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: Orange
William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange was created I Prince Orange.
On 24th April 1533 William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange was born to [his father] William "The Rich" I Count of Nassau Dillenburg [aged 46].
On 6th July 1551 William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 18] and Anna Egmond Princess Orange were married. She by marriage Princess Orange.
On 22nd November 1553 [his daughter] Maria Orange Nassau was born to William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 20] and [his wife] Anna Egmond Princess Orange. She died aged one in 1555.
On 19th December 1554 [his son] Philip William Orange Nassau I Prince Orange was born to William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 21] and [his wife] Anna Egmond Princess Orange. He married 1606 Eleonora Bourbon Condé Princess Orange, daughter of Henri Bourbon Condé Prince Condé and Charlotte Catherine Tremoille Princess Condé.
Around 23rd July 1555 [his daughter] Maria Orange Nassau [aged 1] died.
On 7th February 1556 [his daughter] Maria Orange Nassau was born to William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 22] and [his wife] Anna Egmond Princess Orange.
On 6th October 1559 [his father] William "The Rich" I Count of Nassau Dillenburg [aged 72] died.
On 25th August 1561 William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 28] and Anna of Saxony [aged 16] were married. She by marriage Princess Orange. They had two sons, one of which died in infancy, and three daughters.
On 31st October 1562 [his son] Countess Anna Orange Nassau died.
On 31st October 1562 [his son] Countess Anna Orange Nassau was born to William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 29] and [his wife] Anna of Saxony [aged 17]. He died aged less than one years old.
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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On 5th November 1563 [his daughter] Anna Orange Nassau was born to William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 30] and [his wife] Anna of Saxony [aged 18].
On 8th December 1564 [his daughter] Maurits August Philips Orange Nassau was born to William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 31] and [his wife] Anna of Saxony [aged 19]. She died aged one in 1566.
On 3rd March 1566 [his daughter] Maurits August Philips Orange Nassau [aged 1] died.
On 13th November 1567 [his son] Prince Maurice I of Orange was born to William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 34] and [his wife] Anna of Saxony [aged 22].
On 10th April 1569 [his daughter] Emilia Orange Nassau was born to William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 35] and [his wife] Anna of Saxony [aged 24].
On 24th June 1575 William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 42] and Charlotte Bourbon Princess Orange [aged 28] were married. She by marriage Princess Orange.
On 31st March 1576 [his daughter] Electress Louise Juliana of the Palatine Rhine was born to William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 42] and [his wife] Charlotte Bourbon Princess Orange [aged 29]. She married before 16th July 1594 Frederick IV Elector Palatine and had issue.
On 26th April 1577 [his daughter] Elisabeth Orange Nassau was born to William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 44] and [his wife] Charlotte Bourbon Princess Orange [aged 30].
On 18th December 1577 [his wife] Anna of Saxony [aged 32] died.
On 31st July 1578 [his daughter] Catharina Orange Nassau was born to William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 45] and [his wife] Charlotte Bourbon Princess Orange [aged 31].
Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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On 18th August 1579 [his daughter] Charlotte Flandrina Orange Nassau was born to William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 46] and [his wife] Charlotte Bourbon Princess Orange [aged 32]. She married after 1597 Claude de La Tremoille 2nd Duke Thouars, son of Louis III de La Tremoille 1st Duke Thouars and Jeanne Montmorency, and had issue.
On 17th September 1580 [his daughter] Charlotte Brabantina Orange Nassau was born to William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 47] and [his wife] Charlotte Bourbon Princess Orange [aged 33].
On 9th December 1581 [his daughter] Emilia Antwerpiana Orange Nassau was born to William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 48] and [his wife] Charlotte Bourbon Princess Orange [aged 34].
On 5th May 1582 [his wife] Charlotte Bourbon Princess Orange [aged 35] died.
On 24th April 1583 William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 50] and Louise Coligny Princess Orange were married. She by marriage Princess Orange.
On 29th January 1584 [his son] Frederick Henry Orange Nassau II Prince Orange was born to William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 50] and [his wife] Louise Coligny Princess Orange. He married 1625 Amalia Solms Braunfels Princess Orange and had issue.
On 10th July 1584 William "The Silent" Orange Nassau I Prince Orange [aged 51] died. His son Philip [aged 29] succeeded William I Prince Orange.
John Evelyn's Diary. 17th August 1641. I passed again through Delft, and visited the church in which was the monument of Prince William of Nassau, - the first of the Williams, and saviour (as they call him) of their liberty, which cost him his life by a vile assassination. It is a piece of rare art, consisting of several figures, as big as the life, in copper. There is in the same place a magnificent tomb of his son and successor, Maurice. The Senate-house hath a very stately portico, supported with choice columns of black marble, as I remember, of one entire stone. Within, there hangs a weighty vessel of wood, not unlike a butter-churn, which the adventurous woman that hath two husbands at one time is to wear on her shoulders, her head peeping out at the top only, and so led about the town, as a penance for her incontinence. From hence, we went the next day to Itvswick, a stately country-house of the Prince of Orange, for nothing more remarkable than the delicious walks planted with lime trees, and the modern paintings within.