The word Viking has come to be used to describe all early medieval Scandinavians, but as originally used by contemporaries the term vikingr only to someone who went i viking, that is plundering. Only a minority of early medieval Scandinavians were, therefore, Vikings in the strict sense of the word. Various explanations of the origin of the word have been proposed. The commonest explanations are that Viking is derived either from Viken in southern Norway, and therefore means simply 'the men from Viken', or that it comes from the Scandinavian word vik (bay or cove) and means 'the men from the bays'. Another possibility is that it derives from the old Scandinavian verb vikya, meaning 'to turn away' and so came to be used to describe Scandinavians who were travelling away from home. However, a Scandinavian origin for the word seems unlikely, as its use in Old English predates the Viking Age. It was used to describe any band of pirates, not simply those from Scandinavia. In the 8th century poem, Exodus, the seafaring sons of Reuben are described as wicingas, for example. In this case, it seems likely that wicing is derived from Old English wic (port of trade) and means 'the men who frequent (or attack) ports', and that it was only later adopted by the Scandinavians themselves. After falling into disuse in the central Middle Ages, the use of Viking was revived by the 19th century Romantic movement.
Notes from Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age by John Haywood. Thames & Hudson 2000. pp 198-199.
Friday, 3 August 2012
Vikings in England part III
The Vikings' impact in England was considerable. Their invasions effectively eliminated the kingdoms of East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria, leaving Wessex as the only Anglo-Saxon Kingdom. When Wessex conquered the Danelaw in the 10th century, the English were for the first time united in a single kingdom. Thus, England owes its existence as a unified kingdom indirectly to the Vikings. The extensive Danish settlements in Eastern England had a long-lasting influence on local legal customs, and a wider impact on the English language through hundreds of Scandinavian loan words, including ones such as 'sky', 'skin', 'get', 'egg' and 'sister'. The Viking attacks on monasteries certainly caused a great deal of cultural damage, but English monasticism made a strong recovery in the 10th century. Viking roads must also have caused much short-term economic hardship for their victims through losses of livestock, seed corn and manpower. In the longer term the Vikings may have promoted urbanization, both directly through trade at centres like York and Lincoln, and indirectly by prompting the Anglo-Saxons to found fortified settlements called burhs.
The Scandinavian settlers in England were assimilated into the native population within a few generations by intermarriage and conversion to Christianity. Archaeological evidence of the Scandinavian settlement is limited. There are a few pagan burials and many works of sculpture showing the influence of Scandinavian art styles, but from apart from at York no Scandinavian settlements have been identified with any certainty. Evacuations of Viking Age farmsteads at Ribblehead in North Yorkshire, Goltho in Lincolnshire, Bryants Gill in Cumbria and Simy Folds in County Durham, each one in an area settled by Scandinavians, have all failed to produce distinctively Viking artefacts. The most important source of evidence for Scandinavian settlement comes from place-names. In the old Danelaw counties of eastern England, Danish influence in place-names ending in -by, as in Thurkleby (Thurkil's farmstead), and -thorpe, as in Kettlethorpe (Ketil's outlying farm). Hybrid names incorporating a Danish personal name and the English element -tun, as in Grimston (Grim's village) are also common in the Danelaw. Norse place-names are common in north-west England, especially in Cumbria. Typical Norse place-name elements include -thveit, as in Brackenthwaite (bracken clearing), soetr, as in Gunnerside (Gunnar's shieling) and in fjall, as in Scafell (crag hill).
Notes from Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age by John Haywood. Thames & Hudson 2000. pp65-66.
The Scandinavian settlers in England were assimilated into the native population within a few generations by intermarriage and conversion to Christianity. Archaeological evidence of the Scandinavian settlement is limited. There are a few pagan burials and many works of sculpture showing the influence of Scandinavian art styles, but from apart from at York no Scandinavian settlements have been identified with any certainty. Evacuations of Viking Age farmsteads at Ribblehead in North Yorkshire, Goltho in Lincolnshire, Bryants Gill in Cumbria and Simy Folds in County Durham, each one in an area settled by Scandinavians, have all failed to produce distinctively Viking artefacts. The most important source of evidence for Scandinavian settlement comes from place-names. In the old Danelaw counties of eastern England, Danish influence in place-names ending in -by, as in Thurkleby (Thurkil's farmstead), and -thorpe, as in Kettlethorpe (Ketil's outlying farm). Hybrid names incorporating a Danish personal name and the English element -tun, as in Grimston (Grim's village) are also common in the Danelaw. Norse place-names are common in north-west England, especially in Cumbria. Typical Norse place-name elements include -thveit, as in Brackenthwaite (bracken clearing), soetr, as in Gunnerside (Gunnar's shieling) and in fjall, as in Scafell (crag hill).
Notes from Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age by John Haywood. Thames & Hudson 2000. pp65-66.
Vikings in England part II
England enjoyed a respite from Viking attacks until 980, when raids from Denmark and the Norse settlements in Ireland and Scotland began.
England's King Aethelred II was a poor war leader who was soon reduced to paying Danegeld to buy off the Viking raids. Among the leaders of the Vikings were Olaf Tryggvason, who used the proceeds of the raids to win control of Norway in 995, and the Danish king Svein Forkbeard. As the English defences collapsed, Svein's objective changed from exacting tribute to outright conquest. At the end of 1013 Aethelred fled the country and Svein was accepted as king of England, but he died in a matter of weeks before he could consolidate his conquest. England had to be reconquered, after an epic struggle with Athelred's son, Edmund Ironside, by Svein's son, Cnut, in 1016. Though many Danish aristocrats were granted English lands, Cnut's conquest was not followed by any significant rural settlement. Under Cnut England became part of an empire that included most of Scandinavia, but his successors showed none of his ability and the native dynasty was restored in 1042.
The Norweigian king Harald Hardrada attempted to conquer England in 1066, but was crushingly defeated at the battle of Stamford Bridge, fatally weakening the English just weeks before William the Conqueror led his successful invasion from Normandy. The Danes supported rebellions against William in 1069-70 and 1075, and Cnut II planned another invasion in 1085. Disputes prevented the fleet from sailing, however, and Cnut's assassination in 1086 effectively marked the end of the Viking Age in England, though the Norwegian king Harald Eystein led a plundering raid along the east coast as late as 1153.
Notes from Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age by John Haywood. Thames & Hudson 2000. pp64-65
England's King Aethelred II was a poor war leader who was soon reduced to paying Danegeld to buy off the Viking raids. Among the leaders of the Vikings were Olaf Tryggvason, who used the proceeds of the raids to win control of Norway in 995, and the Danish king Svein Forkbeard. As the English defences collapsed, Svein's objective changed from exacting tribute to outright conquest. At the end of 1013 Aethelred fled the country and Svein was accepted as king of England, but he died in a matter of weeks before he could consolidate his conquest. England had to be reconquered, after an epic struggle with Athelred's son, Edmund Ironside, by Svein's son, Cnut, in 1016. Though many Danish aristocrats were granted English lands, Cnut's conquest was not followed by any significant rural settlement. Under Cnut England became part of an empire that included most of Scandinavia, but his successors showed none of his ability and the native dynasty was restored in 1042.
The Norweigian king Harald Hardrada attempted to conquer England in 1066, but was crushingly defeated at the battle of Stamford Bridge, fatally weakening the English just weeks before William the Conqueror led his successful invasion from Normandy. The Danes supported rebellions against William in 1069-70 and 1075, and Cnut II planned another invasion in 1085. Disputes prevented the fleet from sailing, however, and Cnut's assassination in 1086 effectively marked the end of the Viking Age in England, though the Norwegian king Harald Eystein led a plundering raid along the east coast as late as 1153.
Notes from Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age by John Haywood. Thames & Hudson 2000. pp64-65
Vikings in England
The Viking Age in England began with raids, the earliest recorded anywhere in Europe, on Portland (c789) and the monastery of Lindisfarne (793). A reference in the 792 charter of Offa, King of Mercia, to military service against 'pagans' may be evidence of other unrecorded raids around this time. The Anglo-Saxons prevented the Viking raiders penetrating inland by blocking rivers with bridges, and raiding remained small in scale until c835, when larger fleets began arriving and won some major victories, killing, for example, Raedwulf, king of Northumbria, in battle in 844. Attacks escalated further in 850 when a fleet, said to number 350 ships, established a winter camp on the Isle of Thanet near the mouth of the River Thames. Nevertheless, England suffered less severely from Viking attacks in this period than Francia or Ireland.
The decisive Viking intervention in England began with the arrival of an exceptionally large Danish army under Ivar Halfdan in the kingdom of East Anglia in 865. The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms did not cooperate effectively against the invaders, and by 876 the Danes had occupied East Anglia, eastern Mercia and southern Northumbria. Only the kingdom of Wessex, under Alfred the Great, successfully resisted Danish attacks.
Conquest was followed by widespread Danish settlement in eastern England and the foundation of small kingdoms, the longest of which was based in York. This Danish-settled area later came to be known as the Danelaw because of its distinctive Scandinavian-influenced customs. Around 900 Norse settlers, many of them from Ireland, began to settle quietly in north-west England.
Once the Vikings settled down, they lost their main military advantage - their mobility - and they became vulnerable to counter-attack. Alfred's successor, Edward the Elder, aided by his sister Aethelflaed, the ruler of Mercia, conquered the Danish-controlled areas south of the River Humber in 912-918, while the Danish kingdom of York came under Norse control in 919. Edward's son, Athelstan, captured York in 927, becoming the first king to rule over all of England. Not all Anglo-Saxons welcomed the rule of Wessex; some preferred the Danes and even fought for them. After Athelstan's death in 939 the Norse recaptured York, but could never hold it securely, and its last Viking king, Erik Bloodaxe, was overthrown and killed in 954.
Notes from Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age by John Haywood. Thames & Hudson 2000. p64
The decisive Viking intervention in England began with the arrival of an exceptionally large Danish army under Ivar Halfdan in the kingdom of East Anglia in 865. The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms did not cooperate effectively against the invaders, and by 876 the Danes had occupied East Anglia, eastern Mercia and southern Northumbria. Only the kingdom of Wessex, under Alfred the Great, successfully resisted Danish attacks.
Conquest was followed by widespread Danish settlement in eastern England and the foundation of small kingdoms, the longest of which was based in York. This Danish-settled area later came to be known as the Danelaw because of its distinctive Scandinavian-influenced customs. Around 900 Norse settlers, many of them from Ireland, began to settle quietly in north-west England.
Once the Vikings settled down, they lost their main military advantage - their mobility - and they became vulnerable to counter-attack. Alfred's successor, Edward the Elder, aided by his sister Aethelflaed, the ruler of Mercia, conquered the Danish-controlled areas south of the River Humber in 912-918, while the Danish kingdom of York came under Norse control in 919. Edward's son, Athelstan, captured York in 927, becoming the first king to rule over all of England. Not all Anglo-Saxons welcomed the rule of Wessex; some preferred the Danes and even fought for them. After Athelstan's death in 939 the Norse recaptured York, but could never hold it securely, and its last Viking king, Erik Bloodaxe, was overthrown and killed in 954.
Notes from Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age by John Haywood. Thames & Hudson 2000. p64
Anglo-Saxons
The population of England before the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Anglo-Saxons were originally three Germanic peoples from northern Germany and Jutland - the Angles, Saxons and Jutes - that invaded and settled in eastern and southern Britain in the 5th century AD. Though they were still divided into several independent kingdoms, by the 8th century the three groups were beginning to develop a common English identity. The term Angli Saxones was first used by early medieval continental writers to distinguish the invaders from the native Celtic population of Britain.
Notes from Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age by John Haywood. Thames & Hudson 2000. p24
There are a number of websites on the Anglo-Saxons including BBC history - Anglo-Saxons
Notes from Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age by John Haywood. Thames & Hudson 2000. p24
There are a number of websites on the Anglo-Saxons including BBC history - Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is the single most important primary source for the history of Anglo-Saxon England from its beginnings in the 5th century up to the Norman Conquest in 1066: without it very little would be known about the Viking Age in England. The Chronicle is not a single source but a group of related chronicles that all derive from a common original compiled during the reign of Alfred the Great of Wessex, probably in the late 880s or early 890s. Copies of this original chronicle were circulated to several centres, where they were subsequently kept up to date by local annalists. All versions of the Chronicle share virtually the same information up to 890-2, but there are considerable differences between them from 893 onwards. Most versions of the Chronicle were discontinued soon after the Norman Conquest, but at Peterborough it was continued until 1154. Seven manuscripts of the Chronicle, written in the original Old English have survived, and the existence of several others, now lost, is known from extracts quoted in later Latin sources and entries in medieval library catalogues.
Though it is written mostly in a detached, dispassionate style, the Chronicle is not an objective record of events and it was probably begun on Alfred's orders as part of a propaganda campaign to present the Wessex dynasty as the leading defender of the Christian English from the heathen Vikings.
Notes from Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age by John Haywood. Thames & Hudson 2000. pp23-4
This is one of a number of versions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle available online.
Though it is written mostly in a detached, dispassionate style, the Chronicle is not an objective record of events and it was probably begun on Alfred's orders as part of a propaganda campaign to present the Wessex dynasty as the leading defender of the Christian English from the heathen Vikings.
Notes from Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age by John Haywood. Thames & Hudson 2000. pp23-4
This is one of a number of versions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle available online.
Saturday, 9 June 2012
French connections part 2
On 25 June 1308, Isabelle, the daughter of Philip IV of France married Edward II of England (1284 to 29 November 1314). He was born at Fontainebleau in France and also died there. Philip was king of France from 1285 to 1314 and of Navarre, as Philip I from 1284 to 1305, ruling jointly with his wife, Joan I of Navarre.
On 16 June 1284 he married Joan I of Navarre (14 Jan 1273 - 2 Apr 1305). when he was 17 and she was 12.
They had four children, three sons who became successively King of France and a daughter who married the King of England. His children were Louis X King of France (1289 - May 1316); Isabel of France (wife of Edward II) (1292 - 22 Aug 1358); Philip V King of France (1294 - 3 Jan 1322) and Charles IV King of France (1294 - 1 Feb 1328).
When Charles IV died in 1328 Philip VI, the grandson of Philip III, was named regent and was crowned King on 29 May. The other claiment to the throne was Edward III of England as his mother was the daughter of Philip IV. Tensions on a number of issues between Edward III and Philip VI developed in 1337 into the beginning of the Hundred Years War - a series of disputes/battles between the armies of France and England. Additional information on Philip VI of France can be read on Answers - Philip VI of France.
The parents of Philip IV King of France were Philip III of France (1 May 1245 to 5 October 1285) and Isabella of Aragon, daughter of James I of Aragon (1243 - 1271).
The website RoyaList Online provides a list of ancestors, decendants and family trees for French as well as British royalty. The site follows the French Royal Family from Philip IV to Robert I, Duke of France (About 865 - 15 Jun 923).
On 16 June 1284 he married Joan I of Navarre (14 Jan 1273 - 2 Apr 1305). when he was 17 and she was 12.
They had four children, three sons who became successively King of France and a daughter who married the King of England. His children were Louis X King of France (1289 - May 1316); Isabel of France (wife of Edward II) (1292 - 22 Aug 1358); Philip V King of France (1294 - 3 Jan 1322) and Charles IV King of France (1294 - 1 Feb 1328).
When Charles IV died in 1328 Philip VI, the grandson of Philip III, was named regent and was crowned King on 29 May. The other claiment to the throne was Edward III of England as his mother was the daughter of Philip IV. Tensions on a number of issues between Edward III and Philip VI developed in 1337 into the beginning of the Hundred Years War - a series of disputes/battles between the armies of France and England. Additional information on Philip VI of France can be read on Answers - Philip VI of France.
The parents of Philip IV King of France were Philip III of France (1 May 1245 to 5 October 1285) and Isabella of Aragon, daughter of James I of Aragon (1243 - 1271).
The website RoyaList Online provides a list of ancestors, decendants and family trees for French as well as British royalty. The site follows the French Royal Family from Philip IV to Robert I, Duke of France (About 865 - 15 Jun 923).
French connection
Looking at the family tree there is a strong French connection from the 13th century and earlier. Not all the lines have been investigated but some examples are listed below.
Edward II (1284 to 1377) married Isabelle, daughter of Philip IV of France on 25 June 1308. This line is still to be investigated.
Edward's father, Edward I (1239 to 1307) married Eleanor de Castilla from Spain and after her death he married Margaret, Princess of France in 1299.
Edward's father, Henry III of England (1207 to 1272) married Eleanor of Provence (1223 to 1291) on 14 January 1236 at Canterbury Cathedral. An arranged marriage, this was the first time she met her husband. Eleanor was born in Aix en Provence and was the second daughter of Ramon Berenguer V (1198–1245) and Beatrice of Savoy (1205–1267), the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and his second wife Margaret of Geneva - a truly international family.
King John (1166 to 1216) also married a French woman - Isabella d'Angouleme (1188 to 1246) in 1200 - after his first marriage to Isabel of Gloucester was annulled. Isabella was the only daughter and heir of Aymer Taillefer, Count of Anjouleme and Alice of Courtenay, who was sister of Peter II of Courtenay, Latin Emperor of Constantinople and granddaughter of King Lois VI of France.
Henry II of England (1133 to 1189) was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine (1154 to 1189) in May 1152, eight weeks after the annulment of her marriage to Louis VII of France.
The daughter of Henry I, Adelaide (known as Matilda, Empress of England) (1102 to 1167) married Geoffrey V Plantagenet (1113 to 1151) in 1128 and they were the parents of Henry II of England. Geoffrey's titles in France included Count of Anjou, Tourine and Maine by inheritance from 1129 and then Duke of Normandy by conquest from 1144.
Geoffrey was the elder son of Fulk V of Anjou (c1092 to 1144) and Eremgarde de la Fleche (died 1126), daughter of Elais I of Maine. Fulk V married Eremgadre (or Eremburga) in 1109 and was King of Jerusalem from 1131 until his death in 1144.
Fulk IV of Anjou (c1043 to 1109) married Bertranda (Bertrade) de Montfort (c1070 to 1117) in 1089. Fulk had had three previous marriages all of which had ended in divorce. In 1092 Bertrade left her husband and took up with King Philip I of France. Philip I married her on 15 May 1092, despite the fact that both parties had living spouses. This resulted in Pope Urban excommunicating Philip. An account of the papal deliberations is recrded in Canon law and the Letters of Ivo of Chartres now available in Google books.
Falk IV was the younger son of Geoffrey II, Count of Gatinais (died between 1043 & 1046 ), and Ermemgarde d'Anjou (died 1076). His parents were married around 1065. When Geoffrey died Ermegarde married Robert, Duke of Burgundy ( the son of Robert II, King of France and brother of Henry I of France)
Ermegarde was the daughter of Fulco III d'Anjou, the Comte D'Anjou (1018 to 1076) and Hildegarde Sundgau (c990 to 1 April 1046). Hildegarde's family name was also de Lorraine. Hildegarde died in Jerusalem.
Fulco III d'Anjou was the son Geoffrey I d'Anjou, 4th Comte d'Anjou (died 21 July 987) and Adelais (Adeliade) de Vermandois
The parents of Geoffrey I were Fulk II of Anjou (died 958) and Gernerge de Tours
The parents of Fulk II were Fulk I d'Anjou (died c942) and Roselle de Loch
The parents of Fulk I D'Anjou were Engeiger d'Anjou and Aelinde de Gatinai
The father of Aelinde was Geoffrey I de Gatinai
Edward II (1284 to 1377) married Isabelle, daughter of Philip IV of France on 25 June 1308. This line is still to be investigated.
Edward's father, Edward I (1239 to 1307) married Eleanor de Castilla from Spain and after her death he married Margaret, Princess of France in 1299.
Edward's father, Henry III of England (1207 to 1272) married Eleanor of Provence (1223 to 1291) on 14 January 1236 at Canterbury Cathedral. An arranged marriage, this was the first time she met her husband. Eleanor was born in Aix en Provence and was the second daughter of Ramon Berenguer V (1198–1245) and Beatrice of Savoy (1205–1267), the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and his second wife Margaret of Geneva - a truly international family.
King John (1166 to 1216) also married a French woman - Isabella d'Angouleme (1188 to 1246) in 1200 - after his first marriage to Isabel of Gloucester was annulled. Isabella was the only daughter and heir of Aymer Taillefer, Count of Anjouleme and Alice of Courtenay, who was sister of Peter II of Courtenay, Latin Emperor of Constantinople and granddaughter of King Lois VI of France.
Henry II of England (1133 to 1189) was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine (1154 to 1189) in May 1152, eight weeks after the annulment of her marriage to Louis VII of France.
The daughter of Henry I, Adelaide (known as Matilda, Empress of England) (1102 to 1167) married Geoffrey V Plantagenet (1113 to 1151) in 1128 and they were the parents of Henry II of England. Geoffrey's titles in France included Count of Anjou, Tourine and Maine by inheritance from 1129 and then Duke of Normandy by conquest from 1144.
Geoffrey was the elder son of Fulk V of Anjou (c1092 to 1144) and Eremgarde de la Fleche (died 1126), daughter of Elais I of Maine. Fulk V married Eremgadre (or Eremburga) in 1109 and was King of Jerusalem from 1131 until his death in 1144.
Fulk IV of Anjou (c1043 to 1109) married Bertranda (Bertrade) de Montfort (c1070 to 1117) in 1089. Fulk had had three previous marriages all of which had ended in divorce. In 1092 Bertrade left her husband and took up with King Philip I of France. Philip I married her on 15 May 1092, despite the fact that both parties had living spouses. This resulted in Pope Urban excommunicating Philip. An account of the papal deliberations is recrded in Canon law and the Letters of Ivo of Chartres now available in Google books.
Falk IV was the younger son of Geoffrey II, Count of Gatinais (died between 1043 & 1046 ), and Ermemgarde d'Anjou (died 1076). His parents were married around 1065. When Geoffrey died Ermegarde married Robert, Duke of Burgundy ( the son of Robert II, King of France and brother of Henry I of France)
Ermegarde was the daughter of Fulco III d'Anjou, the Comte D'Anjou (1018 to 1076) and Hildegarde Sundgau (c990 to 1 April 1046). Hildegarde's family name was also de Lorraine. Hildegarde died in Jerusalem.
Fulco III d'Anjou was the son Geoffrey I d'Anjou, 4th Comte d'Anjou (died 21 July 987) and Adelais (Adeliade) de Vermandois
The parents of Geoffrey I were Fulk II of Anjou (died 958) and Gernerge de Tours
The parents of Fulk II were Fulk I d'Anjou (died c942) and Roselle de Loch
The parents of Fulk I D'Anjou were Engeiger d'Anjou and Aelinde de Gatinai
The father of Aelinde was Geoffrey I de Gatinai
A brief introduction to history through genealogy
Following the family line to William the Conqueror takes us back to the Norman conquest of the Saxons in England. However using sources on the Internet such as thepeerage.com allows the family line to be continued much further to France, Norway and eventually to Finland.
William I of England was descended from the Dukes of Normandy. His father, Robert, was the 6th Duc de Normandie, his grandfather, Robert, was the 4th duke, his great grandfather was the 3rd duke, his great, great grandfather was the 2nd duke and his great, great, great grandfather, Rollo Ragnvaldsson, was the 1st duke, (c846 to c931). Rollo Rangnvaldsson was leader of the Viking invasion of France in the area that became known as Normany.
A brief account of the invasion is provided in a History Channel clip on YouTube Viking Fury from the North. The invaders settled in France and intermarried with the French, taking on the Christian religion.
This then leads to the next stage in the family saga in Norway.
Rollo Ragnvaldsson was the son of the Viking, Ragnvald I ‘the Wise’ Eysteinsson, Earl of More. Ragnvald I was born in Norway and was Earl of Orkney (Scotland) but died in More, Norway, c890 so he had been one of the Vikings raiding Scotland at that time. The listing in the peerage.com continues back to Sveidi' the Sea King 'Heytirsson, the Norse King born in Raumsdal, Norway c650 and dying in Norway in 710.
The further back you go the more rubbery the dates become but it is suggested that Sveidi's ancestors were originally from Finland.
From this exercise the British history that we learned at school and see being excavated in shows such as Time Team becomes much more relevant. Obviously we all have historical roots going back to these times and we are also aware of these threads of history but to be able to trace a family back through these periods of history makes the history itself far more interesting and relevant. I now also know that I have a great deal of work to do investigating all these trails and also learning the stories of the people named in the genealogy lists.
William I of England was descended from the Dukes of Normandy. His father, Robert, was the 6th Duc de Normandie, his grandfather, Robert, was the 4th duke, his great grandfather was the 3rd duke, his great, great grandfather was the 2nd duke and his great, great, great grandfather, Rollo Ragnvaldsson, was the 1st duke, (c846 to c931). Rollo Rangnvaldsson was leader of the Viking invasion of France in the area that became known as Normany.
A brief account of the invasion is provided in a History Channel clip on YouTube Viking Fury from the North. The invaders settled in France and intermarried with the French, taking on the Christian religion.
This then leads to the next stage in the family saga in Norway.
Rollo Ragnvaldsson was the son of the Viking, Ragnvald I ‘the Wise’ Eysteinsson, Earl of More. Ragnvald I was born in Norway and was Earl of Orkney (Scotland) but died in More, Norway, c890 so he had been one of the Vikings raiding Scotland at that time. The listing in the peerage.com continues back to Sveidi' the Sea King 'Heytirsson, the Norse King born in Raumsdal, Norway c650 and dying in Norway in 710.
The further back you go the more rubbery the dates become but it is suggested that Sveidi's ancestors were originally from Finland.
From this exercise the British history that we learned at school and see being excavated in shows such as Time Team becomes much more relevant. Obviously we all have historical roots going back to these times and we are also aware of these threads of history but to be able to trace a family back through these periods of history makes the history itself far more interesting and relevant. I now also know that I have a great deal of work to do investigating all these trails and also learning the stories of the people named in the genealogy lists.
Royalty connections continued
Last weekend being the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth's reign I decided to follow up more of the alleged royal links in my family tree. I had been led to believe that as well as links to Scottish royalty there was a link to Edward III.
Following the Huttons, then the Lidderdales you then come to the marriage in 1708 of David Lidderdale (1675 to 1732) and Eleanor Dunbar (c1680 to 1757). Eleanor's mother was Isabella Nicholson and her grandmother was Lady Margaret Livingstone whose mother was Lady Mary Douglas. The line then continued back through three generations of the Douglas family until Sir Archibald Douglas (died 1570) married Lady Agnes Keith. Two generations previously Robert Keith married Lady Elizabeth Douglas in 1505. In 1459 Lady Elizabeth's grandfather married Joan Stewart the daughter of James I of Scotland and Lady Joan Beaufort. Lady Joan Beaufort's father was John de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Somerset) (c1371 to 1409). His father was John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (1340 to 1399) who was the son of King Edward III (1312 to 1377) and Philippa de Hainaut.
So Edward III and Philippa would be my great (20 times) grandparents and King James I of Scotland and Lady Joan Beaufort would be my great (17 times) grandparents.
Having travelled back so far I decided to continue the search to see where it would lead and it proved to be quite an adventure through history.
Following the Huttons, then the Lidderdales you then come to the marriage in 1708 of David Lidderdale (1675 to 1732) and Eleanor Dunbar (c1680 to 1757). Eleanor's mother was Isabella Nicholson and her grandmother was Lady Margaret Livingstone whose mother was Lady Mary Douglas. The line then continued back through three generations of the Douglas family until Sir Archibald Douglas (died 1570) married Lady Agnes Keith. Two generations previously Robert Keith married Lady Elizabeth Douglas in 1505. In 1459 Lady Elizabeth's grandfather married Joan Stewart the daughter of James I of Scotland and Lady Joan Beaufort. Lady Joan Beaufort's father was John de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Somerset) (c1371 to 1409). His father was John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (1340 to 1399) who was the son of King Edward III (1312 to 1377) and Philippa de Hainaut.
So Edward III and Philippa would be my great (20 times) grandparents and King James I of Scotland and Lady Joan Beaufort would be my great (17 times) grandparents.
Having travelled back so far I decided to continue the search to see where it would lead and it proved to be quite an adventure through history.
Edward II, King of
England & Isabelle de France (Daughter of Philip IV of France)
(Edward II born 25
April 1284 and died 21 September 1327)
|
Edward I, King of
England & Eleanor de Castilla
(Edward I born 17 June
1239 and died 7 July 1307)
|
Henry III, King of
England & Eleanor of Provence
(Henry III born 1
October 1207 and died 16 November 1272)
|
John I, King of
England & Isabella d’Angouleme
(John I was born on 24
December 1166 and died 18 or 19 October 1216)
|
Henry II, King of
England & Eleanor, Duchesse d’Aquitaine
(Henry II born 5 March
1133 and died 6 July 1189)
|
Geoffrey V
Plantagenet & Adelaide known as Matilda, ‘Empress of England’ (daughter of
Henry I)
(Geoffrey was born 24 August 1113 –and died 7 September 1151)
|
Henry I, King of
England & Editha of Scotland
(Henry I was born c 1069 and died 1 December 1135)
|
William I the
Conqueror, King of England & Matilda de Flandre
(William I was born c1028 and died 9 September 1087)
It was truly a Royal weekend of family history research.
(William I was born c1028 and died 9 September 1087)
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