthony Ashley of Damerham 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Anthony Ashley 1st Baronet
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Ashley Lady Cooper
Great x 4 Grandfather: Philip Okeover of Okeover Hall
Great x 3 Grandmother: Jane Okeover
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Elizabeth Dethick
GrandFather: Anthony Ashley-Cooper 2nd Earl Shaftesbury 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Cecil 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Dorothy Neville Countess Exeter 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: David Cecil 3rd Earl Exeter 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Anthony Cope 1st Baronet 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Cope 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Frances Lytton 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Frances Cecil 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Egerton 1st Viscount Brackley 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Egerton 1st Earl Bridgewater
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Ravenscroft
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Egerton Countess Exeter 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ferdinando Stanley 5th Earl of Derby 
2 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Stanley Countess Bridgewater 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Alice Spencer Countess Derby 
Father: Anthony Ashley-Cooper 3rd Earl Shaftesbury 7 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Manners 1st Earl of Rutland 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Manners 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor Paston Countess Rutland 
10 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: George Manners 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Vernon "King of the Peak" 
7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Dorothy Vernon 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Tailboys 
5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Manners 8th Earl of Rutland 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Pierrepont 
9 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Pierrepont 10 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Winifred Thwaites
Great x 2 Grandmother: Grace Pierrepont 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Cavendish 
7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Cavendish 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Bess of Hardwick Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
GrandMother: Dorothy Manners Countess Shaftesbury 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Montagu 
7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Montagu 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Helen Roper 
Great x 2 Grandfather: Edward Montagu 1st Baron Montagu 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Harrington 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Harrington
Great x 4 Grandmother: Lucy Sidney 
Great x 1 Grandmother: Frances Montagu Countess Rutland 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Cotton
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Cotton
Great x 2 Grandmother: Frances Cotton 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Francis Shirley 
10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Shirley 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Dorothy Giffard 
Anthony Ashley-Cooper 4th Earl Shaftesbury 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
GrandFather: Thomas Ewer of Bushey Hall in Hertfordshire
Mother: Jane Ewer Countess Shafetsbury 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Montagu 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Montagu 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Helen Roper
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Montagu 1st Earl Manchester 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Harrington
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Harrington
Great x 4 Grandmother: Lucy Sidney
Great x 1 Grandfather: James Montagu 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Spencer
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Spencer
Great x 4 Grandmother: Katherine Kitson 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Catherine Spencer
GrandMother: Mary Montagu 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Baynard
Great x 1 Grandmother: Mary Baynard
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Stapleton 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Stapleton
Great x 2 Grandmother: Ursula Stapleton
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Sharington of Lacock in Wiltshire
Great x 3 Grandmother: Olive Sharington
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Paggett of Lacock Abbey