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
On 15th October 1573 William Pope 1st Earl Downe was born to [his father] John Pope (age 53).
On 24th June 1583 [his father] John Pope (age 63) died.
In 1585 Henry Wentworth 3rd Baron Wentworth (age 26) and [his future wife] Anne Hopton Baroness Wentworth (age 24) were married. She by marriage Baroness Wentworth. They were fourth cousins.
In 1595 William Pope 1st Earl Downe (age 21) and Anne Hopton Baroness Wentworth (age 34) were married.
In 1595 [his son] William Pope was born to William Pope 1st Earl Downe (age 21) and [his wife] Anne Hopton Baroness Wentworth (age 34). He married 1615 Elizabeth Watson Lady Penyston and had issue.
In 1598 [his son] Thomas Pope 3rd Earl Downe was born to William Pope 1st Earl Downe (age 24) and [his wife] Anne Hopton Baroness Wentworth (age 37). He married 20th April 1636 Beatrix Poole and had issue.
After 1603 [his son] Colonel Nathaniel Pope was born to William Pope 1st Earl Downe (age 29) and [his wife] Anne Hopton Baroness Wentworth (age 42) at Gloucestershire.
On 23rd July 1603 King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland (age 37) created a number Knights at the Royal Gardens Whitehall Palace:
Henry Savile 1st Baronet (age 24), William Morgan (age 43), George Carew, Baptist Hicks 1st Viscount Campden (age 46), Richard Musgrave 1st Baronet (age 18), James Calthorpe (age 44), Thomas Gresham (age 56), George Fane of Burston (age 22), Francis Fane 1st Earl of Westmoreland (age 23), Robert Chichester (age 25), William Pope 1st Earl Downe (age 29), Gervase Clifton 1st Baronet (age 15), Thomas Berkeley (age 28), Edward Montagu 1st Baron Montagu (age 40), William Herbert 1st Baron Powis (age 30), Anthony Irby (age 26), Drue Drury of Eccles and Rollesby in Norfolk and Arnold Lygon (age 45).
24th July 1603 Richard Browne (age 64).
Before 1612 [his step-son] Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Cleveland (age 20) and Anne Crofts Countess Cleveland were married. She by marriage Baroness Wentworth. They were second cousin once removed.
In 1615 [his son] William Pope (age 20) and [his daughter-in-law] Elizabeth Watson Lady Penyston (age 15) were married. He the son of William Pope 1st Earl Downe (age 41) and [his wife] Anne Hopton Baroness Wentworth (age 54).
Before 1619 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 67). Portrait of William Pope 1st Earl Downe (age 45).
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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On 10th May 1625 [his wife] Anne Hopton Baroness Wentworth (age 64) died.
On 16th October 1628 William Pope 1st Earl Downe (age 55) was created 1st Earl Downe.
Before 2nd June 1631 [his son] William Pope (age 36) died.
On 2nd June 1631 William Pope 1st Earl Downe (age 57) died. His grandson [his grandson] Thomas (age 8) succeeded 2nd Earl Downe.