Branching from Hedvig of Schauenburg (generation 22), from Katarina Elisabeth of Brunswick (generation 23), Helen of Denmark (generation 29), Ingeborg of Kiev (generation 30) and Gytha of Wessex (generation 32)
54 generations back to 500 in England (Wessex)
Includes:
Kings of Scotland (Stewart): James III (1457-1488) and James IV (1473-1513).
Kings of Denmark: Christian I (1426-1426-1488), Valdemar I (1131-1182), Eric I (1060-1103), Sweyn II (c. 1019 - 1074 or 1076)
1 Adela Rose Seltzer b. Nov. 9, 2007
1 Lila Pearl Seltzer b. May 27, 2010
daughters of
2 Robert Richard Hartley Seltzer b. July 29, 1975 md. Aug. 10, 2002 in Boston, MA Stacey Denenberg b. July 18, 1976
2 Heather Katherine Hartley Seltzer b. August 13, 1977
2 Michael Richard Hartley Seltzer b. June 14, 1980
2 Timothy Richard Hartley Seltzer b. Oct. 5, 1989
children of
3 Richard Warren (8) Seltzer, Jr. (b. Feb. 23 1946 Clarksville, TN) md. (1) July 28, 1973 Boston, MA Barbara Ann Hartley (1950-2012), md. (2) Sept. 27, 2015 Marilyn Lender (b. Aug. 22, 1945, NY, NY)
Richard = son of
4 Helen Estes b. Jan. 31, 1920 md. June 5, 1944 in Philadelphia, PA Richard Warren Seltzer, Sr. b. June 5, 1923
Helen = daughter of
5 Smith William Estes ( June 17, 1881 - Dec. 20, 1943) md. in Philadelphia, PA 1905 May Griffith (1883-1930)
Smith = son of
6 Louis Powhatan Estes (Nov. 22, 1849 - Sept. 6, 1902) md. Oct. 30, 1875 Lily Yates Moore (May 13, 1853 - March 8, 1929) (daughter of S.W. Moore and Mary Yates)
Louis = son of
7 Albert Monroe Estes (Nov. 19, 1804 in Bedford County, VA - Dec. 22, 1863 in Haywood County, TN) md. Nov. 17, 1848 Mildred Colman (daughter of Dr. Benjamin Colman and Mildred Wharton of New Jersey) (c. 1823- Nov. 30, 1849)
Albert = son of
8 Sarah Langhorne Bates (1781- 1825 near Brownsville, Haywood County, TN) md. Oct. 13, 1801 in Chesterfield County, VA Joel Estes (1780-1833) (son of Benjamin Estes and Cecelia Rebecca Thorpe)
Sarah = daughter of
9 Daniel Bates (July 6, 1756 - c. 1801) md. May 21, 1776in Chesterfield County, VA Elizabeth Cary Bell ( b. about 1758 in Virginia, d. 1825 in Kentucky) daughter of David Bell and Judith Cary
Daniel = son of
10 James Bates (March 7, 1721 - Nov. 9, 1786) md. Nov. 11, 1746 in Goochland County, St. James Wortham parish, VA Winnifred Grymes or Grimes or Hix (b. Jan. 18, 1729 in Goochland)
James = son of
11 Susannah Tarleton Fleming md. about 1709 John Bates (1685-1723)
Susannah = daughter of
12 Charles Fleming (b. 1667) (of New Kent County, VA) md. Susannah Tarleton (d. 1687) (daughter of Stephen Tarleton)
According to "My Ancestors and Relatives": "Colonel Charles was born on December 10th, 1659 in Of Charles Parish, York Co., Va. Colonel Charles' father was John FLEMMING and his mother was Mrs. Mercy Or Mary FLEMING. His paternal grandparents were Captain Alexander FLEMING and Elizabeth (Elspet) ANDERSON. He had four brothers and a sister, named William, Alexander, John, Tarleton and Lydia. He died at the age of 57 on October 7th, 1717 in St. Peter's Parish, New Kent, Va.
"Susanna was born in Of St. Peter's Parish, New Kent, Va. Susanna's father was Stephen TARLETON and her mother is Susanna. She had a sister named Judith. She died after October 7th, 1717 in St.peters Parish, New Kent.
"Colonel Charles and Susanna were married in a religious ceremony in New Kent, Virginia. They had two sons and eight daughters, named Colonel John, Tarleton, Susannah, Elizabeth, Judith, Ursula, Anne, Grace, Anne and Sarah.
Charles = son of
13 John Fleming (b. 1627 Cumbarnauld, Lanarkshire, Scotland d. April 27, 1686 in New Kent County, VA, St. Peter's Parish Register)
Cary-Estes Genealogy p. 86 indicates that according to "Fleming Family" by Lyon G. Tyler, William and MaryQuarterly Vol. 12, 1093, pp. 45-47, "I think he was the father of Charles Fleming who md. Susannah ___. She was probably a daughter of Stephen Tarleton." John Fleming, 493 acres in New Kent County on south side of Yorke River 2 march 1661 per page 397 Parent Book No. 4.
According to "My Ancestors and Relatives": "John was born in 1627 in Cumbarnauld, Lanarkshire, Scotland. John's father was Captain Alexander FLEMING and his mother was Elizabeth (Elspet) ANDERSON. His paternal grandparents were John FLEMING and Margaret LIVINGSTON; his maternal grandparents are William ANDERSON and MRS. ANDERSON. He had a brother and two sisters, named John, Elizabeth and Alexia. He died at the age of 59 on April 27th, 1686 in Charles Parish, York Co., Virginia. His burial was on April 30th, 1686 in St. Peter's Parish, New Kent, Va.
"Mrs. Mercy or Mary was born about 1637 in Of Charles Parish, York Co., Va. She died in , New Kent, Va.
"John and Mrs. Mercy or Mary were married in a religious ceremony in , , , England. They had five sons and a daughter, named Colonel Charles, William, Alexander, John, Tarleton and Lydia."
John = son of
14 Alexander Fleming (b. 1612 Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire, Scotland d. Dec. 30, 1668 Rappahannock Co., VA) md. Elizabeth (AKA Elspet) Anderson (b. 1614, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland d. Oct. 6, 1656 Rappahannock Co., VA)
According to "My Ancestors and Relatives": "Captain Alexander was born about 1612 in Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Captain Alexander's father was John FLEMING and his mother was Margaret LIVINGSTON. His paternal grandparents were John 1St Earl Wigton FLEMING and Lillias Lilias GRAHAM; his maternal grandfather was Alexander LIVINGSTON and his maternal grandmother is Eleanor Or Helen HAY. He had two brothers and six sisters, named John, William, Eleanor, Ann, Jean, Lilias, Helen and Margaret. He died on December 30th, 1668 in , Rappahannock Co., Va.
"Elizabeth (Elspet) was born about 1614 in Of Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Elizabeth (Elspet)'s father is William ANDERSON and her mother is MRS. ANDERSON. Her paternal grandfather is John ANDERSON. She was an only child. She died on October 6th, 1656 in , Rappahannock Co., Va.
"Captain Alexander and Elizabeth (Elspet) were married in a religious ceremony about 1632 in Scotland. They had two sons and two daughters, named John, John, Elizabeth and Alexia."
Alexander = son of
15 John Fleming (b. Dec. 9, 1589 Kincardine, Perth, Scotland d. May 7 1650 Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire, Scotland) md. Margaret Livingston (b. about 1587 Callendar, Stirlingshire, Scotland d. 1634) (Her line)
According to "My Ancestors and Relatives": "John was born on December 9th, 1589 in Kincardine, Perth, Scot. and his baptism took place on December 9th, 1589 in Kincardine, Perthshire, Scotland. John's father was John 1St Earl Wigton FLEMING and his mother was Lillias Lilias GRAHAM. His paternal grandparents were John Fleming EARL and Elizabeth ROSS; his maternal grandfather is John GRAHAM and his maternal grandmother was Jean DRUMMOND. He had four brothers and eight sisters, named James, Alexander, FLEMING, Malcolm, Jean, Jean, Anne, Margaret, Sarah, Lillias, Mary and Rachel. He died at the age of 60 on May 7th, 1650 in Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire, Scotland. His burial was in Scotland.
"Margaret was born about 1587 in Of, Callendar, Stirlingshire, Scotland. Margaret's father was Alexander LIVINGSTON and her mother is Eleanor Or Helen HAY. Her paternal grandfather was William LIVINGSTONE and her paternal grandmother is Agnes FLEMING. She had three brothers and a sister, named Alexander, John, James and Anna. She died in 1634.
"John and Margaret were married in a religious ceremony on February 20th, 1609 in Scotland. They had three sons and six daughters, named John, Captain Alexander, William, Eleanor, Ann, Jean, Lilias, Helen and Margaret.
John = son of
16 Lord John Fleming (1567-1619) 6th Lord Fleming, first Earl of Wigton in Scotland from 1606 md. Lilias Graham [Her line]
The Cary Estes Geneaology p. 86 quotes "Biggar and the House of Fleming" by William Hunter, F.S.a. Scot. Pages 551-552, 557:
"Lord Fleming married Lady Lilias Graham, a daughter of John, Earl of Montrose. Her ladyship was distinguished for her piety and devotion and her zealous efforts to promote the principles of the Reformation. Livingstone, in his 'Characterisitcs' says of her, 'When I was a child I have often seen her at my father's at the preachings and communions. While dressing she read the Bible, and every day at that time shed more tears (said one) than ever I did in my life.'"
"The Earl died in April 1619 leaving three sons and five daughters and was succeeded by his eldest son John who warmly embraced his mother's ecclesiastical opinions and was as zealous of the cause of Presbyterianism as his forefathers had been in the maintenance of Popery.
"He [the son, the Second Earl of Wigton] married Margaret, daughter of Alexander Livingstone, first Earl of Linlithgow, a lady of amiable disposition and great piety who entered cordially into the religious views and schemes of her husband. They not only attended the ministrations of the settled Protestant clergy, but for some time maintained a chaplain of their own family." (page 552)
John = son of
17 John Fleming, 5th Lord Fleming (b. 1537 Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland d. Sept. 6, 1572 Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland) [Overlapping line. We are also descended from his sister Margaret]md. May 10, 1562 Elizabeth Ross (b. 1541 Halkhead, Lanarkshire, Scotland d. April 14, 1578, Scotland), daughter of Robert Ross md. Agnes Moncrieff
According to "My Ancestors and Relatives": "John Fleming was born about 1537 in Bigger, L, Scot, Bi. John Fleming's father was Malcolm FLEMING and his mother was Janet STEWART. His paternal grandparents were John FLEMING and Euphame DRUMMOND; his maternal grandparents were James IV King Of SCOTLAND and Agnes STEWART. He had three brothers and six sisters, named John, James, William, Margaret, Elizabeth, Johanna Or Joan, Janet, Agnes and Mary. He died on September 6th, 1572 in Bigger, L, Scot, Bi. His burial was in Scotland.
"Elizabeth was born about 1541 in Of Halkhead, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Elizabeth's father was Robert Ross MASTER and her mother is Agnes MONCRIEFF. Her paternal grandparents are Ninian ROSS and Janet (Elizabeth) (Stuart) STEWART. She was an only child. She died on April 14th, 1578 in , Scot, Bi.
John Fleming and Elizabeth were married in a religious ceremony on May 10th, 1562 in Bigger, L, Scot, Bi. They had a son and six daughters, named John 1St Earl Wigton, Jean, Margaret, Elizabeth, Lucrece, Mary and Jane."
John = son of
18 Lady Janet Stewart (1505-1563) illegitimate daughter of King James IV of Scotland md. Malcolm Fleming (c. 1494-1547) 3rd Lord Fleming. [His line]
According to Wikipedia: "Janet Stewart, Lady Fleming (or Jane, Joan, Jean, or Johanna; c.1505 – c.1563) was an illegitimate daughter of James IV of Scotland who served as governess to her niece, Mary, Queen of Scots, and was briefly a mistress to Henry II of France. Her daughter, Mary Fleming, was one of the Queen's Four Maries."
According to Wikipedia: "Malcolm Fleming, 3rd Lord Fleming (c.1494 - 10 September 1547) son and heir of John Fleming, 2nd Lord Fleming, Lord Chamberlain of Scotland 1524. He was taken prisoner by the English at the Battle of Solway Moss, Nov 1542, but released at a ransom of 1000 marks on 1 July 1548. He was granted a dispensation on 26 February 1524/5, and subsequently married Lady Janet Stewart, illegitimate daughter of King James IV of Scotland He died 10 September 1547, in his 53rd year, being slain at the Battle of Pinkie."
Janet = daughter of
19 King James IV of Scotland (1473-1513) reigned 1488-1513 unmarried Agnes Stewart.
According to Wikipedia: "James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last British monarch to be killed in battle. James IV was the son of James III and Margaret of Denmark, probably born in Stirling Castle."
James = son of
20 Margaret of Denmark (1456-1486) md. 1469 King James III Stewart of Scotland (c. 1451/1452-1488). James was king 1460-1488, and Duke of Rothesay from birth.
According to Wikipedia: "James III of Scotland (c. 1451/1452 – 11 June 1488), the son of James II and Mary of Guelders, was Duke of Rothesay from birth, then King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family."
Margaret = daugther of
21 King Christian I (1426-1481) King of Denmark 1448-1481, Norway 1450-1481 and Sweden 1457-1464, also Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst md. Dorothea of Brandenburg (1430/1431-1495), AKA Dorothea of Hohenzollern and Dorothy Achilles. [Her line]
Christian = son of
22 Count Dietrich of Oldenburg (1398-1440) AKA Derrick of Oldenburg and Theoderic of Oldenburg and Theoderic the Lucky, Count of Delmenhorst and Oldenburg md. Hedwig of Schauenburg (1398-1436) AKA Helvig of Schauenburg [see her line below]
According to Wikipedia: "Derrick or Dietrich of Oldenburg, Latin-based anglicization also Theoderic of Oldenburg (c. 1398–February 14, 1440), nicknamed Theoderic the Lucky or the Fortunate (Teudericus Fortunatus), was a feudal lord in northern Germany, holding the counties of Delmenhorst and Oldenburg. He was called "Fortunatus" as he was able to secure Delmenhorst for his branch of the Oldenburgs. Dietrich is the father of Christian I of Denmark, a male-line ancestor to the present-day Danish throne under Margaret II of Denmark.
"Dietrich of Oldenburg was the son of Count Christian V of Oldenburg (who became count in about 1398 and died in 1423) and his wife, Countess Agnes of Honstein. His grandfather, Count Conrad I of Oldenburg (d. ca. 1368) had left his lands divided between his father and his uncle Conrad II.
"Dietrich’s father, Christian V, managed to gain the upper hand when Conrad II's son Maurice IV died in 1420. After this, most of the Oldenburg family patrimony was under the power of Dietrich’s branch. However, the house had several minor branches who had estates and claims, as was usual in any medieval fief.
"Dietrich of Oldenburg was the grandson of Ingeborg of Itzehoe, a Holstein princess who had married count Conrad I of Oldenburg. After the death in 1350 of her only brother, Count Gerhard V of Holstein-Itzehoe-Plön, Ingeborg and her issue were the heirs of her own grandmother Ingeborg of Sweden (d. ca. 1290, first wife of Gerhard II of Plön-Itzehoe), the eldest daughter of King Valdemar of Sweden and Queen Sophia, who herself was the eldest daughter of the sonless King Eric IV of Denmark and his wife Jutta of Saxony. Since other legitimate descent from King Valdemar apparently was extinct by this time, Dietrich was considered the heir general of Kings Valdemar I of Sweden and Eric IV of Denmark.
Dietrich succeeded his father as head of the House of Oldenburg in 1423."
Dietrich = son of
23 Count Christian V of Oldenburg, became count 1398 (b. before 1347 d. 1423) md. Agnes of Honstein
Christian = son of
24 Count Conrad I of Oldenburg (1344-1368) md. Ingeborg von Braunschweig AKA of Itzebhoe AKA of Holstein-Ploen, granddaughter of Ingeborg of Sweden, who was eldest daughter of King Valdemar of Sweden and Queen Sophia,who was daughter of King Eric IV of Denmark and his wife Jutta of Saxony [see her line below]
Conrad = son of
25 John II of Oldenburg md. Hedwig of Dipholz
________________________
HEDVIG OF SCHAUENBURG
22 Hedvig of Schauenburg (1398-1436) AKA Helvig of Schauenburg md. Count Dietrich of Oldenburg (1398-1440) AKA Derrick of Oldenburg and Theoderic of Oldenburg and Theoderic the Lucky, Count of Delmenhorst and Oldenburg [continued from above]
According to Wikipedia: "Helvig of Schauenburg (1398–1436), also known as Hedwig of Schauenburg, was a duchess of Schleswig and a countess of Holstein from the family of Schauenburg, and ancestor of the Danish Royal houses of Oldenburg and Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. She was a daughter of Count Gerhard VI of Holstein and his wife Elisabeth of Brunswick. Her brother was Adolf VIII/I, Count of Holstein/Duke of Schleswig. Through their father, Helvig and Adolf were Cognatic descendants of the King Eric V of Denmark. On 18 April 1417 Helvig was married to Prince Balthasar of Mecklenburg, who died of the plague in 1421. In 1423 she was married to Count Dietrich of Oldenburg."
Hedvig = daughter of
23 Count Gerhard VI of Holstein md. Katharina Elisabeth of Burnswick (1385 - after 1423) [see her line below]
According to Wikipedia: "Elisabeth of Brunswick and Lunenburg was born in 1385 and died after 1423, was Duchess consort of Sønderjylland and Schleswig and Countess consort of Holstein-Rendsburg. She was the regent of some of the fiefs of her son during his minority 1404-1415. She was a daughter of Magnus II Torquatus, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Prince of Wolfenbüttel, and his consort Catherine of Anhalt-Bernburg, daughter of Bernhard III, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg. Elisabeth was the grandmother of Christian I of Denmark and six times great-granddaughter of Henry II of England."
Gerhard = son of
24 Henry II of Holstein-Rendsburg, Duke of Schleswig md. Ingeborg of Mecklenburg
Henry = son of
25 Gerhard III of Holsetin-Rendsburg, Duck of Schleswig md. Sophia of Mecklenburg-Werle
Gerhard = son of Henry I, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg md. Heilwig of Bronckhorst
________________
KATHARINA ELISABETH OF BRUNSWICK
23 Katharina Elisabeth of Burnswick (1385 - after 1423) md. Count Gerhard VI of Holstein [continued from above]
Katharina = daughter of
24 Magnus II, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg (1324-1373) md. Catherine of Anhalt-Bernburg
According to Wikipedia: "Magnus (1324–1373), called Magnus with the Necklace (Latin: Magnus Torquatus) or Magnus II, was Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, ruling the Brunswick-Lüneburg principalities of Wolfenbüttel (colloquially also called Brunswick) and, temporarily, Lüneburg. Magnus was the son of Magnus the Pious, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Wolfenbüttel). In 1362 Magnus and his brother Louis helped their brother Prince-Archbishop Albert II of Bremen to assert himself against the incumbent diocesan administrator Morris of Oldenburg, who claimed the see for himself. Magnus, Louis and the latter's father-in-law William II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Celle), and their troops beleaguered Morris in the prince-archiepiscopal castle in Vörde and forced him to sign his resignation.
"After the death of his brother Louis in 1367, Magnus became the designated heir of both ducal principalities, Wolfenbüttel and Celle (colloquially also Lüneburg). When both his father and William II, who ruled over Celle, died in 1369, Magnus gained both ducal principalities. But already in 1370, he lost Celle to the Ascanian dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg (Albert and his uncle Wenceslas, Elector of Saxe-Wittemberg), who had been given the principality by Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, who had also banned Magnus. Several cities, including Lüneburg (Lunenburg), Uelzen, and Hanover switched allegiance to the Ascanians; Magnus managed to keep the City of Braunschweig (Brunswick) among his allies only with difficulties. The Lüneburg War of Succession continued for several years after Magnus died in the Battle of Leveste (a part of today's Gehrden), near the Deister, on 25 July 1373."
Magnus = son of
25 Magnus the Pious, Duck of Brunswick-Luneburg (d. 1369) md. Sophie of Brandenburg
According to Wikipedia: "Magnus (died 1369), called the Pious (Latin Pius), was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. The son of Albert the Fat, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Magnus was still a minor when his father died in 1318; he and his brother Ernest were put under the guardianship of their elder brother Otto, who continued as sole ruler even after his brothers came of age. After marrying Sophie, a niece of Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor, Magnus was appointed margrave of Landsberg and count palatine of Saxony by the Emperor in 1333. Magnus took residence at Sangerhausen. When Otto died in 1344, Magnus and Ernest jointly took over government of the state; but already on 17 April 1345, they agreed to divide the territory. Magnus received the Principality of Wolfenbüttel.
"In 1346, a border war between Wolfenbüttel and the Archbishop of Magdeburg broke out. In exchange for help in this conflict, Magnus sold the Margraviate of Landsberg to Frederick II, Margrave of Meißen. But the Archbishop conquered Schöningen in 1347, and Magnus had to cede Hötensleben and some other possessions to the Archbishop. Financially ruined by the war, Magnus could not stop the cities in the state from acquiring more and more rights; especially the City of Brunswick was becoming more powerful.
"In 1348, the Emperor gave Landsberg and the Palatinate of Saxony to Bernard, Prince of Anhalt. The ensuing conflict over these territories between Magnus and Bernard ended amicably with a marriage between Magnus' son Magnus and Catherine, daughter of Valdemar, Prince of Anhalt.
"Magnus attempted to secure the Principality of Lüneburg for his son Louis, so that it could be reunited with Wolfenbüttel. The prince of Lüneburg, William II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, a member of the same house to which Magnus belonged, the House of Welf, did not have sons; however, he had already promised the principality to a son of his daughter, a relative of the Duke of Saxony, before he agreed to Magnus' plan. Louis then married William's daughter Matilda. A lengthy conflict broke out that culminated in the Lüneburg Succession War, which was resolved only in 1388.
"In 1367, Magnus joined Dietrich, Archbishop of Magdeburg, Albert, Bishop of Halberstadt, Valdemar, Prince of Anhalt, and others in a campaign against Gerhard of Berg, Bishop of Hildesheim; they were defeated by Hildesheim in a battle near Farmsen and Dinklar on 3 September. Magnus was taken prisoner, and had to buy his freedom. He died in Summer of 1369.
Magnus = son of
26 Albert II, "the Fat", Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg (c. 1268- Sept. 22, 1318) md. Rixa of Mecklengurg-Werle
According to Wikipedia: "Albert (Latin Albertus; c. 1268 – 22 September 1318), called the Fat (pinguis), was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. The second son of Albert the Tall, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Albert was a boy when his father died in 1279. He was first under guardianship of his uncle, Conrad, Prince-Bishop of Verden, and then of his elder brother, Henry I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. In 1286 the three brothers divided their father's territory; Albert received the areas around Göttingen, Minden, Northeim, Calenberg, and Hanover. He made Göttingen his residence. In 1292, the third brother, William, died childless, and Albert and Henry quarrelled about William's share, the areas around Brunswick and Wolfenbüttel; Albert finally prevailed."
Albert = son of
27 Albert the Tall, Duke of Bruswick-Luneberg (1236-1279)
According to Wikipedia: "Albert the Tall (Latin: Albertus Longus, German: Albrecht der Große) (1236–1279), of the House of Welf, was Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1252 to 1269 and the first ruler of the newly-created Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel from 1269 until his death. Albert I of Brunswick was the second son of Otto the Child, the first Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. When his father died in 1252, he was the oldest surviving son, and took over the rule of the duchy; later his younger brother John joined him. In 1267, the brothers agreed to divide the duchy, which happened in 1269. Albert partitioned the territory while John obtained the right to choose his part. He took the northern half including the region of Lüneburg and the city of Hanover, while Albert received the southern part, including Calenberg, Helmstedt, the Harz mountains and Göttingen. The City of Brunswick was to remain common property of the brothers. Albert died on August 15, 1279 and is buried at Brunswick Cathedral. He was succeeded by his elder three sons, the younger three joined the Church."
Albert = son of
28 Otto the Child, first Duke of Bruswick-Luneburg (d. 1252)
According to Wikipedia: "Otto I of Brunswick-Lüneburg (about 1204 – 1252) was the first duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1235 until his death. He is called Otto the Child to distinguish him from his uncle, Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor. Otto was born around 1204 as the only son of William of Winchester, the youngest son of Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony. He inherited his father's properties in Saxony in 1213. The death of the Prince Palatine, in 1214, may be said to have opened to him a more splendid succession than what belonged to the very circumscribed patrimony of his father; but as his uncle Henry hesitated between a desire to aggrandize his own children (daughters) and a sense of what was due to the male representative of his name and family, Otto reaped little advantage from these enlarged prospects.
"At last, in 1223, Henry executed a deed, by which he appointed his nephew his successor in all that remained of the allodial domains of the duchies of Saxony and Bavaria, and also in the private fiefs which he held as an individual in other parts of the empire. These states, however, constituted so small a portion of the former wealth of his illustrious house, that we should have thought there was scarcely a pretext for either envy or alarm in the breast of his enemy, yet when the Emperor, Frederick II, was made acquainted with the intentions of the Count Palatine, he began to intrigue with his daughters. That he might have a pretense for depriving Otto of the succession at his uncle's death, he purchased from Irmgard, the Margravine of Baden and Agnes, the Duchess of Bavaria their claims as the only issue of the Duke of Saxony; and no sooner was the death of Henry announced, than the King of the Romans was dispatched with an imperial force to take possession of the city and territory of Brunswick. But Otto had been regularly acknowledged by the states as their legitimate sovereign and had been received as such by the city and principality. They therefore joined him heartily in repelling this invasion, and the king and his array were compelled to retire, without being able to effect the object which the emperor had in view.
"To be prepared against any future attempt of the same kind, Otto judged it prudent at this time to enter into a treaty with his maternal uncle King Valdemar II of Denmark, by which they respectively bound themselves to support each other against all enemies whatsoever. This treaty was in the end most injurious to the states of Brunswick. Otto was made count of Garding and Thetesbüll by King Valdemar, and participated in the Battle of Mölln of 1225 and the Battle of Bornhöved of 1227 on the side of Denmark. After the last battle Otto was imprisoned in Rostock, the capital of Schwerin, where he was shut up in a fortress.
"The Emperor no sooner heard of Otto's confinement, than he again prepared to attack Brunswick. His son, the Roman king, was detached with a considerable force to seize upon the city; and that more weight might he given to the expedition, the Duke of Bavaria was prevailed upon to accompany him. But on their approach, they found the gates shut, and the citizens prepared to defend their liberties, while they learnt, at the same time, that the King of Denmark was advancing upon their rear. They were therefore compelled to sound a retreat; and luckily for the captive prince, the emperor had become involved in matters of higher importance, which we shall now briefly notice, and was under the necessity of withdrawing his attention from the conquest of Brunswick.
"It happened fortunately for the Duke of Brunswick, that the Count of Schwerin died in 1228, and that on his death-bed he had directed that he should be set at liberty. The Duke of Saxony, who claimed a joint right in his detention, refused at first to comply with the dying request of his friend, but when allowed to take possession of the Castle of Hardsacre and other states, as a security for the payment of his ransom, he was permitted to leave his prison. Otto reached Brunswick in September 1228, and was received by his vassals with every mark of respect and attachment. He renewed and confirmed the various charters granted by his ancestors to the city, and greatly enlarged its privileges; while his uncle, the King of Denmark, bestowed as a boon upon the citizens the liberty of trading in his dominions, without paying customs or any other dues.
"On his way from Rostock, Otho had spent some days at the court of the Margrave of Brandenburg, where he had seen and admired the Princess Matilda, the daughter of the margrave, and no sooner were his private affairs arranged, than he sent to demand the hand of this princess in marriage. It was an alliance too flattering for the House of Brandenburg to be rejected. Matters were speedily settled, and the marriage ceremony was performed with great splendor at Lüneburg.
"By 1227, his father's two brothers, Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine, and Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor, had died without surviving children, and Otto was the only heir of the properties of his grandfather Henry the Lion. But Otto had to battle for his properties against the ruling Hohenstaufen family and against local nobles; he managed to strengthen his position through his marriage to Matilda.
"It is alleged by some that the Duke of Brunswick was well-inclined to enter into the views of the Pope, but that he found he could neither raise men nor money sufficient to warrant even a probability of success. This we are inclined to doubt, for had Otho been ambitious, he might have obtained the empire without much difficulty; and supported as he was by England and Denmark, it is not likely that he could have been at a loss for an army, or for the means of supporting it.
"As a proof that Otto had the full confidence and support of the King of England, we find that the moment he obtained his liberty, he wrote to communicate the same to Henry III, who was his cousin, and as Henry's answer dated 6 March 1229 has fortunately been preserved by Thomas Rymer, it becomes a valuable part of these annals, as it puts our conjecture beyond a doubt.
"Later Henry send a letter to the Pope, in which he repeats his thanks to Pope Gregory IX for the zealous part he had taken in procuring the freedom of his dear cousin the Duke of Brunswick, and adds, "that as Christian Princes may approach his Holiness with their petitions, he ventures to supplicate a continuance of his especial favor to his said cousin, which by reason of their near connexion in blood he would esteem as much as if shewn to himself." He implores Gregory to promote Otto's honor whenever it is in his power, and to recommend him to the princes of the empire, as often as he had an opportunity, adding, " that he most firmly believed and trusted in the Lord, that among all the princes of the empire he would be found the one most devoted to the interests of the church; and that as he considered his release from prison owing in a great measure to the influence of the Apostolic See, he would consequently be the more obsequious to that power.
"In 1235, Otto achieved an agreement with the Hohenstaufen Emperor Frederick II that ended the dispute between the Hohenstaufen House and the House of Welf, to which Otto belonged. This dispute had culminated when Henry the Lion was stripped of his duchies in 1180 by Frederick's grandfather, Frederick Barbarossa. According to this agreement, Otto transferred all of his private property to the Emperor, who immediately returned it to him as a hereditary imperial fief. In this way, Otto reacquired the status of a prince of the Holy Roman Empire that Henry the Lion had lost. However, the Duchy of Saxony, which Henry had held, had since then passed on to Ascanian dukes, so that the Emperor had to create a new duchy for Otto. This was the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, named after the two central cities around which Otto's former properties were located. Otto could substantially increase his territory by supporting King William, who married his daughter Elizabeth in January of 1252.
"King William had intimated to the princes of Germany his desire to meet them in a general diet at Frankfurt against the Feast of St. John the Baptist, 1252; he was preparing to leave Brunswick with his father-in-law for the purpose of being present at this assembly when Otto was suddenly taken unwell and expired on 9 June. Otto is buried in Brunswick Cathedral. He is the male-line ancestor of all later members of the House of Welf."
Otto = son of
29 William of Winchester (April 11, 1184 - Dec. 13, 1213)AKA William Longsword, AKA William of Luneburg md. Helen daughter of King Vlademar I of Denmark [see her line below]
According to Wikipedia: "William (11 April 1184, Winchester – 13 December 1213), called William of Winchester, William Longsword, or William of Lüneburg, was the youngest son of Duke Henry the Lion. William was born in England during his father's exile; he remained there when Henry returned to Saxony and was raised at Richard Lionheart's court. When Henry died in 1195, William inherited Henry's properties around Lüneburg, near Lauenburg, and in the eastern Harz. In 1202, William married Helen, daughter of King Valdemar I of Denmark. Their only child was Otto (1204-1252), who inherited his father's property."
William = son of
30 Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony md. Matilda Duchess of Saxony [see her line below]
Henry = son of
31 Henry X, Duke of Bavaria md. Gertrude of Supplingenburg [see her line below]
Henry = son of
32 Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria md. Wulfhild of Saxonyh
___________________________
INGEBORG OF HOLSTEIN-PLOEN
24 Ingeborg von Braunschweig AKA of Itzebhoe AKA of Holstein-Ploen md. Count Conrad I of Oldenburg (1344-1368) [continued from above]
Ingeborg = daughter of
25 Count Gerard of Holstein-Ploen
Gerard = son of
26 Ingeborg Valdemarsdotter of Sweden (1263-1292 md. Gerhard II of Holstein
Ingeborg = daugher of
27 King Valdemar of Sweden (1239-1302), reigned 1250-1275 md. Sophia of Denmark, who was daughter of King Eric IV of Denmark and his wife Jutta of Saxony [see her line below]
According to Wikipedia: "Valdemar, English also Waldemar; Swedish: Valdemar Birgersson (1239–1302), was King of Sweden 1250–1275. Valdemar was the son of princess Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden and Birger jarl, from the House of Bjelbo, who more or less ruled Sweden from 1248 under King Eric XI of Sweden. His mother was a daughter of King Eric X of Sweden and Queen Richeza of Denmark, a Royal Princess of Denmark.
"When King Eric XI died in 1250, Valdemar was elected king. Even after the coming of age of Valdemar in 1257, Birger jarl held a grip over the country. After Birger's death in 1266 Valdemar came into conflict with his younger brother duke Magnus, who wanted the throne for himself.
"In 1260, Valdemar married Sofia of Denmark the eldest daughter of King Eric IV of Denmark and Jutta of Saxony. Valdemar also had a relationship with his queen's sister Jutta. In 1272, Jutta visited Sweden and became Valdemar's mistress. The affair resulted in a child born in 1273. The following year, Jutta was placed in a convent and Valdemar was forced to make a pilgrimage to Rome to ask for the Pope's absolution.
"In 1275, Valdemar was deposed by his younger brother, Magnus after the Battle of Hova. Duke Magnus had started the rebellion against his brother with Danish help. Magnus was elected King Magnus III of Sweden at the Stones of Mora. In 1277, Sophia separated from her spouse and returned to Denmark. In 1277, Valdemar managed to regain provinces in Gothenland in the southern part of the kingdom. However, Magnus regained them about 1278. In 1288 Valdemar was imprisoned by King Magnus and lived openly with mistresses in his comfortable prison."
Valdemar = son of
28 Birger jarl from the House of Bjelbo (c. 1210 - Oct. 21, 1266) md. Ingeborg of Sweden, daughter of King Eric X of Sweden and Queen Richeza of Denmark [see her line below]
According to Wikipedia: "Birger Jarl (help·info) (c. 1210 – 21 October 1266), or Birger Magnusson, was a Swedish statesman, Jarl of Sweden and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden.[1] Birger also led the Second Swedish Crusade, which established Swedish rule in Finland. Additionally, he is traditionally attributed to have founded the Swedish capital, Stockholm around 1250.
"It is known that Birger grew up and spent his adolescence in Bjälbo, Östergötland but the exact date of his birth remains uncertain and available historical sources are contradictory. Examinations of his mortal remains indicate that he was probably about 50 upon his death in 1266 which would indicate a birth around 1216. However, his father Magnus Minnesköld is assumed to have died no later than 1210, which would lead to an assumed birth a few years earlier. Under any circumstance, he was the son of Ingrid Ylva, who according to Olaus Petri was a daughter of Sune Sik and granddaughter to Sverker the Elder, which would make Birger a matrilineal member of the House of Sverker. His brothers or half-brothers — Eskil, Karl, and Bengt — were all born long before 1200, and it can therefore be assumed that they had another mother. He was also a nephew of the jarl Birger Brosa from the House of Bjelbo. The combination of this background proved to be of vital importance.[2][3]
"Birger, thus most likely born at the time for the Battle of Gestilren in 1210 and named after Birger Brosa, one of the most potent men of the era who died in 1202, started his career in the mid 1230s by marrying Ingeborg Eriksdotter, the sister of King Eric XI of Sweden according to the Eric's Chronicle (Erikskrönikan) in fierce rivalry with other suitors.[3]
"During the 15 years to follow, Birger then consolidated his position and was probably one of the most influential men years before being formally given the title jarl in 1248 by King Eric XI. Birger was later claimed to have been responsible for a military campaign against the Novgorod Republic that Russians claim ended in a defeat by Alexander Nevsky during a battle the Russians refer to as Neva Battle in 1240. While Swedish, German, Finnish, Baltic and other sources have no information on the battle at all, a 16th century Russian legend tells that the Swedish "king" was wounded in the face while dueling against Prince Alexander Nevsky himself.
"Although Birger Jarl saw many battles, some have speculated that traces of a sword blow in Birger's cranium might have originated from this battle (or any of the many others).[4] However, the original 14th century Russian version of the battle had no information on this at all.[5]
"When the papal diplomat William of Modena visited present Sweden around 1248, he urged the Swedish kings to fulfill the rules of the Catholic Church, an exhortation which Birger seem to have taken as a chance to strengthen his position by simply taking the side of the church against other members of his family (alternatively possible to interpret as a manifestation of his pious side). This was a choice of historical importance as it was to make Birger a jarl powerful enough to ultimately wind up the office, thus making him the last Swedish jarl ever, even called as the "first true king of Sweden" by historians. As this happened during an era when the inherited concept Folkung became more of a political party, it also meant Swedish magnates lost most of their influence which paved the way for a consolidated Swedish kingdom supported by the Pope.[6]
"In 1247, royal troops led by Birger at the Battle of Sparrsätra (Slaget vid Sparrsätra) fought with Folkung forces led by pretender Holmger Knutsson, son of King Canute II. Folkungs lost the battle thus crushing resistance to the central government and taxes. Holmger Knutsson fled to Gästrikland and was captured there by Birger in the following year. Quickly brought to trial, he was beheaded.
"In 1249, Birger succeeded in ending a decades-long period of hostilities with Norway. As a part of the Treaty of Lödöse, he also managed to marry off his daughter Rikissa, then only 11-years old, to Haakon Haakonsson the Young, the eldest son of King Haakon IV of Norway. Presumably later that year, Birger led an expedition to Finland, later dubbed as the Second Swedish Crusade, which permanently established the Swedish rule in Finland. On King Eric's death in 1250, Birger's son Valdemar was elected as the new king while Birger acted as regent, holding the true power in Sweden until his death.[7]
"In 1252, a year after another victory over the folkungs at the Battle of Herrevadsbro (Slaget vid Herrevadsbro), Birger wrote two carefully dated letters, the first mention of Stockholm interpreted as the foundation of the city or at least some sort of special interest in the location. Neither of the letters give a description of the location, however, and while archaeological traces of older defensive structures have been found there, what did exist on the premises before the mid 13th century remains debated. It has been suggested Birger chose the location for several reasons: Partly to curb domestic magnates by isolating them with a "lock of Lake Mälaren", offering a defense to the lands around Mälaren from invading enemies in the process; and to create a commercial bridgehead to attract German merchants. While Birger's direct involvement in the foundation of the city remains speculative, it probably was no accident it was founded on the location at this time, as there were alternative passages into Mälaren during the preceding Viking Era; as Crusades, a kind of Viking raids in a Christian disguise, had proven increasingly unsuccessful; and as taking control over the location, traditionally where men supposedly gathered before the ledung, meant old offensive military traditions could be replaced by more "modern" commercial efforts directed towards Lübeck. Birger thus combined financial support from Germany with papal political support to consolidate his own position.[8]
"Ingeborg died in 1254 and in 1261 Birger married the widow of King Abel of Denmark, the Danish queen dowager, Matilda of Holstein. Birger died on 21 October 1266, at Jälbolung in Västergötland. His grave in Varnhem Abbey was opened in May 2002.
"There is a statue of the great duke in his own square Birger Jarls Torg next to Riddarholm Church in Stockholm, erected by Bengt Erland Fogelberg at the expense of the Over-Governor of Stockholm in 1854. There is a cenotaph for him at the base of the tower of Stockholm City Hall. It was originally intended that his remains be removed there, but this was never done. Several other historical structures there are also named for him including the street Birger Jarlsgatan on Norrmalm and the tower Birger Jarls Torn on Riddarholmen. The Hotel Birger Jarl is located in Stockholm's Norrmalm neighborhood. He is also the central figure of Bröllopet på Ulvåsa by Frans Hedberg (1865)."
Birger = son of
29 Magnus Minneskold (d. no later than 1210) md. Ingrid Ylva (c. 1180 - c. 1250-1255
According to Wikipedia: "Lady Ingrid Ylva Sunesdotter of Bjelbo (born c. 1180s, died c. 1250–1255), was a Swedish noblewoman, the wife of Magnus Minnesköld of Bjälbo and the mother of regent Birger jarl and grandmother of king Valdemar of Sweden. The exact years of her birth and death are unclear; a traditional year quoted for her death is 26 October 1252; it is also considered, though, that this was the date of her burial, and that she had actually died in 1251.
Ingrid = daughter of
30 Sune Sik (born c. 1154)
According to Wikipedia: "Sune Sik, (born c. 1154), was allegedly a Swedish prince. According to Olaus Petri, he would have been a younger son of King Sverker I of Sweden and father of Ingrid Ylva. In surviving contemporary documents one Sune Sik can be found who lived much later. That Sune Sik made a donation to Vreta Abbey as late as in 1297.[1] He might have ordered a restoration of a chapel in which he eventually was interred, and later Cistercian tradition may then have turned him into a prince.[2] This has caused some historians to view Olaus Petri's account of him as unreliable.[2] Sune Sik, as a son of King Sverker, is counted by other Swedish historians as a person of history and the man buried at Vreta"
Sune = son of
31 King Sverker I of Sweden, the Elder (d. Dec. 25, 1156) md. Richeza of Poland (April 12, 1116 - after Dec. 25, 1156) [her line below]
According to Wikipedia: "Sverker I (English exonym; Sweartgar, Old Swedish: Swærkir konongær gambli) or Sverker the Elder (murdered December 25, 1156) was King of Sweden from about 1130 till his death.
"Sverker was a mighty landowner from Östergötland. According to the Westrogothic law (1240), his father's name was Cornube, but according to Skáldatal, his father's name was Kol. He was acknowledged as king at the beginning of 1130s, and conquered Västergötland from its ruler Magnus the Strong. Sverker ruled for about 26 years, but in spite of the long reign not much is known about him. The convents and monasteries of Alvastra, Nydala and Varnhem were founded.
"According to a Russian chronicle, the newly founded Republic of Novgorod had its first confrontation with Sweden during Sverker's reign in 1142, thus breaking a century-long peace that had been guaranteed by marriages between the earlier ruling families.
"Sverker was murdered by his own coach at the Alebäck bridge near Alvastra priory, going to the early service on Christmas Day, in 1156. This was considered a shocking crime, even by medieval standards. The pretender Magnus Henriksson was suspected of the crime."
Sverker = son of
32 Kol
_________________
27 Sophia of Denmark (1241-1286) md. King Valdemar of Sweden (1239-1302), reigned 1250-1275. [line continued from above]
According to Wikipedia: "Sophia of Denmark (Sofia Eriksdotter; 1241–1286) was Queen consort of Sweden as spouse of King Valdemar I of Sweden.
'Sophia was the eldest daughter of Eric IV of Denmark and Jutta of Saxony. Her father was murdered in 1250 when she and her younger sisters, Agnes and Jutta of Denmark were young. As he left no son, Eric IV's brothers, Abel of Denmark and then Christopher I of Denmark assumed the Danish throne.
"Sophia was married to Valdemar I of Sweden in 1261, as part of Birger Jarl's policy of peace between Scandinavian kingdoms. It is said, that when she was informed about the arranged marriage, she left the room, went in to her chamber and asked God; Give me happiness with him and him with me. Sophia was described as a politically interested, witty beauty with a quick tongue. She was also known for her interest in chess.
"In 1269, Sophia visited her father's grave in Denmark as well as visiting her sisters, Agnes and Jutta, who had both been placed in Agnesklostret convent in Roskilde. In 1272, Sophia's sister Jutta visited Sweden and became Valdemar's mistress. The affair resulted in a child born in 1273. The following year, Jutta was again placed in a convent and Valdemar was forced to make a pilgrimage to Rome to ask for the Pope's absolution. According to legend, Queen Sophia said: I will never recover from this sorrow. Curse the day my sister saw the kingdom of Sweden.
"In 1275, Valdemar was deposed by his younger brother, Magnus III of Sweden after the battle of Hova. The news was said to have reached the queen while she played chess. Many stories are told about her sharp tongue. She is said to have complained about her husband's brothers as "Magnus Ticklingfingers" and "Eric Everything-and-anything". In 1277, Sophia separated from her spouse and returned to Denmark. Her husband lived openly with mistresses in his comfortable prison. In 1283, the ex-queen gave her income in the fishing of Norrköping to the Saint Martin Abbey in Skänninge. This is the first document were the city of Norrköping is mentioned. She died in 1286."
Sophia = daughter of
28 King Eric IV of Denmark (1216 - Aug. 9, 1250) md. Jutta of Saxony (d. 1250) [her line continued below]
According to Wikipedia: "Eric IV, also known as Eric Ploughpenny (Danish: Erik Plovpenning), (1216 – 9 August 1250) was king of Denmark from 1241 until his death in 1250. He was the son of King Valdemar II of Denmark by his wife, Princess Berengária of Portugal, and brother to King Abel and King Christopher I.
Eric was born in 1216 as the second legitimate son of King Valdemar II by his second wife Berengária of Portugal. In 1218, when his older half-brother Valdemar was crowned king as their father's co-ruler and designated heir, he was created Duke of Schleswig. After the premature death of Valdemar in 1231, Eric in his turn was crowned king at Lund Cathedral 30 May 1232 as his father's coruler and heir. Subsequently, he ceded the Duchy of Schleswig to his younger brother Abel. When his father died in 1241, he automatically acceded to the throne.
"His rule was marked by bitter conflicts and civil wars against his brothers. Especially he fought his brother, Duke Abel of Schleswig who seems to have wanted an independent position and who was supported by the counts of Holstein. Eric also fought the Scanian peasants, who rebelled because of his hard taxes, among other things, on ploughs. The number of ploughs a man owned was used as a measure of his wealth (more ploughs, more farmland). This gave the king the epithet "plough-penny", Danish, Plovpenning). Abel and the Holsteiners stormed into Jutland burning and pillaging as far north as Randers in 1247. Eric returned the favor in southern Jutland the following year, and kept a wary eye on Christopher who held Lolland and Falster. A truce was arranged by Eric's sister Sofie which left Eric in firm control of all of Denmark.
"At the same time Eric faced trouble from the religious orders who insisted that they were immune from taxes that Eric might assess. Eric wanted the church lands taxed as any other land holder would be. Bishop Niels Stigsen fled Denmark and Eric took Copenhagen and the bishops properties in Zealand as compensation for his troubles with Abel. The pope sent a nuncio to negotiate between the king and the bishops at Odense in 1245. Excommunication was threatened for anyone, great or small who trespassed upon the ancient rights and privileges of the church. It was a clear warning to Eric that the church would not tolerate his continued insistence at assessing church property for tax purposes.
"In 1249 the peasants in Scania rose in rebellion against the plow tax. The king restored order with help from Zealand, but the church, Duke Abel, and the German counts in southern Jutland were pushed into an erstwhile alliance against the king.
"Erik raised an army and sailed to Estonia to secure his base there in 1249. On his way home in 1250 he took his army to Holstein to prevent the capture of the border fortress of Rendsburg and to teach the German counts who was still king. His brother, Duke Abel of Southern Jutland offered him hospitality at his house at Gottorp in Schleswig. While they sat in the great hall, Duke Abel reminded Erik of the attacks that he had endured early in Erik's reign. "Do you remember that a few years ago your men ravaged this city, and my daughter was forced to run for her life without so much as a pair of shoes for her feet." "I have enough," replied Erik, "that I can give her a pair of shoes." That evening as the king gambled with one of the German knights, the duke's chamberlain and a group of other men rushed in and took the king prisoner. They bound him and dragged him out of the duke's house and down to a boat and rowed out into the Schlien. They were followed out onto the water by a second boat. When King Erik heard the voice of his sworn enemy, Lave Gudmundsen, he realized he was to be killed. The king asked for a priest to hear his last confession, and the conspirators agreed to Erik's request. The king was rowed back to shore; a priest was brought to hear Erik's confession, and then he was rowed back out into the bay. One of the captors was paid to deliver the king's death blow with an ax. Erik was beheaded and his body dumped into the Schlien. The next morning two fishermen dragged the king's headless body up in their net. They carried the body to the Dominican Abbey in Schleswig.
"Abel swore that he had nothing to do with the murder. "I hadn't the will to hold him prisoner, let alone murder him," was his reply. Few Danes believed Abel and within a year and a half Abel was killed, many said, struck down by God for his part in Erik IV's death."
Eric = son of
29 King Valdemar II of Denmark (May 9, 1170 or June 28 1170 - March 28, 1241) md. Princess Berengária of Portugal [her line continued below]
According to Wikipedia: "Valdemar II (May 9, 1170 or 28 June 1170 – March 28, 1241), called Valdemar the Conqueror or Valdemar the Victorious (Valdemar Sejr), was the King of Denmark from 1202 until his death in 1241. The nickname Sejr is a later invention and was not used during the King's own lifetime.
"He was the second son of King Valdemar I and Sophia Valadarsdattir, a Varangian princess. When Valdemar's father died, young Valdemar was only twelve years old. He was named Duke of Southern Jutland (Latin: dux slesvicensis, literally Sleswickian duke[1]), represented by the regent Bishop Valdemar Knudsen (1182–1193).
"Bishop Valdemar was an ambitious man and disguised his own ambitions as young Valdemar's. When in 1192 Bishop Valdemar was named Prince-Archbishop of Bremen, his plot to overthrow King Canute VI with the help of German nobility and sit on Denmark's throne himself was revealed.
"Duke Valdemar realized the threat Bishop Valdemar presented. He invited the archbishop to meet him in Åbenrå in 1192. Then the bishop fled to Swedish Norway to avoid arrest. The following year Bishop Valdemar organised - supported by the Hohenstaufens - a fleet of 35 ships and harried the coasts of Denmark, claiming the Danish throne for himself. In 1193 King Canute VI of Denmark captured him. Bishop Valdemar stayed in captivity in Nordborg (1193–1198) and then in the tower at Søborg Castle on Zealand until 1206. Bishop Valdemar was released upon the initiative of the Danish Queen Dagmar and Pope Innocent III and after swearing, never to interfere again in Danish affairs.
"Young Valdemar faced another threat from Count Adolph of Rendsburg. Adolph tried to stir up other German counts to take southern Jutland from Denmark to assist Bishop Valdemar's plot to take the throne. With the bishop in prison, Duke Valdemar went after Count Adolph and with his own troop levies march south and captured Adolph's new fortress at Rendsburg. He defeated and captured the count later that year and sent him to sit in a cell next to Bishop Valdemar. Three years later Duke Valdemar let Count Adolph buy his way out of prison by ceding all of Schleswig north of the Elbe to Valdemar. In November 1202, Duke Valdemar's elder brother, King Canute VI died unexpectedly at the age of 40, leaving no heirs.
"Duke Valdemar was subsequently proclaimed king at the Jutland Assembly (landsting). The nearby Holy Roman Empire was torn by civil war due to having two rivals contesting for its throne, Otto IV, House of Guelf, and King Philip, House of Hohenstaufen. Valdemar II allied himself with Otto IV against Phillip.
"In 1203 Valdemar invaded and conquered Lybeck and Holstein, adding them to the territories controlled by Denmark. In 1204 he attempted to influence the outcome of the Norwegian succession by leading a Danish fleet and army to Viken in Norway in support of Erling Steinvegg, the pretender to the Norwegian throne. This resulted in the second Bagler War which lasted until 1208. The question of the Norwegian succession was temporarily settled and the Norwegian king owed allegiance to the king of Denmark.
"In 1207, a majority of Bremian capitulars again elected Bishop Valdemar as Prince-Archbishop, while a minority, led by the capitular provost Burkhard, Count of Stumpenhausen fled for Hamburg, being the seat of a Bremian subchapter with regional competence and delegating for episcopal elections two participants to the main Bremian chapter. The German King Philip, recognised Valdemar as the legitimate Prince-Archbishop of Bremen, because thus the Prince-Archbishopric would become his ally against Valdemar II.
"Valdemar II and the fled capitulars protested to Pope Innocent III, who first wanted to research the case. When Bishop Valdemar left Rome for Bremen against Pope Innocent's order to wait his decision, he banished Valdemar by an anathema and in 1208 finally dismissed him as Bishop of Schleswig. In 1208, Burkhard, Count of Stumpenhausen, was elected by the fled capitulars in Hamburg as rival prince-archbishop and Valdemar II, usurping imperial power, invested Burkhard with the regalia - with effect only in the prince-archiepiscopal and diocesan territory north of the Elbe. In 1209 Innocent III finally consented the consecration of Bishop Nicholas I of Schleswig, a close confidant and consultant of King Valdemar, as successor of the deposed Bishop Valdemar. In 1214 King Valdemar appointed Bishop Nicholas I as Chancellor of Denmark, succeeding the late Peder Sunesen, Bishop of Roskilde.
"In the same year Valdemar II invaded with Danish troops the prince-archiepiscopal territory south of the Elbe and conquered Stade. In August Prince-Archbishop Valdemar reconquered the city only to lose it soon after again to Valdemar II, who now built a bridge of the Elbe and fortified a forward post in Harburg upon Elbe. In 1209 Otto IV persuaded Valdemar II to withdraw into the north of the Elbe, urged Burkhard to resign and expelled Prince-Archbishop Valdemar.
"In 1210, Innocent III made Gerhard I, Count of Oldenburg-Wildeshausen Bremen's new Prince-Archbishop. In 1211 Duke Bernard III of the younger Duchy of Saxony escorted his brother-in-law Valdemar, the papally dismissed Prince-Archbishop, into the city of Bremen, de facto regaining the See and enjoying the sudden support of Otto IV, who meanwhile fell out with Innocent over Sicily. As a reaction Valdemar II recaptured Stade, while in 1213 Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine, conquered it for Prince-Archbishop Valdemar.
"In 1213 Valdemar instituted a war tax in Norway, and the peasants murdered Valdemar's tax collector at the Trøndelag Assembly and revolted. The uprising spread over several regions in Norway.
"In 1216, Valdemar II and his Danish troops ravaged the County of Stade and conquered Hamburg. Two years later Valdemar II and Gerhard I allied to expel Henry V and Otto IV from the Prince-Archbishopric. Prince-Archbishop Valdemar finally resigned and entered into a monastery. Valdemar supported Emperor Frederick II and was rewarded with the emperor acknowledging Denmark rule of Schleswig and Holstein, all of the Wendish lands and Pomerania.
"The Teutonic Knights who had been attempting to Christianize the peoples of the eastern Baltic, but by 1219 they were being hard pressed and turned to Valdemar for help. Pope Honorius III elevated Valdemar's invasion of Estonia into a crusade. Valdemar raised an army and called all of Denmark's ship to gather to transport the army eastward. Once assembled, the fleet numbered 1500 ships.
"When the army landed in Estonia, near modern-day Tallinn, the chiefs of the Estonians sat down with the Danes and agreed to acknowledge the Danish king as their overlord. A few of them allowed themselves to be baptized which seemed to be a good sign. Three days later on 15 June 1219 while the Danes were attending mass, thousands of Estonians broke into the Danish camp from all sides. Confusion reigned and things looked bad for Valdemar's crusade. Luckily for him, Vitslav of Rűgen, gathered his men in a second camp and attacked the Estonians from the rear.
"During the Battle of Lyndanisse the legend says that whenever Bishop Sunesen raised his arms the Danes surged forward and when his arms grew tired and he let them fall the Estonians turned the Danes back. Attendants rushed forward to raise his arms once again and the Danes surged forward again. At the height of the battle Bishop Sunsen prayed for a sign and it came in the form of a red cloth with a white cross which drifted down from the sky just as the Danes began to fall back. A voice was heard to say "When this banner is raised on high, you shall be victorious!"[2] The Danes surged forward and won the battle. At the end of the day thousands of Estonians lay dead on the field, and Estonia was added to the Danish realm. Estonians were forcibly baptised as Christians.
"Valdemar ordered the construction of a great fortress at Reval, near the site of the battle.[3] Eventually a city grew around the hilltop castle which is still called Tallinn, "Danish-castle/town" in the Estonian language. The red banner with a white cross (Dannebrog) has been the national flag of the Danes since 1219. Dannebrog is Europe's oldest flag design still in modern use.
"In 1223, King Valdemar and his eldest son, prince Valdemar, were abducted by Count Henry I of Schwerin (Heinrich der Schwarze), while hunting on the island of Ly near Funen. Count Henry demanded that Denmark surrender the land conquered in Holstein 20 years ago and become a vassal of the Holy Roman Emperor. Danish envoys refused these terms and Denmark declared war. While Valdemar sat in prison, most of the German territories tore themselves away from Denmark. Danish armies were dispatched to hold them in line. The war ended in defeat of the Danish troops under the command of Albert of Orlamünde at Mölln in 1225. To secure his release Valdemar had to acknowledge the break away territories in Germany, pay 44,000 silver marks, and sign a promise not to seek revenge on Count Heinrich.
"Valdemar immediately appealed to Pope Honorius III to have his oath declared void, a request granted by the Pope. Honorius III excused Valdemar from his forced oath, and he immediately set about trying to restore the German territories. Valdemar concluded a treaty with his nephew Otto I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and headed south to take back what he thought were his lands by right, but his luck deserted him. A series of Danish defeats culminating in the Battle of Børnehoved on 22 July 1227 cemented the loss of Denmark's north German territories. Valdemar himself was saved only by the courageous actions of a German knight who carried Valdemar to safety on his horse.
"From that time on Valdemar focused his efforts on domestic affairs. One of the changes he instituted was the feudal system where he gave properties to men with the understanding that they owed him service. This increased the power of the noble families (højadelen) and gave rise to the lesser nobles (lavadelen) who controlled most of Denmark. Free peasants lost the traditional rights and privileges they had enjoyed since the Viking era.[4]
"Valdemar spent the remainder of his life putting together a code of laws for Jutland, Zealand and Skåne. These codes were used as Denmark's legal code until 1683. This was a significant change from the local law making at the regional assemblies (landting) had been the long-standing tradition. Several methods of determining guilt or innocence were outlawed including trial by ordeal and trial by combat. The Code of Jutland (Jyske Lov) was approved at meeting of the nobility at Vordingborg in 1241 just prior to Valdemar's death, in the same city. Valdemar was buried next to Queen Dagmar at Ringsted.
"Before his first marriage Valdemar had been betrothed to Rixa of Bavaria, daughter of the Duke of Saxony. When that arrangement fell through, he married first Margarethe of Bohemia, also known as Queen Dagmar, in 1205. She was the daughter of Premysl Ottokar, King of Bohemia, and quickly won over the hearts of the Danes. By this marriage, Valdemar had a son, Valdemar, whom he elevated as co-king at Schleswig in 1218. Unfortunately, Prince Valdemar was accidentally shot while hunting at Refsnæs in North Jutland during 1231. Queen Dagmar died in childbirth in 1212. Old folk ballads says that on her death bed she begged Valdemar to marry Kirsten, the daughter of Karl von Rise and not the "beautiful flower" Berengaria of Portugal (Bengerd). In other words she predicted Berengaria's sons' fight over the throne would bring trouble to Denmark.
"After Margaret's death, in order to build good relations with Flanders, Valdemar married Berengária of Portugal in 1214. She was the orphan daughter of King Sancho I of Portugal and a sister of Ferdinand, Count of Flanders where she stayed until her marriage. She was beautiful, but so hard-hearted that she was generally hated by Danes until her early death, in childbirth, in 1221. Valdemar's two queens play a prominent role in Danish ballads and myths - Dagmar as the soft, pious and popular ideal wife and Berengária as the beautiful and haughty woman."
Valdemar = son of
30 King Valdemar I of Denmark (Jan. 14, 1131 - May 12, 1182) md. Sophia Valadarsdattir, a Varangian princess [see line of his daughter Helen, also an ancestor]
According to Wikipedia: "Valdemar I of Denmark (14 January 1131 – 12 May 1182), also known as Valdemar the Great, was King of Denmark from 1157 until 1182. He was the son of Canute Lavard, a chivalrous and popular Danish prince, who was the eldest son of Eric I of Denmark. Valdemar's father was murdered by Magnus the Strong days before the birth of Valdemar; his mother, Ingeborg of Kiev, daughter of Mstislav I of Kiev and Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden, named him after her grandfather, Vladimir Monomakh of Kiev.
"As an heir to the throne, and with his rivals quickly gaining power, he was raised in the court of Asser Rig of Fjenneslev, together with Asser's sons, Absalon and Esbern Snare, who would become his trusted friends and ministers.
"In 1146, when Valdemar was fifteen years old, King Erik III Lamb abdicated and a civil war erupted. The pretenders to the throne were: Sweyn III Grathe, son of Eric II Emune, son of Eric I. Canute V, son of Magnus the Strong who was the son of King Niels, who was the brother of Erik I. Valdemar himself held Jutland, at least Schleswig, as his possession. The civil war lasted the better part of ten years.
"In 1157, the three agreed to part the country in three among themselves. Sweyn hosted a great banquet for Canute, Absalon, and Valdemar during which he planned to dispose of all of them. Canute was killed, but Absalon and Valdemar escaped. Valdemar returned to Jutland. Sweyn quickly launched an invasion, only to be defeated by Valdemar in the Battle of Grathe Heath. He was killed during flight, supposedly by a group of peasants who stumbled upon him as he was fleeing from the battlefield. Valdemar, having outlived all his rival pretenders, became the sole King of Denmark.
"In 1158 Absalon was elected Bishop of Roskilde, and Valdemar made him his chief friend and advisor. He reorganized and rebuilt war-torn Denmark. At Absalon's instigation he declared war upon the Wends who were raiding the Danish coasts. They inhabited Pomerania and the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea. In 1168 the Wendish capital, Arkona, was taken, and the Wends became Christians and subject to Danish suzerainty. Danish influence reached into Pomerania.
"Valdemar's reign saw the rise of Denmark, which reached its zenith under his second son Valdemar II."
Vlademar = son of
31 Canute Lavard (c. 1090- Jan. 7, 1131) Ingeborg of Kiev [her line below]
According to Wikipedia: "Canute Lavard (meaning "Canute the Lord," Danish: Knud Lavard) (c. 1090 – 7 January 1131) was a Danish prince and Earl, later Duke of Schleswig.
"Canute was the only legitimate son of Eric I of Denmark and Boedil Thurgotsdatter and as a minor he was bypassed in the election of 1104. He grew up in close contact with the noble Zealander family of Hvide, who were later on to be among his most eager supporters. In 1115, his uncle, King Niels, made him Earl of South Jutland (Schleswig) in order to put an end to the attacks of the Slavic Obodrits. During the next fifteen years, he fulfilled his duty, so well establishing peace in the border area that he was elected "King of the Obodrits" and became a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire.
"He seems to have been the first member of the Danish royal family who was attracted by the knightly ideals and habits of medieval Germany, indicated by his changing his title to "duke." His appearance made him a popular man and a possible successor of his uncle but he also acquired mighty enemies among the Danish princes and magnates who apparently questioned his loyalty and feared his bond with the Emperor, Lothair III, who had recognized him as sovereign over the western Wends. Whether these suspicions were just or not is impossible to say.
"Both Niels' and his son, Magnus the Strong, seem to have been alarmed by Canute's recognition by the emperor. On 7 January 1131, Canute was trapped in the forest of Haraldsted near Ringsted in Zealand and executed. Some sources consider it to be a murder committed by Magnus, some attribute it to Niels himself. The murder provoked a civil war that intermittently lasted until 1157, ending only with the triumph of Canute’s posthumous son Valdemar I. The fate of Canute and his son’s victory formed the perfect background for his canonisation in 1170, which was requested by the same Valdemar. His feast day is celebrated on the day of his death, January 7.
"Canute Lavard is the ancestor of the "Valdemarian" kings and of their subsequent royal line. He was the first Duke of Schleswig (Slesvig) and the first border prince who was both a Danish and a German vassal, a position leafing towards the historical double position of South Jutland.
"Canute Lavard was married to Ingeborg of Kiev, daughter of Mstislav I of Kiev and Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden.
Canute = son of
32 Eric I (Evergood) of Denmark (c. 1060 - July 10, 1103) md. Boedil Thurgotsdatter
According to Wikipedia: "Eric I Evergood[1] (c. 1060, Slangerup, Denmark – July 10, 1103), also known as Eric the Good,[2][3][4] (Danish: Erik Ejegod), was King of Denmark following his brother Olaf I Hunger in 1095. He was a son of king Sweyn II Estridsson, by his wife Gunhild Sveinsdotter, and married Boedil Thurgotsdatter. Eric was born in the town of Slangerup in North Zealand. During the rule of his half-brother Canute IV of Denmark he was an eager supporter of the king, but he was spared during the rebellion against Canute IV. Eric remained at the royal farm instead of accompanying Canute IV to St Albans priory in Odense where Canute IV was killed. Eric talked his way off the farm and fled to Zealand then fled to Scania which was part of Denmark at the time. Olaf I Hunger was elected King of Denmark, but his reign was short. At last Eric was elected as a king at the several landsting assemblies in 1095. Eric was well-liked by the people and the famines that had plagued Denmark during Olaf Hunger's reign ceased. For many it seemed a sign from God that Eric was the right king for Denmark.
"Medieval chroniclers, such as Saxo Grammaticus, and myths portrayed Eric a “strapping fellow” appealing to the common people. He could keep his place when four men tried their best to move him. Eric was a good speaker, people went out of their way to hear him. After a ting assembly concluded, he went about the neighborhood greeting men, women and children at their homesteads. He had a reputation as a loud man who liked parties and who led a rather dissipated private life. Though a presumed supporter of a strong centralized royal power, he seems to have behaved like a diplomat avoiding any clash with the magnates. He had a reputation for being ruthless to robbers and pirates.
"On a visit to the Pope in Rome he obtained canonization for his late brother, Canute IV, and an archbishopric for Denmark (now Lund in Scania), instead of being under the Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen. Bishop Asser then became the first Archbishop of Lund.
"King Eric announced at the Viborg assembly that he had decided to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The cause, according to Danmarks Riges Krønike, was the murder of four of his own men while drunk at a feast in his own hall. Despite the pleadings of his subjects, he would not be deterred. Eric appointed his son, Harald Kesja, and Bishop Asser as regents.
"Eric and Boedil and a large company traveled through Russia to Constantinople where he was a guest of the emperor. While there, he became ill, but took ship for Cyprus anyway. He died at Paphos, Cyprus in July 1103. The queen had him buried there. He was the first king to go on pilgrimage after Jerusalem was conquered during the First Crusade.[5] Queen Boedil also became ill, but made it to Jerusalem where she died. She was buried at the foot of the Mount of Olives in "Josaphats Vale".
Eric = son of
33 King Sweyn II Estridsson md. Gunhild Sveinsdotter [her line below]
Sweyn = son of
34 Ulf Thorgilsson md. Estrid Margarete Svendsdatter
Ulf = son of
35 Thorgil Styrbjornsson Sparkling
Thorgil = son of
36 Styrbjorn the Strong (d. 985) md. Thyra Haraldsdotter of Denmark
According to Wikipedia: "Styrbjörn the Strong (Old Norse Styrbjörn Sterki) (died c. 985) was, according to late Norse sagas, the son of the Swedish king Olof, and the nephew of Olof's co-ruler and successor Eric the Victorious, who defeated and killed Styrbjörn at the Battle of Fyrisvellir.[1] As with many figures in the sagas, doubts have been cast on his existence,[2] but he is mentioned in a roughly contemporary skaldic poem about the battle. According to legend, his original name was Björn[3] (English exonym: Beorn).
"It is believed that there once was a full saga about Styrbjörn, but most of what is extant is found in the short Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa. Parts of his story are also retold in Eyrbyggja saga, Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum (book 10), Knýtlinga saga and Hervarar saga. He is also mentioned in the Heimskringla (several times), and in Yngvars saga víðförla, where Ingvar the Far-Travelled is compared to his kinsman Styrbjörn. Oddr Snorrason also mentions him in Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar (c. 1190), writing that Styrbjörn was defeated with magic. In modern days, he is also the hero of a novel called Styrbiorn the Strong by the English author Eric Rücker Eddison (1926),[4] and he figures in The Long Ships, by Frans G Bengtsson."
Styrbjorn = son of
37 King Olof II Bjornsson of Sweden (d. 975) md. Ingeborg Thrandsdotter
According to Wikipedia": Olof Björnsson (reigned ca. 970 - 975), was a semi-legendary Swedish king, who according to Hervarar saga and the Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa ruled together with his brother Eric the Victorious. He was the father of Styrbjörn Starke and Gyrid by his queen, Ingeborg Thrandsdotter, and he died of poison during a meal. Instead of proclaiming his son Styrbjörn co-ruler, Eric proclaimed his own unborn child co-ruler on condition that it was a son. It was a son who became Olof of Sweden."
_________________
28 Jutta of Saxony (d. 1250) md. King Eric IV of Denmark (1216 - Aug. 9, 1250) [line continued from above]
According to Wikipedia: "Jutta of Saxony (died 1250) was a Danish Queen consort, spouse of King Eric IV of Denmark. Jutta was the daughter of Albert I, Duke of Saxony. She married king Erik in 1239, and became queen consort in 1242.
"Not many details is known about Queen Jutta. Jutta was involved in a conflict with the monks of Øm Abbey, from whom she confiscated corn from their estates and shipped it to her own. Her signature was also on the instruction regarding the funeral service of her spouse, in which he expressed the wish to be buried in the clothes of a monk. She was queen for eight years and widowed in 1250 when her spouse was murdered.
"Jutta married a second time and became the first wife of Count Burchard VIII of Querfurt-Rosenburg, who held function and title of Burgrave of Magdeburg (recorded between 1273 and 1313), a son of Burgrave Burchard VI (recorded between 1221 and 1273)."
Jutta = daughter of
29 Albert I, Duke of Saxony md. Agnes of Thuringia (*1205–1246*), daughter of Landgrave Hermann I of Thuringia [her line continued below]
"According to Wikipedia: "Albert I (German: Albrecht I.) (c. 1175 – 7 October 1260) was a Duke of Saxony, Angria, and Westphalia; Lord of Nordalbingia; Count of Anhalt; and Prince-elector and Archmarshal of the Holy Roman Empire. Even though his grandfather Albert the Bear had held the Saxon dukedom between 1138 and 1142, this Albert is counted as the first.[1]
"A member of the House of Ascania, Albert was the oldest son of Bernard III, Duke of Saxony, and Brigitte of Denmark, daughter of Canute V of Denmark. Albert supported Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor, in his wars against the Hohenstaufen.
"In 1218 Albert's maternal uncle Prince-Archbishop Valdemar of Denmark, who had been deposed from his Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, found refuge in Saxony, before he joined the Loccum Abbey as monk.
"On 22 July 1227 Albert I asserted as fellow victor in the Battle of Bornhöved, commanding the Holy Roman left flank, his earlier disputed rank as liege lord of the Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein, a privilege, however, lost by his successor John V in 1474.[2] After Bornhöved Albert reinforced and extended his fortress and castle in Lauenburg upon Elbe, which his father Bernard had erected in 1182.[3]
"Albert came into conflict with Ludolph I, Prince-Bishop of Ratzeburg, and duly imprisoned Ludolph, where he was badly beaten, and later sent into exile.
"After Albert's death at Lehnin Abbey, his sons, the elder John I and the younger Albert II, ruled together as Dukes of Saxony, with John succeeded by his three sons Albert III, Eric I and John II, until before 20 September 1296 they split Saxony into Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg, with the brothers jointly ruling the former, and Albert II ruling the latter."
______________
28 Ingeborg of Sweden md. Birger jarl from the House of Bjelbo (c. 1210 - Oct. 21, 1266) [line continued from above]
Ingeborg = daughter of
29 King Eric X of Sweden md. Richeza of Denmak
_________________________________
29 Agnes of Thuringia (*1205–1246*) md. Albert I, Duke of Saxony [line continued from above]
Agnes = daughter of
30 Landgrave Hermann I of Thuringia (d. April 25, 1217)
According to Wikipedia: "Hermann I (died 25 April 1217), Landgrave of Thuringia, was the second son of Louis II, Landgrave of Thuringia (the Hard), and Judith of Hohenstaufen, the sister of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. The composition of the Latin hymns Veni Sancte Spiritus and Salve palatine of Saxony are attributed to him.
"Little is known of his early years, but in 1180 Hermann joined a coalition against Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, and with his brother, Landgrave Ludwig III of Thuringia, suffered a short imprisonment after his defeat at Weissensee by Henry. About this time he received from his brother Louis the Saxon County Palatine, over which he strengthened his authority by marrying Sophia, daughter of Lutgard of Stade and Fredrick II of Sommerschenburg, a former count palatine.
"Louis II died in 1190. Emperor Henry VI attempted to seize Thuringia as a vacant fief of the Holy Roman Empire, but Hermann frustrated the plan and established himself as the landgrave. Having joined a league against the emperor, he was accused, probably wrongly, of an attempt to murder him. Henry VI was not only successful in detaching Hermann from the hostile combination, but gained his support for the scheme to unite Sicily with the Empire.
"Hermann went on crusade in 1197. When Henry VI died in 1198, Hermann's support was purchased by the late emperor's brother Duke Philip of Swabia, but as soon as Philip's cause appeared to be weakening he transferred his allegiance to Otto of Brunswick, the later Emperor Otto IV. Philip accordingly invaded Thuringia in 1204 and compelled Hermann to come to terms by which he surrendered the lands he had obtained in 1198. After the death of Philip and the recognition of Otto, Hermann was among the princes who invited Frederick of Hohenstaufen, afterwards Emperor Frederick II, to come to Germany and assume the crown. In consequence of this step the Saxons attacked Thuringia, but the landgrave was saved by Frederick's arrival in Germany in 1212.
"After the death of his first wife in 1195, Hermann married Sophia, daughter of Otto of Wittelsbach. By her he had four sons, two of whom, Ludwig IV of Thuringia and Heinrich Raspe, succeeded their father in turn as landgrave. Hermann died at Gotha in 1217 and was buried at Reinhardsbrunn.
"Hermann was fond of the society of men of letters, and Walther von der Vogelweide and other Minnesingers were welcomed to his castle, the Wartburg. In this connection he figures in Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser."
Herman = son of
31 Louis II, Landgrave of Thuringia (the Hard) md. Judith of Hohenstaufen [her line continued below]
Louis = son of
32 Louis I, Landgrave of Thuringia md. Hedwig of Gudensberg
Louis = son of
33 Ludwig der Springer md. Adelhel of Stade, daughter of Lothair Udo II, margrave of the Nordmark md. Oda of Werl
Ludwig = son of
34 Ludwig der Bartige md. Cecilia of Sangerhausen
_______________
31 Judith of Hohenstaufen md. Louis II, Landgave of Thuringia (the Hard) [line continued from above]
Judith = daughter of
32 Frederick II, Duck of Swabia md. Agnes of Saarbrucken [her line continued below]
Frederick = son of
33 Frederick I, Ducke of Swabia md. Agnes of Germany
Frederick = son of
34 Frederick von Buren md. Hildegard of Egisheim
___________________
32 Agnes of Saarbrucken md. Frederick II, Duke of Swabia [line continued from above]
Agnes = daughter of
33 Frederick I, Count of Saarbrucken md. Gisela of Lorraine [her line continued below]
Frederick = son of
34 Sigebert I, Count of Saarbrucken
____________
33 Gisela of Lorraine md.Frederick I, Count of Saarbrucken [line continued from above]
Gisela = daughter of
34 Theodoric II AKA Thierry II, Duke of Lorraine (d. 1115) md. Gertrude of Flanders
According to Wikipedia: "Theodoric II (died 1115), called the Valiant, was the duke of Lorraine from 1070 to his death. He was the son and successor of Gerhard and Hedwige de Namur. He is sometimes numbered Theodoric I if the dukes of the House of Ardennes, who ruled in Upper Lorraine from 959 to 1033, are ignored in favour of the dukes of Lower Lorraine as predecessors of the later dukes of Lorraine.
"In fact, Sophia, the daughter of Duke Frederick II of the House of Ardennes, who had inherited the counties of Bar and Montbéliard, had a husband named Louis, who contested the succession. In order to receive the support of his brother, he gave him the county of Vaudémont and convened an assembly of nobles, who elected him duke over Louis. Soon Louis was dead, but his son, Theodoric II of Bar, claimed the succession anyway. However, Emperor Henry IV confirmed Theodoric the Valiant in the duchy. Probably for this reason, Theodoric remained faithful to the emperors throughout his rule. He fought the Saxons while they were at war with the Emperor between 1070 and 1078 and he opposed the popes Gregory VII and Urban II when they were in conflict with the Emperor.
"In 1095, he planned to take up the Cross (i.e., go on Crusade, specifically the First), but his ill health provoked him to drop out, nevertheless convincing his barons to go east. Thereafter, he took little part in imperial affairs, preferring not to intervene between Henry IV and his son Henry, or against Lothair of Supplinburg, duke of Saxony."
Theodoric = son of
35 Gerhard, Duke of Lorraine (c. 1030 - April 14, 1070) and Hedwig de Namur, daughter of Albert I, Count of Namur and Ermengarde, daughter of Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine. [her line continued below]
According to Wikipedia: "Gerard IV, Duke of Alsace (ca. 1030 – April 14, 1070) was the count of Metz and Chatenois from 1047/1048, when his brother Duke Adalbert resigned them to him on becoming the Duke of Upper Lorraine. On Adalbert's death the next year, Gerard became duke and was so until his death. In contemporary documents, he is called Gerard of Alsace (after his familial homeland), Gerard of Chatenoy (after an ancestral castle near Neufchâteau), or Gerard of Flanders (after his wife's homeland). His name is spelled Gérard in French and Gerhard in German.[1]
"He was the second son of Gerard de Bouzonville, count of Metz, and Gisela, possibly a daughter of Thierry I, Duke of Upper Lorraine. Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor, invested Adalbert with Lorraine in 1047 after confiscating it from Godfrey III. Godfrey did not back down, however, and killed Adalbert in battle. Henry subsequently bestowed it on Gerard, but the deposed duke continued to stir. Godfrey had the support of a faction of the noblesse who did not want a strong hand at the ducal helm and Gerard was imprisoned. Gerard, however, had the support of the chiefest of his bishops, that of Toul, Bruno of Eguisheim-Dagsburg (later the sainted Pope Leo IX), who procured his liberation in 1049. The emperor gave him troops to assist him in his fight, for the rebels had the support of some elements in the church. Gerard himself remained, as his brother had, faithful to the end to the imperial dynasty and his descendants would remain so as well even into the Hohenstaufen years.
"His alliance with the church was regular but inconstant and he founded Moyenmoutier Abbey, Saint-Mihiel Abbey, and Remiremont Abbey. The former was the abbey of Cardinal Humbert of Silva Candida, who excommunicated the patriarch of Constantinople, Michael I Cerularius, in 1054, thus precipitating the Great Schism, and the latter was his own final resting place.
"On 18 June 1053, Gerard and Prince Rudolf of Benevento led papal and Swabian troops into battle on behalf of Pope Leo. This was the Battle of Civitate and it was a disastrous loss for the pope. His enemy, the Normans, under Humphrey of Hauteville and Richard of Aversa, defeated his allies and captured his person, taking him prisoner in Benevento. Gerard, however, returned to Lorraine.
"Among his other construction projects, was that of the castle of Prény, in the centre of the duchy, the beginnings of the capital city, Nancy. He died at Remiremont while trying to kill a revolt. Poisoning was suspected. The date of his death is either 14 April or 11 August.
"He was married to Hedwige of Namur (or of Flanders), daughter of Albert I, Count of Namur, and Ermengarde, daughter of Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine. This marriage helped patch up relations with the baronage."
Gerard = son of
36 Gerard de Bouzonville, count of Metz, and Gisela, possibly a daughter of Thierry I, Duke of Upper Lorraine
____________
35 Hedwige de Namur md. Gerhard, Duke of Lorraine (c. 1030 - April 14, 1070)
Hedwige = daughter of
36 Albert I, Count of Namur and Ermengarde
Ermengarde = daughter of
37 Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine (953-993)
According to Wikipedia: "Charles of Lorraine (Laon, 953–993 in Orléans) was the son of Louis IV of France and Gerberga of Saxony and younger brother of King Lothair. He was a sixth generation descendant of Charlemagne. Charles was excluded from the throne of France, and the German Emperor Otto II, made him Duke of Lower Lorraine in 977.
"His father probably gave him royal powers in Burgundy, but Lothair took them back upon reaching his majority. In 977, he accused Lothair's wife, Emma, daughter of Lothair II of Italy, of infideility with Adalberon, Bishop of Laon. The council of Sainte-Macre at Fismes (near Reims) exonerated the queen and the bishop, but Charles maintained his claim and was driven from the kingdom, finding refuge at the court of his cousin, Otto II. Otto promised to crown Charles as soon as Lothair was out of the way and Charles paid him homage, receiving back Lower Lorraine.
"In August 978, Lothair invaded Germany and captured the imperial capital of Aachen, but failed to capture either Otto or Charles. In October, Otto and Charles in turn invaded France, devastating the land around Rheims, Soissons, and Laon. In the latter city, the chief seat of the kings of France, Charles was crowned by Theodoric I, Bishop of Metz. Lothair fled to Paris and was there besieged. But a relief army of Hugh Capet's forced Otto and Charles to lift the siege on 30 November. Lothair and Capet, the tables turned once more, chased the German king and his liege back to Aachen and retook Laon.
"As he had been a vassal also of Lothair, Charles' acts on behalf of Otto were considered treason and he was thereafter excluded from the throne. On Lothair's death (986), the magnates elected his son Louis V and on the latter's death (987), Hugh Capet. Thus, the House of Capet came to the throne over the disgraced and ignored Charles. Charles' marriage to the lowborn daughter of a vassal of Hugh was championed by his opponents as a cardinal reason to deny him the throne. In order to have free hand towards France, he resigned his duchy to regency of his eldest son Otto. Charles made war on Hugh, even taking Rheims and Laon. However, on Maundy Thursday[1]991 26 March, he was captured, through the perfidy of the Bishop Adalberon, and with his young second son Louis imprisoned by Hugh in Orléans, where he died a short while later, in or before 993.
"In 1666, the sepulchre of Charles was discovered in the Basilica of Saint-Servais in Maastricht. His skin appears to have been interred there only in 1001, but that is not the date of his death, as some scholars assumed. Though Charles ruled Lower Lorraine, the Dukes of Lorraine (Upper Lotharingia) counted him as Charles I of Lorraine."
Charles = son of
38 Louis IV of King France (Sept. 10, 920 - Sept. 30, 954) and Gerberga of Saxony (c. 913 - May 5, 984) [her line below]
According to Wikipedia: "Louis IV (10 September 920 – 30 September 954), called d'Outremer or Transmarinus (both meaning "from overseas"), reigned as King of Western Francia from 936 to 954. He was a member of the Carolingian dynasty, the son of Charles III and Eadgifu of England, a daughter of King Edward the Elder.
"He was only two years old when his father was deposed by the nobles, who set up Robert I in his place. When he was only three years old, Robert died and was replaced by Rudolph, duke of Burgundy. Rudolph's ally, a Carolingian himself, Count Herbert II of Vermandois, took Charles captive by treachery and the young Louis's mother took the boy "over the sea" to the safety of England, hence his nickname.
"Charles died in 929, but Rudolph ruled on until 936, when Louis was summoned back to France unanimously by the nobles, especially Hugh the Great, who had probably organised his return to prevent Herbert II, or Rudolph's brother Hugh the Black, taking the throne. He was crowned king at Laon by Artald, archbishop of Rheims, on Sunday 19 June 936. The chronicler Flodoard records the events as follows:
"The Bretons, returning from the lands across the sea with the support of King Athelstan, came back to their country. Duke Hugh sent across the sea to summon Louis, son of Charles, to be received as king, and King Athelstan, his uncle, first taking oaths from the legates of the Franks, sent him to the Frankish kingdom with some of his bishops, and other followers. Hugh and the other nobles of the Franks went to meet him and committed themselves to him[;] immediately he disembarked on the sands of Boulogne, as had been agreed on both sides. From there he was conducted by them to Laon, and, endowed with the royal benediction, he was anointed and crowned by the lord Archbishop Artold, in the presence of the chief men of his kingdom, with 20 bishops."
"Effectively, his sovereignty was limited to the town of Laon and to some places in the north of France, Louis displayed a keenness beyond his years in obtaining the recognition of his authority by his feuding nobles. Nonetheless, his reign was filled with conflict; in particular with Hugh the Great, count of Paris.
Louis IV fell from his horse and died 10 September 954, at Rheims, in the Marne, and is interred there at Saint Rémi Basilica."
Louis = son of
39 Charles III, the Simple or the Straightforward, King of France (Sept. 17, 879 - Oct. 7, 929) and Eadgifu of England, a daughter of King Edward the Elder. [her line below]
According to Wikipedia: "Charles III (17 September 879 – 7 October 929), called the Simple or the Straightforward (from the Latin Karolus Simplex), was the undisputed King of France from 898 until 922 and the King of Lotharingia from 911 until 919/23. He was a member of the Carolingian dynasty, the third and posthumous son of Louis the Stammerer by his second wife, Adelaide of Paris.
"As a child, Charles was prevented from succeeding to the throne at the time of the death in 884 of his half-brother Carloman. The nobles of the realm instead asked his cousin, Charles the Fat, to rule them. He was also prevented from succeeding the unpopular Charles, who was deposed in November 887 and died in January 888, although it is unknown if his deposition was accepted or even made known in West Francia before his death. The nobility elected Odo, the hero of the Siege of Paris, king, though there was a faction that supported Guy III of Spoleto. Charles was put under the protection of Ranulf II, the Duke of Aquitaine, who may have tried to claim the throne for him and in the end used the royal title himself until making peace with Odo. Finally, in 893 Charles was crowned by a faction opposed to Odo at Reims Cathedral. He only became the effectual monarch with the death of Odo in 898.[1]
"In 911 Charles defeated the Viking leader Rollo, had him sign the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte that made Rollo his vassal and converted him to Christianity. Charles then gave him land around Rouen, the heart of what would become Normandy and his daughter Gisela in marriage. In the same year as the treaty with the Vikings, Louis the Child, the King of Germany, died and the nobles of Lotharingia, who had been loyal to him, under the leadership of Reginar Longneck, declared Charles their new king, breaking from Germans who had elected Conrad of Franconia king.[1] Charles tried to win their support by marrying a Lotharingian woman named Frederuna, who died in 917. He also defended the country against two attacks by Conrad, King of the Germans.[2]
"On 7 October 919 Charles re-married to Eadgifu, the daughter of Edward the Elder, King of England. By this time Charles' excessive favouritism towards a certain Hagano had turned the aristocracy against him. He endowed Hagano with monasteries which were already the benefices of other barons, alienating these barons. In Lotharingia he earned the enmity of the new duke, Gilbert, who declared for the German king Henry the Fowler in 919.[1] Opposition to Charles in Lotharingia was not universal, however, and he retained the support of Wigeric. In 922 some of the West Frankish barons, led by Robert of Neustria and Rudolph of Burgundy, revolted. Robert, who was Odo's brother, was elected by the rebels and crowned in opposition to Charles, who had to flee to Lotharingia. On 2 July 922, Charles lost his most faithful supporter, Herve, Archbishop of Rheims, who had succeeded Fulk in 900.
"He returned the next year (923) with a Norman army but was defeated on 15 June near Soissons by Robert, who died in the battle.[1] Charles was captured and imprisoned in a castle at Péronne under the guard of Herbert II of Vermandois.[3] Rudolph was elected to succeed him. In 925 the Lotharingians accepted Rudolph as their king. Charles died in prison on 7 October 929 and was buried at the nearby abbey of Saint-Fursy. Though he had had many children by Frederuna, it was his son by Eadgifu who would eventually be crowned in 936 as Louis IV of France. In the initial aftermath of Charles's defeat, Eadgifu and Louis fled to England."
Charles = son of
40 Louis the Stammerer (Nov. 1, 846 - April 10, 879) md. Adelaide of Paris [her line below]
According to Wikipedia: "Louis the Stammerer (1 November 846 – 10 April 879; French: Louis le Bègue), was the King of Aquitaine and later King of West Francia. He was the eldest son of Charles the Bald and Ermentrude of Orléans. He succeeded his younger brother in Aquitaine in 866 and his father in West Francia in 877, though he was never crowned Emperor. In the French monarchial system, he is considered Louis II.
"Twice married, he and his first wife, Ansgarde of Burgundy, had two sons: Louis (born in 863) and Carloman (born in 866), both of whom became kings of France, and two daughters: Hildegarde (born in 864) and Gisela (865–884), who married Robert, Count of Troyes.
"With his second wife, Adelaide of Paris, he had one daughter, Ermentrude (875–914) — who was the mother of Cunigunde, wife of the Count Palatine Wigerich of Bidgau; they were the ancestors of the House of Luxemburg —, and a posthumous son, Charles the Simple, who would become, long after his elder brothers' deaths, king of France.
"He was crowned on 8 December 877 by Hincmar, archbishop of Rheims, and was crowned a second time in September 878 by Pope John VIII at Troyes while the pope was attending a council there. The pope may even have offered the imperial crown, but it was declined. Louis the Stammerer was said to be physically weak and outlived his father by only two years. He had relatively little impact on politics. He was described "a simple and sweet man, a lover of peace, justice, and religion". In 878, he gave the counties of Barcelona, Gerona, and Besalú to Wilfred the Hairy. His final act was to march against the Vikings who were then the scourge of Europe. He fell ill and died on 10 April or 9 April 879 not long after beginning his final campaign. On his death, his realms were divided between his two sons, Carloman and Louis."
Louis = son of
41 Charles the Bald (June 13, 823 - Oct. 6, 877) Holy Roman Emperor 875-87 md. Ermentrude of Orleans (823-869) [another line leading to Charles the Bald and going back to Charlemagne and beyond]
_____________
40 Adelaide of Paris (c. 850/853 - Nov. 10, 901) md. Louis the Stammerer, AKA Louis II, King of France (Nov. 1, 846 - April 10, 879) md. [line continued from above]
According to Wikipedia: "Adélaïde de Paris, or Aélis (c. 850/853 – 10 November 901) was the second wife of Louis the Stammerer, King of Western Francia, and was the mother of Charles the Simple. Adelaide was the daughter of the count palatine Adalard of Paris. Her great-grandfather was Bégon, Count of Paris. Her great-grandmother, Alpaïs, wife of Bégon, was the illegitimate daughter of Louis the Pious by an unnamed mistress.
"Adelaide was chosen by Charles the Bald, King of Western Francia, to marry his son and heir, Louis the Stammerer, despite the fact that Louis had secretly married Ansgarde of Burgundy against the wishes of his father. Although Louis and Ansgarde already had two children, Louis and Carloman, Charles prevailed upon Pope John VIII, to dissolve the union. This accomplished, Charles married his son to Adelaide in February 875.
"However, the marriage was called into question because of the close blood-kinship of the pair. When on 7 September 878 the pope crowned Louis (who had succeeded his father in the previous year), the pope refused to crown Adelaide.[1]
"When Louis the Stammerer died in Compiegne on 10 April 879, he had no heirs by Adelaide; she was, however, pregnant, giving birth on 17 September 879, to Charles the Simple.[2] The birth of this child led to a dispute between Adelaide and her deceased husband's repudiated wife, Ansgarde. Ansgarde and her sons accused Adelaide of adultery; Adelaide in turn disputed the right of Ansgarde's sons to inherit. Eventually, Adelaide succeeded in winning the case; but despite this, Ansgarde's sons Louis and Carloman remained kings until their deaths without heirs in 882 and 884 respectively, with the crown then being contested between Odo, Count of Paris and Charles the Fat.
"Charles the Simple eventually succeeded to his father's throne in 898; his mother assisted in crowning him.
"Adelais of Paris died in Laon on 10 November 901. She was buried in the Abbey of Saint-Corneille, Compiègne, Picardy, France."
Adelaide = daughter of
41 Count Palatine Adalard of Paris (c. 830 - 890)
Adalard = son of
42 Beggo, Count of Toulouse (d. 816) md. Alpais or Amaudru
According to Wikipedia: "Beggo (died 816) was the son of Gerard I of Paris and Rotrude, daughter of Carloman, son of Charles Martel. He was appointed Count of Toulouse, Duke of Septimania, Duke of Aquitaine, and Margrave of the Hispanic March in 806 and followed his father as Count of Paris in 815.
"In 806, William of Gellone abdicated and Charlemagne appointed Beggo to take his place in Toulouse and Gothia. He did not succeed his father in Paris, but was later placed in the comital office there, but did not live long after that.
"He married either Amaudru, illegitimate daughter of Charlemagne or her niece, Alpais, illegitimate daughter of Louis the Pious."
Beggo = son of
43 Gerard I of Paris and Rotrude
Rotrude = daughter of
44 Carloman, Mayor of the Palace (b. between 706 and 716 - Aug. 17, 754)
According to Wikipedia: "Carloman (between 706 and 716[1] – 17 August[2] 754) was the eldest son of Charles Martel, major domo or mayor of the palace and duke of the Franks, and his wife Chrotrud. On Charles' death (741), Carloman and his brother Pippin the Short succeeded to their father's legal positions, Carloman in Austrasia, and Pippin in Neustria. He was a member of the family later called the Carolingians and it can be argued that he was instrumental in consolidating their power at the expense of the ruling Merovingian kings of the Franks. He withdrew from public life in 747 to take up the monastic habit.
"After the death of his father, power was not initially divided to include Grifo, another of Charles' sons, by his second wife Swanachild. This was per Charles' wishes, though Grifo demanded a portion of the realm from his brothers, who refused him. By 742, Carloman and Pippin had ousted their half-brother, Grifo and forced him into a monastery, and each turned his attention towards his own area of influence as major domo, Pippin in the West (in what was called Neustria, roughly what is now France) and Carloman in the East (in what was called Austrasia, roughly what is now Germany), which was the Carolingian base of power.
"With Grifo contained, the two mayors, who had not yet proved themselves in battle in defence of the realm as their father had, on the initiative of Carloman, installed the Merovingian Childeric III as king (743), even though Martel had left the throne vacant since the death of Theuderic IV in 737.
"Unlike most medieval instances of fraternal power sharing, Carloman and Pippin for seven years seemed at least willing to work together; certainly, they undertook many military actions together. Carloman joined Pippin against Hunald of Aquitaine's rising in 742 and again in 745. Pippin assisted Carloman against the Saxons 742-743, when Duke Theoderic was forced to come to terms, and against Odilo of Bavaria in 742 and again in 744, when peace was established between the brothers and their brother-in-law, for Odilo had married their sister Hiltrude.
"In his own realm, Carloman strengthened his authority in part via his support of the Anglo-Saxon missionary Winfrid (later Saint Boniface), the so-called "Apostle of the Germans," whom he charged with restructuring the church in Austrasia. This was in part the continuation of a policy begun under his grandfather, Pippin of Herstal, and continued to under his father, Charles Martel, who erected four dioceses in Bavaria (Salzburg, Regensburg, Freising, and Passau) and gave them Boniface as archbishop and metropolitan over all Germany east of the Rhine, with his seat at Mainz. Boniface had been under Charles Martel's protection from 723 on; indeed the saint himself explained to his old friend, Daniel of Winchester, that without it he could neither administer his church, defend his clergy, nor prevent idolatry. Carloman was instrumental in convening the Concilium Germanicum in 742, the first major synod of the Catholic Church to be held in the eastern regions of the Frankish kingdom. Chaired jointly by him and Boniface, the synod ruled that priests were not allowed to bear arms or to host females in their houses and that it was one of their primary tasks to eradicate pagan beliefs. While his father had frequently confiscated church property to reward his followers and to pay for the standing army that had brought him victory at Tours, (a policy supported by Boniface as necessary to defend Christianity) by 742 the Carolingians were wealthy enough to pay their military retainers and still support the Church. For Carloman, a deeply religious man, it was a duty of love, for Pippin a practical duty. Both saw the necessity of strengthening the ties between their house and the Church. Therefore, Carloman sought to increase the assets of the Church. He donated, for instance, the land for one of Boniface's most important foundations, the monastery of Fulda.
"Despite his piety, Carloman could be ruthless towards real or perceived opponents. After repeated armed revolts and rebellions, Carloman in 746 convened an assembly of the Alamanni magnates at Cannstatt and then had most of the magnates, numbering in the thousands, arrested and executed for high treason in the Blood Court at Cannstatt. This eradicated virtually the entire tribal leadership of the Alamanni and ended the independence of the tribal duchy of Alamannia, which was thereafter governed by counts appointed by their Frankish overlords.
"These actions strengthened Carloman's position, and that of the family as a whole, especially in terms of their rivalries with other leading barbarian families such as the Bavarian Agilolfings.
"On 15 August 747, Carloman renounced his position as major domo and withdrew to a monastic life, being tonsured in Rome by Pope Zachary. All sources from the period indicate that Carloman's renunciation of the world was volitional, although some have speculated that he went to Rome for other, unspecified reasons and was "encouraged" to remain in Rome by the pope, acting on a request from Pepin to keep Carloman in Italy.[3]
"Carloman founded a monastery on Monte Soratte and then went to Monte Cassino. All sources from the period indicate that he believed his calling was the Church. He withdrew to Monte Cassino and spent most of the remainder of his life there, presumably in meditation and prayer. His son, Drogo, demanded from Pippin the Short his father's share of the family patrimony, but was swiftly neutralised.[4]
"At the time of Carloman's retirement, Grifo escaped his imprisonment and fled to Bavaria, where Duke Odilo provided support and assistance. But when Odilo died a year later and Grifo attempted to seize the duchy of Bavaria for himself, Pippin, who had become sole major domo and dux et princeps Francorum, took decisive action by invading Bavaria and installing Odilo's infant son, Tassilo III, as duke under Frankish suzerainty. Grifo continued his rebellion, but was eventually killed in the battle of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in 753.
"Seven years after Carloman's retirement and on the eve of his death, he once more stepped briefly on the public stage. In 754, Pope Stephen II had begged Pippin, now king, to come to his aid against the king of the Lombards, Aistulf. Carloman left Monte Cassino to visit his brother to ask him not to march on Italy (and possibly to drum up support for his son Drogo).[5] Pippin was unmoved, and imprisoned Carloman in Vienne, where he died on 17 August. He was buried in Monte Cassino."
Carloman = son of
45 Charles "The Hammer" Martel (688-741) Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia and King or Duke of the Franks, won the Battle of Tours in 732, halting Muslim expansion in Europe. md. Rotrude of Treve (690-724) (daughter of St. Leutwinus, Count and Bishop of Treves [her line] [another line leading to Charles Martel]
_____________
39 Eadgifu of England md. Charles III, the Simple or the Straightforward, King of France (Sept. 17, 879 - Oct. 7, 929)
According to Wikipedia: "Eadgifu or Edgifu, also known as Edgiva or Ogive. (Old English: Ēadgifu; 902 – after 955) was a daughter[1] of Edward the Elder, King of Wessex and England, and his second wife Ælfflæd. She was born in Wessex.
"She was the second wife of King Charles III of France,[1] whom she married in 919 after the death of his first wife, Frederonne; she was mother to Louis IV of France.
"In 922 Charles III was deposed and the next year taken prisoner by Count Herbert II of Vermandois, an ally of the then current king. To protect her son's safety Eadgifu took him to England in 923 to the court of her half-brother, Athelstan of England.[2] Because of this, Louis IV of France became known as Louis d'Outremer of France. He stayed there until 936, when he was called back to France to be crowned King. Eadgifu accompanied him.
"She retired to a convent in Laon. Then, in 951, she left the convent and married Herbert III, Count of Vermandois."
Eadgifu = daughter of
40 Edward the Elder., King of Wessex and England md. Aelffaed daughter of Aethelhelm, ealdorman of Wiltshire
According to Wikipedia: "Edward the Elder (Old English: Ēadweard se Ieldra) (c. 874-7[1] – 17 July 924) was an English king. He became king in 899 upon the death of his father, Alfred the Great. His court was at Winchester, previously the capital of Wessex. He captured the eastern Midlands and East Anglia from the Danes in 917 and became ruler of Mercia in 918 upon the death of Æthelflæd, his sister.
"All but two of his charters give his title as "king of the Anglo-Saxons" (Anglorum Saxonum rex).[2] He was the second king of the Anglo-Saxons as this title was created by Alfred.[2] Edward's coinage reads "EADVVEARD REX."[3] The chroniclers record that all England "accepted Edward as lord" in 920.[4] But the fact that York continued to produce its own coinage suggests that Edward's authority was not accepted in Viking ruled Northumbria.[5] Edward's eponym "the Elder" was first used in Wulfstan's Life of St Æthelwold (tenth century) to distinguish him from the later King Edward the Martyr.
"Of the five children born to Alfred and Ealhswith who survived infancy, Edward was the second-born and the elder son. Edward's birth cannot be certainly dated. His parents married in 868 and his eldest sibling Æthelflæd was born soon afterwards as she was herself married in 883. Edward was probably born rather later, in the 870s, and probably between 874 and 877.[6]
"Asser's Life of King Alfred reports that Edward was educated at court together with his youngest sister Ælfthryth. His second sister, Æthelgifu, was intended for a life in religion from an early age, perhaps due to ill health, and was later abbess of Shaftesbury. The youngest sibling, Æthelweard, was educated at a court school where he learned Latin, which suggests that he too was intended for a religious life. Edward and Ælfthryth, however, while they learned the English of the day, received a courtly education, and Asser refers to their taking part in the "pursuits of this present life which are appropriate to the nobility".[7]
"The first appearance of Edward in the sources is in 892, in a charter granting land at North Newnton, near Pewsey in Wiltshire, to ealdorman Æthelhelm, where he is called filius regis, the king's son.[8] Although he was the reigning king's elder son, Edward was not certain to succeed his father. Until the 890s, the obvious heirs to the throne were Edward's cousins Æthelwold and Æthelhelm, sons of Æthelred, Alfred's older brother and predecessor as king. Æthelwold and Æthelhelm were around ten years older than Edward. Æthelhelm disappears from view in the 890s, seemingly dead, but a charter probably from that decade shows Æthelwold witnessing before Edward, and the order of witnesses is generally believed to relate to their status.[9] As well as his greater age and experience, Æthelwold may have had another advantage over Edward where the succession was concerned. While Alfred's wife Ealhswith is never described as queen and was never crowned, Æthelwold and Æthelhelm's mother Wulfthryth was called queen.[10]
""When Alfred died, Edward's cousin Æthelwold, the son of King Æthelred of Wessex, rose up to claim the throne and began Æthelwold's Revolt. He seized Wimborne, in Dorset, where his father was buried, and Christchurch (then in Hampshire, now in Dorset). Edward marched to Badbury and offered battle, but Æthelwold refused to leave Wimborne. Just when it looked as if Edward was going to attack Wimborne, Æthelwold left in the night, and joined the Danes in Northumbria, where he was announced as King. In the meantime, Edward is alleged to have been crowned at Kingston upon Thames on 8 June 900 [11]
"In 901, Æthelwold came with a fleet to Essex, and encouraged the Danes in East Anglia to rise up. In the following year he attacked English Mercia and northern Wessex. Edward retaliated by ravaging East Anglia, but when he retreated south the men of Kent disobeyed the order to retire, and were intercepted by the Danish army. The two sides met at the Battle of the Holme on 13 December 902. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Danes "kept the place of slaughter", but they suffered heavy losses, including Æthelwold and a King Eohric, possibly of the East Anglian Danes.[12]
"Relations with the North proved problematic for Edward for several more years. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle mentions that he made peace with the East Anglian and Northumbrian Danes "of necessity". There is also a mention of the regaining of Chester in 907, which may be an indication that the city was taken in battle.[13]
"In 909, Edward sent an army to harass Northumbria. In the following year, the Northumbrians retaliated by attacking Mercia, but they were met by the combined Mercian and West Saxon army at the Battle of Tettenhall, where the Northumbrian Danes were destroyed. From that point, they never raided south of the River Humber.
"Edward then began the construction of a number of fortresses (burhs), at Hertford, Witham and Bridgnorth. He is also said to have built a fortress at Scergeat, but that location has not been identified. This series of fortresses kept the Danes at bay. Other forts were built at Tamworth, Stafford, Eddisbury and Warwick. These burhs were built to the same specifications (within centimetres) as those within the territory that his father had controlled; it has been suggested on this basis that Edward actually built them all.[14]
"Edward extended the control of Wessex over the whole of Mercia, East Anglia and Essex, conquering lands occupied by the Danes and bringing the residual autonomy of Mercia to an end in 918, after the death of his sister, Æthelflæd. Ætheflæd's daughter, Ælfwynn, was named as her successor, but Edward deposed her, bringing Mercia under his direct control. He had already annexed the cities of London and Oxford and the surrounding lands of Oxfordshire and Middlesex in 911. By 918, all of the Danes south of the Humber had submitted to him. By the end of his reign, the Norse, the Scots and the Welsh had acknowledged him as "father and lord".[15] This recognition of Edward's overlordship in Scotland led to his successors' claims of suzerainty over that Kingdom.
"Edward reorganized the Church in Wessex, creating new bishoprics at Ramsbury and Sonning, Wells and Crediton. Despite this, there is little indication that Edward was particularly religious. In fact, the Pope delivered a reprimand to him to pay more attention to his religious responsibilities.[16]
"He died leading an army against a Welsh-Mercian rebellion, on 17 July 924 at Farndon-Upon-Dee and was buried in the New Minster in Winchester, Hampshire, which he himself had established in 901. After the Norman Conquest, the minster was replaced by Hyde Abbey to the north of the city and Edward's body was transferred there. His last resting place is currently marked by a cross-inscribed stone slab within the outline of the old abbey marked out in a public park...
"Edward had four siblings, including Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, and Ælfthryth, Countess of Flanders.
"King Edward had about fourteen children from three marriages, (or according to some sources, an extramarital relationship and two marriages).
"Edward first married Ecgwynn around 893 and they became the parents of the future King Athelstan and a daughter who married Sihtric Cáech, King of Dublin and York in 926. Conflicting information about Ecgwynn is given by different sources, none of which pre-date the Conquest.[17][18]
"When he became king in 899, Edward married Ælfflæd, a daughter of Æthelhelm, the ealdorman of Wiltshire.[19] Their son Ælfweard may have briefly succeeded his father, but died just over two weeks later and the two were buried together. Edward and Ælfflæd had six daughters: Eadgyth who married Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor; Eadgifu, married to Charles the Simple; Eadhild, who married Hugh the Great, Duke of Paris; Ælfgifu who married "a prince near the Alps", sometimes identified with Conrad of Burgundy or Boleslaus II of Bohemia; and two nuns Eadflæd and Eadhild. A son, Edwin Ætheling who drowned in 933 was possibly Ælfflæd's child, but that is not clear.
"Edward married for a third time, about 919, to Eadgifu,[19] the daughter of Sigehelm, the ealdorman of Kent. They had two sons who survived infancy, Edmund and Eadred, and two daughters, one of whom was Saint Edburga of Winchester the other daughter, Eadgifu, married "Louis, Prince of Aquitaine", whose identity is disputed.
"Eadgifu outlived her husband and her sons, and was alive during the reign of her grandson, King Edgar. William of Malmsbury's history De antiquitate Glastonie ecclesiae claims that Edward's second wife, Ælfflæd, was also alive after Edward's death, but this is the only known source for that claim."
Edward = son of
41 Alfred the Great, Saxon King of England (Wessex) (849-899), reigned 871-899 md. Ealhswith (c. 852-905), daughter of Aethered Mucil, Ealdorman of the Gaini [another line leading to Alfred the Great and 12 generations beyond that]
Alfred = son of
42 Ethelwulf of Wessex (AKA Aethelwulf) (c. 800-858) King of Wessex (839-856) md. Osburga (810-855) [see Ethelwulf's line below]
________________
38 Gerberga of Saxony (c. 913 - May 5, 984) md. Louis IV of King France (Sept. 10, 920 - Sept. 30, 954) [line continued from above]
According to Wikipedia: "Gerberga of Saxony (c. 913–5 May 984) was a daughter of Henry the Fowler, king of Germany, and Matilda of Ringelheim... Contemporary sources describe her as a highly educated, intelligent and forceful player in the political game of the time. Louis IV died on 10 September 954. As a widow, Gerberga became a nun and served as the abbess of Notre Dame in Laon. She died in Reims, Champagne."
Gerberga = daughter of
39 Henry the Fowler, king of Germany (876 - July 2, 936), and Matilda of Ringelheim
According to Wikipedia: "Henry I the Fowler (German: Heinrich der Finkler or Heinrich der Vogler; Latin: Henricius Auceps) (876 – 2 July 936) was the Duke of Saxony from 912 and King of the Germans from 919 until his death. First of the Ottonian Dynasty of German kings and emperors, he is generally considered to be the founder and first king of the medieval German state, known until then as East Francia. An avid hunter, he obtained the epithet "the Fowler"[1] because he was allegedly fixing his birding nets when messengers arrived to inform him that he was to be king.
"Born in Memleben, in what is now Saxony-Anhalt, Henry was the son of Otto the Illustrious, Duke of Saxony, and his wife Hedwiga, daughter of Henry of Franconia and Ingeltrude and a great-great-granddaughter of Charlemagne. In 906 he married Hatheburg, daughter of the Saxon count Erwin, but divorced her in 909, after she had given birth to his son Thankmar. Later that year he married St Matilda of Ringelheim, daughter of Dietrich, Count of Westphalia. Matilda bore him three sons, one called Otto, and two daughters, Hedwige and Gerberga and founded many religious institutions, including the abbey of Quedlinburg where Henry is buried, and was later canonized.
"Henry became Duke of Saxony upon his father's death in 912. An able ruler, he continued to strengthen Saxony, frequently in conflict with his neighbors to the South, the dukes of Franconia.
"In 918 Conrad I, King of East Francia and Duke of Franconia, died. Although they had been at odds with each other from 912–15 over the title to lands in Thuringia, before he died Conrad recommended Henry as his successor. Conrad's choice was conveyed by Duke Eberhard of Franconia, Conrad's brother and heir, at the Reichstag of Fritzlar in 919. The assembled Franconian and Saxon nobles duly elected Henry to be king. Archbishop Heriger of Mainz offered to anoint Henry according to the usual ceremony, but he refused to be anointed by a high church official — the only King of his time not to undergo that rite — allegedly because he wished to be king not by the church's but by the people's acclaim. Duke Burchard II of Swabia soon swore fealty to the new King, but Duke Arnulf of Bavaria did not submit until Henry defeated him in two campaigns in 921. Last, Henry besieged Ratisbon (Regensburg) and forced Arnulf of Bavaria into submission.
"In 920, Charles the Simple invaded Germany and marched as far as Pfeddersheim near Worms, but retired on hearing that Henry was arming against him. [2]
"On November 7th, 921 Henry and Charles the Simple met each other and concluded a treaty between them. However, with the beginning of civil war in France, Henry sought to wrest Lorraine from the Western Kingdom. In the year of 923 Henry crossed the Rhine twice. Later in the year he entered Lorraine with an army, capturing a large part of the country. Until October of 924 the eastern part of Lorraine was left in Henry's possession.
"Henry regarded the kingdom as a confederation of stem duchies rather than as a feudal kingdom and saw himself as primus inter pares. Instead of seeking to administer the empire through counts, as Charlemagne had done and as his successors had attempted, Henry allowed the dukes of Franconia, Swabia and Bavaria to maintain complete internal control of their holdings.In 925, Giselbert again rebelled. Henry invaded Lorraine and besieged Giselbert at Zillpich, captured the town, and became master of a large portion of Lotharingia (Lorraine). Thus he brought that realm, which had been lost in 910, back into the German kingdom as the fifth stem duchy (the others being Saxony, Franconia, Swabia, and Bavaria). Allowing Giselbert to remain in power as duke of Lotharingia, Henry arranged the marriage of his daughter Gerberga of Saxony to his new vassal in 928.
"Henry was an able military leader. In 921 Hungarians invaded Germany and Italy. Although a sizable force was routed near Bleiburg in Carinthia by Eberhard and the Count of Meran [3] and another group was routed by Liutfried, count of Elsace, Henry was forced to pay a tribute to the Magyars, (Hungarians), who had repeatedly raided Germany. By doing so he secured a ten-year truce so that he could fortify towns and train a new elite cavalry force.[citation needed]
"During the truce with the Magyars, Henry subdued the Northern Slavic Tribes. In the winter of 928, he marched against the Havelli and seized their capital, Brandenburg. He then invaded Dalemintzi on the lower Elbe, and conquered Jahna, the capital after a siege. In 929, with the help of Duke Arnulf, Henry entered Bohemia. Wenceslas surrendered his lands, but received them back as a fief of the German crown, agreeing to pay a yearly tribute to the German emperor. Meanwhile, the Redarii had driven away their chief and captured the town of Walsleben and massacred the inhabitants. Counts Bernard and Thietmar marched against the fortress of Lenzen on the right bank of the Elbe, and, after fierce fighting, completely routed the enemy on 4 September 929. The Lusatians and the Ukrani on the lower Oder were subdued and made tributary in 932 and 934, respectively.[4]
"In 933 Henry, with the end of his truce with the Magyars, refused to pay the regular tribute. When the Magyars began raiding again, he led an army of all the German tribes to victory at the Battle of Riade in 933 near the river Unstrut, thus stopping the Magyar advance into Germany. He also pacified territories to the north, where the Danes had been harrying the Frisians by sea. The monk and historian Widukind of Corvey in his Res gestae Saxonicae reports that the Danes were subjects of Henry the Fowler. Henry incorporated into his kingdom territories held by the Wends, who together with the Danes had attacked Germany, and also conquered Schleswig in 934
"Henry died of a cerebral stroke on 2 July 936 in his palatium in Memleben, one of his favourite places. By then all German tribes were united in a single kingdom. Henry I is therefore considered the first German king and the founder of the eventual Holy Roman Empire. He has sometimes been considered to be Henry I, Holy Roman Emperor.
"His son Otto succeeded him as Emperor. His second son, Henry, became Duke of Bavaria. A third son, Brun (or Bruno), became archbishop of Cologne. His son from his first marriage, Thankmar, rebelled against his half-brother Otto and was killed in battle in 936. After the death of her husband Duke Giselbert of Lotharingia, Henry's daughter Gerberga of Saxony married King Louis IV of France. His youngest daughter, Hedwige of Saxony, married Duke Hugh the Great of France and was the mother of Hugh Capet, the first Capetian king of France.[citation needed]
"Henry returned to public attention as a character in Richard Wagner's opera, Lohengrin (1850). There are indications that Heinrich Himmler saw himself the reincarnation of the first king of Germany"
Henry = son of
40 Otto I, Duke of Saxony ( the Illustrious) md. Hedwig of Franconia
Otto = son of
41 Liudolf, Duke of Saxony (c. 805 - March 12, 864 or 866) md. Oda, daughter of Billung md. Aeda
According to Wikipedia: "Liudolf (born about 805, died 12 March 864 or 866) was a Saxon count, son of one count (Graf) Brun (Brunhart)[1] and his wife Gisla von Verla[2] ; later authors called him duke of the Eastern Saxons (dux orientalis Saxonum, probably since 850) and count of Eastphalia. Liudolf had extended possessions in eastern Saxony, and was a leader (dux) in the wars of King Louis the German against Normans and Slavs. The ruling Liudolfing House, also known as the Ottonian dynasty, is named after him; he is its oldest verified member.
"Before 830 Liudolf married Oda, daughter of a Frankish princeps named Billung and his wife Aeda. Oda died on 17 May 913, supposedly at the age of 107... By marrying a Frankish nobleman's daughter, Liudolf followed suggestions set forth by Charlemagne about ensuring the integrity of the Frankish Empire in the aftermath of the Saxon Wars through marriage.
"In 845/846, Liudolf and his wife traveled to Rome in order to ask Pope Sergius II for permission to found a house of secular canonesses, duly established at their proprietary church in Brunshausen around 852, and moved in 881 to form Gandersheim Abbey. Liudolf's minor daughter Hathumod became the first abbess.
"Liudolf is buried in Brunshausen.
Liudolf = son of
42 Graf Brun Bruhart md. Gisla von Verla
___________________________
29 Princess Berengária of Portugal (1190s - 1221) md. King Valdemar II of Denmark (May 9, 1170 or June 28 1170 - March 28, 1241)l [line continued from above]
Berengaria of Portugal (Portuguese pronunciation: [bɨɾẽˈɡaɾiɐ]) (Danish:Bengjerd) (1190s–1221), was a Portuguese infanta, later Queen consort of Denmark. She was the fifth daughter of Portuguese King Sancho I and Dulce of Aragon. She married Danish King Valdemar II and was the mother of Danish kings Eric IV, Abel and Christopher I. Berengaria was the tenth of eleven children born to her parents. By the age of seventeen in 1212, Berengaria was an orphan, her father died in 1212 and her mother had died in 1198.
Old folk ballads says that on her deathbed, Dagmar of Bohemia, Valdemar's first wife, begged the king to marry Kirsten, the daughter of Karl von Rise and not the "beautiful flower" Berengaria. In other words she predicted Berengaria's sons' fight over the throne would bring trouble to Denmark.
Berengaria was introduced to King Valdemar through his sister, Ingeborg, the wife of King Philip II of France, another of her cousins; she was by that time at the French court, having left Portugal with her brother Ferrante in 1211.
Berengaria = daughter of
30 Sancho I King of Portugal (Nov. 11, 1154 - March 26, 1212) md. Dulce of Aragon, daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona [his line]
According to Wikipedia: "Sancho I (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsɐʃu]), nicknamed the Populator (Portuguese o Povoador), second monarch of Portugal, was born on 11 November 1154 in Coimbra and died on 26 March 1212 in the same city. He was the second but only surviving legitimate son and fourth child of Afonso I Henriques of Portugal by his wife, Maud of Savoy. Sancho succeeded his father in 1185. He used the title King of the Algarve and/or King of Silves between 1189 and 1191
"In 1170, Sancho was knighted by his father, King Afonso I, and from then on he became his second in command, both administratively and militarily. At this time, the independence of Portugal (declared in 1139) was not firmly established. The kings of León and Castile were trying to re-annex the country and the Roman Catholic Church was late in giving its blessing and approval. Due to this situation Afonso I had to search for allies within the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal made an alliance with the Crown of Aragon and together they fought Castile and León. To secure the agreement, Infante Sancho of Portugal married, in 1174, Infanta Dulce of Aragon, younger sister of King Alfonso II of Aragon. Aragon was thus the first Iberian kingdom to recognize the independence of Portugal.
"With the death of Afonso I in 1185, Sancho I became the second king of Portugal. Coimbra was the centre of his kingdom; Sancho terminated the exhausting and generally pointless wars against his neighbours for control of the Galician borderlands. Instead, he turned all his attentions to the south, towards the Moorish small kingdoms (called taifas) that still thrived. With Crusader help he took Silves in 1191. Silves was an important city of the South, an administrative and commercial town with population estimates around 20,000 people. Sancho ordered the fortification of the city and built a castle which is today an important monument of Portuguese heritage. However, military attention soon had to be turned again to the North, where León and Castile threatened again the Portuguese borders. Silves was again lost to the Moors. The global Muslim population had climbed to about 6 per cent while the Christian population was 12 per cent by 1200.
"Sancho I dedicated much of his reign to political and administrative organization of the new kingdom. He accumulated a national treasure, supported new industries and the middle class of merchants. Moreover, he created several new towns and villages (like Guarda in 1199) and took great care in populating remote areas in the northern Christian regions of Portugal, notably with Flemings and Burgundians – hence the nickname "the Populator". The king was also known for his love of knowledge and literature. Sancho I wrote several books of poems and used the royal treasure to send Portuguese students to European universities."
Sancho = son of
31 Afonso I Henriques, King of Portugal (c, 1109 - Dec. 6, 1185) md.Maud of Savoy (1125-1158) [her line below]
According to Wikipedia: "Afonso I[1] (c. 1109, Guimarães or Viseu – 6 December 1185, Coimbra), more commonly known as Afonso Henriques (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐˈfõsu ẽˈʁikɨʃ]), nicknamed "the Conqueror" (Portuguese: o Conquistador), "the Founder" (Portuguese: o Fundador) or "the Great" (Portuguese: o Grande) by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali ("the Portuguese") and Ibn-Arrik ("son of Henry", "Henriques") by the Moors whom he fought, was the first King of Portugal. He achieved the independence of the southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia -County of Portugal- from the León, in 1139, doubling its area with the Reconquista, which he carried until his death, in 1185, after forty-six years of wars against the Moors.
"Afonso I was the son of Henry of Burgundy, Count of Portugal and Teresa of León, the illegitimate daughter of King Alfonso VI of León. He was proclaimed King on 25 July 1139, immediately after the Battle of Ourique, and died on 6 December 1185 in Coimbra.
"At the end of the 11th century, the Iberian Peninsula political agenda was mostly concerned with the Reconquista, the driving out of the Muslim successor-states to the Caliphate of Córdoba after its collapse. With European military aristocracies focused on the Crusades, Alfonso VI called for the help of the French nobility to deal with the Moors. In exchange, he was to give the hands of his daughters in wedlock to the leaders of the expedition and bestow royal privileges to the others. Thus, the royal heiress Urraca of León wedded Raymond of Burgundy, younger son of the Count of Burgundy, and her half-sister, princess Teresa of León, wedded his cousin, another French crusader, Henry of Burgundy, younger brother of the Duke of Burgundy. Henry was made Count of Portugal, a burdensome county south of Galicia, where Moorish incursions and attacks were to be expected. With his wife Teresa as co-ruler of Portugal, Henry withstood the ordeal and held the lands for his father-in-law.
"From this marriage several children were born, but only one son, Afonso Henriques (meaning "Afonso son of Henry") survived. The boy, born 1109, followed his father as Count of Portugal in 1112, under the tutelage of his mother. The relations between Teresa and her son Afonso proved difficult. Only eleven years old, Afonso already had his own political ideas, greatly different from his mother's. In 1120, the young prince took the side of the archbishop of Braga, a political foe of Teresa, and both were exiled by her orders. Afonso spent the next years away from his own county, under the watch of the bishop. In 1122 Afonso became fourteen, the adult age in the 12th century. He made himself a knight on his own account in the Cathedral of Zamora, raised an army, and proceeded to take control of his lands. Near Guimarães, at the Battle of São Mamede (1128) he overcame the troops under his mother's lover and ally Count Fernando Peres de Trava of Galicia, making her his prisoner and exiling her forever to a monastery in León. Thus the possibility of re-incorporating Portugal (up to then Southern Galicia) into a Kingdom of Galicia was eliminated and Afonso became sole ruler (Duke of Portugal) after demands for independence from the county's church and nobles. He also vanquished Alfonso VII of León, another of his mother's allies, and thus freed the county from political dependence on the crown of León. On 6 April 1129, Afonso Henriques dictated the writ in which he proclaimed himself Prince of Portugal.
"Afonso then turned his arms against the persistent problem of the Moors in the south. His campaigns were successful and, on 25 July 1139, he obtained an overwhelming victory in the Battle of Ourique, and straight after was unanimously proclaimed King of Portugal by his soldiers. This meant that Portugal was no longer a vassal county of León, but an independent kingdom in its own right. The first assembly of the estates-general convened at Lamego (wherein he would have been given the crown from the Archbishop of Braga, to confirm the independence) is likely to be a 17th century embellishment of Portuguese history.
"Independence, however, was not a thing a land could choose on its own. Portugal still had to be acknowledged by the neighboring lands and, most importantly, by the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope. Afonso wed Mafalda of Savoy, daughter of Count Amadeo III of Savoy, and sent Ambassadors to Rome to negotiate with the Pope. In Portugal, he built several monasteries and convents and bestowed important privileges to religious orders. In 1143, he wrote to Pope Innocent II to declare himself and the kingdom servants of the Church, swearing to pursue driving the Moors out of the Iberian peninsula. Bypassing any king of León, Afonso declared himself the direct liegeman of the Papacy. Thus, Afonso continued to distinguish himself by his exploits against the Moors, from whom he wrested Santarém and Lisbon in 1147 (see Siege of Lisbon). He also conquered an important part of the land south of the Tagus River, although this was lost again to the Moors in the following years.
"Meanwhile, King Alfonso VII of León (Afonso's cousin) regarded the independent ruler of Portugal as nothing but a rebel. Conflict between the two was constant and bitter in the following years. Afonso became involved in a war, taking the side of the Aragonese king, an enemy of Castile. To ensure the alliance, his son Sancho was engaged to Dulce, sister of the Count of Barcelona, and princess of Aragon. Finally, in 1143, the Treaty of Zamora established peace between the cousins and the recognition by the Kingdom of León that Portugal was an independent kingdom.
"In 1169, Afonso was disabled in an engagement near Badajoz by a fall from his horse, and made prisoner by the soldiers of the king of León. Portugal was obliged to surrender as his ransom almost all the conquests Afonso had made in Galicia (North of the Minho)in the previous years.
"In 1179 the privileges and favours given to the Roman Catholic Church were compensated. In the papal bull Manifestis Probatum, Pope Alexander III acknowledged Afonso as King and Portugal as an independent land with the right to conquer lands from the Moors. With this papal blessing, Portugal was at last secured as a country and safe from any Leonese attempts at annexation.
"In 1184, in spite of his great age, he still had sufficient energy to relieve his son Sancho, who was besieged in Santarém by the Moors. Afonso died shortly after, on 6 December 1185.
"The Portuguese revere him as a hero, both on account of his personal character and as the founder of their nation. There are stories that it would take 10 men to carry his sword, and that Afonso would want to engage other monarchs in personal combat, but no one would dare accept his challenge.
"In July 2006, the tomb of the King (which is located in the Santa Cruz Monastery in Coimbra) was to be opened for scientific purposes by researchers from the University of Coimbra (Portugal), and the University of Granada (Spain). The opening of the tomb provoked considerable concern among some sectors of Portuguese society and IPPAR – Instituto Português do Património Arquitectónico (Portuguese State Agency for Architectural Patrimony). The government halted the opening, requesting more protocols from the scientific team because of the importance of the king in the nation's formation.[2][3]"
Alfonso = son of
32 Henry of Burgundy, Count of Portugal md. Teresa of Leon, Countess of Portugal [her line below]
Henry = son of
33 Henry of Burgundy md. Beatrix of Barcelona [her line below]
Henry = son of
34 Robert I, Duke of Burgundy md. Helie of Semur [her line]
Robert = son of
35 Robert II, King of France md. Constance of Arles [his line, different path to same ancestor]
___________
31 Maud of Savoy (1125-1158) md. Afonso I Henriques, King of Portugal (c, 1109 - Dec. 6, 1185) [line continued from above]
_____________________
INGEBORG OF KIEV
30 Ingeborg of Kiev md. Canute Lavard (c. 1090-1131) [continued from above]
According to Wikipedia: "Ingeborg of Kiev (fl. 1137) was a Russian princess, married to the Danish prince Canute Lavard of Jutland. She was the daughter of prince Mstislav I of Kiev and Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden and was in about 1116 married to Canute in a marriage arranged by her maternal aunt, the Danish queen Margaret Fredkulla. In 1130, she tried to prevent Canute from going to the gatthering were he was to be murdered, but without success. She gave birth to their son Valdemar I of Denmark posthomusly in January 1131. In 1137, she refused to support the suggestion of Christiern Svendsen to proclaim her son monarch after the death of Erik Emune. Ingeborg is not mentioned after this, and the date of her birth and death are unknown."
Ingeborg = daughter of
31 Mstislav I Vladimirovich the Great of Kiev (June 1, 1076 - April 14, 1132) md. Christina Ingesdotter, daugther of King Inge I of Sweden [her line below]
Acording to Wikipedia: "Mstislav I Vladimirovich the Great (Russian: Мстислав Владимирович Великий) (June 1, 1076, Turov – April 14, 1132, Kiev) was the Velikiy Kniaz (Grand Prince) of Kiev (1125-1132), the eldest son of Vladimir II Monomakh by Gytha of Wessex. He figures prominently in the Norse Sagas under the name Harald, taken to allude to his grandfather, Harold II of England.
As his father's future successor, Mstislav reigned in Novgorod the Great from 1088-93 and (after a brief stint at Rostov) from 1095-1117. Thereafter he was Monomakh's co-ruler in Belgorod Kievsky, and inherited the Kievan throne after his death. He built numerous churches in Novgorod, of which St. Nicholas Cathedral (1113) and the cathedral of St Anthony Cloister (1117) survive to the present day. Later, he would also erect important churches in Kiev, notably his family sepulchre at Berestovo and the church of Our Lady at Podil.
"Mstislav's life was spent in constant warfare with Cumans (1093, 1107, 1111, 1129), Estonians (1111, 1113, 1116, 1130), Lithuanians (1131), and the princedom of Polotsk (1127, 1129). In 1096, he defeated his uncle Oleg of Chernigov on the Koloksha River, thereby laying foundation for the centuries of enmity between his and Oleg's descendants. Mstislav was the last ruler of united Rus, and upon his death, as the chronicler put it, "the land of Rus was torn apart".
In 1095, Mstislav wed Princess Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden, daughter of King Inge I of Sweden.
Mstislav = son of
32 Valdimir Monomakh of Kiev (1053-1125) md. Gytha of Wessex, daughter of King Harold II of England[his line, with princes of Kiev]
According to Wikipedia: "Gytha of Wessex (Old English: Gȳð) was one of several daughters of Edith Swanneck by Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. According to Saxo Grammaticus, two of Harold's sons and a daughter escaped to the court of their uncle, king Sweyn Estridsson of Denmark. They were treated by Sweyn with hospitality, while their sister was married to Waldemar, king of Ruthenia, i.e. Vladimir II Monomakh, one of the most famous rulers of Kievan Rus. Gytha was the mother of Mstislav the Great, the last ruler of united Kievan Rus. In the Norse sagas, Mstislav is called Harald after his grandfather. The pateric of St Pantaleon Cloister in Cologne says that "Gytha the Queen" died as a nun on 10 March. It is assumed that she followed Godfrey of Bouillon in the first Crusade and died in Palestine, most likely in 1098, as a year later Vladimir Monomakh married another woman.
Gytha = daughter of
33 King Harold II of England [Harold Godwinson] (c. 1022 - Oct. 14, 1066) by Edith Swanneck (c. 1025 - c. 1086)
According to Wikipedia: "Edith Swannesha (Old English: Ealdgȳð Swann hnesce, "Edith [the] Gentle Swan"; c.1025 – c. 1086), also known as Edith Swanneschals or Edith the Fair,[1] is best known as the unwedded consort of King Harold II of England. Her common name comes from a historical misinterpretation that her nickname represented Old English swann hnecca, "swan neck"[citation needed]. She is sometimes confused with Ældgyth, daughter of Ealdorman Ælfgar of Mercia, and Harold's Queen consort.
"She bore Harold several children and was his common law wife (according to Danish law, by a civil "handfast" marriage) for over 20 years. Though she was not considered Harold's wife by the Church, there is no indication that the children she bore by Harold were treated as illegitimate by the culture at the time. In fact, one of Harold Godwinesson and Edith Swan-Neck's daughters, Gyda Haraldsdatter, (also known as Gytha of Wessex), was addressed as "princess" and was married to the Grand Duke Of Kiev, Vladimir Monomakh.
"Though King Harold II is said to have lawfully married Edith of Mercia, the widow of the Welsh ruler Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, (whom he defeated in battle), in 1064, this is seen by most modern scholars as a marriage of political means, or even dismissed as misunderstanding or propaganda.[citation needed] Since at the time Mercia and Wales were allied against England, the political marriage would give the English claim in two very troublesome regions, as well as give Harold Godwinesson a marriage deemed "legitimate" by the clergy of the Church, something his longtime common law wife, Edith Swan-Neck unfortunately could not provide.
"Edith Swan-Neck would be remembered in history and folklore for one very important thing: it was she who identified Harold after his defeat at The Battle of Hastings. Harold's body was horrifically mutilated after the battle by the Norman army of William the Conqueror, and, despite the pleas by Harold's own mother for William to surrender Harold's body for burial, the Norman army refused, even though Harold's mother offered William Harold's weight in gold. It was then that Edith Swan-Neck walked through the carnage of the battle so that she might identify Harold by markings on his chest known only to her. It was because of Edith Swan-Neck's identification of Harold's body that Harold was given a Christian burial by the monks at Waltham Abbey. This legend was recounted in the well-known poem by Heinrich Heine, "The Battlefield of Hastings" (1855), which features Edith Swan-neck as the main character and claims that the 'marks known only to her' were in fact love bites."
According to Wikipedia: "Harold Godwinson (or Harold II) (Old English: Harold Gōdwines sunu) (c. 1022 – 14 October 1066) was the last Anglo-Saxon King of England.[1] Harold reigned from 5 January 1066, until his death at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October of that same year, fighting the Norman invaders led by William the Conqueror. Harold is one of only three Kings of England to have died in warfare, alongside Richard the Lionheart and Richard III.
"Harold was a son of Godwin, the powerful Earl of Wessex, and his wife Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, whose supposed brother Ulf Jarl was the son-in-law of Sweyn I and the father of Sweyn II of Denmark.
"Godwin and Gytha had several children, notably sons Sweyn, Harold, Tostig, Gyrth and Leofwine and a daughter, Edith of Wessex (1029–75), who became Queen consort of Edward the Confessor.
"As a result of his sister's marriage to the king, Godwin's second son, Harold, became Earl of East Anglia in 1045. Harold accompanied his father into exile in 1051, but helped him to regain his position a year later. When Godwin died in 1053, Harold succeeded him as Earl of Wessex (a province at that time covering the southernmost third of England). This arguably made him the most powerful figure in England after the king.
"In 1058, Harold also became Earl of Hereford, and replaced his late father as the focus of opposition to growing Norman influence in England under the restored monarchy (1042–66) of Edward the Confessor, who had spent over twenty-five years in exile in Normandy. He gained glory in a series of campaigns (1062–63) against Gruffydd ap Llywelyn of Gwynedd, the ruler of Wales. This conflict ended with Gruffydd's defeat, and death at the hands of his own troops, in 1063.
"In 1064, Harold was apparently shipwrecked in Ponthieu. There is much speculation about this voyage. The earliest post-conquest Norman chroniclers report that at some prior time, Robert, Archbishop of Canterbury had been sent by the childless king to appoint as his heir Edward's maternal kinsman, William of Normandy, and that at this later date Harold was sent to swear fealty.[2] Scholars disagree as to the reliability of this story. William, at least, seems to have believed he had been offered the succession, but there must have been some confusion either on William's part or perhaps by both men, since the English succession was neither inherited nor determined by the sitting monarch. Instead the Witenagemot, the assembly of the kingdom's leading notables, would convene after a king's death to select a successor. Other acts of Edward are inconsistent with his having made such a promise, such as his efforts to return his nephew Edward the Exile, son of king Edmund Ironside, from Hungary in 1057.[3] Later Norman chroniclers suggest alternative explanations for Harold's journey, that he was seeking the release of members of his family who had been held hostage since Godwin's exile in 1051, or even that he had simply been travelling along the English coast on a hunting and fishing expedition and had been driven across the channel by an unexpected storm. There is general agreement that he left from Bosham, and was blown off course, landing on the coast of Ponthieu, where he was held hostage by Count Guy. Duke William arrived soon after and ordered Guy to turn Harold over to him.[4] Harold then apparently accompanied William to battle against William's enemy, Conan II, Duke of Brittany. While crossing into Brittany past the fortified abbey of Mont St Michel, Harold is recorded as rescuing two of William's soldiers from the quicksand. They pursued Conan from Dol de Bretagne to Rennes, and finally to Dinan, where he surrendered the fortress's keys on the point of a lance. William presented Harold with weapons and arms, knighting him. The Bayeux Tapestry, and other Norman sources, then record that Harold swore an oath on sacred relics to William to support his claim to the English throne. After Harold's death, the Normans were quick to point out that in accepting the crown of England, Harold had perjured himself of this alleged oath.
"The chronicler Orderic Vitalis wrote: "This Englishman was very tall and handsome, remarkable for his physical strength, his courage and eloquence, his ready jests and acts of valour. But what were these gifts to him without honour, which is the root of all good?".
"Due to an unjust doubling of taxation instituted by Tostig in 1065 that threatened to plunge England into civil war, Harold supported Northumbrian rebels against his brother, Tostig, and replaced him with Morcar. This strengthened his acceptability as Edward's successor, but fatally divided his own family, driving Tostig into alliance with King Harald Hardrada ("Hard Reign") of Norway."
"For some twenty years Harold was married More danico (Latin: "in the Danish manner") to Edith Swannesha and had at least six children by her. The marriage was widely accepted by the laity, although Edith was considered Harold's mistress by the clergy. Their children were not treated as illegitimate.
"According to Orderic Vitalis, Harold was at some time betrothed to Adeliza, a daughter of William, Duke of Normandy, later William the Conqueror; if so, the betrothal never led to marriage.[5]
"About January 1066, Harold married Edith (or Ealdgyth), daughter of Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia, and widow of the Welsh prince Gruffydd ap Llywelyn an enemy of the English. Edith had two sons — possibly twins — named Harold and Ulf (born c. November 1066), both of whom survived into adulthood and probably lived out their lives in exile.
"After her husband's death, the queen is said[by whom?] to have fled for refuge to her brothers Edwin, Earl of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria but both men made their peace with the Conqueror initially before rebelling and losing their lands and lives. Aldith may have fled abroad (possibly with Harold's mother, Gytha, or with Harold's daughter, Gytha).
"At the end of 1065, King Edward the Confessor ailed and fell into a coma without clarifying his preference for the succession. On 5 January 1066, according to the Vita Ædwardi Regis, he died, but not before briefly regaining consciousness and commending his widow and the kingdom to Harold's "protection". The intent of this charge is ambiguous, as is the Bayeux Tapestry, which simply depicts Edward pointing at a man thought to represent Harold.[6] When the Witenagemot convened the next day, they selected Harold to succeed,[7] and his coronation followed on 6 January, most likely held in Westminster Abbey, however there is no surviving evidence from the time to confirm this.[8] Although later Norman sources point to the suddenness of this coronation, it is possible that it took place because all the nobles of the land were
"In early January of 1066, hearing that Harold had been crowned King, William Duke of Normandy began plans to invade by building 700 warships and transports at Dives-sur-Mer on the Normandy coast. Initially William could not get support for the invasion but, claiming that Harold had sworn on sacred relics to support his claim to the throne after having been shipwrecked in Ponthieu, William was given the Church's blessing and nobles flocked to his cause. In anticipation of the invasion, Harold assembled his troops on the Isle of Wight but, claiming unfavourable winds, the invasion fleet remained in port. On 8 September with provisions running out Harold disbanded the army and he returned to London. On the same day Harald Hardrada of Norway, who also claimed the English crown[9] joined Tostig and invaded, landing his fleet at the mouth of the Tyne.
"Invading what is now Yorkshire, Harald Hardrada and Tostig defeated the English earls Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria at the Battle of Fulford near York on 20 September. They were in turn defeated and slain by Harold's army five days later at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, Harold having led his army north on a forced march from London in four days and caught them by surprise. According to Snorri Sturluson, before the battle a man bravely rode up to Harald Hardrada and Tostig and offered Tostig his earldom if he would but turn on Harald Hardrada. When Tostig asked what his brother Harold would be willing to give Harald Hardrada for his trouble, the rider replied that he would be given seven feet of ground as he was taller than other men. Harald Hardrada was impressed with the rider and asked Tostig his name, Tostig replied that the rider was none other than Harold Godwinson.[10] According to Henry of Huntingdon, "Six feet of ground or as much more as he needs, as he is taller than most men," was Harold's response. It is, however, unknown whether this conversation ever took place.
"On 12 September William's fleet sailed.[11] Several ships sank in storms and the fleet was forced to take shelter at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme and wait for the wind to change. On 27 September the Norman fleet finally set sail for England arriving it is believed the following day at Pevensey on the coast of East Sussex. Harold now again forced his army to march 241 miles (386 kilometres) to intercept William, who had landed perhaps 7000 men in Sussex, southern England. Harold established his army in hastily built earthworks near Hastings. The two armies clashed at the Battle of Hastings, at Senlac Hill (near the present town of Battle) close by Hastings on 14 October, where after nine hours of hard fighting and less than 30 minutes from victory Harold was killed and his forces routed.[12] His brothers Gyrth and Leofwine were also killed in the battle.
"According to tradition, Harold was killed by an arrow in the eye. A figure in the Bayeux Tapestry appears consistent with this tradition, if that is indeed the type of wound originally depicted in the now-altered artwork. Older etchings made of the tapestry made c. 1730 show the standing figure holding what appears to be part of a spear shaft, rather than clutching an arrow.[13] Likewise, historians are divided over whether the man so wounded is intended to be Harold (the figure has Harold's name above) or if Harold is the next figure, being mutilated beneath a horse's hooves. The contemporary account of the battle "Carmen de Hastingae Proelio" (the Song of the Battle of Hastings), written shortly after the battle by Guy, Bishop of Amiens, says that Harold was killed by four knights, probably including Duke William, and his body brutally dismembered. Examination has shown that the second figure once had an arrow in its eye that had later been unstitched, but this may have been the work of overenthusiastic nineteenth century restorers which was soon removed. A further suggestion is that both accounts are accurate, and that Harold suffered first the eye wound, then the mutilation, and both are being depicted in sequence. Harold's wife, Edith Swannesha, was called to identify the body, which she did by some private mark known only to herself.
"Harold's strong association with Bosham, his birthplace, and the discovery of an Anglo-Saxon coffin in the church in 1954 has led some to speculate that King Harold was buried there. A request to exhume a grave in Bosham church was refused by the Diocese of Chichester in December 2003, the Chancellor ruling that the chances of establishing the identity of the body as Harold's were too slim to justify disturbing a burial place.[14] A prior exhumation had revealed the remains of a man, estimated at up to 60 years of age from photographs of the remains, lacking a head, one leg and the lower part of his other leg, a description consistent with the fate of the king as depicted in the Carmen. The poem also claims Harold was buried by the sea which is consistent with it being at Bosham Church which is only yards from Chichester Harbour and in sight of the English Channel.[15]
"There were legends of Harold's body being given a proper funeral years later in his church of Waltham Holy Cross in Essex, which he had refounded in 1060.[16] There is a legend that Henry I of England met an elderly monk at Waltham Abbey, who was in fact a very old Harold. King Harold had a son posthumously, called Harold Haroldsson, who may have been this man, and may also be the occupant of the grave.
"Harold's daughter Gytha of Wessex married Vladimir Monomakh Grand Duke (Velikii Kniaz) of Kievan Rus' and is ancestor to dynasties of Galicia, Smolensk, and Yaroslavl, whose scions include Modest Mussorgsky and Peter Kropotkin. Isabella of France (consort of Edward II) was also a direct descendant of Harold via Gytha, and thus the bloodline of Harold was re-introduced to the Royal Line. Subsequently, undocumented claims that the Russian Orthodox Church has recently recognised Harold as a martyr have been made.[17] Ulf, along with Morcar and two others, were released from prison by King William as he lay dying in 1087. He threw his lot in with Robert Curthose, who knighted him, and disappeared from history. Two of his elder half-brothers, Godwine and Magnus, made a number of attempts at invading England in 1068 and 1069 with the aid of Diarmait mac Mail na mBo. They raided Cornwall as late as 1082, but died in obscurity in Ireland."
Harold = son of
34 Godwin, Earl of Wessex (990 - April 15, 1053) md. Gytha Thorkelsdottir, daughter of Throgil Sprakling
According to Wikipedia: "Gytha Thorkelsdottir (Old English: Gȳða Þorkelsdōttir), also called Githa, was the daughter of Thorgil Sprakling (also called Thorkel).[1] She married the Anglo-Saxon nobleman Godwin of Wessex.
"They had a large family together, of whom five sons became earls at one time or another, three remaining earls in 1066:
"Two of their sons, Harold II and Tostig Godwinson, faced each other at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, where Tostig was killed. Less than a month later, three of her sons, Harold II, Gyrth, and Leofwine, were killed at the Battle of Hastings.
"Shortly after the Battle of Hastings, Gytha was living in Exeter and may have been the cause of that city's rebellion against William the Conqueror in 1067, which resulted in his laying siege to the city.[2] She pleaded unsuccessfully with him for the return of the body of her slain son Harold II. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Gytha left the Kingdom of England after the Norman conquest of England, together with the wives or widows and families of other prominent Anglo-Saxons, all the Godwin family estates having been confiscated by William. Little else is known of Gytha's life or future, although it is probable that she went to Scandinavia (like her granddaughter and namesake), where she had relatives.
"Her surviving (and youngest) son Wulnoth lived nearly all his life in (pleasant) captivity in Normandy until The Conqueror's death in 1087. Only her eldest daughter Queen Edith (d. 1075) still held some power (however nominal) as widow of Edward the Confessor."
Monarchs of Wessex and House of Wessex at Wikipedia
Godwin Family Tree at Wikipedia
According to Wikipedia: "Godwin of Wessex (Old English: Gōdwine) (990 – 15 April 1053), also known as Goodwin, was one of the most powerful lords in England under the Danish king Cnut the Great and his successors. Cnut made him the first Earl of Wessex. Godwin was the father of King Harold Godwinson and Edith of Wessex, wife of King Edward the Confessor.
"Godwin's father was possibly Wulfnoth Cild who was a thegn of Sussex, although later documents describe his father as a churl.[1] Wulfnoth led a section of the royal fleet into piracy and as a consequence had his lands forfeited, and was exiled. In his day, Earl Godwin was seen as very much of a new man, who had been "made" by two advantageous marriages to Danish noblewomen.
"Godwin was a major supporter of Edmund Ironside, the son of King Æthelred the Unready. While Edmund was in rebellion against his father, Cnut and his army invaded England. Edmund was killed, along with many of his supporters, but Godwin survived and pledged his loyalty to Cnut. He befriended Cnut's brother-in-law, Earl Ulf, and became one of Cnut's advisers, accompanying him to Denmark to suppress a rebellion there. By 1018 he was an earl, becoming Earl of Wessex in about 1019.
"On 12 November 1035, Cnut died. His kingdoms were divided among three rival rulers. Harold Harefoot, Cnut's illegitimate son with Ælfgifu of Northampton, seized the throne of England. Harthacnut, Cnut's legitimate son with Emma of Normandy, reigned in Denmark. Norway rebelled under Magnus the Noble. In 1035, the throne of England was reportedly claimed by Alfred Ætheling, younger son of Emma of Normandy and Æthelred the Unready, and half-brother of Harthacnut. Godwin is reported to have either captured Alfred himself or to have deceived him by pretending to be his ally and then surrendering him to the forces of Harold Harefoot. Either way Alfred was blinded and soon died at Ely.
"In 1040, Harold Harefoot died and Godwin supported the accession of his half-brother Harthacnut to the throne of England. When Harthacnut himself died in 1042 Godwin finally supported the claim of his half-brother Edward the Confessor to the throne. Edward was another son of Emma and Æthelred, having spent most of the previous thirty years in Normandy. His reign restored the native royal house of Wessex to the throne of England.
"In 1066 Edward was succeeded by his brother in law, Godwin's son Harold.
"Godwin married a woman named Gytha who some,[who?] speculating that she was a daughter of Thorgil, have called Gytha Thorkelsdóttir. If she was a daughter of Thorgil than she may also have been the granddaughter of the legendary Viking Styrbjörn Starke and great-granddaughter to Harold Bluetooth, king of Denmark and thus also ancestor to King Cnut. Whoever she was, the marriage resulted in the birth of many children."
Godwin = son of
35 Wulnoth Cild, thegn of Sussex (983-1015)
According to Wikipedia: "Wulfnoth Cild (died 1015) was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman who is thought to have been the father of Godwin, Earl of Wessex and thus the grandfather of King Harold Godwinson. Earl Godwin's father was certainly named Wulfnoth, a relatively uncommon name. He is thus assumed to be the same person as Wulfnoth Cild, a thegn in Sussex.
"The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that in 1009, Wulfnoth, commanding a force of 20 ships, was accused (of some unspecified offence) to King Æthelred the Unready by Earl Brihtric (or Beorhtric), Eadric Streona's brother. Wulfnoth retaliated by ravaging the south coast, leading to Brihtric being sent with a force of 80 ships to deal with him. Brihtric's ships were caught in a storm, driven ashore, and then burned by Wulfnoth and his men. Wulfnoth was sentenced to exile but his son Godwin remained in England.[1]
"Wulfnoth's brother Æthelnoth became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1020.
"The theory has been advanced by Alfred Anscombe in 1913 and more recently by D.H. Kelley that Harold Godwinson was descended through Godwin and Wulfnoth from King Æthelred via Æthelmær the Stout and Æthelweard the Historian (see link below).[2] The controversy is over whether Wulfnoth was the son of Æthelmær the Stout. There were at least two prominent men called Æthelmær at the time and it is often difficult to establish which one did which. Æthelmær the Stout was also known as "Cild of Sussex" and this line of ancestry is mentioned in the chronicle of John of Worcester.[3] However this is not mentioned in context of Harold's claim to the throne, nor did Godwin ever claim it for himself. However had he done so he might have been executed by Cnut instead of promoted — as was Æthelmær and his son Æthelweard II and various sons of Æthelred the Unready. The Dictionary of National Biography however, describe Godwin and Wulfnoth as parvenus of obscure origin. John of Worcester also describes Godwin as the son of a shepherd or swineherd,[4] perhaps contradictarily due to dual authorship. Godwin and Wulfnoth's alleged obscure origins have become part of accepted myth after 1066.
"In 1014, the will of King Æthelred's son the Æthelstan Ætheling states that Godwin was to receive "the estate at Compton which his father possessed." This land was willed by Alfred the Great for the descendants of his elder brother Æthelred I and has been used by Professor David Hurmiston Kelley amongst others as evidence of Wulfnoth's descent from Æthelred.
"Æthelmær the Stout's other son was Æthelnoth, who became Cnut's chaplain and later Archbishop of Canterbury (even though Cnut executed his brother). The circumstances of Wulfnoth's death are rather obscure, but occurred in 1015 at the same time as Cnut's takeover. Professor Frank Barlow refers to Æthelnoth as Godwin's uncle.[5] This descent would give Harold (and his brothers) a prior claim to the throne, even over the descendants of Alfred (since Æthelred was older than Alfred) but the BBC History website states that he had no claim."
Wulnoth = son of
36 Aethelmaer
Aethelmaer = son of
37 Aethelward "the historian
Aethelward = son of
38 Eadric of Washington, Wessex
Eadric = son of
39 Aethelfrith (900-927), Ealdorman of Wessex AKA Aethelfrith of Mercia
According to Wikipedia: "Æthelfrith (c. 900 – 927) was an Ealdorman southern Mercia, occurring in documents in the first part of the 10th century. Having married Æthelgyth, daughter of Æthelwulf, he was father to four Ealdormen: Æthelstan Half-King (East Anglia), Ælfstan (Mercia), Æthelwald (Kent), and Eadric (Wessex), and apparently grandfather of Ealdorman Æthelweard 'the Historian'. That the latter called himself 'grandson's grandson' of Æthelred I, as well as documented patterns of land inheritance, have led to the hypothesis that Æthelfrith was son of Aethelhelm, Ealdorman of Wiltshire, one of Æthelred's sons. A further genealogical reconstruction would make Aethelweard, and hence Æthelfrith, an ancestor of King Harold II."
Aethelfrith = son of
40 Aethelhelm (c. 859-893), Ealdorman of Wiltshire md. Aethelgyth of Mercia
According to Wikipedia: "Æthelhelm or Æþelhelm (c. 865 to c. 890) was the elder son of King Æthelred of Wessex (Æþelræd).[1] He was too young to become king in 871, and the throne passed to his uncle, King Alfred the Great. Æthelhelm is listed in Alfred's will in the mid 880s,[2] but he is not heard of thereafter and probably died soon afterwards.[3] It has been suggested that he was the Æthelhelm who was Ealdorman of Wiltshire, the probable father of Edward the Elder's second wife Ælfflæd, but this is very unlikely as it was not the practice for Æthelings (princes of the royal dynasty who were eligible to be king) to become ealdormen, and a marriage between Edward and his first cousin would have been forbidden as incestuous. On Alfred's death in 899 his younger brother Æthelwold contested the succession and died in battle. The historian Æthelweard claimed descent from King Æthelred and may therefore be a descendant of Æthelhelm"
Aethelhelm = son of
41 Ethelred II (c. 837-871), King of Wessex (865-971), brother of Alfred the Great
According to Wikipedia: "King Æthelred (Old English: Æþelræd, sometimes rendered as Ethelred, "noble counsel") was King of Wessex from 865 to 871. He was the fourth son of King Æthelwulf. He succeeded his brother, Æthelberht (Ethelbert), as King of Wessex and Kent in 865.[1] He married Wulfrida and had two sons, Æthelwold, the elder, and Æthelhelm, the younger.
"Æthelred was not able to control the increasing Danish raids on England. On 4 January 871 at the Battle of Reading, Ethelred suffered a heavy defeat.[2] Although Æthelred was able to re-form his army in time to win a victory at the Battle of Ashdown,[3] he suffered another defeat on 22 January at the Battle of Basing,[4] and was killed at the Battle of Merton on 23 April 871.
"Æthelred is buried at Wimborne in Dorset.[5] Following his death, he was popularly regarded as a saint, but never canonised. He was succeeded by his younger brother, Alfred the Great."
Ethelred = son of
42 Ethelwulf of Wessex (AKA Aethelwulf) (c. 800-858) King of Wessex (839-856) md. Osburga (810-855) [another line with these same ancestors] [above still another line leading to this ancestor]
According to Wikipedia: "Osburh or Osburga (died before 856) was the first wife of King Æthelwulf of Wessex and mother of Alfred the Great. Alfred's biographer, Asser, described her as "a most religious woman, noble in character and noble by birth".[1]
"Osburh's existence is known only from Asser's Life of King Alfred. She is not named as witness to any charters, nor is her death reported in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. So far as is known, she was the mother of all Æthelwulf's children, his five sons Æthelstan, Æthelbald, Æthelberht, Æthelred and Alfred, and his daughter Æthelswith, wife of King Burgred of Mercia. Osburh presumably died before 856 when her husband married the Carolingian princess Judith.
"She is best known for Asser's story about a book of Saxon songs which she showed to Alfred and his brothers, offering to give the book to whoever could first memorise it, a challenge which Alfred took up and won. This exhibits the interest of high status ninth-century women in books, and their role in educating their children.[2]
"Osburh was the daughter of Oslac (who is also only known from Asser's Life), King Æthelwulf's pincerna (butler), an important figure in the royal court and household.[3] Oslac is described as a descendant of King Cerdic's Jutish nephews, Stuf and Wihtgar, who conquered the Isle of Wight."
According to Wikipedia: "Æthelwulf, also spelled Aethelwulf or Ethelwulf; Old English: Æþelwulf, means 'Noble Wolf' was King of Wessex from 839 to 856. He is the only son who can indisputably be accredited to King Egbert of Wessex. He conquered the kingdom of Kent on behalf of his father in 825, and was sometime later made King of Kent [1] as a sub-king to Egbert. He succeeded his father as King of Wessex on Egbert's death in 839: his kingdom then stretched from the county of Kent in the east to Devon in the west. At the same time his eldest son Æthelstan became sub-king of Kent as a subordinate ruler.
"Historians give conflicting assessments of Æthelwulf. According to Richard Humble, Æthelwulf had a worrying style of Kingship. He had come to the throne of Wessex by inheritance. He proved to be intensely religious, cursed with little political sense, and with too many able and ambitious sons.[2] To Frank Stenton "Æthelwulf seems to have been a religious and unambitious man, for whom engagement in war and politics was an unwelcome consequence of rank."[3] However Janet Nelson thought that his reign has been under-appreciated in modern scholarship, and that he laid the foundations for Alfred's success, finding new as well as traditional answers, and coping more effectively with Scandinavian attacks than most contemporary rulers.[4]
"The most notable and commonly used primary source is the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. The chronicle refers to Æthelwulf's presence at some important battles. In the year 840 AD, he fought at Carhampton against thirty-five ship companies of Danes, whose raids had increased considerably. His most notable victory came in 851 at "Acleah", possibly Ockley in Surrey or Oakley in Berkshire. Here, Æthelwulf and his son Æthelbald fought against the heathen, and according to the chronicle it was "the greatest slaughter of heathen host ever made." Around the year 853, Æthelwulf, and his son-in-law, Burgred, King of Mercia defeated Cyngen ap Cadell of Wales and made the Welsh subject to him. The chronicle depicts more battles throughout the years, mostly against invading pirates and Danes. This was an era in European history where nations were being invaded from many different groups; there were Saracens in the south, Magyars in the east, Moors in the west, and Vikings in the north.[5] Before Æthelwulf's death, raiders had wintered over on the Isle of Sheppey, and pillaged at will in East Anglia. Over the course of the next twenty years the struggles of his sons were to be "ceaseless, heroic, and largely futile." [6]
""One of the first of Æthelwulf's acts as King was to split the kingdom. He gave the eastern half, that of Kent, Essex, Surrey and Sussex to his eldest son Æthelstan (not to be confused with the later Athelstan the Glorious). Æthelwulf kept the ancient, western side of Wessex (Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and Devon) for himself. Æthelwulf and his first wife, Osburh, had five sons and a daughter. After Æthelstan came Æthelbald, Æthelbert, Æthelred, and Alfred. Each of his sons, with the exception of Æthelstan, succeeded to the throne. Alfred, the youngest son, has been praised as one of the greatest kings to ever reign in Britain. Æthelwulf's only daughter, Æthelswith, was married as a child to king Burgred of Mercia.
"Religion was always an important area in Æthelwulf's life. As early as the first year of his reign he had planned a pilgrimage to Rome. Due to the ongoing and increasing raids he felt the need to appeal to the Christian God for help against an enemy "so agile, and numerous, and profane." [2]
"In 853, Æthelwulf sent his son Alfred, a child of about four years, to Rome. In 855, about a year after his wife Osburga's death, Æthelwulf followed Alfred to Rome. In Rome, he was generous with his wealth. He distributed gold to the clergy of St. Peter's, and offered them chalices of the purest gold and silver-gilt candelabra of Saxon work.[7] During the return journey in 856 he married Judith, a Frankish princess and a great-granddaughter of Charlemagne. She was about twelve years old, the daughter of Charles the Bald, King of the West Franks.
"Upon their return to England in 856 Æthelwulf met with an acute crisis. His eldest surviving son Æthelbald (Athelstan had since died) had devised a conspiracy with the Ealdorman of Somerset and the Bishop of Sherborne to oppose Æthelwulf's resumption of the kingship once he returned. Æthelwulf mustered enough support to fight a civil war, or to banish Æthelbald and his fellow conspirators. Instead Æthelwulf yielded western Wessex to his son while he himself retained central and eastern Wessex. The absence of coins in Æthelbald's name may also suggest that West Saxon coinage was in Æthelwulf's name until his death. He ruled there until his death on 13 January 858.
That the king should have consented to treat with his rebellious son, to refer the compromise to a meeting of Saxon nobles, to moderate the pugnacity of his own supporters, and to resign the rule over the more important half of his dominions - all this testifies to the fact that Æthelwulf’s Christian spirit did not exhaust itself in the giving of lavish charities to the Church, but availed to reconcile him to the sacrifice of prestige and power in the cause of national peace.[8]
"Æthelwulf's restoration included a special concession on behalf of Saxon queens. The West Saxons previously did not allow the queen to sit next to the king. In fact they were not referred to as a queen, but merely the "wife of the king." This restriction was lifted for Queen Judith, probably because she was a high ranking European princess.
"He was buried first at Steyning and then later transferred to the Old Minster in Winchester. His bones now reside in one of several "mortuary chests" in Winchester Cathedral.
43 Egbert of Wessex (c. 770-839), King of Wessex (802-839) md. Redburga
According to Wikipedia: "Redburga or Raedburh appears in a late medieval manuscript held by Oxford University as wife of king Egbert of Wessex. She is described there as "regis Francorum sororia", which means "pertaining to the sister of the French king". This is somewhat vague and has been taken to mean sister of Charlemagne, sister-in-law as the sister of his fourth wife, Luitgard, or some more distant relationship. Her very existence has been questioned, she being found only in manuscript of a much later date, suggested to have been forged to link the early Kings of England to the great West Emperor.
"Chronologically, it has been suggested that Charlemagne arranged Raedburh's marriage to Egbert in the year 800. Egbert, who had been forced into exile at Charlemagne's court by Offa, King of Mercia, returned to England in 802, where he became King of Wessex.
The uncertainty over Redburga has been further complicated by the existence of an Egbert at the Carolingian court, and attempts have been made to identify this continental nobleman with the exiled Wessex prince. That Egbert, who was duke of all Saxony between the Rhine and the Weser, died in 811. He was survived by his widow, who devoted her life to helping the poor and became known as "Saint Ida of Herzfeld", the patron saint of brides and widows. These identifications would make Redburga identical to Saint Ida. However, unless the Egbert reported in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle to have regained his throne in Wessex in 802 was, in fact, serving instead as a feudal supporter of Charlemagne in Saxony for many of the years following his return to Wessex, Saint Ida was not the Raedburh who married Egbert of Wessex. Given the irreconcilable differences in the dates of death given for these two Egberts, this solution is dismissed by most scholars.
"Redburga would be mother of Æthelwulf, who later became King of England. Her grandson is Alfred the Great."
According to Wikipedia: "Egbert (also spelled Ecgberht or Ecgbriht) was King of Wessex from 802 until 839. His father was Ealhmund of Kent. In the 780s Egbert was forced into exile by Offa of Mercia and Beorhtric of Wessex, but on Beorhtric's death in 802 Egbert returned and took the throne.
"Little is known of the first twenty years of Egbert's reign, but it is thought that he was able to maintain Wessex's independence against the kingdom of Mercia, which at that time dominated the other southern English kingdoms. In 825 Egbert defeated Beornwulf of Mercia and ended Mercia's supremacy at the Battle of Ellandun, and proceeded to take control of the Mercian dependencies in southeastern England. In 829 Egbert defeated Wiglaf of Mercia and drove him out of his kingdom, temporarily ruling Mercia directly. Later that year Egbert received the submission of the Northumbrian king at Dore, near Sheffield. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle subsequently described Egbert as a bretwalda, or "Ruler of Britain."
"Egbert was unable to maintain this dominant position, and within a year Wiglaf regained the throne of Mercia. However, Wessex did retain control of Kent, Sussex and Surrey; these territories were given to Egbert's son Æthelwulf to rule as a subking under Egbert. When Egbert died in 839, Æthelwulf succeeded him; the southeastern kingdoms were finally absorbed into the kingdom of Wessex after Æthelwulf's death in 858."
Egbert = son of
44 Ealhmund of Kent, King of Kent (784)
According to Wikipedia: "Ealhmund was King of Kent in 784. The only contemporary evidence of him is an abstract of a charter dated in that year, in which Ealhmund granted land to the Abbot of Reculver. [1] By the following year Offa of Mercia seems to have been ruling directly, as he issued a charter [2] without any mention of a local king.
"There is a general consensus that he is identical[3] to the Ealhmund found in two pedigrees in the Winchester (Parker) Chronicle, compiled during the reign of Alfred the Great. The genealogical preface to this manuscript, as well as the annual entry (covering years 855–859) describing the death of Æthelwulf, both make king Egbert of Wessex the son of an Ealhmund, who was son of Eafa, grandson of Eoppa, and great-grandson of Ingild, the brother of king Ine of Wessex, and descendant of founder Cerdic,[4] and therefore a member of the House of Wessex (see House of Wessex family tree). A further entry has been added in a later hand to the 784 annal, reporting Ealhmund's reign in Kent. Finally, in the Canterbury Bilingual Epitome, originally compiled after the Norman conquest of England, a later scribe has likewise added to the 784 annal not only Ealhmund's reign in Kent, but his explicit identification with the father Egbert.[5] Based on this reconstruction, in which a Wessex scion became king of Kent, his own Kentish name and that of his son, Egbert, it has been suggested that his mother derived from the royal house of Kent,[6] a connection dismissed by a recent critical review.[3] It has likewise been suggested that Ealhmund might actually have been a Kentish royal scion, and that his pedigree was forged to give son Egbert the descent from Cerdic requisite to reigning in Wessex."
Ealhmund = son of
45 Eafa (730) md. Kentish princess
Eafa = son of
46 Eoppa (b. 706)
Eoppa = son of
47 Ingild of Wessex (672-718)
Ingild = son of
48 Coenred (b. 640)
Coenred = son of
49 Ceolwald
Ceolwald = son of
50 Cutha Cathwulf (b. 592)
Cutha = son of
51 Cuthwine (d. 592)
Cuthwine = son of
52 Ceawlin, King of Wessex (c. 535-592), reigned 560-592
Ceawlin = son of
53 Cynric, King of Wessex (c. 495-560), reigned 534-560
Cynric = son of
54 Cerdic, King of Wessex reigned 519-534
_______________
MATILDA, DUCHESS OF SAXONY
30 Matilda, Duchess of Saxony md. Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony [continued from above]
Matilda = daughtter of
31 King Henry II of England (1207-1272) [his line] md. Eleanor of Aquitaine [her line]
_____________________
GERTRUDE OF SUPPLINGENBURG
31 Gertrude of Supplingenburg md. Henry X, Duke of Bavaria [contined from above]
Gertrude = daughter of
32 Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor md. Richenza of Northeim (1075-1137)
_____________________________________
31.Richeza of Poland (April 12, 1116 - after Dec. 25, 1156) md. King Sverker I of Sweden, the Elder (d. Dec. 25, 1156) [continued from above]
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