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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Madrid is in Spain.
On 21st June 1528 Maria of Spain Holy Roman Empress was born to Charles V Holy Roman Emperor (age 28) and Isabel Aviz Queen Consort Spain (age 24) at Madrid [Map]. Coefficient of inbreeding 10.98%. She married 13th September 1548 her first cousin Maximilian Habsburg Spain II Holy Roman Emperor, son of Ferdinand I Holy Roman Emperor and Anne Jagiellon, and had issue.
On 22nd October 1577 Henry Parker 12th Baron Marshal 11th Baron Morley (age 44) died in Madrid [Map]. His son Henry (age 27) succeeded 13th Baron Marshal, 12th Baron Morley. Elizabeth Stanley Baroness Marshal Morley (age 19) by marriage Baroness Marshal, Baroness Morley.
On 26th February 1603 Maria of Spain Holy Roman Empress (age 74) died at Madrid [Map].
Around 1620 Antonio Francesca Mesia Conde de Molina was born in Madrid [Map].
On 7th March 1623 King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland (age 22), accompanied by George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham (age 30), Endymion Porter (age 36) and Richard Wynn 2nd Baronet (age 35), arrived in Madrid [Map], incognito, in an attempt to bring to a conclusion his betrothal to Maria Anna of Spain Holy Roman Empress (age 16), much to the surprise of her brother Philip IV King Spain (age 17) and the English ambassador John Digby 1st Earl Bristol (age 43). The negotiations ultimately failed.
John Evelyn's Diary. 25th April 1650. I went out of town to see Madrid [Map], a palace so called, built by Francis I. It is observable only for its open manner of architecture, being much of terraces and galleries one over another to the very roof; and for the materials, which are mostly of earth painted like porcelain, or China-ware, whose colors appear very fresh, but is very fragile. There are whole statues and relievos of this pottery, chimney-pieces, and columns both within and without. Under the chapel is a chimney in the midst of a room parted from the Salle des Gardes. The house is fortified with a deep ditch, and has an admirable vista toward the Bois de Boulogne and river.
On 25th December 1651 Pedro Manuel Colón 7th Duke Veragua was born at Madrid [Map].
Around July 1657 Colonel George Goring (age 48) died in Madrid [Map].
On 29th November 1674 Antonio Francesca Mesia Conde de Molina (age 54) died in Madrid [Map].
On 11th July 1696 William Godolphin (age 61) died at Madrid [Map].
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In October 1713 William George Sutton (age 16) died at Madrid [Map].
On 14th February 1714 Maria Luisa Savoy (age 25) died at Madrid [Map].
On 31st October 1734 William North 6th Baron North (age 55) died in Madrid [Map]. His first cousin once removed Francis (age 30) succeeded 7th Baron North.
On 12th January 1763 William Pulteney (age 32) died in Madrid [Map] of a fever. In March 1763 he was buried in Westminster Abbey [Map].
On 7th September 1787 Carlos Fitz James Stuart 10th Duke Veragua 4th Duke Berwick (age 35) died at Madrid [Map]. His son Jacobo (age 14) succeeded 10th Duke Veragua, 5th Duke of Jérica, 5th Duke of Liria, 5th Duke Berwick.
On 3rd April 1794 Jacobo Fitz James Stuart 10th Duke Veragua 5th Duke Berwick (age 21) died at Madrid [Map]. His son Jacobo (age 2) succeeded 11th Duke Veragua, 6th Duke of Jérica, 6th Duke of Liria, 6th Duke Berwick.
On 19th May 1794 Carlos Miguel Fitz James Stuart 12th Duke Veragua 7th Duke Berwick 14th Duke Alba was born to Jacobo Fitz James Stuart 10th Duke Veragua 5th Duke Berwick (deceased) and María Teresa Fernández Silva Duchess Veragua Duchess Berwick (age 22) at Madrid [Map]. He a great x 4 grandson of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland. He married 1819 Rosalía Ventimiglia Duchess Veragua Duchess Berwick Duchess Alba and had issue.
On 14th February 1838 Jacopo Fitz James Stuart 15th Duke Alba 13th Duke Veragua 8th Duke Berwick (age 16) and María Francisca "Paca" Palafox Duchess Veragua Duchess Berwick Duchess Alba (age 13) were married at Madrid [Map]. She by marriage Duchess Veragua, Duchess of Liria, Duchess of Jérica, Duchess Berwick, Duchess Alba. He the son of Carlos Miguel Fitz James Stuart 12th Duke Veragua 7th Duke Berwick 14th Duke Alba and Rosalía Ventimiglia Duchess Veragua Duchess Berwick Duchess Alba (age 40).
On 15th March 1839 Cipriano de Palafox 8th Count of Montijo (age 54) died at Madrid [Map].
On 4th December 1849 Carlos María Fitz James Stuart 16th Duke Alba 14th Duke Veragua 9th Duke Berwick was born to Jacopo Fitz James Stuart 15th Duke Alba 13th Duke Veragua 8th Duke Berwick (age 28) at Madrid [Map].
Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.
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Adeline Horsey Recollections. On September 28, 1858, my marriage took place at the Military Chapel, Gibraltar, and I was the first Countess of Cardigan to be married on foreign soil. I wore a white silk gown draped with a blue scarf, and a large hat adorned with many feathers; Lord Cardigan's (age 60) friends, Stuart Paget, Mrs, Paget and the Misses Paget, were present, and we gave a ball on the yacht in the evening. We spent a very gay week at Gibraltar, and then left for Cádiz, touching at Malacca and Alicante; then we took rail to Madrid [Map], where we arrived on October 16 in time to witness a review of 30,000 troops on Queen Isabella's (age 27) birthday. After a short stay at Madrid we rejoined the Airedale at Barcelona [Map], and went 500 miles by sea to Leghorn. We experienced bad weather and many storms, and every one on board was ill except myself. The cook was a great sufferer, and his absence was naturally felt by those who were able to look at food without aversion.
On 29th November 1879 Alfonso XII King Spain (age 22) and Maria Christina of Austria Queen Consort Spain (age 21) were married at Madrid [Map]. She by marriage Queen Consort Spain. He the son of Francisco de Asís King Consort Spain (age 57) and Isabella II Queen Spain (age 49). They were third cousins. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King George II of Great Britain and Ireland.
On 28th January 1880 Alfonso Sanz y Martínez de Arizala Bourbon was born illegitimately to Alfonso XII King Spain (age 22) and Elena Armanda Sanz at Madrid [Map].
On 28th February 1881 Fernando Sanz y Martínez de Arizala Bourbon was born illegitimately to Alfonso XII King Spain (age 23) and Elena Armanda Sanz at Madrid [Map].
On 17th May 1886 Alfonso XIII King Spain was born to Alfonso XII King Spain and Maria Christina of Austria Queen Consort Spain (age 27) at Madrid [Map]. Coefficient of inbreeding 3.57%. He married 1906 his fifth cousin once removed Victoria Eugénie Mountbatten Queen Consort Spain and had issue.
On 12th November 1886 Alfonso Orléans Galliera Duke Galliera was born at Madrid [Map].
On 28th May 1912 Alonso María Orléans Galliera was born to Alfonso Orléans Galliera Duke Galliera (age 25) and Beatrice Windsor Duchess Galliera (age 28) at Madrid [Map]. He a great grandson of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
On 20th October 1913 Ataúlfo Alejandro Orléans Galliera was born to Alfonso Orléans Galliera Duke Galliera (age 26) and Beatrice Windsor Duchess Galliera (age 29) at Madrid [Map]. She a great granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
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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On 9th June 1978 Nicholas Hohenzollern Sigmaringen (age 74) died at Madrid [Map].
On 31st August 1724 Louis I King Spain (age 17) died of smallpox. He was buried at the El Escorial Palace. Philippe V King Spain (age 40) returned to the Spanish throne.
On 9th July 1746 Philippe V King Spain (age 62) died at the El Escorial Palace. His son Ferdinand (age 32) succeeded VI King Spain. Barbara Queen Consort Spain (age 34) by marriage Queen Consort Spain.
On 16th December 1485 Catherine of Aragon was born to Ferdinand II King Aragon (age 33) and Isabella Queen Castile (age 34) at the Palace of Alcalá de Henares, Madrid [Map]. She was possibly named after her Great Grandmother Catherine of Lancaster Queen Consort Castile daughter of John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster and Constance of Castile Duchess of Lancaster. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. Coefficient of inbreeding 3.23%. She married (1) 14th November 1501 her half third cousin once removed Prince Arthur Tudor, son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland and Elizabeth York Queen Consort England (2) 11th June 1509 her half third cousin once removed King Henry VIII of England and Ireland, son of King Henry VII of England and Ireland and Elizabeth York Queen Consort England, and had issue.
On 23rd September 1713 Ferdinand VI King Spain was born to Philippe V King Spain (age 29) and Maria Luisa Savoy (age 25) at the Royal Alcázar of Madrid. He a great x 2 grandson of King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland. Coefficient of inbreeding 5.82%. He married Barbara Queen Consort Spain.