by Thierry le Hête

A short communication discussing the various proposals for the origins of Richilde and the influence on Thibaudian power in the 10th century.

by Lindsay Brook

Rome between the late ninth and the mid-eleventh centuries was in turmoil. Rival families fought for control of the city, successfully fighting off the Saracens encamped close to the city, and then against various interlopers, from Lombardy, Tuscany and Germany. This article tries to use prosopography and genealogy to document the stratagems employed by the Roman aristocracy in this period to gain and retain power, especially through placements of popes. An Appendix shows how brutal and short the lives of many of these medieval popes were.

by Joseph A Edwards

The article sets out some principles and design specifications by which a public medieval genealogical database could be constructed. This is reinforced through practical and theoretical examples with explanation and justification. It is hoped that this article will act as a platform from which a wider debate could emerge. This first instalment deals with more generic database structure.

by William Humphreys

The published evidence is reviewed and critically assessed regarding the ancestry of Agatha, mother of St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland. The debate continues, and although the solution remains in doubt, the author concludes that on balance the evidence is stronger for the Slavic ancestry rather than the Germanic (Salian) one.

by Chris Phillips

The author describes some of the major online catalogues and library websites which should help newcomers to the field to get started. It should be noted some of this information is now out of date.

by Lindsay Brook

Query on the identity of Helena, heiress of the Frankish kingdom of Thessaloniki.

by John Dobson

An interesting descent from Thomas Elys, a late-14th-century M.P. for Sandwich, is claimed for the precursors of the New England Stoughtons in the 1619-21 Visitation of Kent. However, evidence of telescoping in the pedigree invalidates it in the form currently accepted. We attempt to determine how much of the line can be salvaged, and suggest possibilities for further research.

by Danna Messer

During the Middle Ages some illegitimate daughters were accepted and recognised within the royal circles of England, Scotland and Wales. The purpose of this article is to introduce ideas of why and for what reasons some women were acknowledged and to what extent medieval ideals of kinship contributed in the acquiescence of illegitimate royal daughters. Some rulers recognised the political advantages that their illegitimate daughters offered and used them to extend power throughout the realm by ways of marriage.

by Lindsay Brook

There is convincing evidence that Sir Paon de Ruet may have been the same person as Sir Gilles de Roet. The article explores the possibility that this Gilles may have been linked to the Lords of Rœulx, who in turn were a younger branch of the Counts of Hainaut.

by Lindsay Brook

A query about the origins of Stefan Nemanja.

by Warwick Kellaway

The author provides a brief summary of the approaches and sources he used in researching the medieval origins of his family surname, and its variants. He shows how, by use of secondary sources and microfilms of original documents, it is possible to conduct such research from a base far removed from the historical origins of the name.

by Warwick Kellaway

A summary of the results of the research described in the preceding article.

by Chris Phillips

First of a series of notes with corrections and updates to information in The Complete Peerage.

by Lindsay Brook

Query about the parentage of Guillaume II de Villehardouin, Prince of Achaia, who died in 1278.