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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Ermine is in Field.
Weston Arms. Ermine, on a chief azure five bezants.
Fox Arms. Ermine, on a chevron azure three fox's heads and necks erased or on a canton of the second a fleur de lys of the third. The canton is an augmentation of honour to his paternal arms, granted out of the Royal Arms as a mark of esteem to him and his heirs forever, by King Charles II following the Restoration of the Monarchy. Source.
Adams Arms. Ermine three cats argent. Source
Ingram Arms. Ermine on a fess gules three escallops or. Source.
Bagot Arms. Ermine, two chevronels azure. Source.
Jodrell Arms. Ermine. Source.
Calthorpe Arms. Ermine, a maunch gules. Source.
Knightley Arms. Quarterly 1&4 Ermine, 2&3 Unknown. Source.
Chudleigh Arms. Ermine, three lions rampant gules. Source.
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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Lister Arms. Ermine, a fess sable three mullets or. Source.
Denison Arms. Ermine, a bend azure cotised sable between a unicorn's head erased in chief and a cross crosslet fitchy in base gules. Source.
Pye Arms. Ermine, a bend lozengy gules. Source.
Chaplin Arms. Ermine a chief azure three griffin's heads erased or.
Dagworth Arms. Ermine, a fess gules three torteaux. Source.
Dorward Arms. Ermine on a chevron sable, three crescents or.
Boscawen Arms. Ermine, a rose gules barbed and seeded proper. Source.
Tuchet Arms. Ermine, a chevron gules. Source.
Wendesley Arms. Ermine, on a bend gules three escallops argent. Source.
Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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Arden Arms. Ermine, a fess chequy or and azure. Source.