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: Burrell
Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Lewis
On 27th February 1748 [her father] Peter Burrell (age 23) and [her mother] Elizabeth Lewis were married.
On 20th April 1757 Elizabeth Anne Burrell Duchess Hamilton Duchess Brandon was born to [her father] Peter Burrell (age 32) and [her mother] Elizabeth Lewis.
On 7th July 1769 James Hamilton 7th Duke Hamilton 4th Duke Brandon (age 14) died at Hamilton Palace, Hamilton. His brother [her future husband] Douglas (age 12) succeeded 8th Duke Hamilton, 5th Duke Brandon of Suffolk, 4th Marquess Douglas, 5th Baron Dutton of Cheshire.
On 8th June 1775 [her brother-in-law] Algernon Percy 1st Earl Beverley (age 25) and [her sister] Isabella Susan Burrell Countess Beverley (age 24) were married at Syon House [Map]. He the son of Hugh Percy 1st Duke Northumberland (age 59) and Elizabeth Seymour Duchess Northumberland (age 58).
On 6th November 1775 [her father] Peter Burrell (age 51) died.
In 1776 [her brother] Peter Burrell Baron Willoughby, 1st Baron Gwydyr (age 21) was elected at MP Haslemere.
In 1776 [her future husband] Henry Cecil 1st Marquess Exeter (age 21) and Emma Vernon were married.
Around 1777 Douglas Hamilton 8th Duke Hamilton 5th Duke Brandon (age 20) and Elizabeth Anne Burrell Duchess Hamilton Duchess Brandon (age 19) were married. She by marriage Duchess Hamilton, Duchess Brandon of Suffolk. He the son of James Hamilton 6th Duke Hamilton 3rd Duke Brandon and Elizabeth Gunning Duchess Hamilton and Argyll (age 43).
In 1779 [her brother] Peter Burrell Baron Willoughby, 1st Baron Gwydyr (age 24) and [her sister-in-law] Priscilla Barbara Elizabeth Bertie 21st Baroness Willoughby of Eresby (age 17) were married. He by marriage Baron Willoughby de Eresby. She the daughter of Peregrine Bertie 3rd Duke Ancaster and Kesteven and Mary Panton Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven.
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.
On 23rd May 1779 [her brother-in-law] Hugh Percy 2nd Duke Northumberland (age 36) and [her sister] Frances Julia Burrell Duchess Northumberland (age 26) were married. He the son of Hugh Percy 1st Duke Northumberland (age 63) and Elizabeth Seymour Duchess Northumberland.
On 6th June 1786 Hugh Percy 1st Duke Northumberland (age 70) died. His son [her brother-in-law] Hugh (age 43) succeeded 2nd Duke Northumberland, 2nd Baron Lovain, 5th Baronet Smithson of Stanwick in Yorkshire. [her sister] Frances Julia Burrell Duchess Northumberland (age 33) by marriage Duchess Northumberland.
In 1790 [her brother-in-law] Algernon Percy 1st Earl Beverley (age 39) was created 1st Earl Beverley. [her sister] Isabella Susan Burrell Countess Beverley (age 39) by marriage Countess Beverley.
On 20th December 1790 [her mother-in-law] Elizabeth Gunning Duchess Hamilton and Argyll (age 57) died in Argyll House 211 King's Road King's Road. Her son [her husband] Douglas (age 34) succeeded 2nd Baron Hamilton of Hameldon in Leicestershire. Elizabeth Anne Burrell Duchess Hamilton Duchess Brandon (age 33) by marriage Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon in Leicestershire.
On 3rd October 1791 [her future husband] Henry Cecil 1st Marquess Exeter (age 37) and Sarah Hoggins Countess Exeter (age 17) were married at St Mildred's Church, Bread Street.
On 26th December 1793 Brownlow Cecil 9th Earl Exeter (age 68) died. His nephew [her future husband] Henry (age 39) succeeded 10th Earl Exeter, 11th Baron Burghley. Sarah Hoggins Countess Exeter (age 19) by marriage Countess Exeter.
On 16th June 1796 [her brother] Peter Burrell Baron Willoughby, 1st Baron Gwydyr (age 42) was created 1st Baron Gwydyr of Cwydyr in Carnarfonshire. [her sister-in-law] Priscilla Barbara Elizabeth Bertie 21st Baroness Willoughby of Eresby (age 35) by marriage Baroness Gwydyr of Cwydyr in Carnarfonshire.
On 14th March 1797 [her sister-in-law] Elizabeth Hamilton Countess Derby (age 44) died of tuberculosis.
On 1st May 1797 Edward Smith-Stanley 12th Earl of Derby (age 44) and Elizabeth Farren Countess Derby (age 38) were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. The marriage taking place six weeks after the death of his estranged wife [her sister-in-law] Elizabeth Hamilton Countess Derby.
On 2nd August 1799 [her husband] Douglas Hamilton 8th Duke Hamilton 5th Duke Brandon (age 43) died at Hamilton Palace, Hamilton. His uncle Archibald (age 59) succeeded 9th Duke Hamilton, 6th Duke Brandon of Suffolk, 5th Marquess Douglas, 6th Baron Dutton of Cheshire. His half brother [her brother-in-law] George (age 30) succeeded 3rd Baron Hamilton of Hameldon in Leicestershire.
In 1800 Henry Cecil 1st Marquess Exeter (age 45) and Elizabeth Anne Burrell Duchess Hamilton Duchess Brandon (age 42) were married. She by marriage Countess Exeter.
In February 1801 [her husband] Henry Cecil 1st Marquess Exeter (age 46) was created 1st Marquess Exeter. Elizabeth Anne Burrell Duchess Hamilton Duchess Brandon (age 43) by marriage Marchioness Exeter.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 1st May 1804 [her husband] Henry Cecil 1st Marquess Exeter (age 50) died. His son [her step-son] Brownlow (age 8) succeeded 2nd Marquess Exeter, 11th Earl Exeter, 12th Baron Burghley.
On 24th January 1812 [her sister] Isabella Susan Burrell Countess Beverley (age 61) died. She was buried in the Northumberland Vault, Crypt, Westminster Abbey.
On 28th April 1820 [her sister] Frances Julia Burrell Duchess Northumberland (age 67) died at Syon House [Map]. She was buried in the Northumberland Vault, Crypt, Westminster Abbey.
On 29th June 1820 [her brother] Peter Burrell Baron Willoughby, 1st Baron Gwydyr (age 66) died. His son [her nephew] Peter (age 38) succeeded 2nd Baron Gwydyr of Cwydyr in Carnarfonshire. Clementina Sarah Drummond Baroness Gwydyr and Willoughby (age 34) by marriage Baroness Gwydyr of Cwydyr in Carnarfonshire.
On 17th January 1837 Elizabeth Anne Burrell Duchess Hamilton Duchess Brandon (age 79) died. She was buried in the Northumberland Vault, Crypt, Westminster Abbey.
GrandFather: Peter Burrell
Father: Peter Burrell
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Raymond
Great x 1 Grandfather: Hugh Raymond
GrandMother: Amy Raymond
Elizabeth Anne Burrell Duchess Hamilton Duchess Brandon
GrandFather: John Lewis 
Mother: Elizabeth Lewis