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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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St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford is in Rufford, Lancashire, Churches in Lancashire.
World War II Memorial at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map], and memorial to more recent services' deaths.
West wall of St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map] with windows commissioned by Thomas Fermor-Hesketh 5th Baronet in memory of his wife Arabella Fermor Lady Hesketh.
St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map]
On 8th October 1463 Thomas Hesketh of Rufford (age 57) died. Alasbaster grave slab at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map] to Thomas and his wife Margaret Massey with their children depicted at his feet.
Thomas Hesketh of Rufford: Around 1406 he was born. In 1428 Thomas Hesketh of Rufford and Margaret Massey were married.
Margaret Massey: she was born to Hamon Massey of Rixton.
On 8th February 1539 Robert Hesketh (age 29) died. He was buried at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map]. Brass to Robert and his wife Grace Towneley (age 34).
Robert Hesketh: After 1510 he was born to Thomas Hesketh of Hesketh and Rufford. In 1521 Robert Hesketh and Grace Towneley were married.
Grace Towneley: Around 1505 she was born to John Towneley. On 28th May 1543 she died. She was buried at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map].
On 28th May 1543 Grace Towneley (age 38) died. She was buried at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map].
St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map]. Grave of Margaret Hesketh, died 1680. Possibly Margaret Hesketh (age 28).
Margaret Hesketh: Before 1652 she was born to Robert Hesketh and Lucy Rigby Lady Molyneux.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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In 1769 Robert Hesketh (age 99) died. He was buried at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map].
On 4th March 1778 Thomas Hesketh 1st Baronet (age 51) died. His brother Robert (age 48) succeeded 2nd Baronet Hesketh of Rufford in Lancashire. Memorial at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map].
Thomas Hesketh 1st Baronet: In 1727 he was born to Thomas Hesketh. In 1761 Thomas Hesketh 1st Baronet was created 1st Baronet Hesketh of Rufford in Lancashire.
Robert Hesketh 2nd Baronet: On 23rd April 1729 he was born to Thomas Hesketh. On 30th December 1796 Robert Hesketh 2nd Baronet died. His grandson Thomas succeeded 3rd Baronet Hesketh of Rufford in Lancashire.
On 6th February 1817 Sophia Hinde Lady Hesketh (age 39) died. She was buried at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map]. Monument by John Flaxman (age 61).
Sophia Hinde Lady Hesketh: In 1778 she was born. On 1st February 1798 Thomas Dalrymple Hesketh 3rd Baronet and she were married. She by marriage Lady Hesketh of Rufford in Lancashire.
On 27th July 1842 Thomas Dalrymple Hesketh 3rd Baronet (age 65) died. He was buried at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map]. His son Thomas (age 43) succeeded 4th Baronet Hesketh of Rufford in Lancashire. Annette Maria Bomford Lady Hesketh (age 43) by marriage Lady Hesketh of Rufford in Lancashire.
On 10th February 1843 Thomas Hesketh 4th Baronet (age 43) died the day before his 44th birthday. His son Thomas (age 18) succeeded 5th Baronet Fermor-Hesketh of Rufford in Lancashire. Memorial at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map].
Thomas Hesketh 4th Baronet: On 11th February 1799 he was born to Thomas Dalrymple Hesketh 3rd Baronet and Sophia Hinde Lady Hesketh. On 3rd April 1824 Thomas Hesketh 4th Baronet and Annette Maria Bomford Lady Hesketh were married. On 27th July 1842 Thomas Dalrymple Hesketh 3rd Baronet died. He was buried at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map]. His son Thomas succeeded 4th Baronet Hesketh of Rufford in Lancashire. Annette Maria Bomford Lady Hesketh by marriage Lady Hesketh of Rufford in Lancashire.
On 22nd May 1849 Thomas Richard Hesketh (age 1) died. Memorial at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map].
Thomas Richard Hesketh: Around February 1848 he was born to Thomas Fermor-Hesketh 5th Baronet and Arabella Fermor Lady Hesketh.
On 17th October 1849 Thomas Buckler Lethbridge 2nd Baronet (age 71) died. He was buried at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map]. His son John (age 51) succeeded 3rd Baronet Lethbridge of Westaway House in Devon and Winkley Court in Somerset.
St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map]. Memorial of the three children of Thomas ffoster, sometime Rector of Rufford, and his wife Mary Elizabeth Christian, who died young.
On 14th June 1863 Anna Maria Lake (age 88) died. Memorial window at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map] commissioned by her grand-daughter Arabella Fermor Lady Hesketh (age 35).
Anna Maria Lake: In 1775 she was born to Gerard Lake 1st Viscount Lake and Elizabeth Barker. On 21st August 1799 Richard Borough 1st Baronet and she were married.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map]. The font now in use is a handsome modern one of red granite, a Masonic gift in memory of Sir Thomas Fermor-Hesketh 5th Baronet (age 46), but the 18th-century hexagonal font is still preserved, with a wooden canopy, round the bottom of which is the inscription: 'NI[PS]ON ANOMHMA MH MONAN O[PS]IN.'
On 20th August 1872 Thomas Fermor-Hesketh 5th Baronet (age 47) died. His son Thomas (age 25) succeeded 6th Baronet Fermor-Hesketh of Rufford in Lancashire. Monument at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map] by Matthew Noble (age 55).
Thomas Henry Fermor-Hesketh 6th Baronet: In 1847 he was born to Thomas Fermor-Hesketh 5th Baronet and Arabella Fermor Lady Hesketh. In 1876 Thomas Henry Fermor-Hesketh 6th Baronet died unmarried. His brother Thomas succeeded 7th Baronet Fermor-Hesketh of Rufford in Lancashire.
On 17th December 1879 Annette Maria Bomford Lady Hesketh (age 80) died. She was buried at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map].
St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map] Memorial to Sunday School teacher Annie Maude Hogg-Goggin, died 9th April 1902.
1918. World War I Memorial at St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map].
Curates and Rectors of St Mary The Virgin Church, Rufford [Map].