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: Smith of Jamiaca
On 23rd February 1765 [his father] Benjamin Smith [aged 23] and [his mother] Charlotte Turner [aged 15] were married. They had twelve children.
On 9th October 1778 General Lionel Smith 1st Baronet was born to [his father] Benjamin Smith [aged 36] and [his mother] Charlotte Turner [aged 29].
On 23rd February 1806 [his father] Benjamin Smith [aged 64] died in prison.
On 28th October 1806 [his mother] Charlotte Turner [aged 57] died.
Before 1814 General Lionel Smith 1st Baronet [aged 35] and Ellen Marianne Galway were married.
On 20th November 1819 General Lionel Smith 1st Baronet [aged 41] and Isabella Pottinger Lady Smith [aged 39] were married.
In 1833 General Lionel Smith 1st Baronet [aged 54] was Governor of Barbados which position he held until 1836.
In 1833 General Lionel Smith 1st Baronet [aged 54] was Governor of Tobago.
On 2nd April 1833 [his son] Lionel Eldred Smith-Gordon 2nd Baronet was born to General Lionel Smith 1st Baronet [aged 54] and [his wife] Isabella Pottinger Lady Smith [aged 53]. He married before 22nd March 1857 his first cousin Fanny Pottinger Lady Smith and had issue.
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 19th July 1838 General Lionel Smith 1st Baronet [aged 59] was created 1st Baronet Smith of Jamaica. [his wife] Isabella Pottinger Lady Smith [aged 58] by marriage Lady Smith of Jamaica.
On 2nd January 1842 General Lionel Smith 1st Baronet [aged 63] died. His wife died three days later. His son Lionel [aged 8] succeeded 2nd Baronet Smith of Jamaica.
On 5th January 1842 [his former wife] Isabella Pottinger Lady Smith [aged 62] died three days after her husband's death.
[his daughter] Isabella Smith was born to General Lionel Smith 1st Baronet and Isabella Pottinger Lady Smith. She married 21st June 1845 George Floyd Duckett 3rd Baronet, son of George Duckett 2nd Baronet.
GrandFather: Richard Smith
Father: Benjamin Smith
Great x 1 Grandfather: Nathaniel Crow of Barbados
GrandMother: Elizabeth Crow
General Lionel Smith 1st Baronet
GrandFather: Nicholas Turner
Mother: Charlotte Turner
GrandMother: Anna Towers