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: Fox of Farley
Maternal Family Tree: Susan Ridout 1660-1718
In 1735 [his father] Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester (age 30) and [his mother] Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester (age 13) were married.
On 9th August 1747 Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester was born to [his father] Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester (age 42) and [his mother] Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester (age 25).
In 1756 [his father] Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester (age 51) was created 1st Earl Ilchester, 1st Baron Ilchester and Stavordale of Redlynch in Somerset, 1st Baron Strangways of Woodford in Dorset, 1st Baron Ilchester of Ilchester in Somerset. [his mother] Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester (age 34) by marriage Countess Ilchester.
In 1763 [his father] Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester (age 58) was appointed Privy Council.
On 20th August 1772 Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester (age 25) and Mary Theresa O'Grady Countess of Ilchester (age 17) were married. He the son of Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester (age 67) and Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester (age 50).
On 16th November 1773 [his daughter] Elizabeth Theresa Fox-Strangways was born to Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester (age 26) and [his wife] Mary Theresa O'Grady Countess of Ilchester (age 18). She married 17th April 1796 William Davenport Talbot of Lacock Abbey and had issue.
On 11th February 1776 [his daughter] Mary Lucy Fox-Strangways was born to Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester (age 28) and [his wife] Mary Theresa O'Grady Countess of Ilchester (age 21).
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 26th September 1776 [his father] Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester (age 72) died. His son Henry (age 29) succeeded 2nd Earl Ilchester, 2nd Baron Ilchester and Stavordale of Redlynch in Somerset, 2nd Baron Strangways of Woodford in Dorset, 2nd Baron Ilchester of Ilchester in Somerset. [his wife] Mary Theresa O'Grady Countess of Ilchester (age 21) by marriage Countess Ilchester.
On 24th August 1777 [his brother-in-law] Valentine Richard Wyndham-Quin 1st Earl Dunraven and Mount-Earl (age 25) and [his sister] Frances Muriel Fox-Strangways Baroness Adare were married. She the daughter of [his father] Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester and [his mother] Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester (age 55).
On 7th February 1784 [his daughter] Charlotte Anne Fox-Strangways was born to Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester (age 36) and [his wife] Mary Theresa O'Grady Countess of Ilchester (age 29). She married 5th December 1810 Charles Lemon 2nd Baronet.
On 27th June 1785 [his daughter] Louisa Emma Fox-Strangways Marchioness of Lansdowne was born to Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester (age 37) and [his wife] Mary Theresa O'Grady Countess of Ilchester (age 30). She married 1808 Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice 3rd Marquess Lansdowne, son of William Petty 1st Marquess Lansdowne and Louisa Fitzpatrick Marchioness Lansdowne, and had issue.
On 21st February 1787 [his son] Henry Fox-Strangways 3rd Earl of Ilchester was born to Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester (age 39) and [his wife] Mary Theresa O'Grady Countess of Ilchester (age 32). He married 1812 Caroline Leonora Murray Countess Ilchester, daughter of Bishop George Murray, and had issue.
On 14th June 1790 [his wife] Mary Theresa O'Grady Countess of Ilchester (age 35) died.
Before 24th November 1792 [his mother] Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester (age 70) died.
On 20th August 1794 Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester (age 47) and Maria Digby Countess Ilchester were married. She by marriage Countess Ilchester. He the son of Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester and Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester.
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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On 7th May 1795 [his son] William Fox-Strangways 4th Earl of Ilchester was born to Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester (age 47) and [his wife] Maria Digby Countess Ilchester. He married 1857 his third cousin Sophia Penelope Sheffield Countess Ilchester, daughter of Robert Sheffield 4th Baronet and Julia Brigidia Newbolt.
On 17th April 1796 [his son-in-law] William Davenport Talbot of Lacock Abbey (age 32) and [his daughter] Elizabeth Theresa Fox-Strangways (age 22) were married. She the daughter of Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester (age 48) and [his former wife] Mary Theresa O'Grady Countess of Ilchester.
On 31st July 1800 [his brother-in-law] Valentine Richard Wyndham-Quin 1st Earl Dunraven and Mount-Earl (age 48) was created 1st Baron Adare. [his sister] Frances Muriel Fox-Strangways Baroness Adare by marriage Baroness Adare.
Before 1802 Thomas Beach (age 63). Portrait of Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester (age 54).
On 5th September 1802 Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester (age 55) died. His son Henry (age 15) succeeded 3rd Earl Ilchester, 3rd Baron Ilchester and Stavordale of Redlynch in Somerset, 3rd Baron Strangways of Woodford in Dorset, 3rd Baron Ilchester of Ilchester in Somerset.
On 6th February 1803 [his son] John George Charles Fox-Strangways was born to Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester and [his former wife] Maria Digby Countess Ilchester. He married 19th February 1844 Amelia Barbara Marjoribanks and had issue.
On 23rd September 1842 [his former wife] Maria Digby Countess Ilchester died.
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 12 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 18 Grand Son of Louis VII King of the Franks
Kings France: Great x 22 Grand Son of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 26 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Fox of Farley Wiltshire 
GrandFather: Stephen Fox
Great x 1 Grandmother: Christian Palfreyman
Father: Stephen Fox-Strangways 1st Earl of Ilchester
GrandMother: Christiana Hope
Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways 2nd Earl of Ilchester 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: George Horner of Mells Manor in Somerset
GrandFather: Thomas Strangways-Horner 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Fortescue 
7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Hugh Fortescue 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Fortescue 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Rolle of Heanton 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Rolle
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Fortescue 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Northcote of Upton and Hayne
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Northcote 1st Baronet
Great x 4 Grandmother: Susan Northcote 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Susanna Northcote
Great x 4 Grandfather: Hugh Halswell of Chamberlain Street Wells Somerset 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Grace Halswell
Mother: Elizabeth Strangways-Horner Countess Ilchester 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Melbury Sampford Strangeways 
6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Melbury Sampford Strangeways 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Dorothy Thynne 
Great x 2 Grandfather: Giles Strangeways 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Trenchard
Great x 3 Grandmother: Grace Trenchard
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Strangeways 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Edwards
Great x 2 Grandmother: Susanna Edwards
Great x 4 Grandfather: Francis Throckmorton 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Judith Throckmorton
GrandMother: Susanna Strangeways 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Ridout
Great x 1 Grandmother: Susan Ridout