Foundations - Vol. 2, No. 4 - Contents & Abstracts
Abstracts: Sir William Ruffus of Walsall and his Family (Dorothea Rowse) This article is based on a long-term study of families and individuals using the surname Ruffus or Rous, who lived in England during the 12th to 14th centuries. The study has identified a number of discrete regional and county groupings, of which the family living in the west Midlands was one of the most energetic. Their marriages and careers brought them into contact with similar families and these linkages demonstrate some of the early stages in the formation of the gentry during the 13th century. This article highlights the careers and family connexions of this Ruffus family group.
The Counts of Veglia and
Modrus, known from 1430 as the Frangepán Counts
The original German manuscript by the late László Feketekúty, Hungarian genealogist, was submitted in 1999. The introductory article, here translated into English, sets the historical context, and the accompanying charts provide a summary of the genealogy. The German text with the detailed table of descent from Demjén (1133-1163) is reproduced on the FMG website, together with the original of this article. We would welcome contributions from recent research that could enhance and extend the study. Medieval Monarchs, Female Illegitimacy and Modern Genealogical Matters: Part III: Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland (Danna R Messer) Joan Beaufort (c.1370-1440), daughter of John, duke of Lancaster (1340-1399) and Catherine Swynford (c.1350-1403), is an excellent example of a woman of illegitimate birth who not only maintained a powerful position in English society because of her own royal lineage and prosperous marital alliances, but whose subsequent legitimisation safe-guarded the reputation and position of her own progeny. The reason for her legitimisation, by both the papacy and the English monarchy, clearly illustrates the invariable power that claims of royal lineage exacted in medieval England and the influence it wielded for ensuing generations. The article concludes with a summation of the status and importance of illegitimate daughters in the royal families based on the evidence presented in this series of commentaries. The de Lancasters of Westmorland: Lesser-Known Branches, and the Origin of the de Lancasters of Howgill (Andrew Lancaster) By his own admission Ragg’s 1910 paper De Lancaster could not complete a full study of all the de Lancasters in medieval Westmorland. The article proposes that several lines which he left incompletely explained might be connected in unexpected ways. One suggestion concerns Jordan de Lancaster, born in the 12th century. In addition, the doubts Ragg raised about the de Lancasters of Howgill lead the author to question explanations of their origins that are widely accepted. Scandinavian Medieval Descendants of Charlemagne: A Detailed Genealogy of the Issue of Agnes Haakonsdottir, of the So-Called Fairhair Dynasty (M Sjöström) Early genealogical connections that link Scandinavian families to Charlemagne are discussed, as are the societal circumstances affecting genealogy, and the practically simultaneous spread of feudal and chivalric forms. Difficulties in Scandinavian medieval genealogies are outlined. Several examples are given of weaknesses which have, for example, influenced Europäische Stammtafeln. A detailed descendants’ table from Agnes, lady of Borgarsyssel, down to the 16th century is given, listing approximately 220 Charlemagne descendants identified from secondary literature. Agnes was the natural daughter of king Haakon V of Norway (reigned 1299-1319). Her progeny is represented in the nobility of all the Scandinavian countries, but predominantly in Sweden.
Merleswain and the
Comyn Earls of Buchan: Their Antecedents in Atholl and Fife The rise of the powerful Comyns from a Yorkshire Norman family to the largest landowners in Scotland as well as one of the guardians of the realm was based as much on advantageous marriage alliances as on their own efforts in obtaining high government positions from the Kings of Scotland. This article will show that through connections with Merleswain, an eleventh century immigrant to Scotland, the Comyns became aligned with the houses of Atholl and Fife, being both the king’s kinsmen and the most prominent earls of Scotland. Some Internet Resources for Medieval Genealogy: 10 (Chris Phillips) A brief introduction to the "Anglo-Amercian Legal Tradition" database (AALT). Medieval Lands - Loose Ends (Charles Cawley) The Medieval Lands dataset on the FMG website has always been intended to be a collaborative effort and the author has welcomed comments, corrections and new information. Here he provides a list of specific queries to which readers are encouraged to respond if they have information. |