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Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.
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Paternal Family Tree: Astor
In 1829 Jane Waldo died. Her cousin, also Jane, inherited Hever Castle, Kent [Map]. Jane died in 1841. The castle as inherited by Edmund Wakefield Meade who was connected to the Waldo family by marriage, and had adopted the Waldo surname. Meade Waldo, great grandson of Edmund, sold the castle on the 27th of July 1903 to William Waldorf Astor 1st Viscount Astor.
On 31st March 1848 William Waldorf Astor 1st Viscount Astor was born.
On 6th June 1878 William Waldorf Astor 1st Viscount Astor (age 30) and Mary Dahlgren Paul (age 20) were married.
On 19th May 1879 [his son] Waldorf Astor 2nd Viscount Astor was born to William Waldorf Astor 1st Viscount Astor (age 31) and [his wife] Mary Dahlgren Paul (age 21). He married 3rd May 1906 Nancy Witcher Langhorne Viscountess Astor and had issue.
On 20th May 1886 [his son] John Jacob Astor 1st Baron Astor was born to William Waldorf Astor 1st Viscount Astor (age 38) and [his wife] Mary Dahlgren Paul (age 28). He married 28th August 1916 Violet Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound Baroness Astor, daughter of Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound 4th Earl Minto and Mary Caroline Grey Countess Minto, and had issue.
On 22nd December 1894 [his wife] Mary Dahlgren Paul (age 36) died.
1898. Hubert von Herkomer 1849 1914 (age 48). Portrait of William Waldorf Astor 1st Viscount Astor (age 49).
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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In On 3rd May 1906 [his son] Waldorf Astor 2nd Viscount Astor (age 26) and [his daughter-in-law] Nancy Witcher Langhorne Viscountess Astor (age 26) were married. The groom's father gave the couple the family estate of Cliveden, Buckinghamshire [Map]. They had met on an Atlantic voyage returning to Britain
The London Gazette 29454. Whitehall, January 28, 1916.
The King has been pleased, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to confer the dignity of a Baron of the said United Kingdom upon the undermentioned gentlemen, and the heirs male of their respective bodies lawfully begotten: —
Admiral Sir Charles William de la Poer Beresford (age 69), G.C.B., G.C.V.O. (commonly called Lord Charles William de la Poer Beresford), and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style and title of Beresford of Metemmeh, and of Curraghmore in the County of Waterford.
Sir Alexander Henderson, of Buscot Park, in the County of Berks, Baronet, and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style and title of Baron Faringdon, of Buscot Park in the County of Berks.
Sir Thomas George Shaughnessy, K.C.V.O., and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style and title of Baron Shaughnessy, of the City of Montreal in the Dominion of Canada, and of Ashford in the County of Limerick.
William Waldorf Astor (age 67), of Hever Castle, in the County of Kent, Esquire, and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style and title of Baron Astor, of Hever Castle in the County of Kent.
On 28th August 1916 [his son] John Jacob Astor 1st Baron Astor (age 30) and [his daughter-in-law] Violet Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound Baroness Astor (age 27) were married. She the daughter of Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound 4th Earl Minto and Mary Caroline Grey Countess Minto (age 58).
In 1917 William Waldorf Astor 1st Viscount Astor (age 68) was created 1st Viscount Astor.
On 18th October 1919 William Waldorf Astor 1st Viscount Astor (age 71) died. His son Waldorf (age 40) succeeded 2nd Viscount Astor, 2nd Baron Astor.