Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
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Paternal Family Tree: Spencer
On 6th November 1895 [his father] Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough (age 23) and [his mother] Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough (age 18) were married at St Thomas' Church New York. She by marriage Duchess Marlborough. The marriage arranged by Mary "Minnie" Fiske Stevens (age 42) and encouraged by mother [his grandmother] Alva Erskine Smith (age 42). The marriage was unhappy; they separated in 1906 and the marriage was annulled on 19th Augiust 1926. He the son of [his grandfather] George Charles Spencer-Churchill 8th Duke of Marlborough and [his grandmother] Albertha Frances Anne Hamilton Duchess of Marlborough (age 48).
The marriage settlement provided for the Duke to receive a $2,500,000 trust that would pay $100,000 per year. Consuelo also received a further $100,000 per year. The combined annual income of $200,000 (£40,000) more than doubled the income the Duke had enjoyed from his estates prior to the marriage. Consuelo and the Duke also acquired several large gifts from her father, William K. Vanderbilt, including a palatial London townhouse and a reported sum of $1,000,000 in cash to mark the Duke's safe return from South Africa.
On 18th September 1897 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough was born to [his father] Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough (age 25) and [his mother] Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough (age 20).
On 16th October 1897 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough was baptised at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace.
1905. John Singer Sargent (age 48). Portrait of the Spencer-Churchill family including [his father] Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough (age 33), [his mother] Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough (age 27), John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough (age 7) and [his brother] Ivor Charles Spencer-Churchill (age 6).
Ivor Charles Spencer-Churchill: On 14th October 1898 he was born to Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough and Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough. The Duke's secondd wife Gladys Deacon apparently later implied that Ivor's father was Winthrop Rutherford; source unknown. On 17th September 1956 Ivor Charles Spencer-Churchill died. He was buried at St Martin's Church, Bladon [Map].
In 1909 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough (age 11) commenced his education at Eton College [Map] after which he entered Christ Church College, Oxford University.
In 1914 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough (age 16) gained the rank of Lieutenant in the 1st Life Guards. He fought in the First World War between 1914 and 1918.
On 17th February 1920 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough (age 22) and Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough (age 19) were married at St Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map]. He the son of Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough (age 48) and Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough (age 42).
In 1921 [his father] Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough (age 49) and [his mother] Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough (age 43) were divorced.
In 1921 [his father] Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough (age 49) and [his step-mother] Gladys Marie Deacon Duchess of Marlborough (age 39) were married; she had previoiusly been his mistress. She by marriage Duchess Marlborough. He the son of [his grandfather] George Charles Spencer-Churchill 8th Duke of Marlborough and [his grandmother] Albertha Frances Anne Hamilton Duchess of Marlborough (age 74).
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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On 4th July 1921 [his step-father] Jacques Balsan (age 52) and [his mother] Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough (age 44) were married.
On 12th November 1923 [his daughter] Caroline Spencer-Churchill was born to John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough (age 26) and [his wife] Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough (age 23). She married 5th December 1946 Major Charles Huguenot Waterhouse and had issue.
On 13th April 1926 [his son] John Spencer-Churchill 11th Duke of Marlborough was born to John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough (age 28) and [his wife] Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough (age 26). He married (1) 19th October 1951 Susan Mary Hornby.
On 20th September 1929 Hedworth Lambton aka Meux (age 73) died. The wealth he inherited from Valerie Susan Langdon Lady Meux was inherited by his five step-daughters, children of his wife [his mother-in-law] Mildred Cecilia Sturt Lady Montagu (age 60): [his sister-in-law] Sibyl Louise Beatrix Cadogan (age 36), [his sister-in-law] Edith Mary Cadogan Baroness Hillingdon (age 34), [his sister-in-law] Cynthia Hilda Evelyn Cadogan (age 33), [his wife] Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough (age 29) and Victoria Laura Cadogan.
On 14th November 1933 Walter Francis David Long (age 22) and [his future wife] Frances Laura Charteris Duchess of Marlborough (age 18) were married at St Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map].
On 30th June 1934 [his father] Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough (age 62) died. His son John (age 36) succeeded 10th Duke Marlborough, 10th Marquess of Blandford, 10th Earl of Marlborough, 10th Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire, 12th Earl of Sunderland, 14th Baron Spencer Wormleighton. [his wife] Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough (age 34) by marriage Duchess Marlborough.
On 23rd February 1943 William Humble Eric Ward 3rd Earl of Dudley (age 49) and [his future wife] Frances Laura Charteris Duchess of Marlborough (age 27) were married. She by marriage Countess of Dudley of Dudley Castle in Staffordshire. The difference in their ages was 21 years. He the son of William Humble Ward 2nd Earl of Dudley and Gertrude "Gertie" Millar Countess of Dudley (age 64).
On 5th December 1946 [his son-in-law] Major Charles Huguenot Waterhouse (age 28) and [his daughter] Caroline Spencer-Churchill (age 23) were married. She the daughter of John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough (age 49) and [his wife] Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough (age 46).
On 19th October 1951 [his son] John Spencer-Churchill 11th Duke of Marlborough (age 25) and [his daughter-in-law] Susan Mary Hornby (age 22) were married. He the son of John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough (age 54) and [his wife] Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough (age 51).
On 13th June 1960 Michael Temple Canfield (age 33) and [his future wife] Frances Laura Charteris Duchess of Marlborough (age 44) were married. He the illegitmate son of Prince George Windsor 1st Duke Kent and Alice "Kiki" Preston aka Gwynne.
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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In 1961 [his son] John Spencer-Churchill 11th Duke of Marlborough (age 34) and [his daughter-in-law] Susan Mary Hornby (age 32) were divorced.
On 23rd May 1961 [his wife] Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough (age 61) died.
On 6th December 1964 [his mother] Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough (age 87) died at Southampton, Long Island, probably at her home Cara-Mia, Southampton. She was buried at St Martin's Church, Bladon [Map] next to the grave of her son [his brother] Ivor Charles Spencer-Churchill who had died in 1956.
On 26th January 1972 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough (age 74) and Frances Laura Charteris Duchess of Marlborough (age 56) were married. She by marriage Duchess Marlborough. He the son of Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough and Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough.
On 11th March 1972 John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough (age 74) died. He was buried at St Martin's Church, Bladon [Map] next to the grave of his first wife [his former wife] Alexandra Mary Cadogan Duchess of Marlborough who died in 1961. His son John (age 45) succeeded 11th Duke Marlborough, 11th Marquess of Blandford, 11th Earl of Marlborough, 11th Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire, 13th Earl of Sunderland, 15th Baron Spencer Wormleighton.
On 19th February 1990 [his former wife] Frances Laura Charteris Duchess of Marlborough (age 74) died at Portland Towers Marylebone.
Kings Wessex: Great x 25 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 22 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 28 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 23 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 24 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 6 Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Kings Scotland: Great x 24 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 31 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 8 Grand Son of Henry IV King France
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 29 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: George Spencer 4th Duke of Marlborough 
12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: George Spencer-Churchill 5th Duke of Marlborough 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Caroline Russell Duchess of Marlborough 
11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: George Spencer-Churchill 6th Duke of Marlborough 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Stewart 7th Earl Galloway 
12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Susan Stewart Duchess of Marlborough 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Dashwood Countess Galloway 
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Winston Spencer-Churchill 7th Duke of Marlborough 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Stewart 7th Earl Galloway 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: George Stewart 8th Earl Galloway 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Dashwood Countess Galloway
Great x 2 Grandmother: Jane Stewart Duchess of Marlborough 14 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Bayly-Paget 1st Earl Uxbridge 
12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Jane Paget Countess Galloway 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Jane Champagné Countess Uxbridge
GrandFather: George Charles Spencer-Churchill 8th Duke of Marlborough 15 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Alexander Stewart 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Stewart 1st Marquess Londonderry
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Cowan
Great x 2 Grandfather: Charles William Vane 3rd Marquess Londonderry 
Great x 4 Grandfather: Charles Pratt 1st Earl Camden
Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Pratt Marchioness Londonderry
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Jeffreys
Great x 1 Grandmother: Frances Anne Emily Vane Duchess of Marlborough 15 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Vane 1st Baronet 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Vane-Tempest 2nd Baronet 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Frances Tempest 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Frances Vane Tempest Marchioness Londonderry 14 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Father: Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill 9th Duke of Marlborough 5 x Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Hamilton 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Hamilton 1st Marquess Abercorn 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Harriet Craggs
Great x 2 Grandfather: James Hamilton 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Joseph Moyle aka Copley 1st Baronet 15 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Catherine Moyle Marchioness Abercorn 14 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Mary Buller Lady Copley 
13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: James Hamilton 1st Duke of Abercorn 14 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: James Douglas 14th Earl Morton 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Douglas 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Bridget Heathcote Countess Morton
Great x 2 Grandmother: Harriet Douglas Countess Aberdeen 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Lascelles 1st Earl Harewood 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Lascelles
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Chaloner Baroness Harewood
GrandMother: Albertha Frances Anne Hamilton Duchess of Marlborough 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Russell 4th Duke Bedford 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry IV of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Francis Russell 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Gertrude Leveson-Gower Duchess Bedford 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Russell 6th Duke Bedford 2 x Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Anne Keppel 2nd Earl Albermarle 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Keppel Great Grand Daughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Lennox Countess Albermarle 
Grand Daughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 1 Grandmother: Louisa Jane Russell Duchess Abercorn 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Cosmo George Gordon 3rd Duke Gordon 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Alexander Gordon 4th Duke Gordon 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Gordon Duchess Gordon 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 2 Grandmother: Georgiana Gordon Duchess Bedford 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Maxwell 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Jane Maxwell Duchess Gordon
John Albert William Spencer-Churchill 10th Duke of Marlborough 6 x Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 3 Grandfather: Cornelius van Derbilt
Great x 2 Grandfather: Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt
Great x 4 Grandfather: Unknown Hand
Great x 3 Grandmother: Phebe Hand
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Henry Vanderbilt
Great x 3 Grandfather: Nathaniel Johnson
Great x 2 Grandmother: Sophia Johnson
Great x 4 Grandfather: Unknown Hand
Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Hand
GrandFather: William Kissam Vanderbilt
Mother: Consuelo Vanderbilt Duchess of Marlborough
Great x 2 Grandfather: George Smith
Great x 1 Grandfather: Murray Forbes Smith
GrandMother: Alva Erskine Smith