Great Stories of Your Ancestors Await Discovery—Do you Know Your True Background?
Joan Plantagenet, Fair Maid of Kent, wife of Sir Thomas de Holande and Edward Plantagenet, the Black Prince and heir to the throne of England.
Somewhere, there is a story that you need to tell. But first, you have to find it. It concerns the all-encompassing saga of one or more of your ancestors. Select a historical scene or era. You can bet your life’s savings that one or more of your family members played an essential role. How do I know this? During a lifetime, one experiences the art of survival in an unkind environment or circumstance and begins an exhausting journey of resolving problems. It is a long haul from childhood to old age, and no one escapes the harsh journey of lessons learned.
We cannot suppose that our ancestors hoveled and hid from the realities of raising a family or fighting a war. George Washington, to whom so much credit is given, did not cross the frozen Delaware River in the dead of night alone. The history books have their heroes. Yet, where are the stories of mankind’s suffering epidemic plagues of disease, sorrow, and misery? Or of the bristling rats onboard vessels that carried diseases and contaminated food barrels? Indeed, as thousands of families risked their lives crossing the great stormy seas from Ireland, Scotland, and Germany, they suffered from the diseases from which there was no cure — smallpox, fevers, cholera, tuberculosis, Scarlet fever, and whooping cough. Indeed, smallpox ran in epidemic proportions from 1707 through the Revolutionary War. And lest we forget, Europe's one hundred years war (AD 1337–1453) boasted the Black Deaths of AD 1346-1353.
Is there a story here? You bet. During the War of Roses, one of my ancestors, Sir Thomas de Holande was sent to France as a young teenage boy.. Sir Thomas has secretly wed Joan Plantagenet, the granddaughter of King Edward I of England. While on the battlefield, the king unknowingly gave Joan in marriage to an Earl. Upon his return to England, Sir Thomas learned of this marriage and took his case to the Pope in Avon, France. The Pope, however, had isolated himself from the plague, residing in private quarters. An unknown amount of time passed, but eventually, the bride of Sir Thomas was restored to him by the Pope!
Although this love story was found in ancient history, I learned to read the old Colonial Script before digging into the records at Westminister.
The only difference between our ancestors during ancient times and any other period is that they were engaged in the struggles inherent to the era of their lifespan. They cleared their space to make room for their children's more distant and complicated generations, such as the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
The incredible stories of your ancestors can be discovered and related to your children. To this end, what about GeorgiaPioneers.com? It contains genealogical records that help you find answers. The best discoveries lie in old wills, estates, deed records, tax digests, and marriage records. The collection begins in the Colonial period of America and includes Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Also, old bible records, newspapers, out-of-print books, and much more! These online records are the results of a collection spanning more than sixty-five years!
Some of my stories may be discovered in the following free newsletter: “Genealogy Tips.”