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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Paternal Family Tree: Morden aka Harbord
In 1760 [his father] Harbord Morden aka Harbord 1st Baron Suffield (age 25) and [his mother] Mary Assheton Baroness Suffield were married.
In November 1781 Edward Harbord 3rd Baron Suffield was born to [his father] Harbord Morden aka Harbord 1st Baron Suffield (age 47) and [his mother] Mary Assheton Baroness Suffield.
In 1786 [his father] Harbord Morden aka Harbord 1st Baron Suffield (age 51) was created 1st Baron Suffield. [his mother] Mary Assheton Baroness Suffield by marriage Baroness Suffield.
In 1806 Edward Harbord 3rd Baron Suffield (age 24) was elected MP Great Yarmouth.
In 1809 Edward Harbord 3rd Baron Suffield (age 27) and Georgiana Venables-Vernon Baroness Suffield (age 22) were married.
On 4th February 1810 [his father] Harbord Morden aka Harbord 1st Baron Suffield (age 76) died. His son [his brother] William (age 43) succeeded 2nd Baron Suffield, 3rd Baronet Harbord of Suffield in Norfolk. [his future sister-in-law] Caroline Hobart Baroness Suffield by marriage Baroness Suffield.
In or before 1812 [his daughter] Georgiana Mary Harbord was born to Edward Harbord 3rd Baron Suffield (age 30) and [his wife] Georgiana Venables-Vernon Baroness Suffield (age 25). She married (1) 2nd October 1837 her second cousin George Edward Anson and had issue (2) 24th October 1855 her half second cousin Charles Edward Boothby.
In 1813 [his son] Edward Harbord 4th Baron Suffield was born to Edward Harbord 3rd Baron Suffield (age 31) and [his wife] Georgiana Venables-Vernon Baroness Suffield (age 26). He married 1835 Charlotte Susannah Gardner, daughter of Alan Hyde Gardner 2nd Baron Gardner and Charlotte Elizabeth Smith Baroness Gardner.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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In 1819 Edward Harbord 3rd Baron Suffield (age 37) outraged his family be declaring himself a 'Liberal' at a public meeting held at Norwich to petition for an inquiry into the 'Peterloo Massacre'.
In 1820 Edward Harbord 3rd Baron Suffield (age 38) was elected MP Shaftesbury.
Before 7th February 1821 [his brother] William Assheton Harbord 2nd Baron Suffield (age 54) and [his sister-in-law] Caroline Hobart Baroness Suffield were married. She the daughter of John Hobart 2nd Earl Buckinghamshire and Mary Anne Drury Countess Buckinghamshire. They were half second cousins.
On 1st August 1821 [his brother] William Assheton Harbord 2nd Baron Suffield (age 54) died. His brother Edward (age 39) succeeded 3rd Baron Suffield, 4th Baronet Harbord of Suffield in Norfolk. [his wife] Georgiana Venables-Vernon Baroness Suffield (age 35) by marriage Baroness Suffield.
In September 1824 [his wife] Georgiana Venables-Vernon Baroness Suffield (age 38) died.
In 12th September 1826 Edward Harbord 3rd Baron Suffield (age 44) and Emily Harriey Shirley Baroness Suffield were married. She by marriage Baroness Suffield.
On 2nd January 1830 [his son] Charles Harbord 5th Baron Suffield was born to Edward Harbord 3rd Baron Suffield (age 48) and [his wife] Emily Harriey Shirley Baroness Suffield. He married 4th May 1854 Cecilia Annetta Baring Baroness Suffield and had issue.
On 22nd January 1831 [his son] William Harbord was born to Edward Harbord 3rd Baron Suffield (age 49) and [his wife] Emily Harriey Shirley Baroness Suffield.
On 21st February 1832 [his son] Reverend John Harbord was born to Edward Harbord 3rd Baron Suffield (age 50) and [his wife] Emily Harriey Shirley Baroness Suffield.
In 1835 [his son] Edward Harbord 4th Baron Suffield (age 22) and [his daughter-in-law] Charlotte Susannah Gardner (age 24) were married.
In July 1835 Edward Harbord 3rd Baron Suffield (age 53) died at Vernon House Park Place after a fall from his horse on Constitution Hill. His son Edward (age 22) succeeded 4th Baron Suffield, 5th Baronet Harbord of Suffield in Norfolk.
Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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On 3rd January 1881 [his former wife] Emily Harriey Shirley Baroness Suffield died.
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Morden
GrandFather: William Morden aka Harbord 1st Baronet
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Cropley
Great x 1 Grandmother: Judith Cropley
Father: Harbord Morden aka Harbord 1st Baron Suffield
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert Britiffe
GrandMother: Elizabeth Britiffe Lady Harbord
Edward Harbord 3rd Baron Suffield
Great x 2 Grandfather: Ralph Assheton 1st Baronet
Great x 1 Grandfather: Richard Assheton
GrandFather: Ralph Assheton 3rd Baronet
Mother: Mary Assheton Baroness Suffield