My People

My People
My matched set of grandchildren - Oliver and Cosette

Sunday, June 30, 2013

My Brit-wit Condition Explained

I'm a Brit-wit: fascinated with all things British especially all things royal. My genealogy research today has unearthed a few reasons why I have this unhealthy obsession (like, I took the whole day off of work for William and Kate's wedding). It's more than just never growing out of my "princess" stage... It's in my blood, y'all. Those Royals are my peeps! Here are a list of some of my ancestors who have worn a crown - and I don't just mean those paper ones they give you at Burger King.


John " Lackland" King of England Plantagenet

Birth 24 Dec 1167 in Beaumont Palace, Oxfordshire, England
Death 19 Oct 1216 in Newark Castle, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, England

JOHN 1199 -1216 
John Lackland was the fourth child of Henry II. Short and fat, he was jealous of his dashing brother Richard I whom he succeeded. He was cruel, self-indulgent, selfish and avaricious, and the raising of punitive taxes united all the elements of society, clerical and lay, against him. The Pope excommunicated him. On 15th June 1215 at Runnymede the barons compelled John to sign Magna Carta, the Great Charter, which reinstated the rights of all his subjects. John died - from over-eating - a fugitive from all his enemies. He has been termed "the worst English king".

Henry III King of England Plantagenet

Your 23rd great grandfather

Birth 10 Oct 1206 in Winchester, Hampshire, , England
Death 16 Jun 1272 in Westminster, Middlesex, , England

HENRY III 1216 -1272 
Henry was 9 years old when he became king. Brought up by priests he became devoted to church, art and learning. He was a weak man, dominated by churchmen and easily influenced by his wife's French relations. In 1264 Henry was captured during the rebellion of barons led by Simon de Montfort and was forced to set up a 'Parlement' at Westminster, the start of the House of Commons. Henry was the greatest of all patrons of medieval architecture and ordered the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey in the Gothic style.


Edward I Longshanks PLANTAGENET

Birth 17 Jul 1239 in Westminster, London, England
Death 7 Jul 1307 in Northumberland, England

EDWARD I 1272 - 1307 
Edward Longshanks was a statesman, lawyer and soldier. He formed the Model Parliament in 1295, bringing the knights, clergy and nobility, as well as the Lords and Commons together for the first time. Aiming at a united Britain, he defeated the Welsh chieftains and created his eldest son Prince of Wales. He was known as the 'Hammer of the Scots' for his victories in Scotland and brought the famous coronation stone from Scone to Westminster. When his first wife Eleanor died, he escorted her body from Grantham to Westminster, setting up Eleanor Crosses at every resting place. He died on the way to fight Robert Bruce.

Edward (II King of England) Plantagenet

Birth 25 Apr 1284 in  Caernarvonshire, Wales
Death 21 Sep 1327 in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England

EDWARD II 1307 - deposed 1327 
Edward was a weak and incompetent king. He had many 'favourites', Piers Gaveston being the most notorious. He was beaten by the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Edward was deposed and held captive in Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire. His wife joined her lover Mortimer in deposing him: by their orders he was murdered in Berkley Castle - as legend has it, by having a red-hot poker thrust up his anus! His beautiful tomb in Gloucester Cathedral was erected by his son, Edward III.

Edward III King of England

Birth 20 Nov 1312 in Windsor Castle, Berks, England
Death 21 Jun 1377 in Richmond, Surrey, England

EDWARD III 1327 - 1377 
Son of Edward II, he reigned for 50 years. His ambition to conquer Scotland and France plunged England into the Hundred Years War, beginning in 1338. The two great victories at Crecy and Poitiersmade Edward and his son, the Black Prince, the most renowned warriors in Europe, however the war was very expensive. The outbreak of bubonic plague, the 'Black Death' in 1348-1350 killed half the population of England.

John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster

Birth 14 Mar 1340 in Abbaye De St Bavon, Ghent, Flandre Orientale, Belgium
Death 3 Feb 1399 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England




Edward IV King of England Plantagenet

Birth 28 Apr 1442 in Rouen, Normandy, France
Death 9 Apr 1483 in Palace, Westminster, Middlesex, England

EDWARD IV 1461- 1483 
He was the son of Richard Duke of York and Cicely Neville, and not a popular king. His morals were poor (he had many mistresses and had at least one illegitimate son) and even his contemporaries disapproved of him. Edward had his rebellious brother George, Duke of Clarendon, murdered in 1478 on a charge of treason. During his reign the first printing press was established in Westminster by William Caxton. Edward died suddenly in 1483 leaving two sons aged 12 and 9, and five daughters.




John " Lackland" King of England Plantagenet (1167 - 1216)
is your 24th great grandfather
son of John " Lackland" King of England Plantagenet
son of Henry III King of England Plantagenet
son of Edward I Longshanks PLANTAGENET
son of Edward (II King of England) Plantagenet
son of Edward III King of England
daughter of John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster
daughter of Joan DeBeaufort
son of Cecily Neville
daughter of Edward IV King of England Plantagenet
son of Margaret Watson Plantagenet
son of Edward Sloughton
son of Francis Sloughton/Stoughton
daughter of Thomas Sloughton/Stoughton
son of Christian Sloughton
daughter of Henry Chamberlain
daughter of Faith Chamberlain
daughter of Faith Patterson
daughter of Sarah Worth
son of Sarah Lawrence
daughter of Elisha Johnson
daughter of Rebecca Johnson
son of Deborah Ann Clayton
son of Elias M Gant
son of Theodore Stogden Gant
son of Bruce Bronson Gant Sr
daughter of James Edward Gant Sr



So... just a few of my Royal British ancestors. I never studied British History so I need to do a little more research but... as we're heading into the month in which a new Heir to the Throne will be born... and I will be obsessed with it all... and this here, my "Grandpa Kings" have to explain it. 

More later!
Love and hugs! 
Information about the kings taken from the following:
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/KingsQueensofBritain/

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