As a child, long before I had any formal notion of genealogy, I was fascinated by a large chart that hung in the stairwell of Grandmother Summers' house. It was decorated with colorful shields across the top and showed a long hand-written list of our family's descent from famous kings including Alfred the Great and Charlemagne, ending with a tiny list of my grandparents' children. I don't know what happened to the original after my grandmother's death, but at some point, someone made copies of the chart, shrunken in size and in black and white, and I do have a copy of that. So, I've decided to explore some of those royal connections.
I'm not sure who did this work originally. My best guess is that the author was my grandmother's cousin, Eleanor Brooke Perrie. Cousin Eleanor, as she was known in the family, was very into family history, especially if it connected to royalty. This chart seems like something she would have done. So, I'm not vouching for the accuracy of the lineage, just enjoying the interesting possibilities.
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| Edward I |
The main lineage on this chart begins with Edward I of England (1239-1307), who, according to Cousin Eleanor, would have been my too-many-greats-to-count grandfather. He was the son of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence and named because of his father's devotion to Edward the Confessor. He was also called Edward Longshanks because of his unusual height and "the Hammer of the Scots" because of his fierce wars against his neighbor to the north. Edward has a mixed record as king. He is credited with establishing Parliament as a permanent institution and reforming much of English law. On the other hand, he is criticized for his cruel treatment of the Welsh and Scots and for expelling Jews from the kingdom in 1290. He was said to be feared and respected rather than loved by his people.
In 1254, 15-year-old Edward made a political marriage with 13-year-old Eleanor of Castile. They had at least 14 children before Eleanor's death in 1290. For purposes of this lineage, however, the important one is the 8th and youngest daughter, Elizabeth of Rhuddlan (1282-1316).
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| Humphrey |
Elizabeth's first marriage to John of Holland lasted only a year or so and was childless. My family is apparently descended from her second marriage to Humphrey de Bohun, the 4th Earl of Hereford (1276-1322), whom Elizabeth married in 1302. Under his father-in-law, Humphrey took part in several campaigns against the Scots. Humphrey was apparently well-educated, a book collector and a scholar and he saw to it that all his children, including his daughters, received an education in the classics.
Even though he was the brother-in-law of King Edward II, Humphrey, like the other barons, was insistent that the king keep to the provisions of the Magna Carta and when Edward II began to exert what they considered excessive power, the barons revolted. Humphrey died in one battle of rebellion in Yorkshire in 1322.
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| Isabella, the She-Wolf |
Humphrey and Elizabeth had at least ten children, including twins Edward and William. William de Bohun (1312-1360), became the first Earl of Northampton in 1337. King Edward II, who would have been William's uncle, was overthrown in 1326 by the machinations of his Queen, Isabella (also known as the She-Wolf of France) and her lover, Roger Mortimer, an English baron. Mortimer himself was overthrown a few years later by Edward III with help from his cousin William de Bohun. (Isn't family history exciting? Never know which relative will want to assassinate you, especially if you happen to be king.) William's assistance earned him the Earldom and he became a lifelong friend and confidante of Edward III. In addition to his skill as a warrior, William was a renowned diplomat who negotiated several treaties with France and was appointed Admiral of the Northern Seas in 1352.
William de Bohun, Earl of Northampton, married Elizabeth de Badlesmere and had a daughter with her, Elizabeth de Bohun (1350-1385), from whom my family line continues.
She married Richard Fitzalan (1346-1397), the 4th Earl of Arundel. At the coronation of Richard II, Richard Fitzalan carried the crown. But Fitzalan had a kind of on-again, off-again relationship with Richard II. In 1387, the Earl was one of the leaders of a rebellion against Richard and Richard never really forgave him for that. In 1397, the king had Richard Fitzalan arrested and imprisoned for his opposition. He was beheaded later that year.
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| Arundel (in red) and Mowbray (white collar) meet with Richard II |
Richard Fitzalan and Elizabeth de Bohun had seven children, including Elizabeth Fitzalan (1366-1425), who married five times. My family appears to descend from her second marriage to Thomas Mowbray (1366-1399), the first Duke of Norfolk. He was also caught up in the nobility's power struggle with Richard II and died in exile in Venice of the plague. He had also managed to quarrel with Henry of Bolingbroke (later Henry IV) which resulted in the loss of his title of Duke of Norfolk, although the family did retain his other titles.
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| Mowbray Arms |
As an aside, Mowbray's quarrel with Henry Bolingbroke and his subsequent banishment appear in the first act of Shakespeare's
Richard II. Thomas Mowbray prophetically replies to King Richard's : Lions make leopards tame." [reference to their respective coats of arms] with the retort, "yea, but not to change his spots." Mowbray's death in exile is announced later in the play by the Bishop of Carlisle.
Thomas Mowbray and Elizabeth Fitzalan had two sons and three daughters, including Margaret Mowbray (1391-1459), from whom my family descends. Margaret married Robert Howard (1398-1436), about whom I know very little. However, they were the parents of John Howard (1425-1485) in whom my family line continues. You may remember above that Thomas Mowbray lost the title of Duke of Norfolk. His grandson, John Howard, was given the title again after he supported Richard III's usurpation of his brother Edward's throne (and also managed the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower. You remember that story!)
The title of Duke of Norfolk is a big deal, considered the premier dukedom in the kingdom and also includes the title of Earl of Arundel. The seat of the dukedom is at Arundel Castle in West Sussex. Since John Howard's accession in 1483, the title has stayed in the Howard family.
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Arundel Castle (2017)
John Howard was a staunch adherent of the House of York during the War of the Roses and was knighted by King Edward IV in 1461 and became part of the royal household as the King's carver. By 1468, he had advanced to Treasurer of the Royal Household. In 1483, John Howard carried the royal banner at the funeral of Edward IV. As mentioned above, Howard supported Richard III's ascension to power and was rewarded with the powerful dukedom. He carried the crown at Richard III's coronation. He died with his friend and patron, Richard III, at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.
About 1442, John married Catherine Moleyn and had two sons and four daughters with her. His eldest and only surviving son, Thomas Howard, (1443-1524) is the ancestor of my family.
Thomas, the second Duke of Norfolk and also the Earl of Surrey, was also the grandfather of both Ann Boleyn and Catherine Howard, the second and fifth wives respectively of Henry VIII. He served four Kings: Edward IV, Richard III, Henry VII, and Henry VIII.
And that is about all the royal intrigue I can handle for today, so I will leave Thomas's career as courtier, diplomat and soldier as well as the rest of the line for another entry.
Isn't it fun to connect yourself to all that far away history? To Be Continued.
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