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: Courtenay
After 1132 [her father] Joscelin Courtenay II Count Edessa and [her step-mother] Beatrice of Saone Countess Edessa were married. She by marriage Countess Edessa. He the son of [her grandfather] Joscelin Courtenay I Count Edessa and [her grandmother] Beatrice Armenia.
Around 1136 Agnes Courtenay Queen Jerusalem was born to [her father] Joscelin Courtenay II Count Edessa.
In 1157 Almaric I King Jerusalem [aged 21] and Agnes Courtenay Queen Jerusalem [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Queen Jerusalem. She the daughter of Joscelin Courtenay II Count Edessa. He the son of Fulk "Young" King Jerusalem and Melisende Queen of Jerusalem [aged 52]. They were third cousins.
In 1159 [her father] Joscelin Courtenay II Count Edessa died. His son [her brother] Joscelin succeeded III Count Edessa.
In 1160 [her daughter] Sibylla Anjou Queen Jerusalem was born to [her husband] Almaric I King Jerusalem [aged 24] and Agnes Courtenay Queen Jerusalem [aged 24]. She married (1) William Montferrat and had issue (2) August 1186 Guy I King Jerusalem.
In 1161 [her son] Baldwin IV King Jerusalem was born to [her husband] Almaric I King Jerusalem [aged 25] and Agnes Courtenay Queen Jerusalem [aged 25] at Jerusalem [Map].
On 11th September 1161 [her mother-in-law] Melisende Queen of Jerusalem [aged 56] died. Her son [her brother-in-law] Baldwin [aged 31] succeeded King Jerusalem.
On 10th February 1163 [her brother-in-law] Baldwin III King Jerusalem [aged 33] died at Beirut. His brother [her husband] Almaric [aged 27] succeeded I King Jerusalem.
In 1165 [her sister-in-law] Sibylla Anjou Countess Essex [aged 53] died.
In 1167 [her husband] Almaric I King Jerusalem [aged 31] and Maria Komnenos Queen Jerusalem [aged 13] were married. She by marriage Queen Jerusalem. He the son of Fulk "Young" King Jerusalem and [her mother-in-law] Melisende Queen of Jerusalem.
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 11th July 1174 [her husband] Almaric I King Jerusalem [aged 38] died. His son Baldwin [aged 13] succeeded IV King Jerusalem.
After 1176 [her brother] Joscelin Courtenay III Count Edessa [aged 17] and [her sister-in-law] Agnes Petra Countess Edessa were married. She by marriage Countess Edessa. He the son of [her father] Joscelin Courtenay II Count Edessa.
Around 1184 Agnes Courtenay Queen Jerusalem [aged 48] died.
Great x 1 Grandfather: Joscelin Courtenay
GrandFather: Joscelin Courtenay I Count Edessa
Great x 2 Grandfather: Guy I of Montlhéry
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elisabeth Montlhéry
Great x 2 Grandmother: Hodierna of Gometz
Father: Joscelin Courtenay II Count Edessa
Great x 1 Grandfather: Constantine I Armenia
GrandMother: Beatrice Armenia