EsssaysVolume10
CONTENTS
NOTE: You may click on the symbol <> at the end of any section to return to the CONTENTS.
1. Robert Stanford's Father
2. Ancestry Spouse Shifts
3. My Cousin Pinckney
4. My Cousin James
5. My Cousin Alexander
6. Not My Cousin Leland
7. Chester to Mecklenburg
8. The Revolutionary War
9. Minister and Plantation Owner
10. Leaving Duplin County
11. Henry County Attraction
12. From Morris Station to Ocoee
13. The Civil War
14. An Ancestry Tracing Gateway
15. Annabelle's Father
16. A Portal to the Royal House of Stewart
17. Egidia's Connection
18. Birth of the Pollock Clan
19. The Pollock Crest
20. Immigration to the American Colonies
21. Pollock to Polk
22. Hubert Fulbert William Tanner
23. Herleve Arlette and Robert
24. Lodbrok
25. Descent from Gods
26. NOT Conan the Barbarian!
27. The Last Angle-Saxon King of England
28. The Division of a Kingdom
29. From Count to Emperor
30. The First King of France
31. Owen and Catherine
32. Trojans or Romans?
33. Cimmerians or Sicambri?
34. The Baron of Skelton and the Lordship of Annandale
35. The Bruce
36. The Mother of the Stewart Dynasty
37. Dol de Bretagne
38. The High Stewards of Scotland
39. Robert II and Charles III
40. Ancestry Intersection
41. Pollock Spouse Cousins
42. How a German became King of England
43. From "Battenburg" to "Mountbatten"
44. From "Mountbatten" to "Windsor"
45. Plantagenets at War with Each Other
46. The End of the Wars of Roses
47. Roses
48. Polks and the Wars of the Roses
49. Edward, Isabella, and Piers
50. A King Deposed by his own Wife
51. William Wallace
52. Bannockburn
53. The White Ship Disaster
54. The Anarchy
55. The Panic of 1837
56. Annandale
57. The Bruce Claim to the Scottish Throne
58. Vikings and Normans
59. Sarah, Joses, and Yeshua
60. Covenanters
61. Ancestry Research Production and Consumption
62. Pretenders
63. My Grands
64. Johannes' Mother
65. Robert Bruce III's Mother
<Blog Post Essays> <This Computer Essays>
Introduction
Ancestry tracing is a means of telling stories about who we are and whence we came. Ancestry tracing itself is a "mega" story within which are "macro" stories that entail many "micro" stories. In my zeal to see how far I can follow Stanford and Polk ancestry traces, I have discovered six macro stories that approach or reach into the BCE era. Three of these macro story traces are in direct line of ascent from my 15th great grandparents, Bricius de Pollock (1337-1401) and Egidia Stewart (1338-1404): Viking, Celtic, and Franken. The other three macro story traces link to the Polk ancestry but are not in the direct line of ascent: Carolingian, Iberian Peninsula, and Merovingian.
The first three are direct-lineage macro stories:
2. Celtic trace, from Egidia Stewart to Priamos Podarcus Van Troje (c.525-? BCE)
3. Franken trace, from Egidia Stewart to Dardanis Van Arcadia (1630-? BCE)
The last three are linked (but no direct-lineage) macro stories:
5. Merovingian trace, linked from Sigbert V Van Razes (695-763) in the Iberian ancestry line to his wife Magdalena Van Urgel (698-?) in the Merovingian ancestry line, then on to Yeshua ben Yeshua (37 CE - ?).
6. Iberian Peninsula trace, linked from Philippe III de France (1245-1285) in the Carolingian ancestry line to his wife Isabelle d'Aragon (1247-1271) in the Iberian ancestry line, and on to Caius Julius Severus (25-98 CE)
The six macro ancestry traces are depicted in Chart 5R2:
7. Hebrew Patriarchs, from Sarah Damaris to Abraham ben Nahor.
Many of these micro stories occurred during what scientists have called "The Little Ice Age," a term that was introduced by Dutch-born American geologist F.E. Matthes in 1939. Originally the phrase was used to refer to Earth’s most recent 4,000-year period of mountain-glacier expansion and retreat. Today the phrase is commonly applied to the period 1300–1850 when mean annual temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere declined by 0.6 °C (1.1 °F) relative to the average temperature. The Little Ice Age followed the Medieval Warming Period (roughly 900–1300 CE) and preceded the present period of warming that began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Little Ice Age is best known for its effects in Europe and the North Atlantic region. Alpine glaciers advanced far below their previous (and present) limits, obliterating farms, churches, and villages in Switzerland, France, and elsewhere. Frequent cold winters and cool, wet summers led to crop failures and famines over much of northern and central Europe. In addition, the North Atlantic cod fisheries declined as ocean temperatures fell in the 17th century. (https://www.britannica.com/science/Little-Ice-Age)
Micro Stories in the Stanford and Polk Ancestries
1. Robert Stanford's Father
Robert Stanford's death year (1765) and burial site are known, but his birth date cannot be documented. It is estimated to be around 1675 because Robert was quite elderly at his death, possibly around 90 years old. This ancestry listing dead-ends with Robert because neither his father nor his mother can be identified. However, a good guess is that this father was Robert Maine Stanford (1644-1709) whose grandfather David Stanford (1602-1680) immigrated from Horsham, England, to Cumberland, Maine, in the early 17th century. If Robert Maine is indeed the father of Robert, the Stanford ancestry can be traced to Thomas Stanford, born in 1390.
2. Ancestry Spouse Shifts
When conducting a paternal ancestry trace, I check the ancestries of spouses to see if a shift is warranted. Only one of the Stanford spouse's ancestry traces went farther back than 1600. Presbyterian minister Samuel L. (Leonidas?) Stanford (1764-1833) married Margaret Torrens (1777-1858), the daughter of Thomas Torrance (c.1730-1764). Thomas’ mother was Elizabeth Kenan (?-1826), the daughter of Elizabeth Johnstone (1704-1789) and Thomas Kenan, founder of the town of Kenansville, county seat of Duplin County, North Carolina. The Johnstone ancestry may be traced to Elizabeth’s 2nd great grandfather, James Johnstone (1567-1608), and grandmother Sarah Maxwell (1570-1636). The Maxwell ancestry can be traced to Sarah’s 13th great grandfather, Undewyn MacCus (c. 1155-1190) the progenitor of the Scottish Maxwell Clan. The ancestry of Mary de Means (c.1210-1262), wife of Aymer (a.k.a. “Homer”) de MacCuswell (1190-1260), may be traced to her 2nd great grandfather, Reinald MacGaughan (c. 1095-1187). It may be noted that this ancestry trace entailed five shifts to the ancestries of spouses.
3. My Cousin Pinckney
Sarah Maxwell's grandfather, Robert Maxwell (1493-1546) had two sons named John, John Maxwell, 4th Lord of Herries (1512-1583), and John Maxwell (1518-1572). The Lord Herries lineage traces down to Margaret Torrens as noted in story #2, and on through the Stanford lineage to myself. The lineage of the other John Maxwell traces down to Pinkney Johnstone Maxwell (1944- ). Pinckney and I thus share a common 11th great grandfather in Robert Maxwell (c.1492-1546). This makes us 12th cousins, same generation.
4. My Cousin James
Robert Bruce II Pollock, 2nd Baron of Ireland, had several children, among them Robert Bruce Pollock III (1625-1703) and William Bruce Pollock (1664-1739), both of whom immigrated to the American Colonies. Robert Bruce III is the progenitor of the American Polk ancestry lineage that leads to me. William Bruce married Nancy Knox (1662-1718). Their 2nd great grandson was James Knox Polk (1795-1849), the 11th President of the United States. James K. Polk is my 4th cousin, removed by 4 generations.
5. My Cousin Alexander
Robert Bruce Polk (1672-1727) was son of immigrant Robert Bruce III Pollock (1625-1703). Robert Bruce and wife Lurvinah Johns (1699-1738) fathered a son, Thomas Luke Polk (1703-1781), and a daughter, Elizabeth Pollock (169-1763). Elizabeth married Alexander Hamilton of Grange (1652-1730). Their grandson was Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) who is regarded as a Founding Father of the United States of America. Alexander Hamilton served as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1789-to 1795. He is my 2nd cousin, removed by 7 generations.
6. Not My Cousin Leland
If Robert Stanford's (c.1675-1765) father was Robert Maine Stanford (1644-1709), Robert's grandfather was Thomas Maine Stanford (1618-1683). Thomas Maine had another son, Thomas Stanford (1650-1695) whose lineage traces to his 3rd great grandson, Amasa Leland Stanford (1824-1893). If we could document Robert's father as Robert Maine Stanford, Amasa Leland and I would share a common great grandfather in Thomas Maine Stanford, and he would be my 5th cousin, 3 generations removed. But since we can't document Robert's father, I can't claim Amasa Leland as a cousin.
7. Chester to Mecklenburg
In 1771 Samuel C Stanford and wife Elizabeth moved their family from Chester County, Pennsylvania, to Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The motivation for this move remains unknown but it may have been a quest for economic opportunity. It may have been related to American Revolutionary War hostilities that were occurring around this time in Pennsylvania and in the vicinity of Kings Mountain and Cowpens, South Carolina, near Mecklenburg County. This arduous journey was almost certainly taken by horse- or mule-drawn wagon along the Great Wagon Road or Great Valley Road that skirted the Appalachian mountain range and provided a southern gateway to the west. Samuel C. had been in Mecklenburg County for a couple of decades before the early 19th century gold rush there, but he may have engaged in gold mining or mercantile activity that intensified in response to the gold rush.
8. The Revolutionary War
Samuel is listed as a Revolutionary War pensioner (http://www.carolyar.com/revwar.htm). In his 1832 application to the State of North Carolina for a pension, he states that in 1779 he was a volunteer because he was too young (14) to be drafted. He entered service in the fall of 1779 and served for two months scouting enemy activity in Mecklenburg and Rowan Counties. He entered service again from May of 1781 to February of 1782 as an enlisted soldier and fought in skirmishes in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, and in the battle of Eutaw Springs, the last major engagement of the war in the Carolinas. (http://www.revwarapps.org/w2021.pdf)
9. Minister and Plantation Owner
From 1782 until 1791 Samuel lived in Mecklenburg, Robeson, and Bladen counties in North Carolina. In 1795, he became licensed and ordained as a Presbyterian minister and was called to serve Presbyterian churches in Bladen and Sampson counties, North Carolina. In 1800 he assumed the pastorates at the Grove and Goshen Presbyterian churches in Kenansville, Duplin County, where he served until his death in 1833. He married Margaret Torrens in 1801. During his residence in Kenansville, Samuel may have acquired upwards of 4000 acres in Duplin County that were managed by his older sons as a plantation. He may have owned 20 or more slaves. Their plantation produced cotton, flax, corn, peas, and products from sheep, hogs, and cattle. Their plantation also was engaged in the principal agricultural activity of the region, timber and naval stores (pitch, tar, turpentine).
10. Leaving Duplin County
Toward the end of his life, Samuel L. Stanford gifted his surviving sons with various amounts of land and slaves to work the land. Son Thomas Jefferson received 534 acres and acquired additional acreage from Thomas McGee whose daughter Dorothy he married in 1828. In 1840, the year that construction of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad reached Duplin County, North Carolina, Thomas Jefferson, Dorothy, and four sons moved to Henry County, Alabama, where four more children were born. The U.S. economy suffered a major panic in 1837 that precipitated a protracted depression for the next seven years until 1843. As commercial activity in North Carolina declined, banks collapsed, businesses failed, deflation ensued, and thousands of workers lost jobs. In North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, the panic precipitated efforts to diversify crops away from cotton. By 1840, many cotton plantations were no longer in cultivation. Thomas Jefferson Stanford may have wanted to escape the turmoil brought about by gold fever, depression, epidemics, the Indian removal process, slave unrest, and banking panics. The more immediate matter was that during the 1837-43 depression, his Duplin County farm failed and he could no longer support his family there.
11. Henry County Attraction
Because of the isolation of the wiregrass region and its relatively poor soil in south Alabama, the area was sparsely settled until after the Civil War. What farming occurred before the war was mostly subsistence, and timber and naval stores were still fledgling industries. After the war, the timber industry boomed as lumbering interests rushed in to take advantage of the yellow pine trees that covered the county. The poor soil and subsistence farming in the region would not seem to have provided an attraction. However, the fledgling timber and naval stores industry and the more fertile land in the vicinity of Abbeville and along the Chattahoochee River may have attracted him to Henry County. But the tract of land that Thomas J. purchased lay in the subsistence farming area of Henry County, and it may not have provided an adequate living for his family.
12. From Morris Station to Ocoee
At some unspecified time around the turn of the 20th century, John Quincy Stanford moved from Henry County, Alabama, to Morris Station in Quitman County, Georgia. There seems to be little in Quitman County that might have attracted John Quincy to leave Henry County, Alabama. Today, Quitman County is one of the smallest and poorest counties in Georgia. The move to Morris Station, a short distance to the southeast of Georgetown, Georgia, may have been an effort to escape the racial tension in Henry County. John Quincy may have found work in Morris Station with Alexander Hamilton Teel whose daughter, Hattie Olla, he subsequently married. A fanciful possibility is that John Quincy may have moved to Georgetown to court Olla. In 1920, John Quincy decided to seek opportunity in the citrus business in central Florida. The family packed all their worldly goods onto its Model T, and my 14-year-old father drove it southeast over dirt roads into north Florida and on to Orange County where John Quincy purchased land for a citrus grove. They planted orange, grapefruit, lemon, and lime trees in 1920, and in 1921 grafted good stock onto the small-growth trees. While waiting for the trees to mature and bear fruit, the family acquired a couple of cows and went into the dairy business. My father, Rupert, took a job with a local hardware merchant in Ocoee to help make ends meet.
13. The Civil War
In 1862, while residing in Henry County, Alabama, Thomas Jefferson Stanford's sons John Monroe, Thomas Quincy, and William Johnathan joined the 39th Alabama Volunteer Infantry to fight for the Confederacy. Son Samuel McGee joined the 12th North Carolina Infantry. Thomas Quincy's wife, Ann Eliza Guilford (1834-1903), became pregnant just before he departed for service. Thomas Quincy (“Quince”) was wounded on December 31, 1862, during the Civil War battle at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Quince died on January 1, 1863, and we know that his "manservant" collected his body and took it by mule and wagon from Murfreesboro back to Henry County for burial. Quince's son, John Quincy Stanford, my paternal grandfather, was born after Quince's death. After Quince was killed in the Battle of Murfreesboro, Thomas Jefferson may have abandoned the Henry County farm and returned to Duplin County, North Carolina. He died in 1870 and was buried in Kenansville.
14. An Ancestry Tracing Gateway
Ancestry traces rarely ascend farther than around 1500, but I have been fortunate that the ancestry of my maternal grandmother, Etta Avarilla Polk, has extended in several paths toward and into the BCE era. It is in this sense that Etta Avarilla is the family's "gateway" to Viking, Scottish, English, and Continental European ancestors.
15. Annabel's Father
Robert Bruce Pollock II, 2nd Baron of Ireland (1597-1660), is recorded in family ancestry records as having had two wives, Jean Crawford (1600-1625) whom he married in 1620, and Annabel Stewart (1565-1648) whom he married in 1630. Web sources and ancestry tracing records identify three possible fathers of Annabel Stewart: James Stuart, 1st Earl of Moray (1533-1570); Colin Campbell, 6th Earl of Argyle (1541-1584); and Walter Stewart of Minto (1498-?). James Stewart and wife Agnes Anna Keith (1530-158) had three daughters, including one named Annabel Stewart (1568-1571) who died at 2 years of age, so the 1st Earl of Moray could not have been the father of Robert Bruce III's wife. After James was assassinated in 1570, Agnes married Colin Campbell (January/February 1571) who would have been stepfather to Annabel before she died in 1571. The most likely father of Annabel Stewart was Walter Stuart of Minto. If the 1st Earl of Moray had been Annabel's father, the Polk ancestry would have traced through the Stewarts and the Plantagenets (Lancasters, Yorks, Edwards, Henrys) to William the Conqueror.
16. A Portal to the Royal House of Stewart
A key to an ancestry trace reaching BCE (before the common era) is that an ancestor is a royal or has married into royalty for which most ancestry records are well documented. Five Pollock ancestors married women with surname “Stewart”:
Charles de Pollock (1420-1490) married Margaret Stewart (1440-1470).
David de Pollock 1463-1543) married Marion Stewart (1465-1497).
John IV de Pollock (1535-1593) married Dorothea Stewart (1533-1633).
Robert Bruce II Pollock (1597-1660) married Annabel Stewart (1565-1648).
The surname “Stewart” implies that the Pollock spouses were scions of the Stuart family, the ancient royal house of Scotland. The fact that five Pollocks (Polloks) married into Scottish royalty attests to the social and political standings of the Pollock clan. The common ancestor of the Stewart spouses was Alexander FitzWalter Stewart, the 4th High Steward of Scotland (1214-1283). He was the 13th great-grandfather of Annabel, the 9th great-grandfather of Dorothea, the 7th great-grandfather of Margaret, the 6th great-grandfather of Marion, and the 2nd great-grandfather of Egidia. Egidia is the Pollock spouse that enables a “breakthrough” to BCE ancestry traces.
17. Egidia's Connection
Celts and Frankens have been prominent in the Polk line of the Stanford Family ancestry. Egidia Stewart (1355-1407), nicknamed Jill or Gilles) is the Pollock spouse that enables a “breakthrough” to Celt and Franken ancestry traces. Although Egidia cannot be documented by “record matches” of information contained in existing databanks, MyHeritage "smart-matches" of records from other family trees indicate that Egidia may have been a daughter of Walter Stewart (6th High Steward of Scotland, 1292-1327), his son King of Scots Robert lI Stewart (1318-1390), or his son King of Scots John Robert III Stewart (1337-1406). Birth and death dates suggest that Robert Ii Stewart and first wife Elizabeth Mure (1320-1355) most likely were the parents of Egidia Stewart, and that she was sister of John Robert III (Chart 5R30, page 16). Egidia is the 2nd great granddaughter of King Robert I "The Bruce" (1274-1329) and the key to extending ancestry traces toward BCE. She is my 15th great grandmother.
18. Birth of the Pollock Clan
Pollock, or Polloc, is an armigerous (they provided armed support in exchange for land) Scottish clan whose origin comes from a grant of land in Renfrewshire on the southern bank of the River Clyde to the west of Glasgow. The grant was made to the sons of Fulbert the Saxon de Falaise {1073-1153) by Walter FitzAlan (1106-1177), the 1st High Steward of Scotland, during the reign of King David I of Scotland (1084-1153) as a thanks for his father’s service to Scotland at the Battle of the Standard in 1138. Today, we might regard such payment as compensation for mercenary services. The name of Pollock (originally Pollok) is among the oldest family names in Scotland dating to the 12th century. It stems from the features of the land like many surnames from Scotland. The translation is a body of water such as a small pond or lake. The name 'Pollock' in Celtic translates to Pollog, "people who live by a pool.” The Renfrewshire land grant lies by the River Clyde, so "Pollok" refers to people who lived near the Clyde in Renfrewshire. The Pollock Clan resided in Renfrewshire during the entire ancestry trace from John IV de Pollock (1535-1593) to Fulbert the Saxon de Polloc (1073-1152), the first to carry the clan name "Pollock."
19. The Pollock Crest
The Pollock crest depicts a boar with an arrow in its back. Pollock tradition says the crest was granted by a king for having his life saved while hunting an old and wily boar that had unseated the king and was about to gore him to death. A Pollock shot the boar with and arrow and spared the king’s life. The motto on the Pollock crest translates from Latin as “boldly and earnestly” or “boldly and strongly.”
(https://www.tristantoday.com/home/2018/11/4/the-genealogy-of-tristan-pollock-and-clan-pollock)
20. Immigration to the American Colonies
In 1608 English King James I provided to Robert Bruce Pollock (1559-1625), my maternal 9th great grandfather, a large grant of land at Coleraine in County Derry, Ireland, to establish a "Plantation of Ulster." This barony grant made Robert Bruce Pollock the "1st Baron of Ireland." His son, Robert Bruce II Pollock (1597-1660) inherited the land and the title to become "2nd Baron of Ireland." Robert Bruce III Pollock (1625-1703, 20-B), my maternal 7th great grandfather, was born in Donegal, County Donegal, Ulster, Ireland, the son of Robert Bruce II and Jean Crawford (1600-1625) who died in 1625, possibly in childbirth of Robert Bruce III. In 1650 Robert Bruce III married Magdalen Tasker (1637-1726, 20-D), widow of his friend and companion in arms, Colonel Porter, and daughter of Colonel Tasker, Chancellor of Ireland. The family may have left Ireland to escape religious persecution (Robert was a Covenanter) and for opportunities new land in the Colonies afforded to practice their religion and build a home. Thomas, Robert's elder brother, inherited the family estate in Ireland, and the opportunity to secure land of his own in the colonies must have been factored into Robert Bruce III's decision to leave Ireland.
21. Pollock to Polk
The family name changed in when Robert Bruce III Pollock immigrated to the American Colonies. When a Scotsman says the name "Pollock," he emphasizes the first syllable with a long "o" and sort of swallows the second syllable. To a non-Scotsman it may sound like “Polk.” The story is told, whether true or not, that when the Pollock immigrants arrived at Dames Quarter in Ann Arundle County, Maryland, the colonial official who met the ship prompted for the name and heard Robert Bruce IIi Pollock say "Polk" which he wrote on the immigration documents. The Scottish Pollocks were American Polks from that time onward. Robert Bruce III Pollock/Polk is my 7th great grandfather.
22. Hubert Fulbert William Tanner
Hubert Fulbert William Tanner, Lord de Falaise, is my 24th great grandfather in the Pollock Viking ancestry trace. Fulbert is a Norman name, but many so-called “Normans” were descended from Danish Vikings. Ancestry records indicate that Fulbert's son was Fulbert de Falaise (?-1073), and that his daughter was Herleve Arlette de Falaise (1003-1050), the mother of William the Conqueror. Hubert Fulbert thus was grandfather of William the Conqueror. Hubert Fulbert’s father is identified in ancestry records as Viking descendant Thorgils Styrbjornsson (967-1024) whose father was Styrbjorn Olafsson (930-985), King of Sweden.
23. Herleve Arlette and Robert
Fulbert de Falaise (?-1073) is my 23rd great grandfather in the Pollock Vikiing ancestry trace. Fulbert's daughter, Herleve Arlette de Falaise (1003-1050), had conjugal relations with Robert "the Magnificent," Duke of Normandy, but they never were married. The child born of their relations was named William and was known as "William the Bastard" until history gave him a new name, "William the Conqueror." He and his Norman army invaded England in October 1066 and defeated the defending Anglo-Saxon army in the Battle of Hastings. Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, died in the Battle of Hastings, so William the Conqueror claimed the Engliish throne to became King William I of England. A hand-sewn (unknown artists) tapestry, 230 feet long and 22 inches wide, depicts scenes of the Norman invasion, the Battle of Hastings, and the death of Harold II. It is housed in a museum at Bayeux, France.
24. Lodbrok
Vikings is a historical drama television series created and written by Michael Hirst for the History Channel. Filmed in Ireland, it premiered on March 3, 2013, in Canada. The series concluded on December 30, 2020. Vikings was inspired by the sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok, a Viking who is one of the best-known legendary Norse heroes and notorious as the scourge of Angle-Saxon England and West Francia. The show portrays Ragnar as a farmer who rises to fame by raiding England and eventually becoming a Scandinavian king. (https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikings_(TV series))
25. Descent from Gods
Many ancient tribes claimed descent from god or gods. Vikings claim to have descended from the Norse god Odin. The Polk Viking ancestry may be traced to Uwald (143-?), who apparently named his son, Odin Fritzuwaldsson (162-?), for the god Odin. The ancestry of Franken tribes trace to the Greek god Zeus Van Olympia (1738-1638 BCE), and on to Kronos Saturnus Titan, Uranus Protogenoi de Ouranus, Aether Protogenoi, and Erebus Protogenoi. Zeus's son Dardanis Van Arcadia (1420-1368 BCE) is identified as the first human descendant of Zeus. Arcadia was in central Greece; Dardania was a region in what today is Kosovo. The Celtic ancestry also traces to a Dardanian, Aeneas Van Dardanie (c.412-? BCE), and Brutus "the Dardanian" (c.600-500 BCE) is claimed to have immigrated to Wales to father the Celtic tribes. Ancient Hebrews claimed descent from El or Yahweh. Unlike other Franken tribes, the Merovingians never claimed descent from a god, nor is there evidence that they were regarded as sacred.
26. NOT Conan the Barbarian!
In the Polk Celtic ancestry trace, Conan Meriadoc (360-421), King of Bretagne, is my 53rd great grandfather. Some ancestry researchers have attempted to make him the infamous "Conan the Barbarian." But Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films, television programs, video games, and role-playing games. Robert E. Howard created the character in 1932 for a series of fantasy stories published in Weird Tales magazine. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_the_Barbarian)
27. The Last Anglo-Saxon King of England
Harold Godwinson (c.1022 – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon English king. After his brother-in-law, King Edward the Confessor, died without an heir, the Witenagemot convened and chose Harold to succeed him; he was probably the first English monarch to be crowned in Westminster Abbey. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, fighting the Norman invaders led by William the Conqueror during the Norman conquest of England. His death marked the end of Anglo-Saxon rule over England. The Bayeux Tapestry depicts Harold dying due to an arrow shot through his eye.
28. The Division of a Kingdom
The Merovingian empire is linked to the Polk ancestry through the marriages of Scottish King James I Stewart (1394-1437) to Joan Beaufort (1404-1445), English King Edward II (11284-1327) to Isabelle de France (1292-1358), Phillip III de France (1245-1285) to Isabelle d'Aragon (1247-1271), and Sigbert V Van Razes (695-763) to Magdalena Van Urgel (698-?). The first known Merovingian King was Magdalena's 8th great grandfather, Childeric I (436-481). His son Clovis I (467-511) converted to Christianity, united the Franks, and conquered most of Gaul. Clovis's four sons divided the kingdom among themselves, and it remained divided until 679. The main division of the kingdom were Austrasia, Neustria, Burgundy, and Aquitaine. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merovingian_dynasty)
29. From Count to Emperor
The Vermandois ancestry is linked to the Polk ancestry through the marriages of Scottish King James I Stewart (1394-1437) to Joan Beaufort (1404-1445) and English King Edward II (11284-1327) to Isabelle de France (1292-1358). Vermandois was a French county during the Merovingian period. Today the Vermandois county would fall in the Picardy region of northern France. The Count of Vermandois was the ruler of the county of Vermandois. The counts of Vermandois gradually gained influence and control among the Franken tribes of western Europe until 768 when Count Charlemagne ("Charles the Great") became king of the Franks, then king of the Lombards from 764, and the first Emperor of the Romans from 800. He succeeded in uniting the majority of western and central Europe and was the first recognized emperor to rule western Europe after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The expanded Frankish state that Charlemagne founded was the Carolingian Empire. Pepin I de Vermandois (777-810), the earliest of its hereditary counts, was descended in direct male line from Charlemagne. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne)
30. The First King of France
The Vermandois ancestry is linked to the Polk ancestry through the marriages of Scottish King James I Stewart (1394-1437) to Joan Beaufort (1404-1445) and English King Edward II (11284-1327) to Isabelle de France (1292-1358). The Vermandois hereditary counts had been known as kings of the Franks. But from 1190 onward, Isabelle's 6th great grandfather, Philippe II de France (1165-1223), was the first Frankish monarch to style himself as "King of France."
31. Owen and Catherine
As depicted in Chart 91, Catherine of Valois (1401-1437, 12-G), widow of King Henry V (1387-1422, 12-I), married a servant in her household, Owen Tudor (1400-1461, 12-F). They had two sons, Jasper (1431-1485, 13-M) and Edmund (1431-1456, 13-O). Edmund married Lady Margaret Beaufort (1443-1509, 13-P), great-granddaughter of Lancastrian John of Gaunt (1340-1399). Their son Henry captured the throne after the death of Richard III (1452-1485, 14-K) to become Henry VII (1487-1509, 15-O), the first Tudor monarch of England. The Pollock ancestry connects to the Tudor Dynasty because, as depicted in Chart 91, Henry VII's daughter Margaret (1489-1541) married James IV Stewart (1473-1513) whose 3rd great grandfather, Robert II Stewart (1316-1390), is my 16th great grandfather.
32. Trojans or Romans?
The Polk Franken ancestry trace passes through a sequence of names ascending from Alexandre Van Troy (747-677 BCE) to Ilyus Van Troy (1315-1282 BCE) who appear to have been residents of Troy in Asia Minor. Ilyus would be my 114th great grandfather. The Franks emerged into recorded history in the 3rd century of the common era as a Germanic tribe living on the east bank of the lower Rhine River. However, in Roman and Merovingian times, Romans often were called Trojans, and Franks were called Sicambri, a Germanic people who during Roman times lived on the east bank of the Rhine River in what now is Germany near the border with the Netherlands.
33. Cimmerians or Sicambri?
The Polk Franken ancestry passes through a range of names ascending from Priam IV Von Cimmerians (525-502 BCE) to Priam III Van Cimmerians (700-655 BCE) who would be my 94th great grandfather. Merovingian kings traced their lineage to what may have been a tribe of the Cimmerians referred to as Sicambri. However, there is no way to tell if the Sicambri were real Cimmerians or a mythical tribe thought to have helped the Merovingian kings to bolster their royal claims. The ancient Cimmerians were a nomadic people of the Eurasian Steppe who originally lived in the Caspian and Caucasian steppes corresponding to present-day Russia. By the late 7th century BCE the Cimmerians had migrated to the Anatolian region in present-day Turkey. They subsisted for some time in the Troas region until they were finally defeated by the Lydians of southern Turkey. The remnants of the Cimmerians eventually were assimilated by the populations of Anatolia and Franken Europe. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimmerians)
34. The Baron of Skelton and the Lordship of Annandale
The progenitor of the Scottish Bruce lineage was Robert Adam Le Brus (1041-1080) who came to England in 1050. When William the Conqueror invaded England, le Brus joined his army. After the conquest he received the barony of Skelton and the lordship of Cleveland as a reward for his services. Robert Adam's son, Robert I de Brus, 1st Lord of Annandale (c.?1070–1141), was the first of the Bruce dynasty to hold lands in Scotland. The friendship between Robert de Brus and David FitzMalcolm (after 1124, King David I of Scotland) may have commenced at least as early as 1120 at King Henry's Court. When David FitzMalcolm became king of Scotland in 1124, he settled upon his military companion and friend Robert I le Bruce (1072-1141) the lordship of Annandale. Annandale, near Dumfries, became the ancestral home of the Bruce dynasty.
35. The Bruce
Robert de Brus (1274-1329) inherited his family's claim to the Scottish throne upon the death of his father, Robert VI de Brus (1240-1294). In 1306 English King Edward I's forces defeated Robert in the Battle of Methven, forcing him to flee into hiding until he reemerged in 1307 to defeat an English army at Loudoun Hill and wage a highly successful guerrilla war against the English. A series of military victories between 1310 and 1314 won him control of much of Scotland. Edward I died on 7 July 1307 and was succeeded by his son, Edward II. At the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, Robert's Scottish forces defeated a much larger and better equipped English army under Edward II, confirming the reestablishent of an independent Scottish kingdom. The battle marked a significant turning point, as Robert's armies launched devasting raids throughout northern England. The victory in this battle is celebrated to this day in Scotland. Robert became known as "The Bruce." He is my 18th great grandfather. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_Bruce)
36. The Mother of the Stewart Dynasty
Marjorie Bruce (1297-1316) was the eldest daughter of Robert the Bruce (1274-1329), King of Scots, by his first wife, Isabella of Carrick (1278-1302). After Robert's defeat in the Battle of Methven in 1306, Marjorie was captured and held in a convent for several years by English King Edward I. After the death of Edward I, Marjorie finally was liberated after the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 by Edward I's son Edward II in exchange for Humphrey de Bohun. Father Robert sent Walter Steward, 6th High Steward of Scotland to receive Marjorie and accompany her home. Walter fell in love with Marjorie and married her. On 2 March 1316, she was riding in Gallowhill, Paisley, Renfrewshire, while heavily pregnant. Her horse, taking fright at something, reared up, throwing Marjorie violently to the ground. She immediately went into premature labor. A bystanding pig farmer, well experienced in such matters, performed a field Caesarian section to deliver the baby. Marjorie died within a few hours, aged only about 19 years and 3 months. Her son succeeded his childless uncle David I of Scotland in 1871 as King Robert II of Scotland. Marjorie is known as the mother of the House of Stewart because her descendants and their successors include all who have occupied the thrones of Scotland, England, and the United Kingdom. Marjorie is my 17th great grandmother, and Robert II is my 16th great grandfather. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marjorie_Bruce)
37. Dol de Bretagne
Dol-de-Bretagne is reputed to be the origin of the royal House of Stewart who became the monarchs of Scotland and later England and Ireland; a plaque in Dol commemorates that origin. The Stewart monarchs descend from Alan the Seneschal of Dol. His son, Flaad Fitzalan and his grandson Alan FitzFlaad, arrived in Britain at the request of Henry I, King of England. Flaad's grandson, Walter Fitzalan, was appointed the 1st Steward of Scotland by David I of Scotland. Malcolm IV of Scotland later confirmed the honor bestowed by David and made the office of Steward of Scotland hereditary in Walter's family. In the fourteenth century, Walter Stewart (so named for his family's hereditary possession of the office of High Steward of Scotland), a descendant of Walter Fitzalan, married Marjorie Bruce, daughter of King Robert I of Scotland. Their son became King Robert II Stewart, and their descendants the royal House of Stewart. Robert II Stewart is my 15th great grandfather. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dol-de-Bretagne)
38. The High Stewards of Scotland
The title of High Steward or Great Steward is that of an officer who controls the domestic affairs of a royal household. In the 12th century King David I of Scotland gave the title to Walter Fitzalan, a nobleman from Brittany, whose descendants adopted the surname "Steward," later "Stewart," and who founded the royal House of Stewart. A junior branch of the Stewart family descended from the younger son of Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland (d.1283), namely "Stewart of Darnley," paternal ancestors of King James I & VI. In 1371 Robert Stewart, 7th High Steward of Scotland inherited the throne of Scotland via his mother and became King Robert II of Scotland, when the title or office of High Steward of Scotland merged into the crown. King Robert II is my 16th great grandfather. In the 16th century, Mary Stuart (1542-1587), Queen of Scotland, adopted the French spelling "Stuart." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_High_Steward_of_Scotland)
39. Robert II and Charles III
King Robert II is my 16th great grandfather, and coincidentally he also is 17th great grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022). Robert II Stewart is 18th great grandfather of Queen Elizabeth's son, now King Charles III (1948- ). Queen Elizabeth is my 18th cousin, one generation removed. King Charles III is my 19th cousin, two generations removed.
40. Ancestry Intersection
As depicted in Chart 91, the Stewart ancestry intersects with the Pollock ancestry at the marriage of Bricius de Pollock (1337-1461) and Egidia Stewart (1355-1407), the daughter of King of Scots Robert II Stewart (1316-1390). Robert II Stewart is my 16th great grandfather amd Queen Elizabeth II's (1926-2022) 17th great grandfather, so we are 178h cousins, one generation removed.
41. Pollock Spouse Cousins
Five Pollock ancestors married women with surname “Stewart”:
Charles de Pollock (1420-1490) married Margaret Stewart (1440-1470).
David de Pollock 1463-1543) married Marion Stewart (1465-1497).
John IV de Pollock (1535-1593) married Dorothea Stewart (1533-1633).
Robert Bruce II Pollock (1597-1660) married Annabel Stewart (1565-1648).
The common ancestor of four of these spouses, all but Egidia, is Alexander Stewart of Darnley (1342-1402), the 2nd great grandson of Alexander FitzWalter Stewart (1214-1283), 4th High Steward of Scotland. The four Pollock spouses with surname Stewart are my cousins.
42. How a German became King of England
When Catholic English King James II Stuart (1633-1701) died, his daughter Mary II Stuart (1662-1694) became Queen of England. She had been raised Protestant, but she died without issue. Her sister Anne Stuart (1665-1714) then became Queen, but she too died without issue. With no remaining Protestant child of James II eligible to ascend to the throne, Parliament turned to George I Ludwig Guelph (1660-1727), husband of Stuart cousin Sophia Dorothea Braunschwei (1666-1726), niece of James II and cousin to Mary II and Anne, to ascend the throne. Hanoverian George Ludwig thus became King George I of Great Britain and Ireland in 1714. At Queen Victoria's death in 1901, the throne of the United Kingdom passed to her eldest son Edward VII, a member of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
43. From "Battenburg" to "Mountbatten"
The first Battenbergs were a family of German counts residing in the castle of Kellerburg near Battenberg in Hesse. In 1917, Louis Alexander Battenberg (1854–1921), an English Battenberg descendant who had become an admiral in the British navy, was accorded the title Marquess of Milford Haven. Because Great Britain was at war with Germany, in 1917 King George V requested that members of the Battenberg family who lived in England renounce the German title of "Prince of Battenberg" and adopt the English form "Mountbatten" as surname. Louis Alexander Battenberg thus became Louis Alexander Mountbatten. Louis' younger son Louis (1900-1979) served in the Royal Navy and was the last Viceroy of India. Louis's daughter Alice (1885–1969) married Prince Andrew of Greece (1882–1944). Their only son, Prince Philip (1921–2021, 29-T), took the surname Mountbatten and married George VI’s daughter Elizabeth (29-V).
44. From "Mountbatten" to "Windsor"
Before 1917, members of the British Royal Family were known only by the name of the house or dynasty from which they descended. In 1917, King George adopted "Windsor" as surname as a result of anti-German feeling during the First World War. The name Windsor was the castle in which the royal family resided. Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth's son Prince Charles (1948- , 30-R), now King Charles III, kept the surname Mountbatten and added Windsor to it. Their grandsons, William (31-R) and Henry (Harry) (31-V) have kept the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.
45. Plantagenets at War with Each Other
In the so-called "Wars of the Roses," two Houses of Lancaster were extensions of the House of Plantagenet. The first House of Lancaster was created when King Henry III of England (1207-1272, 6-J) created the Earldom of Lancaster for his second son Edmund Crouchback in 1267. The second house of Lancaster descended from John of Gaunt (1340-1399, 10-Q), great-grandson of Henry III. Gaunt married the heiress of the first house, Blanche of Lancaster. Gaunt's son Henry Bolingbroke (11-N) usurped the throne of Richard II (11-L) in 1399. The House of Lancaster became extinct in the male line upon the murder in the Tower of London of Henry VI (1421-1472, 13-H), following the battlefield execution of his son Edward of Westminster (1473-1484, 14-H), Prince of Wales, by supporters of the House of York in 1471. Lancastrian political interests were carried on by Henry VII Tudor (1457-1509, 15-O), whose mother, Margaret Beaufort (1443-1509, 13-P) was a great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt and his second wife, Katherine Swynford (1350-1403, 10-S). The House of York descended in the male line from Edmund of Langley (10-T), 1st Duke of York, the fourth surviving son of Edward III (9-L), and Philippa of Hainault (9-N). Edmund was the founder of the House of York, but it was through the marriage of his younger son, Richard of Conisburgh (11-X), to Anne Mortimer (11-Z) that the Yorkist faction in the Wars of the Roses made its claim to the throne. The York dynasty ended with the death of Richard III (14-K) at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.
46. The End of the Wars of Roses
Catherine of Valois (1401-1437, 12-G), widow of King Henry V (1387-1422, 12-I), married a servant in her household, Owen Tudor (1400-1461, 12-F). They had two sons, Jasper (1431-1485, 13-M) and Edmund (1431-1456, 13-O). Edmund married Lady Margaret Beaufort (1443-1509, 13-P), great-granddaughter of Lancastrian John of Gaunt (1340-1399). Their son Henry captured the throne after the death of Richard III (1452-1485, 14-K) to become Henry VII (1487-1509, 15-O), the first Tudor monarch of England. The Tudors aligned with the House of Lancaster. Henry VII married Elizabeth of York (1466-1503, 15-Q) to merge the houses of Lancaster and York, thus bringing an end to the Wars of the Roses.
47. Roses
Both the Yorkists and the Lancastrians were of the House of Plantagenet. The Yorkist faction was represented by a white rose. The Lancastrian faction was represented by a red rose. When Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field, Edmund Tudor ascended the Throne as Henry VII. Henry married Elizabeth of York, Edward IV’s daughter, to bring an end to the Wars of the Roses. Henry introduced the “Tudor rose” as a combination of the red Lancaster rose and the white York rose. Eventually, the wars eliminated the male lines of both families leading to the end of the Plantagenet reign and subsequent rise of the Tudor Dynasty.
48. The Polks and the Wars of the Roses
How does the Polk ancestry connect to the Wars of the Roses? King of Scots James Stewart I (2nd great grandson of Robert I Bruce) married Joan Beaufort, an English Lancaster and granddaughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster.
49. Eward, Isabella, and Piers
Isabella of France (c.?1295 – 22 August 1358, 8-M), sometimes described as the She-Wolf of France, was Queen of England as the wife of King Edward II (8-K), and regent of England from 1327 until 1330. She was the youngest surviving child and only surviving daughter of Philip IV of France (7-M) and Joan I of Navarre (7-P). Isabella was notable in her lifetime for her diplomatic skills, intelligence, and beauty. Isabella arrived in England at the age of 12 during a period of growing conflict between Edward II and the powerful baronial factions. Her new husband was notorious for the patronage he lavished on his favorite, Piers Gaveston, but the queen supported Edward during these early years, forming a working relationship with Piers and using her relationship with the French monarchy to bolster her own authority and power. Gaveston's exclusive access to the King provoked Isabelle and several members of the nobility, and in 1308 the King was forced to send him into exile. Upon his return his behavior became even more offensive, and by the Ordinances of 1311 it was decided that Gaveston should be exiled again, to be regarded as an outlaw if he returned. He did return in late 1311, and in 1312 he was hunted down and executed by a group of magnates led by Thomas of Lancaster and Guy de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick.
50. A King Deposed by his own Wife
After Piers Gaveston was executed by a group of magnates led by Thomas of Lancaster and Guy de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, King Edward II turned to a new favorite, Hugh Despenser the Younger, and attempted to take revenge on the barons, resulting in the Despenser War and a period of internal repression across England. Queen Isabella could not tolerate Hugh Despenser and by 1325 her marriage to Edward was at a breaking point. Traveling to France on a diplomatic mission, Isabella began an affair with Roger Mortimer, and the two agreed to depose Edward and oust the Despenser family. The Queen returned to England with a small mercenary army in 1326, moving rapidly across England and accumulating troops as the King's forces deserted him. Isabella deposed Edward, becoming regent on behalf of her son, Edward III (9-M). Some believe that Isabella then arranged the murder of Edward II. In 1330, aged 18, Edward III forcibly asserted his authority, and Mortimer was executed. Isabella lost her regency and was put under arrest for two years, but afterwards she lived for many years in considerable style. Isabelle de France (1292-1358), married English King Edward II (1284-1327), whose 2nd great granddaughter, Joan Beaufort (1404-1445), married King of Scots James I Stewart (1394-1437), the grandson of King of Scots Robert II (1316-1390), my 16th great grandfather.
51. William Wallace
William Wallace (c.?1270 – 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. In the confused period of rebellions against English rule from 1295 to 1304, Robert I de Brus ("the Bruce, 1274-1329, 8-C), Earl of Carrick, appears among the leading supporters of the rebel William Wallace (1270-1305). Scottish forces commanded by Wallace and Andrew Moray defeated an English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297. Wallace was appointed Guardian of Scotland and served until his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk in July 1298. Although the Scots lost many men in the battle, Wallace escaped but his military reputation suffered badly. By September 1298, Wallace resigned as Guardian of Scotland in favor of Robert de Brus. Wallace was captured in Robroyston, near Glasgow, and handed over to Edward I who had him hanged, drawn and quartered for high treason and crimes against English civilians. Robert the Bruce is my 18th great grandfather.
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52. Bannockburn
Robert de Brus inherited his family's claim to the Scottish throne upon the death of his father, Robert VI de Brus (1243 – 1304, 7-A). He moved quickly to seize the throne and was crowned king of Scots on 25 March 1306. English King Edward I's forces defeated Robert in the battle of Methven, forcing him to flee into hiding, but he reemerged in 1307 to defeat an English army at Loudoun Hill and wage a highly successful guerrilla war against the English. A series of military victories between 1310 and 1314 won him control of much of Scotland. Edward I died on 7 July 1307. He was succeeded by his son, Edward II (8-L). At the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, Robert’s Scottish forces defeated a much larger and better equipped English army under Edward II to reestablish an independent Scottish kingdom. Robert's armies then were free to launch devastating raids throughout northern England. The victory in this battle is celebrated to this day in Scotland but is hardly remembered in England. Edward II refused to renounce his claim to the overlordship of Scotland.
53. The White Ship Disaster
The White Ship was a newly refitted vessel captained by Thomas FitzStephen whose father Stephen FitzAirard had been captain of the ship Mora for William the Conqueror (1-L) when he invaded England in 1066. On 25 November 1120 Thomas offered his ship to Henry I of England (2-J) to return to England from Barfleur in Normandy. Henry had already made other arrangements, but he allowed many in his retinue to take the White Ship, including his heir, William Adelin (3-J) and many other nobles. The crew asked William Adelin for wine and he supplied it to them in great abundance. By the time the ship was ready to leave there were about 300 people on board. The ship's captain, Thomas FitzStephen, was ordered by the revelers to overtake the king's ship, which had already sailed. But when it set off in the dark, its port side struck a submerged rock and the ship quickly capsized. William Adelin got into a small boat and could have escaped but turned back to try to rescue his half-sister, Matilda, when he heard her cries for help. His boat was swamped by others trying to save themselves, and William drowned along with them.
54. The Anarchy
A direct result of William Adelin's death in the White Ship disaster was the period known as the Anarchy. The death of William Adelin left King Henry I with only one in-wedlock child, a second daughter named Matilda (3-I). Although Henry I had forced his barons to swear an oath to support Matilda as his heir on several occasions, a woman had never ruled in England in her own right. Matilda was also unpopular because she was married to Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou (3-G), a traditional enemy of England's Norman nobles. Upon Henry's death in 1135, the English barons were reluctant to accept Matilda as queen regnant. One of Henry I's male relatives, Stephen of Blois (3-R), the king's nephew by his sister Adela (2-S), usurped Matilda as well as his older brothers William and Theobald to become king. After Henry I's death, Matilda and her husband Geoffrey of Anjou, the founder of the Plantagenet dynasty, launched a long and devastating war against Stephen and his allies for control of the English throne. The Anarchy dragged from 1135 to 1153 with devastating effect, especially in southern England.
The U.S. economy suffered a major panic in 1837 that precipitated a protracted depression for the next seven years until 1843. The roots of the panic and ensuing depression derived from President Andrew Jackson's 1836 order that federal government specie (coin and bullion) be removed from the Bank of the United States and be deposited in selected banks that became known as his "pet banks." While the specie was in transit for several months, it was unavailable to serve as reserves to support bank loans so that the amount of money in circulation contracted. As commercial activity in North Carolina declined, banks collapsed, businesses failed, deflation ensued, and thousands of workers lost jobs. The panic precipitated efforts to diversify crops away from cotton. By 1840, many cotton plantations were no longer viable. The panic and the collapse of the cotton market may have motivated Samuel C.'s son, Thomas Jefferson Stanford, to move his family farther south to an area that was less affected by the panic. Thomas Jefferson Stanford is my 2nd great grandfather.
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The surname Bruce comes from the French de Brus or de Bruis, derived from the lands now called Brix, Normandy, France. The progenitor of the Scottish Bruce lineage was Robert Adam Le Brus (1041-1080) who came to England in 1050. When William the Conqueror invaded England, le Brus joined his army. After the conquest he received the barony of Skelton and the lordship of Cleveland as a reward for his services. Robert Adam's son, Robert I de Brus, 1st Lord of Annandale (c.?1070–1141), was the first of the Bruce dynasty to hold lands in Scotland. The friendship between Robert I de Brus and David FitzMalcolm (after 1124, King David I of Scotland) may have commenced at least as early as 1120 at the court of King Henry Beauclerc. When David FitzMalcolm became king of Scotland in 1124, he settled upon his military companion and friend Robert I de Bruce the lordship of Annandale. Annandale, near Dumfries, became the ancestral home of the Bruce dynasty. In 1124 Robert followed David I north to reclaim his kingdom. When a civil war broke out in England between Empress Matilda (1101-1167) and her cousin, Stephen de Blois (1097-1164), David I led a force into England. However, de Brus did not follow David and instead joined the English at the Battle of the Standard in 1138 where he took prisoner his own son, Robert II de Brus (1138-1194), who then was 2nd Lord of Annandale. Robert I de Brus, 1st Lord of Annandale, died on 11 May 1141 and was buried at Gysburn.
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The foundation for the Bruce claim to the Scottish throne came in 1219 when Robert IV Bruce, 4th Lord of Annandale, married Isobel of Huntingdon, daughter of David of Scotland and niece of William the Lion. On the death of King Alexander III of Scotland, both Robert V Bruce, 5th Lord of Annandale, and John Balliol claimed succession. Alexander's infant granddaughter Margaret was named as heir, but she died while traveling to Scotland to claim her throne. Soon after her death, the Guardians of Scotland asked the kingdom's southern neighbor, King Edward I of England, to arbitrate among the claimants in order to avoid civil war. Edward I saw this as the opportunity he had long awaited to conquer Scotland. In 1292 Edward chose Balliol who swore allegiance to Edward. It was not long, however, before Balliol rebelled against Edward, eventually leading to Balliol's defeat and forced abdication after the Battle of Dunbar in 1296. With the abdication of Balliol, Scotland was effectively without a monarch. Robert V's grandson, Robert "the Bruce" swore allegiance to Edward at Berwick-upon-Tweed but breached this oath when he joined the Scottish revolt the following year. In the summer of 1297 he again swore allegiance to Edward in what is known as the Capitulation of Irvine. The Bruce and John Comyn, a rival for the throne, succeeded William Wallace as Guardians of Scotland, but their rivalry threatened the stability of the country. A meeting was arranged at Greyfriars Church, a neutral ground, but Bruce stabbed Comyn through the heart and as a result was excommunicated by Pope Clement V. Nevertheless, Robert I the Bruce was crowned King of Scotland at Scone, Perthshire, in 1306. However, soon thereafter he was forced by the English to retreat into Argyll. Three years later Robert the Bruce led three thousand battle hardened veterans but was defeated by the English and forced to flee. In 1314 Robert the Bruce led a small Scottish army to defeat a much larger English force in the Battle of Bannockburn. Robert the Bruce's son, David II of Scotland, became king on his father's death in 1329. In 1346 under the terms of the Auld Alliance, David marched south into England in the interests of France, but he was defeated at the Battle of Neville's Cross and imprisoned for eleven years. David returned to Scotland after negotiation of a treaty and ruled there until he died in Edinburgh Castle in 1371 without issue. The line of succession then passed to Robert II Stewart, the son of the Bruce's daughter Marjorie and Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland. Marjorie Bruce Stewart, my 17th great grandmother, is regarded as the mother of the Stewart dynasty. Robert I Bruce is my 18th great grandfather. Robert II Stewart is my 16th great grandfather.
Initially populated by Celtic tribes in the west and Belgic tribes in the east, the region now known as Normandy was conquered in AD 98 by the Romans. After the fall of Rome in the 5th century, the Franks became the dominant ethnic group in the area. Towards the end of the 8th century, Viking raids devastated the region, and Normandy takes its name from the Viking invaders. Medieval Latin documents referred to them as Nortmanni, which means "men of the North." After 911, this name replaced the term Neustria which was the Merovingian term for the region that included Normandy. The Viking Age in Scandinavian history is the period from the earliest recorded raids by Norsemen in 793 until the Norman conquest of England in 1066. In addition to raiding and trading, Vikings established settlements which at first may have served mainly as winter quarters while abroad. A major area of Danish Viking settlement was in Normandy, France. In 911 the Viking leader Rollo became the first Duke of Normandy as a vassal of King Charles III of France. Various contenders fought for the throne of England until the question of the succession was settled in 1066 by one of Rollo's descendants, William, the illegitimate son of Herleve Arlette de Falaise and Robert the Magnificent, Duke of Normandy, known as William the Bastard. After William led the Norman forces to victory at the Battle of Hastings over Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, he became known as William the Conqueror. Although the 1066 conquest of England is known today as the Norman invasion, the majority of the “Norman” combatants were Viking descendants whose ancestors had settled in Normandy.
Ancestry records indicate that the wife of Antenor IV (24-67), King of the Francs, was Sarah Damaris (27-?). Ancestry records list Sarah, Joses Justus ben Yeshua (33-?). and Yeshua ben Yeshua (37-120) as siblings and children of Marie bat Syrus (2-63), a.k.a. "Mary Magdalene." Ancestry records also indicate that Marie was wife of Yeshua ben Yossef (4 BCE-32 CE), a.k.a. "Jesus, son of Joseph," and that Yeshua ben Yossef was son of Yossef ben Jacob (c.30 BCE-19 CE). The ancestry trace then follows the lineage listing in the 1st chapter of the Gospel of Matthew to Solomon ben David (970-913 BCE) and on to Patriarch Abraham ben Terah (c. 2058 BCD - 1810 BCE) and his father Terah ben Nahor (2065 BCE - 1917 BCE). Yeshua's mother is listed as Myriam bat Heli (15 BCE - 60 CE), a.k.a. "Mary, the mother of Jesus." The ancestry trace in the 3rd chapter of the Gospel of Luke goes from Myriam's father, Joachim Heli ben Matthat (44 BCE - 17 CE) to Nathan ben David c.1039 BCE - 969 CE) and on through the Patriarchs to Adam, the first human created by God. Several assumptions underlie these ancestry records:
• Jesus married Mary Magdalene, and they had a daughter, Sarah (27 CE), before the crucifixion.
• Jesus survived the crucifixion, recovered, and escaped from Palestine with Mary Magdalene and Sarah.
• Mary Magdalene, Jesus, and daughter Sarah made their way across the Mediterranean Sea to the south coast of Gaul (now France).
• The Mediterranean transit may have been enabled by Mary's uncle, Joseph ben Matthat (1-82 CE), a.k.a. "Joseph of Arimathea," a tin merchant who often sailed westward across the Mediterranean to Bretagne and Wales to purchase tin ore.
• In Gaul, Mary Magdalene and Jesus had two more children, Joses Justus ben Yeshua (33-?) and Yeshua ben Yeshua (37-120).
• Sarah, with appended surname Damaris ("of the sea"), encountered Antenor IV, King of a Franken tribe on the south bank of the Rhine River in the north of Gaul, and married him.
• Sarah and Antenor had at least one son, Ratherius des Francs (45-90), whose lineage can be traced to King of Scots, Robert II Stewart (1316-1390), my 16th great grandfather.
60. Covenanters
61. Ancestry Research Production and Consumption
62. Pretenders
63. My Grands
64. Johannes' Mother
65. Robert Bruce III's Mother
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