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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Catherine Emily Brown is in Painters.
On 11th November 1850 Catherine Emily Brown was born illegitimately to [her father] Ford Madox Brown [aged 29] and [her mother] Emma Matilda Hill [aged 21].
1851. [her father] Ford Madox Brown [aged 29]. "Pretty Baa Lambs". Models: the artist's future wife [her mother] Emma Matilda Hill [aged 21] and their daughter Catherine Emily Brown.
1852 to 1865. [her father] Ford Madox Brown [aged 30]. Portrait of his daughter Catherine Emily Brown [aged 1].
1853. [her father] Ford Madox Brown [aged 31]. Portrait of his daughter Catherine Emily Brown [aged 2].
On 5th April 1853 [her father] Ford Madox Brown [aged 31] and [her mother] Emma Matilda Hill [aged 23] were married at St Dunstan's in the West, Fleet Street [Map]. The witnesses were Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 24] and Thomas Seddon [aged 31]. Rector Edward Auriol [aged 48] performed the ceremony.
Edward Auriol: On 27th February 1805 he was born to James Peter Auriol. On 28th September 1829 Edward Auriol and Georgina Morris were married. On 7th January 1842 he was appointed Rector of St Dunstan's in the West, Fleet Street [Map]. On 10th July 1880 Edward Auriol died.
1854 to 1855. [her father] Ford Madox Brown [aged 32]. "Waiting: an English Fireside". Models: the artists wife [her mother] Emma Matilda Hill [aged 24] and daughter Catherine Emily Brown [aged 3].
1857. [her father] Ford Madox Brown [aged 35]. "Stages of Cruelty". Models: the artists wife [her mother] Emma Matilda Hill [aged 27] and daughter Catherine Emily Brown [aged 6].
On 11th February 1862 at twenty past seven in the morning Elizabeth Siddal [aged 32] overdosed on laudanum at 14 Chatham Place. Possibly suicide - there may have been a note that said "look after Harry (her invalid brother)" which [her father] Ford Madox Brown [aged 40] persuaded Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 33] to burn. Shortly after her death Sarah Cox aka Fanny Cornforth [aged 27] moved into the family home to become housekeeper to Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
1869. Catherine Emily Brown [aged 18]. "Work".
2nd April 1871. Census. 37 Fitzroy Square.
[her father] Ford Madox Brown [aged 49]. Head. 49.
[her mother] Emma Matilda Hill [aged 41]. Wife. 36.
[her half-sister] Emma Lucy Madox Brown [aged 27]. Daughter. 26.
Catherine Emily Brown [aged 20]. Daughter. 20.
[her brother] Oliver Madox Brown [aged 16]. Son. 16.
Charloote Kirkby. Servant. 29.
Mary Ann Edwards. Servant. 19.
Oliver Madox Brown: In 1855 he was born to Ford Madox Brown and Emma Matilda Hill. In 1874 he died.
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After July 1871. Catherine Emily Brown [aged 20]. Portrait of Laura Theresa Epps [aged 19].
Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
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On 3rd September 1872 Francis Heuffer [aged 27] and Catherine Emily Brown [aged 21] were married. She the illegitmate daughter of Ford Madox Brown [aged 51] and Emma Matilda Hill [aged 43].
On 17th December 1873 [her son] Ford Madox Ford aka Heuffer was born to Francis Heuffer [aged 28] and Catherine Emily Brown [aged 23]
On 31st March 1874 [her brother-in-law] William Michael Rossetti [aged 44] and [her half-sister] Emma Lucy Madox Brown [aged 30] were married. She the daughter of [her father] Ford Madox Brown [aged 52] and Elizabeth Bromley.
1875. Catherine Emily Brown [aged 24]. "A Deep Problem".
In 1877 [her son] Oliver Madox Heuffer was born to Francis Heuffer [aged 31] and Catherine Emily Brown [aged 26]
In 1881 [her daughter] Juliet Catherine Emma Heuffer was born to Francis Heuffer [aged 35] and Catherine Emily Brown [aged 30]
On 9th April 1882 Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 53] died. He was buried at All Saints Church, Birchington on Sea [Map]. There is a Celtic Cross marking his grave commissioned by his mother Frances Mary Lavinia Polidori [aged 81], designed by [her father] Ford Madox Brown [aged 60] and erected in the presence of his brother [her brother-in-law] William Michael Rossetti [aged 52] and sister Christina Georgina Rossetti [aged 51] as written on the base of the cross.
On 11th October 1890 [her mother] Emma Matilda Hill [aged 61] died.
5th April 1891. Census. 1 St Edmunds Terrace.
[her father] Ford Madox Brown [aged 69]. Head. Widower.
Catherine Heuffer [aged 40]. Daughter. Widow.
[her son] Ford Madox Ford aka Heuffer [aged 17]. Grandson. 17.
Oliver Madox Heuffer [aged 14]. Grandson. 15.
Juliet Catherine Emma Heuffer [aged 10]. Granddaughter. 10.
Charlotte Kindy. Servant. 31.
Margaret Mullin. Servant. 23.
Ford Madox Ford aka Heuffer: On 17th December 1873 he was born to Francis Heuffer and Catherine Emily Brown On 26th June 1939 he died.
Oliver Madox Heuffer: In 1877 he was born to Francis Heuffer and Catherine Emily Brown On 22nd June 1931 he died.
Juliet Catherine Emma Heuffer: In 1881 she was born to Francis Heuffer and Catherine Emily Brown In 1944 she died.
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On 6th October 1893 [her father] Ford Madox Brown [aged 72] died. He was buried at St Pancras and Islington Cemetery.
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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On 12th April 1894 [her half-sister] Emma Lucy Madox Brown [aged 50] died at Hotel Victoria. Her husband [her brother-in-law] William Michael Rossetti [aged 64] and daughter [her niece] Olivia Madox Rossetti [aged 18] were present.
On 3rd June 1927 Catherine Emily Brown [aged 76] died.
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Brown
GrandFather: Ford Brown
Father: Ford Madox Brown
Great x 1 Grandfather: Unknown Brown
GrandMother: Caroline Madox
GrandFather: Thomas Hill
Mother: Emma Matilda Hill