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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Paternal Family Tree: Osborne
On 29th November 1773 [his father] Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds [aged 22] and [his mother] Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Robert Darcy 4th Earl Holderness [aged 55]. He the son of Thomas Osborne 4th Duke Leeds [aged 60] and Mary Godolphin Duchess Leeds.
On 18th October 1777 Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin was born to [his father] Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds [aged 26] and [his mother] Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers [aged 23].
On 16th May 1778 [his grandfather] Robert Darcy 4th Earl Holderness [aged 59] died. Earl Holderness, Baron Darcy of Meinhill extinct. His daughter [his mother] Amelia [aged 23] succeeded 12th Baroness Darcy of Knayth, 9th Baroness Conyers.
In 1779 [his step-father] John "Mad Jack" Byron [aged 22] and [his mother] Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers [aged 24] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Robert Darcy 4th Earl Holderness. They were sixth cousins. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
On 27th January 1784 [his mother] Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers [aged 29] died. Her son [his brother] George [aged 8] succeeded 13th Baron Darcy of Knayth, 10th Baron Conyers.
In 1788 [his father] Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds [aged 36] and [his step-mother] Catherine Anguish Duchess Leeds [aged 23] were married. He the son of [his grandfather] Thomas Osborne 4th Duke Leeds [aged 74] and [his grandmother] Mary Godolphin Duchess Leeds.
On 23rd March 1789 [his grandfather] Thomas Osborne 4th Duke Leeds [aged 75] died at St James' Square. He was buried at the Osborne Family Chapel at All Hallows' Church Harthill [Map]. His son [his father] Francis [aged 38] succeeded 5th Duke Leeds, 5th Earl of Danby, 5th Viscount Osborne, 5th Viscount Latimer, 5th Baron Osborne of Kinderton, 6th Baronet Osborne of Kiveton. [his step-mother] Catherine Anguish Duchess Leeds [aged 25] by marriage Duchess Leeds.
On 17th August 1797 [his brother] George William Frederick Osborne 6th Duke Leeds [aged 22] and [his sister-in-law] Charlotte Townshend Duchess Leeds [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Baroness Darcy of Knayth, Baroness Conyers. She the daughter of George Townshend 1st Marquess Townshend [aged 73] and Anne Montgomery Marchioness Townshend [aged 45]. He the son of [his father] Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds [aged 46] and [his mother] Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers. They were sixth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
In 1799 Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin [aged 21] was elected MP Helston.
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 31st January 1799 [his father] Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds [aged 48] died. His son [his brother] George [aged 23] succeeded 6th Duke Leeds, 6th Earl of Danby, 6th Viscount Osborne, 6th Viscount Latimer, 6th Baron Osborne of Kinderton, 7th Baronet Osborne of Kiveton. [his sister-in-law] Charlotte Townshend Duchess Leeds [aged 22] by marriage Duchess Leeds.
On 31st March 1800 Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin [aged 22] and Elizabeth Charlotte Eden Baroness Godolphin [aged 20] were married. He the son of Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds and Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers.
In 1801 [his brother-in-law] Thomas Pelham 2nd Earl Chichester [aged 44] and [his sister] Mary Henrietta Juliana Osborne Countess Chichester [aged 24] were married. The difference in their ages was 20 years. She the daughter of [his father] Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds and [his mother] Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers. He the son of Thomas Pelham 1st Earl Chichester [aged 72] and Anne Frankland Countess Chichester [aged 66].
In 1802 Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin [aged 24] was elected MP Lewes.
On 16th July 1802 [his son] George Godolphin Osborne 8th Duke Leeds was born to Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin [aged 24] and [his wife] Elizabeth Charlotte Eden Baroness Godolphin [aged 22]. He married 21st October 1824 his fourth cousin Harriet Emma Arundel Stewart, daughter of Granville Leveson-Gower 1st Earl Granville and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough, and had issue.
In 1804 [his son] William Osborne was born to Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin [aged 26] and [his wife] Elizabeth Charlotte Eden Baroness Godolphin [aged 24]. He married 1843 Caroline Robinson Montagu, daughter of Matthew Robinson Montagu 4th Baron Rokeby.
On 14th November 1804 George Hobart 3rd Earl Buckinghamshire [aged 73] died. His son Robert [aged 44] succeeded 4th Earl Buckinghamshire, 8th Baronet Hobart of Intwood in Norfolk. [his sister-in-law] Eleanor Eden [aged 27] by marriage Countess Buckinghamshire.
On 8th January 1805 Thomas Pelham 1st Earl Chichester [aged 76] died. His son [his brother-in-law] Thomas [aged 48] succeeded 2nd Earl Chichester, 3rd Baron Pelham of Stanmer in Sussex and 7th Baronet Pelham of Laughton. [his sister] Mary Henrietta Juliana Osborne Countess Chichester [aged 28] by marriage Countess Chichester.
On 5th February 1808 [his son] Sidney Godolphin Osborne was born to Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin [aged 30] and [his wife] Elizabeth Charlotte Eden Baroness Godolphin [aged 28] at Stapleford.
In 1810 Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin [aged 32] was elected MP Cambridgeshire.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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In 1814 [his son] Darcy Osborne was born to Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin [aged 36] and [his wife] Elizabeth Charlotte Eden Baroness Godolphin [aged 34].
On 28th May 1814 [his father-in-law] William Eden 1st Baron Auckland [aged 69] died. His son [his brother-in-law] George [aged 29] succeeded 2nd Baron Auckland of West Auckland.
On 21st October 1824 [his son] George Godolphin Osborne 8th Duke Leeds [aged 22] and [his daughter-in-law] Harriet Emma Arundel Stewart [aged 24] were married at the British Embassy, Paris. She the illegitmate daughter of Granville Leveson-Gower 1st Earl Granville [aged 51] and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough. They were fourth cousins.
On 29th August 1829 [his son-in-law] Theodore Henry Brinckman 1st Baronet [aged 31] and [his daughter] Charlotte Osborne Lady Broadhead were married.
On 14th May 1832 Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin [aged 54] was created 1st Baron Godolphin of Farnham Royal in Buckinghamshire. [his wife] Elizabeth Charlotte Eden Baroness Godolphin [aged 52] by marriage Baroness Godolphin of Farnham Royal in Buckinghamshire.
In 1838 [his daughter] Charlotte Osborne Lady Broadhead died.
On 10th July 1838 [his brother] George William Frederick Osborne 6th Duke Leeds [aged 62] died. His son [his nephew] Francis [aged 40] succeeded 7th Duke Leeds, 7th Earl of Danby, 7th Viscount Osborne, 7th Viscount Latimer, 7th Baron Osborne of Kinderton, 8th Baronet Osborne of Kiveton, 14th Baron Darcy of Knayth, 11th Baron Conyers. Louisa Catharine Caton Duchess Leeds [aged 45] by marriage Duchess Leeds.
In 1843 [his son] William Osborne [aged 39] and [his daughter-in-law] Caroline Robinson Montagu were married.
In 1846 [his son] Darcy Osborne [aged 32] died.
In 1847 [his wife] Elizabeth Charlotte Eden Baroness Godolphin [aged 67] died.
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 15th February 1850 Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin [aged 72] died. His son George [aged 47] succeeded 2nd Baron Godolphin of Farnham Royal in Buckinghamshire. Harriet Emma Arundel Stewart [aged 49] by marriage Baroness Godolphin of Farnham Royal in Buckinghamshire.
[his daughter] Charlotte Osborne Lady Broadhead was born to Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin and Elizabeth Charlotte Eden Baroness Godolphin. She married 29th August 1829 Theodore Henry Brinckman 1st Baronet and had issue.
Kings Wessex: Great x 22 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 19 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 25 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 20 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 22 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 5 Grand Son of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Kings Scotland: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 28 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 12 Grand Son of Charles "Beloved Mad" VI King France
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 26 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Osborne 1st Baronet 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Osborne 1st Duke Leeds 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Walmesley Lady Osborne 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Peregrine Osborne 2nd Duke Leeds 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Montagu Bertie 2nd Earl Lindsey 
9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Bridget Bertie Duchess Leeds 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Martha Cockayne Countess Holderness 
Great x 1 Grandfather: Peregrine Osborne 3rd Duke Leeds 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Nicholas Hyde 1st Baronet 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Hyde 2nd Baronet
Great x 2 Grandmother: Bridget Hyde Duchess Leeds
GrandFather: Thomas Osborne 4th Duke Leeds 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Harley 10 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Harley 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Brilliana Conway 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Harley 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Harley 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Foley
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Foley
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Foley Countess of Oxford and Mortimer
Father: Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Godolphin 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Francis Godolphin
Great x 2 Grandfather: Sidney Godolphin 1st Earl Godolphin 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Berkeley of Bruton 
8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Dorothy Berkeley 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Neville 
6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Francis Godolphin 2nd Earl Godolphin 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Blagge
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Blagge
Great x 4 Grandfather: Roger North of Mildenhall
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary North
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Gilbert
GrandMother: Mary Godolphin Duchess Leeds 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Winston Churchill 
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Drake
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Drake 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Helen Boteler 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Henrietta Churchill 2nd Duchess of Marlborough 15 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Jennings
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Jennings
Great x 2 Grandmother: Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough
Great x 4 Grandfather: Gifford Thornhurst 1st Baronet
Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Thornhurst
Great x 4 Grandmother: Susanna Temple 
Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin 5 x Great Grand Son of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Conyers Darcy 1st Earl Holderness 
8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Conyers Darcy 2nd Earl Holderness 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Grace Rokeby
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Darcy 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Howard 1st Earl Berkshire 
8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Howard 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Cecil Countess Berkshire 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert Darcy 3rd Earl Holderness 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Sutton 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Sutton 1st Baron Lexinton
Great x 4 Grandmother: Susan Cony
Great x 2 Grandmother: Bridget Sutton 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Anthony St Leger 
11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary St Leger Baroness Lexington 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
GrandFather: Robert Darcy 4th Earl Holderness 3 x Great Grand Son of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Hans Meinhard Schomberg
Great x 3 Grandfather: Frederick Schomberg 1st Duke Schomberg 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Dudley 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Meinhart Schomberg 3rd Duke Schomberg 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Frederica Schomberg Countess Holderness and Fitzwalter 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Frederick Palatinate Simmern V Elector Palatine Rhine 
10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Charles Louis Palatinate Simmern Grand Son of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Princess Elizabeth Stewart Queen Bohemia 
Daughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Great x 2 Grandmother: Karoline von der Pfalz Great Grand Daughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandmother: Maria Susanne Luise von Degenfeld
Mother: Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland