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.
Paternal Family Tree: Beckett
On 3rd March 1774 [his father] John Beckett 1st Baronet [aged 30] and [his mother] Mary Wilson [aged 25] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Bishop Christopher Wilson [aged 60] and [his grandmother] Anne Gibson [aged 47].
In 1785 Anne Smithson died. Her estates and those of her late husband passed to her great-niece Mary Harrison, then to her daughter Mary Midgeley [aged 10] and then to her daughter [his future wife] Maria Beverley Lady Beckett and her husband Edmund Beckett aka Denison 4th Baronet who adopted the surname Denison.
On 29th January 1787 Edmund Beckett aka Denison 4th Baronet was born to John Beckett 1st Baronet [aged 43] and Mary Wilson Lady Beckett [aged 38].
On 14th December 1814 Edmund Beckett aka Denison 4th Baronet [aged 27] and Maria Beverley Lady Beckett [aged 19] were married.
In 1816 Edmund Beckett aka Denison 4th Baronet [aged 28] took the additional surname Denison in 1816 in accordance with the terms of the will of his wife's great-great-aunt, but reverted to Beckett only by royal licence when he succeeded his elder brother as 4th baronet in 1872.
On 12th May 1816 [his son] Edmund Beckett 1st Baron Grimthorpe was born to Edmund Beckett aka Denison 4th Baronet [aged 29] and [his wife] Maria Beverley Lady Beckett [aged 21] at Carlton Hall, Newark on Trent. He married 7th October 1845 Fanny Catherine Lonsdale Baroness Beckett, daughter of Bishop John Lonsdale and Sophia Bolland.
In 1823 [his mother] Mary Wilson Lady Beckett [aged 74] died.
In 1826 [his father] John Beckett 1st Baronet [aged 82] died. His son [his brother] John [aged 50] succeeded 2nd Baronet Beckett of Leeds. Anne Lowther Lady Beckett by marriage Lady Beckett of Leeds.
On 10th September 1826 [his son] William Beckett-Denison was born to Edmund Beckett aka Denison 4th Baronet [aged 39] and [his wife] Maria Beverley Lady Beckett [aged 31]. He married 1855 Helen Duncombe, daughter of William Duncombe 2nd Baron Feversham and Louisa Stewart Baroness Feversham Duncombe Park, and had issue.
In 1841 Edmund Beckett aka Denison 4th Baronet [aged 53] was elected MP West Riding of Yorkshire which seat he held until 1847.
This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 7th October 1845 [his son] Edmund Beckett 1st Baron Grimthorpe [aged 29] and [his daughter-in-law] Fanny Catherine Lonsdale Baroness Beckett [aged 22] were married. She the daughter of Bishop John Lonsdale [aged 57] and Sophia Bolland.
In 1848 Edmund Beckett aka Denison 4th Baronet [aged 60] was elected MP West Riding of Yorkshire which seat he held until 1859.
In 1855 [his son] William Beckett-Denison [aged 28] and [his daughter-in-law] Helen Duncombe [aged 23] were married.
On 17th November 1872 Thomas Beckett 3rd Baronet [aged 93] died. He was buried at Corringham, Lincolnshire, 22nd November 1872. His brother Edmund [aged 85] succeeded 4th Baronet Beckett of Leeds.
On 27th March 1874 [his wife] Maria Beverley Lady Beckett [aged 78] died.
On 24th May 1874 Edmund Beckett aka Denison 4th Baronet [aged 87] died. His son Edmund [aged 58] succeeded 5th Baronet Beckett of Leeds.
Great x 1 Grandfather: Gervase Beckett of Barnsley
GrandFather: John Beckett
Great x 2 Grandfather: Jonas Clarke
Great x 1 Grandmother: Eleanor Clarke
Father: John Beckett 1st Baronet
Great x 1 Grandfather: Joseph wilson of Monk Bretton
GrandMother: Elizabeth Wilkson
Edmund Beckett aka Denison 4th Baronet
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Wilson
GrandFather: Bishop Christopher Wilson
Mother: Mary Wilson Lady Beckett
Great x 1 Grandfather: Bishop Edmund Gibson
GrandMother: Anne Gibson