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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Biography of Sylvia Storey Countess Poulett 1889-1947

Sylvia Storey Countess Poulett is in Actors.

On 4th October 1889 Sylvia Storey Countess Poulett was born to [her father] William Frederick Clayton Storey.

On 22nd January 1899 William Henry Paulett 6th Earl Paulett (age 71) died. His son [her future husband] William (age 15) succeeded 7th Earl Poulett, 10th Baron Poulett.

The sixth earl's eldest son [her future brother-in-law] William Turnour Thomas Poulett (age 53) claimed the title. On 27th July 1903 the House of Lords determined the dispute in favour of William John Lydston Poulett 7th Earl Poulett somewhat contrary to the principle that the child of a woman born in wedlock was the child of her husband.

Report made from the Committee of Privileges:

That the Petitioner, William Turnour Thomas Poulett, claiming to be Viscount Hinton of Hinton St. George and Earl Poulett, both in the Peerage of England, hath not made out his claim to the dignities, titles, and honours of Viscount Hinton of Hinton St. George and Earl Poulett.

That the Petitioner, Rosa Countess Poulett, formerly the wife and now the widow of William Henry, sixth Earl Poulett, as a testamentary guardian of her infant son William John Lydston, claiming to be Viscount Hinton of Hinton St. George, in the county of Somerset, and seventh Earl Poulett, both in the Peerage of England, hath made out her claim that the said William John Lydston Poulett should be declared to be by right entitled to the dignities, titles, and honours of Viscount Hinton of Hinton St. George and Earl Poulett.

Read, and agreed to; and resolved and adjudged accordingly; and Resolution and Judgment to be laid before His Majesty by the Lords with White Staves.

After 1900. Bassano Ltd. Photograph of Sylvia Storey Countess Poulett (age 10)

In 1908 William John Lydston Poulett 7th Earl Poulett (age 24) and Sylvia Storey Countess Poulett (age 18) were married. She by marriage Countess Poulett. He the son of William Henry Paulett 6th Earl Paulett and Rosa Melville Countess Poulett.

On 23rd June 1909 [her son] George Poulett 8th Earl Poulett was born to [her husband] William John Lydston Poulett 7th Earl Poulett (age 25) and Sylvia Storey Countess Poulett (age 19). He married (1) 1935 Muriel Mary Swinstead aka Oriel Ross Countess Poulett (2) 1941 Olga Lorraine Lawrence Countess Poulett (3) 1968 Margaret Christine Ball Countess Poulett.

On 29th January 1912 [her daughter] Bridget Poulet was born to [her husband] William John Lydston Poulett 7th Earl Poulett (age 28) and Sylvia Storey Countess Poulett (age 22).

The Era 1899 Dec 02 Page 13. 2nd December 1913. Review of Rip Van Wincle. Produced at the Princess of Wales's Theatre, Kennington, on Monday, Nov. 27th starring Sylvia Storey (age 24) as Little Meenie.

On 11th July 1918 [her husband] William John Lydston Poulett 7th Earl Poulett (age 34) died in the flu pandemic. His son [her son] George (age 9) succeeded 8th Earl Poulett, 11th Baron Poulett.

In 1935 [her son] George Poulett 8th Earl Poulett (age 25) and [her daughter-in-law] Muriel Mary Swinstead aka Oriel Ross Countess Poulett (age 27) were married. She by marriage Countess Poulett. He the son of [her former husband] William John Lydston Poulett 7th Earl Poulett and Sylvia Storey Countess Poulett (age 45).

In 1941 [her son] George Poulett 8th Earl Poulett (age 31) and [her daughter-in-law] Muriel Mary Swinstead aka Oriel Ross Countess Poulett (age 33) were divorced.

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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In 1941 [her son] George Poulett 8th Earl Poulett (age 31) and [her daughter-in-law] Olga Lorraine Lawrence Countess Poulett were married. She by marriage Countess Poulett. He the son of [her former husband] William John Lydston Poulett 7th Earl Poulett and Sylvia Storey Countess Poulett (age 51).

On 20th July 1947 Sylvia Storey Countess Poulett (age 57) died.