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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On 2nd November 1766 Anthony Lechmere 1st Baronet was born.
On 15th May 1787 Anthony Lechmere 1st Baronet [aged 20] and Mary Berwick Lady Lechmere were married at St Mary's Church, Hanley Castle [Map].
On 25th May 1792 [his son] Edmund Hungerford Lechmere 2nd Baronet was born to Anthony Lechmere 1st Baronet [aged 25] and [his wife] Mary Berwick Lady Lechmere. He married 1819 Maria Clara Murray Lady Lechmere and had issue.
The London Gazette 17404. Whitehall, October 3, 1818.
His Royal Highness the Prince Regent has been pleased, in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, to direct letters patent to be passed under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, for granting the dignity of a Baronet of the said United Kingdom to the following Gentlemen respectively, and to the heirs male of their bodies lawfully begotten, viz.
The Honourable Alexander Maitland [aged 90], of Clifton, in the county of Mid-Lothian, and of Rose-Hill, in the county of Hertford, General in the Army, and Colonel of the 49th Regiment.
Henry Johnson [aged 70], of the city of Bath, in the county of Somerset, Esq. General in the Army, and Colonel of tine 81st Regiment.
Anthony Farrington [aged 76], of Blackheath, in the county of Kent, Esq. General in the Army, Colonel Commandant of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, and Director-General of Artillery and Field Train.
Sir Harry Calvert, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath, Lieutenant-General in the Army, Colonel of the 14th Regiment of Foot, and Adjutant-General of the Forces.
James Campbell, of Inverneil, in the county of Argyll, Esq. Lieutenant-General in the Army, Kitight Grand Cross of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order, and Knight Commander of the Royal Sicilian Order of Saint Ferdinand and of Merit.
Sir James Willoughby Gordon, of Niton, in the Isle of Wight, Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath, Major General in the Army, Colonel of the 85th Regiment, and Quarter-Master-General to the Forces.
Felton Elwill Bathurst Hervey [aged 36], of Lainston, in the county of Southampton, Esq. Colonel in the Army, Extra Aide-de-Camp to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, Lieutenant-Colonel of the 14th Regiment of Light Dragoons, and a Companion of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath; with remainder, in failure of issue male, to his brother Frederick Anne Hervey [aged 35], of Clarendon Park, in the county of Wilts, Esq. and his heirs male.
John Powell [aged 65], of Hardwick, and of Worthen, in the county of Salop, Esq. and in default of male issue, to Edward Kynaston [aged 60], of Risby and Fornham Saint-Genevieve, in the county of Suffolk, Clerk (brother of the said John Powell), and his heirs male.
John Acland [aged 62], of Fairfield, in the county of Somerset, and of Newhouse, in the county of Devon, Esq.
Antony Lechmere [aged 51], of the Rhyd, in the county of Worcester, Esq.
Sir Edmond Lacon, of Great Yarmouth, in the county of Norfolk, Knight. [Note. [his wife] Mary Berwick Lady Lechmere by marriage Lady Lechmere of Rhyd in Worcestershire.]
John Shelley Sidney [aged 47], of Penshurst-place, in the county of Kent, Esq.
Thomas Hare, of Stow Hall, in the county of Norfolk, Esq.
Edward Stracey, of Rackheath Hall, in the county of Norfolk, Esq.
George Shiffher, of Combe-place, in the county of Sussex, Esq.
John Croft, of Cowling Hall, in the north riding of the county of York, Esq.
Robert Bateson [aged 36], of Belvoir Park, in the county of Down, Esq.
Matthew John Tierney, of Brighthelmstone, in the county of Sussex, and of Dover-street, in the county of Middlesex, Esq. Doctor of Physic, Physician in Ordinary to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, and Physician to His Royal High ness's Household at Brighthelmstone.
In 1819 Edmund Hungerford Lechmere 2nd Baronet [aged 26] and Maria Clara Murray Lady Lechmere were married. He the son of Anthony Lechmere 1st Baronet [aged 52] and Mary Berwick Lady Lechmere.
On 3rd December 1820 [his wife] Mary Berwick Lady Lechmere died. She was buried at St Mary's Church, Hanley Castle [Map] on 11th December 1820.
On 8th September 1823 Anthony Lechmere 1st Baronet [aged 56] and Eleanor Villiers Lady Lechmere were married. She by marriage Lady Lechmere of Rhyd in Worcestershire.
On 21st November 1836 Anthony Lechmere 1st Baronet [aged 70] was awarded compensation of £4089 10s 3d for 286 slaves on the Virgin Islands. His father-in-law Joseph Berwick had a mortgage over the plantation.
On 20th August 1837 [his wife] Eleanor Villiers Lady Lechmere died. She was buried at St Mary's Church, Hanley Castle [Map].
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 1 Chapters 1-60 1307-1342
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel offer one of the most vivid and immediate accounts of 14th-century Europe, written by a knight who lived through the events he describes, and experienced some of them first hand. Covering the early decades of the Hundred Years’ War, this remarkable chronicle follows the campaigns of Edward III of England, the politics of France and the Low Countries, and the shifting alliances that shaped medieval warfare. Unlike later historians, Jean le Bel writes with a strong sense of eyewitness authenticity, drawing on personal experience and the testimony of fellow soldiers. His narrative captures not only battles and sieges, but also the realities of military life, diplomacy, and the ideals of chivalry that governed noble society. A key source for Jean Froissart, Le Bel’s chronicle stands on its own as a compelling and insightful work, at once historical record and literary achievement. This translation builds on the 1905 edition published in French by Jules Viard, adding extensive translations from other sources Rymer's Fœdera, the Chronicles of Adam Murimuth, William Nangis, Walter of Guisborough, a Bourgeois of Valenciennes, Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke and Richard Lescot to enrich the original text and Viard's notes.
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On 25th March 1849 Anthony Lechmere 1st Baronet [aged 82] died. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Hanley Castle [Map]. His son Edmund [aged 56] succeeded 2nd Baronet Lechmere of Rhyd in Worcestershire. Maria Clara Murray Lady Lechmere by marriage Lady Lechmere of Rhyd in Worcestershire.