The first part of this work focuses on the composition and character of the British people, with special emphasis on the Normans. The second and by far the most important section of the work consists of an alphabetical series of existing Norman names and families. Moreover, the directory cites the first usage of the name in Normandy and identifies the early bearers of the name in England, where the name becomes vested in a representative family and is later claimed by a multitude of bearers.