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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Maternal Family Tree: Elizabeth Jenks Baroness Rich 1510-1558
Around 1510 Elizabeth Jenks Baroness Rich was born to [her father] William Jenks (age 26).
Around 1530 [her daughter] Audrey Rich was born to [her future husband] Richard Rich 1st Baron Rich (age 33) and Elizabeth Jenks Baroness Rich (age 20). She married before 8th March 1550 Robert Drury and had issue.
Around 1532 [her daughter] Elizabeth Rich was born to [her future husband] Richard Rich 1st Baron Rich (age 35) and Elizabeth Jenks Baroness Rich (age 22). She married in or before 1561 Robert Peyton of Isleham in Cambridgeshire and had issue.
Before 1537 Richard Rich 1st Baron Rich (age 39) and Elizabeth Jenks Baroness Rich (age 26) were married.
Around 1537 Hans Holbein The Younger (age 40). Drawing of Elizabeth Jenks Baroness Rich (age 27).
In 1537 [her son] Robert Rich 2nd Baron Rich of Leez was born to [her husband] Richard Rich 1st Baron Rich (age 40) and Elizabeth Jenks Baroness Rich (age 27). He married before 1559 Elizabeth Baldry Baroness Rich Leez and had issue.
In 1539 [her daughter] Frances Rich was born to [her husband] Richard Rich 1st Baron Rich (age 42) and Elizabeth Jenks Baroness Rich (age 29). She married before 1565 John Darcy 2nd Baron Darcy, son of Thomas Darcy 1st Baron Darcy and Elizabeth Vere Baroness Darcy Chiche, and had issue.
After 1539 [her son-in-law] Thomas Wroth (age 21) and [her daughter] Mary Rich were married.
Around 1540 [her son] Hugh Rich was born to [her husband] Richard Rich 1st Baron Rich (age 43) and Elizabeth Jenks Baroness Rich (age 30). He married before 1st November 1554 Anne Wentworth.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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In 1547 [her husband] Richard Rich 1st Baron Rich (age 50) was appointed Lord Chancellor.
On 26th February 1547 [her husband] Richard Rich 1st Baron Rich (age 50) was created 1st Baron Rich of Leez. Elizabeth Jenks Baroness Rich (age 37) by marriage Baroness Rich of Leez.
Before 8th March 1550 [her son-in-law] Robert Drury (age 26) and [her daughter] Audrey Rich (age 20) were married.
Before 1st November 1554 [her son] Hugh Rich (age 14) and [her daughter-in-law] Anne Wentworth were married.
On 1st November 1554 [her son] Hugh Rich (age 14) died.
On 16th December 1558 Elizabeth Jenks Baroness Rich (age 48) died.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 16th December 1558. The xvj day of December was cared in a charett from sant Baythelmuw the grett unto Essex to be bered, with baners and banerrolles abowt her, my lade Ryche (age 48), and so to the plasse wher she dwelyd.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 18th December 1558. The xviij day of Desember was [buried] my lade Ryche (deceased), the wyff of the [her former husband] lord Ryche (age 61), with a herse of v prynsepalles and a viij dosen penselles and a viij dosen skochyons and a grett baner of my lordes and my lades armes and iiij baner rolles, and iiij baner(s) of santtes; and grett whytt branchys and vj dosen of torchys; and xxiiij pore men had gownes; and the morow masse and a grett dener, and ij haroldes and mony morners.
Note. P. 184. Funeral of lady Rich. Elizabeth, sister of Thomas Jenks of London, was the wife of the successful lawyer (himself of a London family) who founded the family of Rich, afterwards earls of Warwick and Holland. Richard first lord Rich survived until 1568, and was buried at Felstead, Essex. See Dugdale's Baronage, ii. 388.
On 12th June 1567 [her former husband] Richard Rich 1st Baron Rich (age 70) died at Rochford, Essex. His son [her son] Robert (age 30) succeeded 2nd Baron Rich of Leez. [her daughter-in-law] Elizabeth Baldry Baroness Rich Leez (age 29) by marriage Baroness Rich of Leez.
Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
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[her daughter] Mary Rich was born to Richard Rich 1st Baron Rich and Elizabeth Jenks Baroness Rich. She married after 1539 Thomas Wroth and had issue.
GrandFather: Rowland Jenks
Father: William Jenks