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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: Boleyn
Before 1406 [his uncle] Geoffrey Boleyn (age 25) and [his mother] Alice Bracton (age 20) were married. They were first cousins.
In 1406 Geoffrey Boleyn was born to [his uncle] Geoffrey Boleyn (age 26) and [his mother] Alice Bracton (age 21). Coefficient of inbreeding 3.12%.
In 1434 [his daughter] Isabella Boleyn was born to Geoffrey Boleyn (age 28) and [his future wife] Ann Hoo (age 9) at Blickling, Norfolk. She married (1) Henry Aucher (2) William Cheney and had issue.
Around 1438 [his daughter] Alice Boleyn was born to Geoffrey Boleyn (age 32) and [his future wife] Ann Hoo (age 13). She married in or before 1476 John Fortescue and had issue.
Around 1440 [his daughter] Anne Boleyn was born to Geoffrey Boleyn (age 34) and [his future wife] Ann Hoo (age 15). She married before December 1465 Henry Heydon and had issue.
On 25th March 1440 [his uncle] Geoffrey Boleyn (age 60) died. Around 1414 [his mother] Alice Bracton died. Memorial brass in the floor of the nave of Church of St Peter and St Paul, Salle [Map]. It originally also had tiny figures representing their 5 sons and 4 daughters, but the inlay is lost. Inscription: Hic jacet Galfrid. Boleyn qui obt. 25 die mensis Martij 1440, et Alicie, uxor. ejus, et pueror. suorum, quorum a'i'ab; &c. Label: Dominus propitius esto nobis peccatorib. ie "Here lies Geoffrey Boleyn who died the 25th day of the month of March A.D. 1440, and Alice, his wife, and children, on whose souls may God have mercy Amen"
Geoffrey Boleyn: Around 1380 he was born to Thomas Boleyn and Anne Jane Bracton. Before 1406 Geoffrey Boleyn and Alice Bracton were married. They were first cousins. In 1408 Geoffrey Boleyn provided timber for the building of Church of St Peter and St Paul, Salle [Map]. The church was paid for by four Lords of the manor, Geoffrey Boleyn, Thomas Brigge, Thomas Roos and an unknown person, with newly acquired wealth from the wool trade.
Alice Bracton: Around 1385 she was born to John Bracton at Salle, Norfolk.
Before 1442 Geoffrey Boleyn (age 35) and Ann Hoo (age 16) were married.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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Around 1442 [his daughter] Cecily Boleyn was born to Geoffrey Boleyn (age 36) and [his wife] Ann Hoo (age 17).
Around 1442 [his son] Thomas Boleyn was born to Geoffrey Boleyn (age 36) and [his wife] Ann Hoo (age 17).
Around 1447 [his son] Simon Boleyn was born to Geoffrey Boleyn (age 41) and [his wife] Ann Hoo (age 22).
In 1451 [his son] William Boleyn was born to Geoffrey Boleyn (age 45) and [his wife] Ann Hoo (age 26) at Blickling, Norfolk. He married 1465 Margaret Butler, daughter of Thomas Butler 7th Earl Ormonde and Anne Hankford Countess Ormonde, and had issue.
Chronicle of Gregory [1400-1467]. 1457. Mayor: Geoffrey Boleyn (age 51). Sheriffs: Reyner, Edwar.
In 1457 Geoffrey Boleyn (age 51) was appointed Lord Mayor of London.
Around 1459 [his daughter] Elizabeth Boleyn was born to Geoffrey Boleyn (age 53) and [his wife] Ann Hoo (age 34).
Before 5th November 1459 Blickling Hall, Norfolk [Map] was in the possession of John Fastolf (age 79).
John Fastolf sold it to Geoffrey Boleyn (age 53) who made it his country seat.
The estate passed to [his granddaughter] Alice Boleyn who married [his grandson-in-law] Robert Clere (age 13). Their grandson Edward Clere ran into debt and sold the estate to Henry Hobart 1st Baronet.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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Patent Rolls. 25th July 1461. Westminster Palace [Map]. Exemption for life of Geoffrey Boleyne (age 55), alderman of London, for his good service to the king's father, from being put on assizes, juries, inquisitions, attaints or recognisances and dfrom being made trier of them, taxer, collector, or assesor of customs, taxes, tallages, fifteenths, tenths or other subsidies, knight, major, sheriff, escheator, commissioner, constable, sheriff, bailiff or other officer or minister of the king against his will. By p.s.
In 1462 Geoffrey Boleyn (age 56) purchased Hever Castle, Kent [Map] from the Cobham family.
In 1462 William Fiennes 2nd Baron Saye and Sele (age 34) sold Hever Castle, Kent [Map] to Geoffrey Boleyn (age 56) to pay for his building programme at Broughton, Oxfordshire.
In 1463 Geoffrey Boleyn (age 57) died. He was buried at St Lawrence Jewry. His son William Boleyn (age 12) inherited Hever Castle, Kent [Map].
On 6th June 1484 [his former wife] Ann Hoo (age 59) died.
Thomas Fiennes and Ann Hoo were married.
GrandFather: Thomas Boleyn 
Father: Geoffrey Boleyn
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Bracton
GrandMother: Anne Jane Bracton
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Bracton
GrandFather: John Bracton
Mother: Alice Bracton