The interconnected aspects of our genealogical family
continue to intrigue. Nowhere is this more evident than through our French connections. So, we use the occasion of France’s Bastille Day, July 14, comparable to United States (US) Independence Day, July 4, to explore
French – US relationships, bearing in mind that each nation might not
exist without the other. Second, we use the opportunity to discuss our
genealogical ties to France. Perhaps our extended families, and others in our
genealogy network, might find some of this interesting.
On July 4, 2014, as this is being written, the US celebrates the 238th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of
Independence, severing ties to the British Monarchy, and beginning a long,
bloody and tortuous path, eventually leading to a new form of government,
giving power and influence to ordinary people, embodying the principles of
democratic republicanism – a work still in progress.
During our revolution not everyone was convinced about the
wisdom of the enterprise. Most historians surmise about 35-40 percent of the
colonials favored the revolution, about 20-25 percent were against it, while some
30-40 percent were less than enthusiastic, or neutral. William’s own 5X ggf, Philip
Lambert of VA (a 1754 English emigrant), was suspected of being less than
enthusiastic. However, after being fined a large portion of his tobacco crop for
his ambiguity, apparently decided to cast his lot with the rebels, took an oath
of support for “the cause” and served in the colonial militia.
In any event, few Americans on
this 4th of July understand that France and the US enjoy a common
historical bond. The blood and
idealism of both nations have been indelibly and irrevocably mixed over the
years. Without the immense economic, military and political assistance of
France the outcome of the American Colonial uprising of 1776 undoubtedly would
have been different. The British defeat at Yorktown, for example, could never
have happened. Thus, the French played a significant role in our revolution, making
possible the Treaty of Paris of 1783,
finally ending the American Revolution, which resulted in American Independence.
Ironically, French aid to the colonists stirred
anti-Monarchy notions among their own people, thereby seeding the French
Revolution, which began July 14, 1789, and since 1790 celebrated as Bastille Day, or La Fête Nationale (French
National Day). Proclaiming the
motto: "Liberté,
Egalité, Fraternité" (Liberty,
Equality and Fraternity) to a resplendent blue, white and red (Tricolor) ensign. Thus, both nations became bonded by attributions of political ideology and kindred spirit, forged in the American Revolution.
Eventually, the United States was able to “repay” the French
contribution to US independence.
In both World Wars I and II the outcome almost certainly would
have been different for France without US assistance. This was poignantly
summarized when US troops arrived in France in 1917. During July 4 ceremonies
at the Marquis
de Lafayette’s tomb, Colonial
Stanton, an officer with General “Blackjack” Perishing’s’ US Expeditionary
Forces, declared, “Lafayette, we are here”, thus acknowledging the famous
French nobleman’s profound and decisive contribution to our own revolutionary
war. The Immaculately and reverently tended graves of many thousands of US
service members in Normandy and other locations in France continue to remind the two nations of common bonds.
The Statue of Liberty, known and prized throughout the world
for its symbolism, is a gift from the French citizens to the American people, authenticating
the two nation’s love for liberty, equality and fraternity. President Grover Cleveland
(Jennie’s ancestor) spoke at the statue’s unveiling in New York harbor on
October 28, 1886, noting that the statues’ "stream of light shall pierce
the darkness of ignorance and man's oppression until Liberty enlightens the
world". (However, as we suggested above, and noted so vigorously in the
press at the time, liberty remains a work in progress.)
NOW, FOR A SAMPLER OF OUR GENEALOGICAL FRENCH CONNECTIONS
In genealogy, a “gateway”
ancestor is one that spins off, or leads, to other ancestors in web-like connections
through history. We have discovered a number of gateway ancestors that have led
to even more gateways in an historical spiral that constantly reveals new
networks. This brief summary of some French connections provides a sample.
Through a
combination of both our ancestors, we are related to essentially all of the
royalty and nobility of Europe, including Denmark, Sweden, Scandinavia, Ireland,
Scotland, England, Wales, Spain, Netherlands, Flanders, modern France, large
portions of modern Germany, northern Italy, the Alsace/Lorraine region, and
portions of Western Europe and the Mediterranean basin/Middle East. Moreover,
our pedigrees are inter–connected throughout this ancestral amalgam. An
interesting aspect, however, is that the territory that constitutes modern
France has been at the crossroads of all of these connections.
Although modern
geographical France is a relatively recent nation, she has evolved out of many
kingdoms, fiefdoms and nationalities, including Vikings, Celts, Germanic
tribes, Romans, and others. Our ancestry involves all of these. Both of us have
traced “French”- associated ancestors to the time of Roman Gaul. Among our French “gateways” are Charlemagne
(742-814), John Gaunt Plantagenet,
Duke of Aquitaine (1340-1399) and the Danish Viking Rollo (846-931). (The history channel’s The Vikings provides an historical treatment of Rollo) This Viking
is William, Jr.’s 29 great
grandfather (ggf) on his maternal (Havens) side, and Jennie’s 34th ggf through
her paternal (Bush) line (Normandy France was named for Rollo (Norseman)
after he was given the area by Francia King Charles III (879-929). Rollo, (aka, Robert I of Normandy), was the 3X ggf father of the Duke
of Normandy, aka William the Conqueror) (1028-1087). William the Conqueror is William
Jr.’s 24th ggf. When Duke
William “conquered” England in 1066 he became William I, King of England, thus
combining a large segment of modern-day mid-W “France” and England. This was a
gateway to virtually all the royalty and nobility of England and later the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. (As noted in previous blogs, both
William and Jennie have separate genealogical lines to these English and Irish royals
and nobles as well.)
Note on the pedigree
charts below that Matilda, Countess of D’Anjou, daughter of Henry I, married
back into the “French” nobility and this reinforced the already incorporated central-W
“French” province of Anjou into the English-French nobility line.
Matilda of Anjou
was mother of Henry II, King of England. Eleanor of Aquitaine
(1122-1202), Jennie’s 26th great grandmother, was married to Henry
II of England. So, in essence, Eleanor’s holdings, covering a large part of modern
SW France, was under English dominion. Ever Since Edward III (1312 – 1377) (William,
Jr. and Jennie’s ancestor) until 1801 Kings of England claimed the title of
King of France as well. [see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_claims_to_the_French_throne
William Jr.’s connection is further interesting in that his ancestors
trace to France’s King Philip (Philippe III
King of France Capet (1245 - 1285)). Additional connections
to the French Monarchy are still being
researched, but further connections to 1789 are looking promising.
William
James Lambert, Jr. – Pedigree Listing for One French / English Line
A
Seperate Pedigree Listing for William’s specific ties to the French Monarchy
Follows
Rollo "The
Wise" Ragnvaldsson~, (830/46 - 931)
[Viking – Scandinavia a.k.a.
Denmark; Finland; Norway, Sweden]
29th great grandfather
William Longsword (900 - 943) son of Rollo
"The Wise" Ragnvaldsson~,
Richard I "the Fearless" Duke of Normandy (933 -
996) son of William Longsword
Richard II 'The Good' Duke De Normandy (957 - 1027)
son of Richard I "the Fearless" Duke of Normandy
Robert II Devil Magnificent Normandy (999 - 1038)
son of Richard II 'The Good' Duke De Normandy
Duke of Normandy (1028 - 1087) (aka: William the Conqueror ; King William I of
England) son of Robert II
Devil Magnificent Normandy
Henry I Beauclerc King England (1068 - 1135) son
of William the Conqueror
Matilda Countess D'Anjou Beauclerc Plantagenet Planatagenet (1102 - 1169) daughter
of Henry I Beauclerc King England
Henry II King of England (1133 - 1189) son of
Matilda Countess D'Anjou BeauclercPlantagenet Planatagenet
John Lackland King of England (1166 - 1216) son
of Henry II King of England
Henry III Plantagenet (1207 - 1272) son of
John Lackland King of England
Edward I Longshanks England Plantagenet (1239 - 1307)
son of Henry III Plantagenet
Edward II King of England Plantagenet (1284 - 1327)
son of Edward I Longshanks England Plantagenet
Edward III King of England Plantagenet (1312 - 1377)
son of Edward II King of England Plantagenet
Thomas Plantagenet (1355 - 1397) son of
Edward III King of England Plantagenet
Anne Plantagenet (1383 - 1438) daughter of
Thomas Plantagenet
John Lord Berners Bouchier (1410 - 1474) son
of Anne Plantagenet
Sir Humphrey Bourchier (1435 - 1471) son of
John Lord Berners Bouchier
Lady Margaret (Baroness Bryan) Bourchier (1468 - 1552)
daughter of Sir Humphrey Bourchier
Sir Francis Bryan, Lord Marshal of Ireland 'The Vicar of
Hell' (1490 - 1550) son of Lady Margaret (Baroness Bryan)
Bourchier
son of Sir Francis
Bryan, Lord Marshal of Ireland 'The Vicar of Hell'
Sir William Smith Bryan (Knight) (1600 - 1667) son
of Sir Frances II Bryan
Francis III Bryan (1630 - 1694) son of Sir
William Smith Bryan (Knight)
Morgan Bryan (1671 - 1763) son of Francis III
Bryan
son of Morgan Bryan
William Christopher Bryant (1760 - 1834) son
of William Bryan
Hiram (Hurum) Bryant Senior (1792 - 1836) son
of William Christopher Bryant
Huram (Hiram) Bryant (1827 - 1875) son of
Hiram (Hurum) Bryant Senior
Lourena R Bryant (1855 - 1924) daughter of
Huram (Hiram) Bryant
John Havens (1882 - 1960) son of Lourena R
Bryant
Fern Lucille Havens (1925 - 1994) daughter of
John Havens
Jennie Joann (Bush)
Lambert – Pedigree Ties to French
Nobility / English Royalty
through her Paternal (Bush) Line (Partial Listing Only)
Robert
II Devil Magnificent Normandy (999
- 1035)
Jennie’s
30th great grandfather
son
of Robert II Devil Magnificent Normandy
son
of William the Conqueror
daughter
of Henry I Beauclerc King England
son
of Matilda Countess D'Anjou BeauclercPlantagenet Planatagenet
son
of Henry II King of England "Curt Mantel" Plantagenet
son
of John Lackland King of England
son
of Henry III Plantagenet
son
of Edward I Longshanks England Plantagenet
son
of Edward II King of England Plantagenet
son
of Edward III Plantagenet
son
of John Gaunt Plantagenet
son
of Henry England Plantagenet
daughter
of Thomas Clarence deLancaster
son
of Margaret DeLancaster
son
of William Whitfield
son
of William Whitfield
son
of Richard Whitfield
son
of Myles Whitfield
son
of Robert Whitfield
son
of Robert Whitfield
son
of Thomas Whitfield
daughter
of Henry Whitfield
son
of Abigail Whitfield
daughter
of James (Major) Fitch
son
of Lucy Fitch
son
of William Cleveland
daughter
of Jedediah Cleveland
son
of Clarissa "Clara" Cleveland
daughter
of Jedidiah Cleveland Parsons
daughter
of Mary Parsons
son
of Jennie S. Wheeler
William
James Lambert, Jr. – Pedigree Listing ties to the French Monarchy Follows
Additional
lines to 1801 are being researched
Louis IX King of France Capet "St. Louis" (1215 - 1270)
20th great
grandfather of William
J. Lambert, Jr.
Philippe III King of France Capet (1245 - 1285) son
of Louis IX of France Capet "St. Louis"
Philip IV King of France Capet (1268 - 1314) son
of Philippe III King of France Capet
Isabella of France Capet Plantagenet (1292 - 1358) daughter
of Philip IV King of France Capet
Edward III King of England Plantagenet (1312 - 1377) son
of Isabella of France Capet Plantagenet [aka, King of France and King of England]
Thomas Plantagenet (1355 - 1397) son
of Edward III King of England Plantagenet
Anne Plantagenet (1383 - 1438) daughter
of Thomas Plantagenet
John Lord Berners Bouchier (1410 - 1474) son
of Anne Plantagenet
Sir Humphrey Bourchier (1435 - 1471) son
of John Lord Berners Bouchier
Lady Margaret (Baroness Bryan) Bourchier (1468 - 1552) daughter
of Sir Humphrey Bourchier
Sir Francis Bryan, Lord Marshal of Ireland 'The Vicar of
Hell' (1490 - 1550) son of Lady Margaret (Baroness Bryan)
Bourchier
SIR FRANCIS II Bryan (1549 - 1640) son
of Sir Francis Bryan, Lord Marshal of Ireland 'The Vicar of Hell'
Sir William Smith Bryan (Knight) (1600 - 1667) son
of SIR FRANCIS II Bryan
Francis III Bryan (1630 - 1694) son of
Sir William Smith Bryan (Knight)
Morgan Bryan (1671 - 1763) son of
Francis III Bryan
William Bryan (1734 - 1780) son of
Morgan Bryan
William Christopher Bryant (1760 - 1834) son
of William Bryan
Hiram (Hurum) Bryant Senior (1792 - 1836) son
of William Christopher Bryant
Huram (Hiram) Bryant (1827 - 1875) son
of Hiram (Hurum) Bryant Senior
Lourena R Bryant (1855 - 1924) daughter
of Huram (Hiram) Bryant
John Havens (1882 - 1960) son of
Lourena R Bryant
Fern Lucille Havens (1925 - 1994) daughter
of John Havens
