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: Pope
Maternal Family Tree: Aoife ni Diarmait Macmurrough Countess Pembroke and Buckingham 1145-1188
Elizabeth Pope Countess Lindsey was born to [her father] Thomas Pope 2nd Earl Downe and [her mother] Lucy Dutton Countess Downe in Cogges Witney, Oxfordshire.
On 2nd June 1631 William Pope 1st Earl Downe (age 57) died. His grandson [her father] Thomas (age 8) succeeded 2nd Earl Downe.
On 26th November 1638 [her father] Thomas Pope 2nd Earl Downe (age 15) and [her mother] Lucy Dutton Countess Downe were married in Sherborne, Gloucestershire. She by marriage Countess Downe.
In 1654 [her future husband] Robert Bertie 3rd Earl Lindsey (age 23) and Mary Massingberd were married. He the son of Montagu Bertie 2nd Earl Lindsey (age 46) and Martha Cockayne Countess Holderness.
In 1659 Henry Lee 3rd Baronet (age 21) died of smallpox. His brother [her future husband] Francis (age 19) succeeded 4th Baronet Lee of Quarrendon in Buckinghamshire.
Before 1660 [her future husband] Robert Bertie 3rd Earl Lindsey (age 29) and Elizabeth Wharton Countess Lindsey (age 27) were married. He the son of Montagu Bertie 2nd Earl Lindsey (age 51) and Martha Cockayne Countess Holderness.
On 28th December 1660 [her father] Thomas Pope 2nd Earl Downe (age 38) died. On 11th January 1661 he was buried in Wroxton, Oxfordshire. His uncle Thomas (age 62) succeeded 3rd Earl Downe.
On 4th February 1663 [her son] Edward Lee 1st Earl Lichfield was born to [her future husband] Francis Lee 4th Baronet (age 24) and Elizabeth Pope Countess Lindsey. He married 6th February 1677 his third cousin Charlotte Fitzroy Countess Lichfield, daughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland and Barbara Villiers 1st Duchess of Cleveland, and had issue.
John Evelyn's Diary. 20th October 1664. Hence, to see the famous wells, natural and artificial grots and fountains, called Bushell's Wells, at Enstone. This Bushell had been Secretary to my Lord Verulam. It is an extraordinary solitude. There he had two mummies; a grot where he lay in a hammock, like an Indian. Hence, we went to Dichley [Map], an ancient seat of the Lees, now [her future husband] Sir Henry Lee's (age 25); it is a low ancient timber-house, with a pretty bowling-green. My Lady gave us an extraordinary dinner. This gentleman's [her future mother-in-law] mother (age 49) was Countess of Rochester, who was also there, and Sir Walter St. John (age 42). There were some pictures of their ancestors, not ill painted; the great-grandfather had been Knight of the Garter [Note. Reference to Henry Lee of Ditchley who was not great-grandfather; he was second-cousin once-removed]; there was a picture of a Pope, and our Savior's head. So we returned to Cornbury.
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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On 6th April 1665 [her mother] Lucy Dutton Countess Downe (age 26) died.
On 23rd April 1665 [her son] Francis Henry Lee was born to [her future husband] Francis Lee 4th Baronet (age 26) and Elizabeth Pope Countess Lindsey.
On 25th July 1666 Montagu Bertie 2nd Earl Lindsey (age 58) died at Campden House, Middlesex. His son [her future husband] Robert (age 35) succeeded 3rd Earl Lindsey, 16th Baron Willoughby de Eresby. Elizabeth Wharton Countess Lindsey (age 33) by marriage Countess Lindsey.
Before 4th December 1667 Francis Lee 4th Baronet (age 28) and Elizabeth Pope Countess Lindsey were married. She by marriage Lady Lee of Quarrendon in Buckinghamshire. She the daughter of Thomas Pope 2nd Earl Downe and Lucy Dutton Countess Downe. He the son of Francis Henry Lee 2nd Baronet and Anne St John Countess Rochester (age 53). They were half fifth cousin once removed.
On 4th December 1667 [her husband] Francis Lee 4th Baronet (age 28) died. His son [her son] Edward (age 4) succeeded 5th Baronet Lee of Quarrendon in Buckinghamshire.
On 6th February 1677 [her son] Edward Lee 1st Earl Lichfield (age 14) and [her daughter-in-law] Charlotte Fitzroy Countess Lichfield (age 12) were married. She by marriage Countess Lichfield. She the illegitmate daughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland (age 46) and Barbara Villiers 1st Duchess of Cleveland (age 36). He the son of [her former husband] Francis Lee 4th Baronet and Elizabeth Pope Countess Lindsey. They were third cousins.
Before 8th March 1685 Jacob Huysmans (age 52). Portrait of Elizabeth Pope Countess Lindsey as Diana.
In 1698 [her son] Francis Henry Lee (age 32) died.
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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Around 1700 Robert Bertie 3rd Earl Lindsey (age 69) and Elizabeth Pope Countess Lindsey were married. She by marriage Countess Lindsey. She the daughter of Thomas Pope 2nd Earl Downe and Lucy Dutton Countess Downe. He the son of Montagu Bertie 2nd Earl Lindsey and Martha Cockayne Countess Holderness.
On 9th May 1701 [her husband] Robert Bertie 3rd Earl Lindsey (age 70) died. His son [her step-son] Robert (age 40) succeeded 4th Earl Lindsey, 17th Baron Willoughby de Eresby. Albinia Farington Duchess Ancaster and Kesteven by marriage Countess Lindsey.
On 14th July 1716 [her son] Edward Lee 1st Earl Lichfield (age 53) died. His son [her grandson] George (age 26) succeeded 2nd Earl Lichfield, 6th Baronet Lee of Quarrendon in Buckinghamshire. [her granddaughter-in-law] Frances Hales Countess Lichfield (age 19) by marriage Countess Lichfield.
In 1719 Elizabeth Pope Countess Lindsey died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 18 Grand Daughter of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 15 Grand Daughter of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn King Gwynedd King Powys
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 19 Grand Daughter of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 14 Grand Daughter of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 20 Grand Daughter of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 10 Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 17 Grand Daughter of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 25 Grand Daughter of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 19 Grand Daughter of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 23 Grand Daughter of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Pope
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Pope 1st Earl Downe
GrandFather: William Pope 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Hopton 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Arthur Hopton 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Owen Hopton 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: David Owen 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Ann Owen 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Bohun 
11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Anne Hopton Baroness Wentworth 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Echingham 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Echingham 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Wingfield 
5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Echingham 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Father: Thomas Pope 2nd Earl Downe 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Watson 
GrandMother: Elizabeth Watson Lady Penyston
Elizabeth Pope Countess Lindsey 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ralph Dutton 
8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: William Dutton 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Dutton 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Dutton 11 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
GrandFather: John Dutton 12 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Mother: Lucy Dutton Countess Downe 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Bayntun of Bromham
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Bayntun
Great x 2 Grandfather: Edward Baynton
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Sulyard of Wetherden in Suffolk
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Sulyard
Great x 1 Grandfather: Henry Bayntun
GrandMother: Elizabeth Bayntun 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Danvers 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Sylvester Danvers
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Danvers
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Mordaunt 1st Baron Mordaunt 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Mordaunt
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Vere Baroness Mordaunt 
Great x 1 Grandmother: Lucy Danvers 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Neville 3rd Baron Latimer 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Neville 4th Baron Latimer of Snape 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Dorothy de Vere 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Neville 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Somerset 2nd Earl of Worcester 
4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Lucy Somerset Baroness Latimer Snape 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Browne Countess of Worcester 
4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England