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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Biography of Anne Bayning Viscountess Bayning 1619-1678

Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Dinley 1495-1550

Before 1613 [her father] Paul Bayning 1st Viscount Bayning (age 24) and [her mother] Anne Glemham Viscountess Bayning were married.

On 23rd April 1619 Anne Bayning Viscountess Bayning was born to [her father] Paul Bayning 1st Viscount Bayning (age 31) and [her mother] Anne Glemham Viscountess Bayning.

On 27th February 1628 [her father] Paul Bayning 1st Viscount Bayning (age 40) was created 1st Baron Bayning of Horkesley in Essex. [her mother] Anne Glemham Viscountess Bayning by marriage Baroness Bayning of Horkesley in Essex.

On 8th March 1628 [her father] Paul Bayning 1st Viscount Bayning (age 40) was created 1st Viscount Bayning. [her mother] Anne Glemham Viscountess Bayning by marriage Viscountess Bayning.

On 29th July 1629 [her father] Paul Bayning 1st Viscount Bayning (age 41) died at Mark Lane [Map]. His son Paul (age 13) succeeded 2nd Viscount Bayning, 2nd Baron Bayning of Horkesley in Essex.

On 29th December 1630 Oliver St John 1st Viscount Grandison (age 71) died. His great nephew [her future brother-in-law] William (age 16) succeeded 2nd Viscount Grandison. [her sister] Mary Bayning Countess Anglesey (age 7) by marriage Viscountess Grandison.

On 26th November 1635 Henry Murray of Berkhampstead and Anne Bayning Viscountess Bayning (age 16) were married.

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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On 11th June 1638 Paul Bayning 2nd Viscount Bayning (age 22) died without male issue. Viscount Bayning, Baron Bayning of Horkesley in Essex extinct.

Before 27th November 1640 [her brother-in-law] William Villiers 2nd Viscount Grandison (age 26) and [her sister] Mary Bayning Countess Anglesey (age 17) were married. She the heiress of a fortune of £180,000.

In 1641 [her daughter] Anne Murray was born to [her husband] Henry Murray of Berkhampstead and Anne Bayning Viscountess Bayning (age 21). She married after 27th March 1661 Robert Pierrepont and had issue.

After 20th September 1643 [her brother-in-law] Charles Villiers 2nd Earl Anglesey and [her sister] Mary Bayning Countess Anglesey (age 20) were married. She by marriage Countess Anglesey. He a cousin of her first husband. He the son of Christopher Villiers 1st Earl Anglesey and Elizabeth Sheldon Countess Anglesey (age 35).

Around 1650 [her daughter] Elizabeth Murray was born to [her husband] Henry Murray of Berkhampstead and Anne Bayning Viscountess Bayning (age 30). She married (1) 1st May 1673 Randolph Egerton of Betley (2) before 11th December 1717 Charles Egerton of Newborough, son of John Egerton 2nd Earl Bridgewater and Elizabeth Cavendish Countess Bridgewater, and had issue.

After 27th March 1661 [her son-in-law] Robert Pierrepont (age 24) and [her daughter] Anne Murray (age 20) were married.

In 1672 [her sister] Mary Bayning Countess Anglesey (age 49) died.

On 10th July 1672 [her son-in-law] John Bowyer 2nd Baronet (age 19) and [her daughter] Jane Murray were married.

Before September 1672 [her husband] Henry Murray of Berkhampstead died.

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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Around 1st May 1673 [her son-in-law] Randolph Egerton of Betley (age 54) and [her daughter] Elizabeth Murray (age 23) were married. The difference in their ages was 31 years.

In 1674 Anne Bayning Viscountess Bayning (age 54) was created 1st Viscountess Bayning for life.

Before 1678 John Baber (age 52) and Anne Bayning Viscountess Bayning (age 58) were married.

In October 1678 Anne Bayning Viscountess Bayning (age 59) died. Viscount Bayning extinct.

On 15th February 1681 [her former husband] John Baber (age 55) and Bridget Drury were married.

In 1704 [her former husband] John Baber (age 78) died.

In 1797 Charles Townshend 1st Baron Bayning (age 67) was created 1st Baron Bayning of Foxley in Berkshire. He was a decendant on his mother's side of Anne Bayning Viscountess Bayning by her daughter [her daughter] Elizabeth Murray and her daughter [her granddaughter] Anne Egerton mother of [her great granddaughter] Henrietta Paulett who was his mother. Annabella Smith-Powlett (age 42) by marriage Baroness Bayning of Foxley in Berkshire.

[her daughter] Jane Murray was born to Henry Murray of Berkhampstead and Anne Bayning Viscountess Bayning. She married 10th July 1672 John Bowyer 2nd Baronet, son of John Bowyer 1st Baronet, and had issue.