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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Ashbourne, Derbyshire is in Derbyshire Dales.
See: Ashbourne Hall, Derbyshire [Map], Hough, Derbyshire [Map], Mapleton, Derbyshire [Map], Sandybrook Cottage, Ashbourne, St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne [Map].
Around 1250 William Cockayne was born at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map].
In 1276 John Cockayne was born to William Cockayne [aged 26] at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map].
In 1300 John Cockayne was born to John Cockayne [aged 24] at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map].
In 1323 William Cockayne [aged 73] died at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map].
In 1356 Edmund Cockayne was born to John Cockayne [aged 31] and Cecilia Vernon [aged 26] at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map]. He married Elizabeth Harthill and had issue.
Around 1360 John Cockayne was born to John Cockayne [aged 35] and Cecilia Vernon [aged 30] at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map]. He married 1382 Ida Grey, daughter of Reginald Grey 2nd Baron Grey Ruthyn and Alianore Strange Baroness Grey Ruthyn, and had issue.
In 1369 John Cockayne [aged 44] died at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map].
On 23rd April 1391 Ralph Shirley was born to Hugh Shirley [aged 40] at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map]. He married Alice Cockayne.
In 1411 John Cockayne was born to John Cockayne [aged 41] and Isabel Shirley at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map]. He married his half third cousin Agnes Vernon and had issue.
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 22nd May 1429 John Cockayne [aged 69] died at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map]. He was buried at Church of St John, Cockayne Hatley.
In 1451 Thomas Cockayne was born to John Cockayne [aged 40] and Agnes Vernon [aged 24] at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map]. He married in or before 1477 Agnes Barlow aka Barley and had issue.
In 1451 Margaret Melton [aged 49] died at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map].
Around 1477 Thomas Cockayne was born to Thomas Cockayne [aged 26] and Agnes Barlow aka Barley [aged 22] at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map]. He married Barbara Fitzherbert and had issue.
In May 1504 John Cockayne [aged 93] died at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map].
In 1576 John Ferrers [aged 62] died at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map]. He was buried at St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne [Map].
In 1721 Thomas Kirkland was born at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map].
Roger Cockayne was born to John Cockayne and Agnes Vernon at Ashbourne, Derbyshire [Map].
On or before 20th December 1608, the date he was baptised at St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne [Map], Aston Cockayne 1st Baronet was born to Thomas Cockayne of Ashbourne and Pooley [aged 21] and Anna Katherine Stanhope [aged 15] in Ashbourne Hall, Derbyshire [Map]. He married before February 1684 Mary Kniveton, daughter of Gilbert Kniveton 2nd Baronet.
In 1671 William Boothby 1st Baronet [aged 33] purchased Ashbourne Hall, Derbyshire [Map] from Aston Cockayne 1st Baronet [aged 62].
Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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On 24th March 1707 William Boothby 1st Baronet [aged 69] died at Ashbourne Hall, Derbyshire [Map]. His grandson Henry [aged 25] succeeded 2nd Baronet Boothby of Broadlow Ash in Derbyshire.
On 27th October 1708 Hill Boothby was born to Brooke Boothby [aged 38] in Ashbourne Hall, Derbyshire [Map].
On 16th February 1758 Maria Elizabeth Boothby was born to Brooke Boothby 5th Baronet [aged 47] and Phoebe Hollins Lady Boothby [aged 41] in Ashbourne Hall, Derbyshire [Map].
On 19th March 1791 Penelope Boothby [aged 5] died at Ashbourne Hall, Derbyshire [Map]. She was buried in St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne [Map].
On 2nd January 1838 Frances Jenkinson Lady Boothby died at Ashbourne Hall, Derbyshire [Map].
On 21st April 1846 William Boothby 8th Baronet [aged 64] died at Ashbourne Hall, Derbyshire [Map]. His son Brooke [aged 37] succeeded 9th Baronet Boothby of Broadlow Ash in Derbyshire.
In 1359 William Bradbourne was born at Hough, Derbyshire [Map].
In 1385 Roger Bradbourne was born to William Bradbourne [aged 26] at Hough, Derbyshire [Map].
Around 1410 Henry Bradbourne was born to Roger Bradbourne [aged 25] at Hough, Derbyshire [Map].
Around 1427 Isabel Bradbourne was born to Henry Bradbourne [aged 17] at Hough, Derbyshire [Map]. She married in or before 1442 John Babington and had issue.
In 1465 Humphrey Bradbourne was born to John Bradbourne at Hough, Derbyshire [Map]. He married Margaret Longford and had issue.
Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In 1495 Benedicta Bradbourne was born to Humphrey Bradbourne [aged 30] and Margaret Longford [aged 15] at Hough, Derbyshire [Map]. She married George Beresford and had issue.
In 1495 Humphrey Bradbourne [aged 30] died at Hough, Derbyshire [Map].
The River Dove rises on Axe Edge Moor, Derbyshire [Map] after which it travels broadly south past Longnor, Saffordshire [Map], Pilsbury [Map], Hartington, Derbyshire [Map], Milldale, Derbyshire [Map], Thorpe, Derbyshire [Map], just before whic it is joined by the River Manifold, Mapleton, Derbyshire [Map], Mayfield, Staffordshire [Map], Norbury, Derbyshire [Map], Rocester, Staffordshire [Map], Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire [Map] and Tutbury Castle, Staffordshire [Map] before joining the River Trent at Newton Solney, Derbyshire [Map].
Ten Years' Digging. In a field called Callow [Map], at Mappleton, near Ashbourne, are three tumuli placed in a line about eighty yards from each other; they are all formed of sandy earth and pebbles. We opened that nearest to Ashbourne on the 28th of August; it is fourteen yards diameter, and two feet six inches high. On the natural surface the earth was darker in colour and finer than elsewhere, and mixed with a little charcoal; near the centre was a piece of an urn, some burnt bones, and flakes of flint. On the same day, we cut into that at the opposite extremity with no better success, finding only flints and charcoal, but no bones. The height of this mound, which has been frequently ploughed over, is two feet only.
On 3rd December 1883 Matthew Blakiston 4th Baronet [aged 72] died unmarried at Sandybrook Cottage, Ashbourne. His nephew Horace [aged 22] succeeded 5th Baronet Blakiston of the City of London.