Trivia
This page features pieces about some of my ancestors, some of my distant relatives and some places where my ancestors lived. I may add other sections later. Everything here comes with the caveat that the information I have may not be completely reliable, as my research is itself based on other people's research. If I add further caveats, it means that I have reason to doubt the reliability of a particular piece of information, either because of doubts expressed by others or because of contradictory information from different sources, or sometimes because the data appears unlikely even if it could be correct.
Some of my ancestors
Abraham Guise
Born March 1753, he is my most recent ancestor who I know for sure descends from royalty through both parents. By the time of his birth, all my confirmed royal ancestors had already been dead for more than 300 years.
Agatha who?
The mother of Margaret of Wessex, Saint Margaret of Scotland was definitely called Agatha, and I initially assumed that she was Agatha von Brunswick, whose own parents both descend from King Charlemagne. I have subsequently learned that while Agatha von Brunswick might be Margaret's mother, there are other possibilities. Another possibility is that Agatha is a daughter of Yaroslav, the Wise Prince of Kiev. I tend to think Agatha of Kiev is slightly more likely than Agatha Von Brunswick, but opinion is clearly divided. At least two other possibilities have been suggested. See Agatha, wife of Edward the Exile and the links provided within that page for more about the mystery.
Alan Durward
Alan Durward is the original member of the Durward family and an ancestor of mine through one of his daughters, on my father's side of the family. Logic says that he should be an ancestor of my mother, since she was born a Durward, but Alan Durward had no legitimate sons. He had an illegitimate son, although it is no surprise that I cannot find a line of descent from him.
Alexander Durward
According to family hearsay, Alexander Durward was imprisoned in Stonehaven jail for a long period and only let out to die. No documentation has been found to support the claims, but I believe the family hearsay; it's not the sort of thing that is made up. Indeed, some families keep quiet about such things and take them to their graves. Alexander's occupation is given as the shoemaker of Auchenblae. It appears that he supplemented his legitimate income by smuggling.
Alianor De Ferrers and Margaret De Quincy
Here I present the case of two women who became step-mothers to each other due to their fathers re-marrying.
William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby originally married Sibilla Marshal, a daughter of Isabel De Clare, Countess de Strigoil, 4th Countess of Pembroke. This couple had several children together including Alianor De Ferrers. Meanwhile Roger De Quincy and his wife became the parents of Margaret De Quincy. For their second wives, William married Margaret while Roger married Alianor.
So Alianor is Margaret's step-mother because of her marriage to Roger, but Margaret is Alianor's step-mother because of her marriage to William. Note that Alianor and Alianore are ancient spellings of Eleanor.
Beatrix of Angus
Born circa 1184, Beatrix of Angus's own ancestry mixes European blood of many different nations, while she is also an ancestor of many important people, beginning with her great-grandson King Robert the Bruce. She married into the Stewart family, maybe when they still had the FitzAlan surname, before they adopted the Stewart name. Her husband's ancestors are far less interesting, based on what I know so far.
Beli Mawr
My earliest ancestor from whom the lineage appears to be generally agreed upon is the legendary Welsh king Beli Mawr. Some sources have attempted to go back 700 years before him, and other sources have tried the same with royal families from England, Scotland, Ireland and elsewhere. While the names of some of these early kings are known, the lines of descent from them are often pure conjecture. Beli Mawr dates from around 100 BC (some sources suggest a birth date of 130 BC), and that's good enough for me. Wherever I note that I can trace some aspect of my ancestry back to biblical times, I specifically mean Beli Mawr. Several lines of descent from him are known over the first few generations, and at least one of them but probably more descend eventually to me. The number of generations involved is around 75 but varies according to which lines of descent one follows. Over such a time span, the permutations would be endless as different lines merge through marriages or partnerships and diverge again through different sons and daughters.
It is quite amusing to see how much variation there can be even in a relatively short period. I found one instance where a couple's grandson was also their great-great-grandson. In another case, I found two lines of descent from Alexander Stewart (born 1214 to Beatrix of Angus and her husband), 4th High Steward of Scotland, to Margaret Colquhoun of Luss (born 1414), one of them taking nine generations and the other taking five generations. If the information is correct, the latter descent involves a woman having a child at 45, which is not impossible but would have been extremely rare in an age where most people didn't live to be 45. In both examples, it is possible that the data is erroneous and that at least one generation is missing from the shorter descent, but these cases are at least plausible. So I'm not even going to attempt to find the shortest or longest descent to me from Beli Mawr. Even if it were possible to do so based on the evidence available to me, there are inevitably going to be plenty of other descents that I do not know about, some of which I might be able to find while others are lost forever. Note that it would be possible to program a computer to analyse a database and come up with the answers, but my data isn't held that way and my programming skills are out of date anyway.
Boleslaus I, Duke of Bohemia
Boleslaus I, Duke of Bohemia was the brother of - and the murderer of - Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, who himself was the inspiration for Good King Wenceslas.
| Good King Wenceslas looked out |
| On the feast of Stephen |
| Where the snow lay round about |
| Deep and crisp and even. |
Elizabeth Butler, Countess of Chesterfield
Elizabeth Butler, Countess of Chesterfield only lived to the age of 25 (and then only with a few days to spare), but she is the mother of Lady Elizabeth Stanhope, although she and her husband weren't faithful to each other. Nevertheless, I find Elizabeth Butler's own ancestry to be very interesting. She was English, as the majority of her ancestors also were in the most recent generations. The Butler family were originally from Ireland, so she also had some Irish ancestors; see Ormonde castle. As such, she has many ancestors who don't appear elsewhere among my ancestors, although some are ancestors of Abraham Guise, who also has English ancestors. While I am proud of my predominately Scottish ancestry, I can't deny that the English and Irish ancestors of Elizabeth Butler add extra interest to my genealogy. I only wish I could know whether she went to bed with her husband Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield, or the Duke of York, who later became King James II of England, King James VII of Scotland, when she conceived Lady Elizabeth Stanhope, but I don't suppose I will ever know :-(
Both potential suitors have interesting ancestors, but I don't regard either of them as my ancestor. I sometimes post information about their ancestors while making it obvious that I have my doubts, but if I could be sure of the father, I would spend a lot more time looking into that father's ancestry. In theory, it helps to know that there are only two candidates for the father of Lady Elizabeth Stanhope, because that allows me to look for their common ancestors and to declare those common ancestors as mine. However, the most significant common ancestors I found were Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg, ancestors to the possible fathers through different daughters. I later discovered that this couple were also ancestors of mine via Elizabeth Butler, Countess of Chesterfield anyway, through one of their sons.
Elizabeth of Gloucester
Elizabeth of Gloucester was an illegitimate daughter, probably of King Henry I (a renowned philanderer) though some sources say his elder brother King William II (who as far as I know had no children with the possible exception of Elizabeth). Nevertheless, Elizabeth of Gloucester has plenty of illustrious descendants including the aristocratic Percy family of Northumberland as well as King Robert the Bruce. As her mother is unknown and her father is uncertain, one might hope that more would be known about her husband. I have seen a source claiming to know Fergus De Galloway's father; if correct, he has some English and Scottish royal ancestors. Nevertheless, some sources doubt that Fergus is the father of Elizabeth's children. How she made the journey from Gloucester (if that is indeed where she spent her early life) to Scotland using the limited transport available by land or sea circa 1100 is another mystery.
The only information we can be reasonably confident about is that Elizabeth of Gloucester was the illegitimate daughter of either King Henry I or King William II, and that she ended up living in Scotland where she had several children, some of whom are my ancestors.
Emma St Leger and Hugh De Longchamp
These two people, born in the last decade of the 12th century, married and had children in the 13th century. At the time in which they lived, their names had no particular significance, but such a marriage now would cause amusement in the world of horse racing. I do not know if either of them have royal ancestors, but they became part of the royal family tree because within a few generations, some of their descendants had married descendants of royalty. As far as I can tell, Emma St Leger and Hugh De Longchamp are ancestors of just two British monarchs to date, these being King Edward VI (via his mother Jane Seymour, who became a queen by marriage) and Queen Elizabeth II.
Isabel De Clare, Countess de Strigoil, 4th Countess of Pembroke
Isabel De Clare, Countess de Strigoil, 4th Countess of Pembroke was the daughter of Richard FitzGilbert De Clare, "Strongbow", 2nd Earl of Pembroke, while her mother was the daughter of Diarmait Diarmaind-na-nGhall macMurchada, King of Leinster generally known now as Dermot MacMurrough, so Isabel's immediate ancestors included two of the most hated men in Irish history. She was also extremely successful in passing on her genes (and therefore theirs) to subsequent generations through her five daughters (Efa, Isabella, Joana, Maud and Sibilla), resulting in millions of descendants. I descend from her via all five daughters in many different ways.
Isabel also had five sons, but they were markedly less successful at producing descendants than their sisters. One source claims that one of the sons appears to have produced an enduring line of descent, but I have yet to find any evidence that I descend from him via the claimed line. Other sources are adamant that all five of Isabel's sons died childless.
Before I did some research, I thought that Isabel De Clare, Countess de Strigoil, 4th Countess of Pembroke was such a quaint name that conjured up all sorts of nice images, but it just goes to show that you can't tell anything from a name. Then again, children aren't necessarily like their parents or grandparents, so let's not read too much into her ancestry. especially as millions of people descend from her. whether they know it or not.
Elizabeth Chadwick has a particular fascination for Isabel's family, having written two novels about her husband, one about her husband's father and one about one of her daughters. I guess Isabel features in those books, but I'm not sure I want to read historical fiction. Still. if the author writes a book based around Isabel, I may be tempted.
Isabel is almost but not quite entirely responsible for passing on the genes of Richard FitzGilbert De Clare, "Strongbow", 2nd Earl of Pembroke to subsequent generations. (Her notorious grandfather had other children besides Isabel's mother, and I descend from at least one of them.) She had two sisters and a brother that I am aware of. Her brother died when he was about 12, so has no descendants. Her sister Aline had one son that I know of, but I don't know if she has any descendants alive today, although she may do. Isabel's other sister, whose name is unknown, is my ancestor through her son Roland Blewett and (eventually) Elizabeth Butler, Countess of Chesterfield, but it is clear that Miss De Clare is a far less influential ancestor overall than Isabel De Clare, Countess de Strigoil, 4th Countess of Pembroke.
I've also read that Richard FitzGilbert De Clare, "Strongbow", 2nd Earl of Pembroke had an illegitimate daughter, but I do not know anything beyond that. However, I'll be surprised if I learn that she is an ancestor of any significance.
Isabella (or Elizabeth) Capet de Vermandois De Crépi
Isabella (or Elizabeth) Capet de Vermandois De Crépi was a member of the Norman royal family who lived at around the same time as Elizabeth of Gloucester. She had two husbands, both of whom were very successful in helping her to pass on her genes to subsequent generations. Her descendants include the aforementioned Isabel De Clare, Countess de Strigoil, 4th Countess of Pembroke who was her great-granddaughter, David of Huntingdon, 8th Earl of Huntington (the ancestor of many Scottish kings), his brother King William I of Scotland (whose daughters by his first wife were very successful as ancestors, even though his son by his second wife failed to produce an enduring royal line due to the stupidity of the otherwise excellent King Alexander III in undertaking a journey against the advice of others), Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers (another successful ancestor, who appears several times in my "nearest common ancestors" tables), Sir John Lyon (founder of the Lyon dynasty by his marriage to Princess Joanna of Scotland), Margery le Despencer, Baroness Despencer and many others too numerous to mention.
John Lyon, 7th Lord Glamis
King James V of Scotland secured John's conviction for treason and imposed a death sentence to be carried out when John came of age. The king died before that happened and Parliament rescinded the conviction and penalty. Estates that King James V of Scotland had seized were also restored to the Lyon family. John subsequently married and had a family, which over subsequent generations has produced thousands of descendants. They include the current royal family, Princess Diana, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, President George W Bush and President John F Kennedy to name a few. The current royal family, Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York also descend from King James V of Scotland. I might also descend from him depending on who fathered Lady Elizabeth Stanhope (see earlier piece on Elizabeth Butler, Countess of Chesterfield), but I don't think the presidents descend from him.
John Wogan, Justiciary of Ireland
The original Wogan appears to have been a Welshman who descends from Rhodri Mawr, the great Welsh king of the 9th century. From John Wogan, the line of Wogans descend for five generations to Catrin Wogan who marries into the Bluet family, the line eventually descending to me via Elizabeth Butler, Countess of Chesterfield.
Katherine Swynford (née Röet)
After I started taking a serious interest in my ancestors, Katherine Swynford (née Röet) became the first ancestor who I bought a book about in my quest to learn more about some of these people. She produced one child by her first husband, Hugh Swynford, and four by her second John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, although these four children were originally born illegitimately; they were eventually legitimized. I do not descend from Hugh Swynford, though my ancestor Thomas Pauncefote married Hugh's great-great-granddaughter Margaret Swynford; I descend from Thomas and his previous wife, Agatha Owgan. Nevertheless, I am distantly related to Margaret Swynford not only because we both share Katherine Swynford (née Röet) as a common ancestor, but also because Margaret descends from English royalty through her maternal grandmother.
Of Katherine's four children by John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, Thomas has no descendants alive today. I descend from Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland via the Guise family, and maybe also via royalty. I descend from her brother John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, primarily through his daughter Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scots, who married again after her royal husband died; I descend from two daughters she had with the king, and I also descend from the second marriage. Henry Beaufort was a bishop who probably wasn't supposed to have children but he had an illegitimate daughter, Jane, when still a teenager. (Shouldn't that have disqualified him from ever becoming bishop?) I eventually found a line of descent from Jane Beaufort to me, so I descend from all of Katherine Swynford (née Röet)'s children by John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster who have descendants alive today. In the book I read, the author named five American presidents who descend from Katherine Swynford (née Röet) through the Beauforts. According to the information I've seen, the total is a little over half of the 43 different (and 44 total) presidents that there have been so far.
King Charlemagne
Some people have suggested the possibility that everybody with European ancestors alive today may descend from King Charlemagne, the famous King of the Franks, even though it can't be proved for each individual. Among his descendants are Isabella (or Elizabeth) Capet de Vermandois De Crépi (see earlier) and King William the Conqueror, as well as plenty of European kings. If Agatha Von Brunswick was the mother of Margaret of Wessex, Saint Margaret of Scotland, Saint Margaret also descends from King Charlemagne.
I'll leave others to study the subject of the most recent common ancestor, but it is worth remembering that royals and aristocrats often had large families. Some royal children married into royal families of other nations (even in the days of primitive transport) while others married outside royalty, usually into other noble families. Illegitimate royal children couldn't normally marry other royals (although Llywelyn the Great married an illegitimate daughter of a king) but they were highly prized by the aristocracy. Those noble families had the same problem that not all their children could remain noble, and some of them married commoners. The effect over hundreds of years has been to disperse royal blood widely. You can get a sense of that just by looking at the current royal family and its branches. It doesn't take many generations for at least some of the descendants of a minor royal to become commoners.
King Malcolm III and Saint Margaret of Scotland
King Malcolm III's marriage to Margaret of Wessex, who would posthumously be sanctified as Saint Margaret of Scotland, proved to a pivotal pairing in the history of royalty both north and south of the Anglo-Scottish border. They could never have imagined the impact their marriage would have. Very influential within Scotland through their lifetime activities, their influence as ancestors is even greater, and it all began because Margaret, her mother and siblings fled from England in fear of their lives because of the Norman conquest. He was a member of the Scottish royal family while she was a descendant of the early English kings. While their sons provided the continuation of the Scottish royal family, one of their daughters married King Henry I, thereby continuing the English royal family. Another daughter, Mary of Scotland, went to France. One of her granddaughters married King Stephen.
The very name Margaret did not exist in the British Isles prior to the arrival of Saint Margaret of Scotland, but it quickly became popular. Along with Elizabeth, Isabel and Maud, Margaret is one of the commonest names for women among my known medieval ancestors.
King Robert the Bruce
King Robert the Bruce is my favorite distant ancestor.
King Robert II
King Robert II was not a great king, but he was a prolific father, siring more than twenty children by two wives and two mistresses. I descend from all of Robert's eleven children who definitely have descendants alive today, although I would be surprised if none of the others have such descendants.
One of his mistresses, Marion Cardney, had eight of his children but I have no knowldge of what became of them. It is difficult to believe that none of them had children, but it is possible. More likely, information about them was not recorded. Robert's other mistress, Moira Leitch, had one child by him, but while the line of descent continued for a while, I have not seen any evidence that Moira has any descendants alive today, though I won't be surprised if she does.
Robert's wives each had a son called Walter, but my data shows no children for one of them, while the other does not appear to have produced an enduring line of descent. It is entirely possible that my information is incomplete.
Lady Godiva
Little is known about Lady Godiva's own ancestry, except that her father was Thorold of Lincoln. She married Leofric III of Mercia. Their granddaughters Lucia and Ealdgyth are both ancestors of mine.
Margaret De Clare
Margaret de Clare, Baroness Badlesmere and her younger first cousin Margaret de Clare, Countess of Cornwall, Countess of Gloucester are both great-great-granddaughters of Isabel De Clare, Countess de Strigoil, 4th Countess of Pembroke. and both had plenty of problems to deal with, particularly the Despencer war, as the linked articles explain.
I descend from four daughters of Margaret de Clare, Baroness Badlesmere, three of whom each produced several children. The other daughter produced just one child, but nevertheless became an ancestor of Margery le Despencer, Baroness Despencer, who is a classic example of somebody whose ancestors were at war with each other not many generations earlier, and is an ancestor of mine via Elizabeth Butler, Countess of Chesterfield. The only brother of Margaret de Clare, Baroness Badlesmere four daughters remained childless despite getting married.
I also descend from the only two children of Margaret de Clare, Countess of Cornwall, Countess of Gloucester. one by each husband. By her first husband, the line to me descends through Margaret Beauchamp who is a regular in my lists of "Nearest common ancestors", while the line to me from her second husband descends through a branch of the Grey family, who also feature in those tables.
About 200 years earlier, there is another ancestor of mine called Margaret de Clare. She is a daughter of Gilbert FitzRichard de Clare. Earl of Clare (born 1065), who is a 6th great-grandfather of the other two. This Margaret de Clare has a sister (Adeliza) and two brothers (Richard and Gilbert) who are also significant ancestors of mine. Her brother Gilbert is the father of Richard FitzGilbert De Clare, "Strongbow", 2nd Earl of Pembroke.
A fourth Margaret de Clare (born 1249 and related to the other three) sadly had no children although she married and apparently became pregnant.
Margaret Gamage
Margaret Gamage, who died in the 1580's, is significant to me for being my last surviving Welsh ancestor. Margaret married the 1st Baron of Effingham. Their daughter Douglas became Baroness Sheffield and the line continued in England via Elizabeth Butler, Countess of Chesterfield, whose own daughter moved to my ancestral heartland in north-east Scotland. Meanwhile. Douglas's brother Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham. became Lord High Admiral in command of the fleet that defeated the Spanish Armada. He is not my ancestor, but he is a distant uncle of mine.
Maria of Hungary
Maria of Hungary is my most recent East European ancestor that I know of. She headed west and became an ancestor ofKing Edward III's wife, Philippa d'Avesnes.
Mariot Dunbar
There is some doubt about the father of Mariot Dunbar. It could be James Dunbar, whose wife was Ellen Innes. Ellen's ancestry is unknown to me, but it is very likely that she descends from earlier members of the Innes family who I descend from by other lines. Alternatively, Mariot's father may be James's father Alexander, whose wife Janet Sutherland may therefore be Mariot's mother or grandmother.
The birth dates given by one source suggest that Alexander was dead before Mariot was born, and that Janet would be in her mid-40s when she became pregnant with Mariot, whose own birth is estimated at 1502. In this scenario, James and Ellen are Mariot's only credible parents.
Another source estimates Mariot's birth at about 1487, making her about eight years older than her husband. In this scenrio, James is too young to be Mariot's father, but Alexander and Janet are within the right age range to be Mariot's parents.
I am wondering if both Alexander and James had daughters named Mariot. This needs looking into, but I doubt that a solution is possible. The mystery would surely have already been solved if it were.
? of England
Almost certainly the illegitimate daughter of King Richard I, her mother's name was Papia, so maybe she was also called Papia. No name was ever officially recorded, or if it was, the document was lost. I've seen her named in ancestry charts simply as "Of England", but I don't like that. I could call her Miss Plantagenet, but of all my ancestors with unknown names, she sounds like the most mysterious of the lot, hence I've chosen to call her ? of England, though I quite like the idea that her name might be Papia, and use that name in the URL when linking from other pages to Trivia (? of England). It seems that she married well and has plenty of illustrious descendants, including King Robert the Bruce's second wife, Elizabeth De Burgh, and his grandson by his first wife, King Robert II.
Some sources suggest King Henry II as an alternative father, but the consensus seems to be that King Richard I fathered the mysterious ? of England.
Robert Harris
Born 1872, Robert Harris married Agnes Strachan in 1896, after which they had three sons but no daughters. Their second son is my paternal grandfather. We know that Robert and Agnes were still together when the youngest son was christened in March 1904, because there is a certificate to prove it. Whatever happened thereafter remained a family secret that my grandfather, his brothers and their mother took to their graves. The only clue is that my grandfather sometimes received postcards from California. He showed the picture side of these postcards to my father and his brother, but he would not allow them to see the reverse side. My grandfather apparently kept the box of cards for many years, and they were still in his house when my father last visited him two years before his death, but they were nowhere to be found after his death. Hmmmm.
Since there is no reference to Robert in the 1911 census, it is reasonable to suppose that he disappeared before then. If those Californian postcards were from him, it is likely that his children were old enough to have some kind of meaningful relationship with their father before he disappeared, but who knows? Only the dead, and they clearly didn't want anybody else to know.
Robert Maxwell
No, not the impostor whose real name was Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch and who eventually jumped ship (well, not exactly a ship) when life became too tough for him. I descend from the original Maxwell family. It appears that the surname began as MacCuswell and evolved into Maxwell naturally with usage. The family are ancestors of mine by several lines of descent that variously feature the Douglas, Ogilvie and Lyon families, and some of those early Maxwells were christened Robert.
Saint Helena "Elaine of the Cross"
Some sources give Saint Helena "Elaine of the Cross" as being of Constantinople while others give her as being of Colchester. Both were important to the Romans. She was a daughter of Coel Hen I of Camulod, King of Colchester, who might have been Old King Cole. Although her birthplace was a lot closer to Constantinople than Colchester, I think both places are entitled to claim her.
Simon De Montfort
Simon De Montfort V, Earl of Leicester and Simon De Montfort VI, Earl of Leicester were important historical figures as explained in the respective Wikipedia articles I just linked to (which Wikipedia helpfully link to each other). They are also ancestors of mine through Jacquetta of Luxembourg. Yes, you've guessed. I also have earlier ancestors called Simon De Montfort (but not Simon II; I don't think he bacame a father). There was a seventh Simon, but it was his brother Gus who continued the descent.
The Vandals
The Vandals are one of many tribes that have long since passed into history, but their name survived and became part of the English language, and they are also very likely ancestors of all people of European descent alive today.
William Wallace
Not well known outside Scotland prior to being immortalized in Braveheart (not before time, even if Hollywood twisted the story to suit their own ends), William Wallace is an ancestor of Janet Sutherland, who was herself the mother or grandmother of my ancestor Mariot Dunbar as explained earlier.
Yaroslav, the wise Prince of Kiev
I descend from at least five children of Yaroslav, the Wise Prince of Kiev. Anne, Grand Duchess of Kiev married into the French royal family. Elizaveta married into the Norwegian royal family and I descend from two of her daughters, one of whom went to Ireland. Anastasiya married into the Hungarian royal family and became an ancestor of mine via two of her children including George Arpad, ancestor of the Drummond family of Scotland. Two sons of Yaroslav remained in Kiev, but also became my ancestors via Hungarian royalty. It is also possible that I descend from another daughter; see Agatha Who? earlier on this page.
Some of my distant relatives
Clare Balding
I learned from her book that Clare Balding descends from the Plantagenet kings on her mother's side. I eventually confirmed it by surfing the net for the line of descent, which involves most of the Earls of Derby. Very appropriate, given the importance of some of those earls to the history of horse racing.
There have been two incarnations of the title Earl of Derby, The first incarnation was held by the De Ferrers family, but the title seems to have lapsed having reached at least the 8th; I descend from all six up to William De Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby (the original Earl of Derby didn't have a numer, but his son was nevertheless titled 1st Earl of Derby - yes, really. :-) Eventually the title was revived, but was held by the Stanley family who still hold it. As was the (confusing) custom, the reincarnated title started by numbering from 1 again, so the first member of the Stanley family to be awrded the title became the 1st Earl of Derby. As far as I know and unlike Clare Balding, I don't have any ancestors from the Stanley family.
King Macbeth
William Shakespeare's portrayal of King Macbeth made him look worse that he really was. Actually, I've read a lot of stuff that suggests he was an excellent king by the standards of the time.
Mary Eleanor Bowes
Mary Eleanor Bowes married into the Lyon family and is an ancestor of Queen Elizabeth II. She is a distant relative of mine because we both descend from the same 14th century couple, James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormonde and Anne De Welles.
When I first started looking into my ancestry, I thought I had some Bowes-Lyon blood in me, therefore Mary Eleanor Bowes must be my ancestor. Based on what I found out about her, I would have been pleased to claim her as my ancestor, but it was not to be. She married the 9th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, a grandson of John Lyon, 4th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and Lady Elizabeth Stanhope, who then changed his surname from Lyon to Bowes at her father's insistence, In those days, an Act of Parliament was required for the purpose and duly passed.
Queen Elizabeth II
A lot is said about the British royal family really being German, so I'll use this space to look into it, although we must go back further to set the context.
For most of the period from the Norman conquest to the 17th century, English kings arranged for their sons and daughters to marry their counterparts from other countries including Scotland. One of several marriages between the English and Scottish royal families ultimately, but accidentally, resulted in the union of the crowns, a century before the union of the countries. That union came about because the Tudor family ran out of heirs, a problem that eventually beset the Stuart (previously Stewart) family who replaced them. When the Stuart family ran out of heirs, they found that their nearest relatives were German. Elizabeth Stuart, a daughter of King James VI of Scotland, King James I of England, had married Frederick V, Elector Palatine, King of Bohemia, thereafter being known as Elizabeth of Bohemia. Their daughter Sophia, Electress of Hanover would have become Queen of England had she lived a little longer, but she died a few weeks before the much younger Queen Anne died. The next heir therefore became her son George, who was already in his fifties at the time.
King George I thus became King of Great Britain in 1714. He could not speak English and he had a German wife, I don't know whether she could speak English, but I suspect not. Looking at the line of descent from them to King George V, it appears that everybody's spouse was German. The line of descent does not include King William IV because he never married, as the woman he wanted to marry was a Catholic (who was not a German), so he chose not to marry, therefore all their children were excluded from the succession. The immediate ancestors of all those German spouses appear to be predominately German, so it would be fair to describe the British royal family up to the time of King George V's death in 1936 as German even though those who followed King George I all spoke English. By that time, we'd been through a war with Germany so it was inevitable that things would change,
King Edward VIII abdicated for reasons we all know about, so we got King George VI, who married a Scottish woman, known as Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon prior to her marriage. A closer look at her ancestry shows plenty of English blood on her mother's side, so it would be more accurate to describe Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother as British rather than Scottish.
So Queen Elizabeth II is half-British and half-German. Although her own husband is a European who also has some German blood, her son and grandson who are the next two heirs to the throne both married English women. Thus, the German element in the British royal family is set to diminish substantially over the next couple of generations.
Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia
See Boleslaus I, Duke of Bohemia earlier in this post.
William Shakespeare
When I started looking for famous distant relatives, I read that Shakespeare is a rare name that is rarely found in genealogy charts, so anybody finding a connection to William Shakespeare, even as a distant relative, is likely to be disappointed. However, I did find a chart showing his ancestry, which gave me some encouragement as it listed somebody with the surname Whalesborough. I had alreadty established that I descend from the de Whalesburgh family and thought that there must be a connection; I eventually found the connection in the 13th century after looking at several websites.
Some places where my ancestors lived
Notes
My original idea was to include places where my humble ancestors lived, and I may yet do so. For the time being, this list focuses on the more illustrious residences. Many of these looked very different when my ancestors lived in them. Some are now in ruins or don't exist at all anymore, while others have been the subject of major changes.
Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle is one of the few British castles that is still in part a family residence. In medieval times, it was home to the Percy family, my most recent ancestors who lived there being Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland, his wife Eleanor Neville, Countess of Northumberland and their daughter Lady Katherine Percy. These days, Alnwick Castle is more famous as a film location, especially for Harry Potter but also for a diverse range of other works.
Arundel Castle
At one time the home of one branch of the d'Aubigny family, it appears that Richard Fitzalan, 11th Earl of Arundel is my most recent ancestor to have lived at Arundel Castle. The castle eventually passed to the Howard family, some of whom are also my ancestors, but those who I descend from did not regard it as their primary residence.
Belvoir Castle
With the once-mighty Leicester Castle (pronounced Lester) now but a shadow of its former self, Belvoir Castle (pronounced Beaver, apparently because the English couldn't pronounce it the way the Normans did) is now the most impressive castle in Leicestershire. One branch of the d'Aubigny family (more often referred to as the d'Albini family - was this to avoid confusion with the Arundel branch?) used to live here, and some of their descendants (the Manners family) live there today, although they only occupy one corner of the castle. The castle is sometimes used as a film location. My most recent ancestor to have lived there may have been Isabel d'Aubigny - or Isabel d'Albini, if you prefer - and her husband.
Berkeley Castle
Berkeley Castle has been home to one branch of the Berkeley family since very early in its history. I certainly descend from the early members of the family who lived there, and my most recent Berkeley ancestor (Joan) died in 1563. Another branch descends to me via Anne or Agnes, who died in 1501. Without further information, I can only guess at the identity of my most recent ancestor to live there.
Cardigan Castle
Cardigan Castle was once a home for some members of the de Clare family. Several of my ancestors fought each other over the castle, but eventually it ended back with the de Clare family. John de Beauchamp (born 1249) served as governor for a while, and is the most recent ancestor of mine who I can name and who appears to have lived there.
Clun Castle
Clun Castle was esablished by my ancestor Robert de Say, and remained in the ownership of my ancestors for many generations. His desendant Isabel de Say married the local baron, William FitzAlan, and their grandson John FittzAlan married Isabel d'Aubihny of Arundel, after which Clun was relegated to the status of a second home and so began a long, slow decline for that castle.
These days, Clun Castle is probably less famous than the steam locomotive named after it, but both are now part of British heritage, having outlived the purposes for which they were built.
Delgatie Castle
Delgatie Castle was once the home of my ancestors Henry de Beaumont, Earl of Buchan and Alice Comyn, Countess of Buchan, but King Robert the Bruce stripped them of the castle because they had supported John De Baliol. King Robert the Bruce gave it to the Hay family. The Hay family appear prominently among my ancestors up the first decade of the 16th century, when two different women were born, both called Elizabeth Hay. One of them was the daughter of William Hay, the 4th Earl of Errol, and it is likely that she lived at Delgatie Castle. The Hay name made one final appearance in my known ancestors via Margaret Hay in the 18th century, but if she had lived at the castle, I think my father would have identified her ancestry. I therefore claim Elizabeth Hay and her parents, the 4th Earl and Countess of Errol, as my most recent ancestors to have lived there.
Dudley Castle
Nichole D'Aubigny married into the Somery family whose home was Dudley Castle. Nichole's sister Isabel was also my ancestor, but these two came from the Arundel branch of the family, not the Belvoir branch. I descend from Isabel d' Aubigny from Arundel as well as her namesake from Belvoir. Nichole and Isabel from Arundel were aunts of Isabel from Belvoir.
Dunnottar Castle
Dunnottar Castle eventually became the home of the Keith family, who gained control in the late 14th century. My ancestor Robert Keith, Master of Marischal (born 1485), his wife Elizabeth or Beatrice Douglas and their daughter Jean Keith are my most recent ancestors to live there. Jean Keith later married John Lyon, 7th Lord Glamis (who was fortunate to escape execution, as mentioned earlier), and moved to Glamis Castle.
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle may sometimes have been used as a royal residence, but it is not clear to me that any of my royal ancestors used it as a primary residence. It seems to have served different purposes for most of its history. However, William Crichton, 1st Baron Crichton, was keeper of the castle from 1437 so he qualifies as an ancestor of mine who lived there.
Elmore Court
Elmore Court has been the home of the Guise family for hundreds of years. John Guise of Sandford presumably spent his childhood there. Along with his parents, he would have been my most recent ancestor to live there. The area in which Elmore Court is situated is close to where I spent much of my childhood, but a long way from where most of my ancestors come from. However, John Guise of Sandford's grandson and great-grandson, both also called John Guise, both joined the Army, and their branch of the family somehow ended up in my ancestral heartland.
Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle is the home established by the Lyon family, who eventually became the Bowes-Lyon family a couple of generations after the line of descent to me had branched off the main line. It is only 22 miles from Montrose, the town near where both of my parents were born and raised. Elizabeth Lyon was born at Glamis, so she might be my last ancestral connection with Glamis Castle. She may have left to start married life (still in her teens) elsewhere while her mother was still alive, although her father did not live to see her wedding.
Apparently, Glamis Castle is the most haunted castle in Great Britain. I did a quick search for Glamis Castle ghosts, and it's really quite scary. Still, I live in an area that apparently has plenty of ghosts of its own, maybe including Lady Jane Grey, but I don't plan to go looking for them.
Leeds Castle
Margaret de Clare, Baroness Badlesmere lived there, as did Isabella of France, although, as the article on Leeds Castle explains, these two ancestors of mine were certainly not friends. Isabella lived there more recently than Margaret.
Ormonde Castle
Ormonde Castle was home to the Butler family until 1688, when
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde died in his late seventies, at which point the family abandoned the castle. James is my ancestor through his daughter Elizabeth Butler, Countess of Chesterfield, who died more than 20 years before her father.
Pembroke Castle
Although Isabel De Clare, Countess de Strigoil, 4th Countess of Pembroke was born in Ireland, she inherited Pembroke Castle along with much other property in Wales and Ireland. Exactly how much time she spent there is not clear to me, but reading about successive inheritance suggests that Elizabeth De Hastings (born 1429) may have been my last ancestor to live there.
Richard's Castle
Originally esablished by somebody who is not among my known ancestors, Richard's Castle passed into the hands of my ancestors via a brother-in-law. The de Talbot family lived there for most of the 14th century. My ancestor Elizabeth de Talbot, born circa 1364, probably lived there as a child.
Savoy Palace
The Savoy Palace was paid for and built for John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, but was burned to the ground by rioters in the peasants' revolt of 1381. He was so wealthy that he could have afforded to have it rebuilt but decided not to. He eventually died in Leicester Castle, but while he sometimes stayed there, I don't think he ever regarded it as his primary home.
Stirling Castle
At one time an important royal residence, King James I of Scotland and Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scots, along with the two daughters of theirs who I definitely descend from, may be my most recent ancestors to live in Stirling Castle.
Tolquhoun Castle
Tolquhoun Castle was built for William Forbes, 7th Laird of Tolquhoun. His son William Forbes, 9th Laird of Tolquhoun, and Janet Ogilvy may have been my last ancestors to live there, although their son Thomas Forbes of Waterton may have spent his early years there.
Urquhart Castle
Alan Durward lived at Urquhart Castle. However, the castle was seized in 1296 and it is not clear to me that any of my ancestors have lived there since.
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle has been an important royal residence for over 900 years. King Edward III loved the place and spent a fortune improving it. He, his wife and some of his children are my most recent confirmed ancestors to have lived there.
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