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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 28th May 1640 [her future husband] George Evelyn of Wotton [aged 22] and Mary Caldwell [aged 20] were married. See John Evelyn's Diary.
Before 1647 George Evelyn of Wotton [aged 29] and Mary Offley were married.
Before 10th September 1647 [her brother-in-law] John Evelyn [aged 26] and Mary Browne [aged 12] were married by Bishop John Earle [aged 46] at Paris [Map]. She is first mentioned in his diary John Evelyn's Diary on 10th September 1647.
John Evelyn's Diary. 29th November 1648. Myself, with Mr. Thomas Offley, and Lady Gerrard, christened my niece Mary, eldest daughter of my brother, George Evelyn [aged 31], by my Lady Cotton, his second wife. I presented my niece a piece of plate which cost me £18, and caused this inscription to be set on it-.
Before 13th April 1652 [her son] John Evelyn of Wotton was born to [her husband] George Evelyn of Wotton [aged 34] and Mary Offley. He married Catherine Eversfield.
John Evelyn's Diary. 19th May 1659. Came to dine with me my Lord Galloway [aged 49] and his son, a Scotch Lord and learned: also my [her husband] brother [aged 41] and his lady, Lord Berkeley and his lady, Mrs. Shirley, and the famous singer, Mrs. Knight, and other friends.
John Evelyn's Diary. 8th August 1664. Came the sad and unexpected news of the death of Lady Cotton, wife to my brother [her husband] George [aged 47], a most excellent lady.
On 8th August 1664 Mary Offley died.
John Evelyn's Diary. 22nd August 1664. I went from London to Wotton, Surrey [Map], to assist at the funeral of my sister-in-law, the Lady Cotton, buried in our dormitory there, she being put up in lead. Dr. Owen made a profitable and pathetic discourse, concluding with an eulogy of that virtuous, pious, and deserving lady. It was a very solemn funeral, with about fifty mourners. I came back next day with my wife [aged 29] to London.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
John Evelyn's Diary. 6th September 1666. Thursday. I represented to his Majesty [aged 36] the case of the French prisoners at war in my custody, and besought him that there might be still the same care of watching at all places contiguous to unseized houses. It is not indeed imaginable how extraordinary the vigilance and activity of the King and the Duke [aged 32] was, even laboring in person, and being present to command, order, reward, or encourage workmen; by which he showed his affection to his people, and gained theirs. Having, then, disposed of some under cure at the Savoy, I returned to Whitehall [Map], where I dined at Mr. Offley's [Note. Not clear who Mr Offley is? [her former brother-in-law] John Evelyn's [aged 45] brother [her former husband] George Evelyn of Wotton [aged 49] was married to Mary Offley], the groom-porter, who was my relation.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 14th July 1667. By and by he parted, and we took coach and to take the ayre, there being a fine breeze abroad; and I went and carried them to the well, and there filled some bottles of water to carry home with me; and there talked with the two women that farm the well, at £12 per annum, of the lord of the manor, [her former husband] Mr. Evelyn [aged 50] (who with his lady, and also my Lord George Barkeley's [aged 39] lady, and their fine daughter [aged 17], that the King of France [aged 28] liked so well, and did dance so rich in jewells before the King [aged 37] at the Ball I was at, at our Court, last winter, and also their son [aged 18], a Knight of the Bath, were at church this morning).
John Evelyn's Diary. 4th September 1699. My worthy [her former husband] brother [aged 82] died at Wotton, Surrey [Map], in the 83d year of his age, of perfect memory and understanding. He was religious, sober, and temperate, and of so hospitable a nature, that no family in the county maintained that ancient custom of keeping, as it were, open house the whole year in the same manner, or gave more noble or free entertainment to the county on all occasions, so that his house was never free. There were sometimes twenty persons more than his family, and some that stayed there all the summer, to his no small expense; by this he gained the universal love of the county. He was born at Wotton, Surrey [Map], went from the free school at Guildford, Surrey [Map] to Trinity College, Oxford University, Oxford, thence to the Middle Temple, as gentlemen of the best quality did, but without intention to study the law as a profession. He married the daughter of Colwall, of a worthy and ancient family in Leicestershire, by whom he had one son; she dying in 1643, left George her son an infant, who being educated liberally, after traveling abroad, returned and married one Mrs. Gore, by whom he had several children, but only three daughters survived. He was a young man of good understanding, but, over-indulging his ease and pleasure, grew so very corpulent, contrary to the constitution of the rest of his father's relations, that he died. My brother afterward married a noble and honorable lady, relict of Sir John Cotton, she being an Offley, a worthy and ancient Staffordshire family, by whom he had several children of both sexes. This lady died, leaving only two daughters and a son. The younger daughter died before marriage; the other afterward married Sir Cyril Wych [aged 67], a noble and learned gentleman (son of Sir -- Wych), who had been Ambassador at Constantinople, and was afterward made one of the Lords Justices of Ireland. Before this marriage, her only brother married the daughter of Eversfield, of Sussex, of an honorable family, but left a widow without any child living; he died about 1691, and his wife not many years after, and my brother resettled the whole estate on me. His sister, Wych, had a portion of £6,000, to which was added £300 more; the three other daughters, with what I added, had about £5,000 each. My brother died on the 5th of October, in a good old age and great reputation, making his beloved daughter, Lady Wych, sole executrix, leaving me only his library and some pictures of my father, mother, etc. She buried him with extraordinary solemnity, rather as a nobleman than as a private gentleman. There were, as I computed, above 2,000 persons at the funeral, all the gentlemen of the county doing him the last honors. I returned to London, till my lady should dispose of herself and family.
On 5th October 1699 [her former husband] George Evelyn of Wotton [aged 82] died.
[her daughter] Mary Evelyn was born to George Evelyn of Wotton and Mary Offley. She married 15th May 1692 Cyril Wyche.