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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Paternal Family Tree: Fitzgerald
On 1st September 1797 William Fitzgerald De Ros 22nd Baron Ros Helmsley was born to [his father] Henry Fitzgerald [aged 36] and [his mother] Charlotte Boyle 20th Baroness Ros of Helmsley [aged 28] at Thames Ditton, Surrey [Map]. He a great x 3 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland.
In 1806 [his mother] Charlotte Boyle 20th Baroness Ros of Helmsley [aged 36] abeyance terminated 20th Baroness Ros Helmsley.
On 7th June 1824 William Fitzgerald De Ros 22nd Baron Ros Helmsley [aged 26] and Georgiana Lennox Baroness Ros of Helmsley [aged 28] were married. She the daughter of Charles Lennox 4th Duke Richmond and Charlotte Gordon Duchess Richmond [aged 55]. They were second cousins. He a great x 3 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland.
On 11th March 1827 [his son] Dudley Fitzgerald De Ros 23rd Baron Ros Helmsley was born to William Fitzgerald De Ros 22nd Baron Ros Helmsley [aged 29] and [his wife] Georgiana Lennox Baroness Ros of Helmsley [aged 31]. He a great x 4 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. Coefficient of inbreeding 1.58%. He married 12th October 1853 Elizabeth Egerton Baroness Ros of Helmsley, daughter of Thomas Grosvenor 2nd Earl Wilton and Mary Smith-Stanley Countess Wilton, and had issue.
In 1829 [his brother-in-law] Charles Gordon-Lennox 5th Duke Richmond [aged 37] was appointed 665th Knight of the Garter by King George IV of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 66].
On 8th July 1829 [his father] Henry Fitzgerald [aged 67] died.
On 9th January 1831 [his mother] Charlotte Boyle 20th Baroness Ros of Helmsley [aged 61] died. Her son [his brother] Henry [aged 37] succeeded 21st Baron Ros Helmsley.
On 29th March 1839 Henry Fitzgerald 21st Baron Ros Helmsley [aged 45] died. His brother William [aged 41] succeeded 22nd Baron Ros Helmsley. Georgiana Lennox Baroness Ros of Helmsley [aged 43] by marriage Baroness Ros Helmsley.
The London Gazette 21926. At the Court at BucKingham-Palace, 27th day of February 1852
PRESENT, the The QUEEN's Most Excellent Majesty in Council.
HER Majesty in Council was this day pleased to declare the Right Honourable William, Earl of Lonsdale [aged 64], Lord President of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, and His Lord ship took his place at the Board accordingly.
day the Most Noble Algernon [aged 59], Duke of Northumberland, the Right Honourable John William [aged 40], Earl of Sandwich; the Right Honourable Archibald William [aged 39], Earl of Eglinton; the Right Honourable Charles Philip [aged 52], Earl of Hardwicke; the Right Honourable James Howard, Earl of Malmesbury; the Right Honourable John James Robert Manners (commonly called Lord John Manners); the Right Honourable Claude Hamilton (commonly called Lord Claude Hamilton); the Right Honourable William Lennox Lascelles [aged 54], Lord De Ros; the Right Honourable Charles, Lord Colchester; the Right Honourable George Cecil Weld Forester; the Right Honourable Sir John Somerset Pakington [aged 53], Bart.; the Right Honourable Spencer Horatio Walpole [aged 45]; the Right Honourable Benjamin Disraeli; the Right Honourable Joseph Warner Henley; the Right Honourable Robert Adam Christopher; the Right Honourable William Beresford; and the Right Honourable George Bankes; were, by Her Majesty's command, sworn of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, and took their respective places at the Board accordingly.
The London Gazette 21397. St. James's-Palace, December 30, 1852. The Queen has been pleased to appoint John Robert [aged 47] Viscount Sydney to be Captain of Her Majesty's Guard of Yeomen of the Guard, in the room of William-Lennox-Lascelles Lord de Ros [aged 55], resigned
On 12th October 1853 [his son] Dudley Fitzgerald De Ros 23rd Baron Ros Helmsley [aged 26] and [his daughter-in-law] Elizabeth Egerton Baroness Ros of Helmsley [aged 21] were married at Heaton, Lancashire. She the daughter of Thomas Grosvenor 2nd Earl Wilton [aged 53] and Mary Smith-Stanley Countess Wilton [aged 52].
On 21st October 1860 [his brother-in-law] Charles Gordon-Lennox 5th Duke Richmond [aged 69] died. His son Charles [aged 42] succeeded 6th Duke Richmond, 6th Earl March, 6th Baron Settrington. Frances Harriett Greville Duchess Richmond [aged 36] by marriage Duchess Richmond.
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 6th January 1874 William Fitzgerald De Ros 22nd Baron Ros Helmsley [aged 76] died at Old Court, Strangford, County Down. His son Dudley [aged 46] succeeded 23rd Baron Ros Helmsley. Elizabeth Egerton Baroness Ros of Helmsley [aged 41] by marriage Baroness Ros Helmsley.
On 15th December 1891 [his former wife] Georgiana Lennox Baroness Ros of Helmsley [aged 96] died.
[his father] Henry Fitzgerald and [his mother] Charlotte Boyle 20th Baroness Ros of Helmsley were married. He the son of [his grandfather] James Fitzgerald 1st Duke Leinster and [his grandmother] Emilia Mary Lennox Duchess Leinster. They were third cousin once removed. He a great x 2 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland.
Kings Wessex: Great x 20 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 17 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 21 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 18 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 3 Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Kings Scotland: Great x 19 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 27 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 5 Grand Son of Henry IV King France
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 24 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Fitzgerald 
5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: George "Fairy Earl" Fitzgerald 16th Earl of Kildare 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Fitzgerald 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Boyle 1st Earl Cork 
Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Boyle Countess Kildare
Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Fenton Countess Cork
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert Fitzgerald 19th Earl of Kildare 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: James Clotworthy 
Great x 2 Grandmother: Mary Clotworthy
GrandFather: James Fitzgerald 1st Duke Leinster 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Murdough O'Brien 1st Earl Inchiquin
Great x 3 Grandfather: William O'Brien 2nd Earl Inchiquin 13 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth St Leger Countess Inchiquin 
12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: William O'Brien 3rd Earl Inchiquin 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Roger Boyle 1st Earl Orrery
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Boyle Countess Inchiquin 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Howard Countess Orrery 
9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 1 Grandmother: Mary O'Brien Countess Kildare 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Villiers 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Villiers 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Barbara St John 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Mary Villiers Countess Inchiquin 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Howard 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk 15 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Father: Henry Fitzgerald 2 x Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland 
Son of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland
Great x 3 Grandfather: King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland Son of King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandmother: Henrietta Maria Bourbon Queen Consort England 
7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: Charles Lennox 1st Duke Richmond Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Guillaume de Penancoët Seigneur de Kéroualle
Great x 3 Grandmother: Louise Kéroualle 1st Duchess Portsmouth
Great x 4 Grandmother: Marie de Plœuc
Great x 1 Grandfather: Charles Lennox 2nd Duke Richmond Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Brudenell 2nd Earl Cardigan 
8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Francis Brudenell 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anna Savage Countess Cardigan 
8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Brudenell Duchess Richmond 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Savile 1st Earl of Sussex 
7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Frances Savile 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Anne Villiers Countess Sussex 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
GrandMother: Emilia Mary Lennox Duchess Leinster Great Grand Daughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Cadogan 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Henry Cadogan
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Cadogan 1st Earl Cadogan
Great x 4 Grandfather: Hardress Waller
Great x 3 Grandmother: Bridget Waller
Great x 1 Grandmother: Sarah Cadogan Duchess Richmond
Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Cecilia Munter Countess Cadogan
William Fitzgerald De Ros 22nd Baron Ros Helmsley 3 x Great Grand Son of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Boyle 1st Earl Cork
Great x 3 Grandfather: Roger Boyle 1st Earl Orrery
Great x 4 Grandmother: Catherine Fenton Countess Cork
Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Boyle 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Margaret Howard Countess Orrery 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Home Countess Suffolk 15 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Henry Boyle 1st Earl Shannon 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
GrandFather: Robert Boyle Walsingham 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Mother: Charlotte Boyle 20th Baroness Ros of Helmsley 13 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England