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 17th April 1874 [his father] William Lever 1st Viscount Leverhulme [aged 22] and [his mother] Elizabeth Ellen Hulme Lady Lever [aged 23] were married.
On 25th March 1888 William Lever 2nd Viscount Leverhulme was born to [his father] William Lever 1st Viscount Leverhulme [aged 36] and [his mother] Elizabeth Ellen Hulme Lady Lever [aged 37].
On 13th April 1912 William Lever 2nd Viscount Leverhulme [aged 24] and Marion Beatrice Smith Viscountess Leverhulme [aged 25] were married.
On 24th July 1913 [his mother] Elizabeth Ellen Hulme Lady Lever [aged 62] died. She was buried at Christ Church, Port Sunlight [Map].
On 1st July 1915 [his son] Philip Lever 3rd Viscount Leverhulme was born to William Lever 2nd Viscount Leverhulme [aged 27].
On 7th May 1925 [his father] William Lever 1st Viscount Leverhulme [aged 73] died. He was buried at Christ Church, Port Sunlight [Map]. His son William [aged 37] succeeded 2nd Viscount Leverhulme of the Western Isles, 2nd Baron Leverhulme of Bolton le Moors in Lancashire, 2nd Baronet Lever of Thornton Manor in Cheshire. [his wife] Marion Beatrice Smith Viscountess Leverhulme [aged 38] by marriage Viscountess Leverhulme of the Western Isles.
Marion Beatrice Smith Viscountess Leverhulme: On 6th July 1886 she was born to Bryce Smith. On 13th April 1912 William Lever 2nd Viscount Leverhulme and she were married. In 1936 William Lever 2nd Viscount Leverhulme and Marion Beatrice Smith Viscountess Leverhulme were divorced. On 30th August 1987 she died.
1929. "Diana" by Gilbert Bayes [aged 56]. Puchased by William Lever 2nd Viscount Leverhulme [aged 40]. Presented to the Lady Lever Art Gallery [Map] in memory of his friend the architect Segar Segar-Owen who helped design the Lady Lever Art Gallery [Map].
In 1936 William Lever 2nd Viscount Leverhulme [aged 47] and Marion Beatrice Smith Viscountess Leverhulme [aged 49] were divorced.
On 20th January 1937 William Lever 2nd Viscount Leverhulme [aged 48] and Winifred Agnes Lloyd Viscountess Leverhulme [aged 37] were married. She by marriage Viscountess Leverhulme of the Western Isles.
On 27th May 1949 William Lever 2nd Viscount Leverhulme [aged 61] died. He was buried at Christ Church, Port Sunlight [Map]. His son Philip [aged 33] succeeded 3rd Viscount Leverhulme of the Western Isles, 3rd Baron Leverhulme of Bolton le Moors in Lancashire, 3rd Baronet Lever of Thornton Manor in Cheshire.
Philip Lever 3rd Viscount Leverhulme: On 1st July 1915 he was born to William Lever 2nd Viscount Leverhulme. In 1988 he was appointed 968th Knight of the Garter. On 4th July 2000 he died. Viscount Leverhulme of the Western Isles, Baron Leverhulme of Bolton le Moors in Lancashire, Baronet Lever of Thornton Manor in Cheshire extinct.
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 19th February 1966 [his former wife] Winifred Agnes Lloyd Viscountess Leverhulme [aged 66] died. She was buried at Christ Church, Port Sunlight [Map].
Winifred Agnes Lloyd Viscountess Leverhulme: On 14th July 1899 she was born. On 20th January 1937 William Lever 2nd Viscount Leverhulme and she were married. She by marriage Viscountess Leverhulme of the Western Isles.
On 30th August 1987 [his former wife] Marion Beatrice Smith Viscountess Leverhulme died.