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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Beaton
Cecil Beaton is in Photographers.
Before 14th January 1904 [his father] Ernest Beaton (age 37) and [his mother] Esther "Etty" Sisson (age 32) were married.
On 14th January 1904 Cecil Beaton was born to [his father] Ernest Beaton (age 37) and [his mother] Esther "Etty" Sisson (age 32).
Around 1927. Cecil Beaton (age 22). Photograph of Loelia Mary Ponsonby Duchess Westminster (age 24) wearing the Westminster Halo tiara.
Around 1930. Unknown Photographer. Photograph of Cecil Beaton (age 25) and his sisters [his sister] Barbara "Baba" Beaton (age 17) and [his sister] Nancy Beaton (age 20) arriving at an Eton.
Nancy Beaton: On 30th September 1909 she was born to Ernest Beaton and Esther "Etty" Sisson. In January 1933 Hugh Houston Smiley 3rd Baronet and she were married. The eight bridesmaids included the bride's sister Barbara "Baba" Beaton, Margaret Whigham, Lady Bridget Poulett, and Lady Anne Wellesley On 6th June 1999 Nancy Beaton died.
1930. Cecil Beaton (age 25). The Silver Soap Suds. Left to Right: Baba Beaton, the Hon. Mrs Charles Baillie-Hamilton and Bridget Poulet (age 17).
Bridget Poulet: On 29th January 1912 she was born to William John Lydston Poulett 7th Earl Poulett and Sylvia Storey Countess Poulett. In 1975 Bridget Poulet died.
January 1933. Cecil Beaton (age 28). Photograph of Margaret Whigham Duchess of Argyll (age 20).
In 1936 [his father] Ernest Beaton (age 69) died.
1940. John "Rex" Whistler (age 34). Portrait of Cecil Beaton (age 35).
1946. Cecil Beaton (age 41). Photograph of siblings Osbert (age 53), Sacheverell (age 48) and Edith (age 58) Sitwell.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
1946. Cecil Beaton (age 41). Photograph of Frances Elizabeth Anne Hay (age 20).
Frances Elizabeth Anne Hay: In 1926 she was born to William Hay 11th Marquess of Tweeddale. In 1956 Nigel Arthur Pearson and she were married. She the daughter of William Hay 11th Marquess of Tweeddale. In 2023 Frances Elizabeth Anne Hay died.
1953. Cecil Beaton (age 48). Photograph of Anne Bairstow Cumming Bell Duchess of Rutland.
In 1962 [his mother] Esther "Etty" Sisson (age 90) died.
On 18th January 1980 Cecil Beaton (age 76) died.