Charlegmagne----Davis

 

Once Upon a Time.. . . .

 

Princess and the Pea

Although I've loved historical fiction my whole life, I was always especially fond of medieval history. As a child, Princess and the Pea was my favorite story and I often tried to prove I was a princess because my skin was so easily irritated by stiff fabrics, tags in the back and hair brushes. I even went so far as to put things under my mattress to see if I could feel them: I did not. Over the years, I leaned toward the King Arthur legend, Charlemagne and the Crusades.  

Although genealogy has been a hobby of mine for 50 years, I have never been on a quest to find famous people in our family. I was content with finding where our ancestor came from. Recently I've tried a new web site that I'd only "visited" briefly over the years.  It's the Wikitree site which has a "World Tree".  The concept is we all add to the same tree.  There are problems galore when thousands (millions?) of genealogists around the world are contributing. But, we are supposed to provide proof for our additions not hearsay or family legends.

So, I spent several weeks entering information (with sources), and then I found "gateway ancestors" which aligned my tree with royalty and nobility.  The royals have been genealogists for centuries so they aren't marrying too many cousins (like the Hapsburg line did).  With a "gateway ancestors", they've introduced me to family on every throne throughout Western Europe for centuries---most are cousins (King Charles III is our 16th cousin) and uncles, but several are indeed royal ancestors. 

Charlemagne

I think the first "royal" I found in our direct line was Charlemagne (748-814)  who is also known as Charles the Great.  It's been suggested that every person of European descent has Charlemagne as their ancestor. For many years, I've considered him the greatest king of all time. When I taught, I often told the story of Charlemagne learning to read because he knew the power of reading.  He encouraged education, opening schools and promoted legible writing including the widespread use of the question mark.  He always had a book under his pillow.  We have 76,759 paths to Charlemagne.He's my 33 and 36 great grandfather through my father LeRoy Long which makes him 35 and 38 greats for my grandchildren.  I sat stunned probably for about a week with the news.

He was the first emperor of the Carolingian empire consisting of what is today France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Luxembourg,  and part of Italy and Czech Republic.  He is often called the The Father of Europe. He was very large even by today's standards 6"2".  The photo above is his reliquary located in Aachen, Germany.

Charlemagne had over 20 children with numerous wives and mistresses.  He insisted that all of the children receive a liberal arts education in addition to needlework for the girls and riding and weaponry for the boys.  I descend from two of them for sure : Bertha and Hlodowic (Louis). Others have some degree of uncertainty in the lineage.

Hlodowic

Hlodowic (Louis/Ludwig) was Charlemagne's heir becoming King of the Franks and King of Aquitaine. He is sometimes known as Louis the Pious, Louis the Fair and my favorite: Louis the Debonaire.  We descend from his daughter Gisela who was known for her virtue and piety.  She dedicated her life to educating her children with her husband Eberhard who became St. Eberhard. (We descend from at least three saints: St. Eberhard, St. Margaret of Scotland and San Fernando)

None of Charlemagne's daughters married---he feared their husbands would become political rivals.  It didn't stop them from having long-term relationships and children. But, it shows the political importance of marriages at this time.  Bertha is praised in particular for "having critical discernment and an appreciation for poetry".  

When her father died, she and her sisters went to live in convents which their father left them.  It's unknown which convent she entered but it was probably St. Riquier where her partner Angilbert had become the lay-abbot.

So, now when the tag in my shirt hurts, I nod and think, "It's just my Princess gene".

St. Margaret of Scotland

My cousins and I  loved visiting our grandparents flat  at 39th street and Flad in St. Louis.  Coming up the stairs was a huge hall area with an old skylight showing its age: the glass was more "frosted" than clear and often had leaves resting on it.  We immediately got to the top of the steps and looked around to see if our other cousins were there. If not, then we sat quietly reading a book or playing with Uncle Ron's old toys.

But, if the cousins were already there, the race began! Our favorite game began---CHASE! The boys (Bob and Steve) usually led the chase but  sometimes I did which occasionally resulting in injury for my taller cousins: I was able to run under tables they were too tall for.  It was a great game running through the butler's pantry into the kitchen, into the dining room sometimes waiting under the lace table cloth, waiting for my victims.  But sometimes they saw me and the race was on again out to the huge hall, through the pantry, kitchen and dining room.  We were a happy, but noisy trio of cousins.  

Our parents tried to slow us down fearful that someone (Steve) would get hurt.  But, nothing slowed us down until we heard the Westminster chimes of the church across the street: St. Margaret's of Scotland.  Our grandmother Vivian Maupin Long loved  to hold us to listen to the chimes.  She had us try to repeat them and on the hour, count the chimes to know what time it was.  To live across the street with chimes going off every 15 minutes, she must have loved them.

To this day those chimes are soothing to me:  I sit back and can feel myself relax as the chimes bathe over me. Once after the chimes, I looked outside and saw all of these people going to church and asked my grandmother why we didn't go there to church.  She explained that we weren't Catholic but Methodist.  Our church was Lafayette Park Methodist Church which we needed to take a bus or a street car to get to.  I wanted to just step inside to see what the church was like on the inside, but she told me I couldn't because I wasn't Catholic.

Years later, after I'd retired, Dave and I drove through that old neighborhood .  My grandparents flat was still there with the balcony my grandmother was afraid would collapse.  Then, I looked across to St. Margaret's  and was happy to see it is still a bustling active congregation.  

Imagine my surprise to find that St. Margaret of Scotland was my 28th grandmother (she's the 30th for my grandchildren).  With some research I found that she was a Saxon princess who married King Malcom (the Great) of Scotland.  As the Queen of Scotland, she was loved and revered by many for her pious ways and her generous nature.  

I found a historical fiction book about her marriage to Malcom and her life as Queen of Scotland: Queen Hereafter by Susan Fraser King.  In that book I discovered Lady MacBeth was her contemporary.  I checked and can say we do NOT descend from Lady MacBeth. I am very proud to have St. Margaret of Scotland as one of my ancestors.  

I keep thinking about my grandmother (her 26th granddaughter) living across the street from a church with her ancestor and she never knew it. Grandma was the kindest and most generous woman like her ancestor Margaret. Maybe those chimes were a voice from her distant past tolling in sisterhood.

Eleanor of Aquitaine

Eleanor and Henry II tombs

I first "met" Eleanor of Aquitaine as a character in a movie The Lion in Winter.  As portrayed by Katherine Hepburn, she is a strong woman who has been imprisoned by her husband King Henry II of England.  The movie is about one Christmas when he brings her "home" to "celebrate" with three of their children:  Richard the Lionheart, Geoffrey and John. Henry and Eleanor have to decide who is to be the heir to the throne since Henry, their oldest son, has died.  Eleanor's favorite is Richard and Henry's favorite is John. (no one likes Geoffrey apparently). It's a lively movie with a lot of verbal give and take between the king and queen.

But back to Eleanor who was quite possibly the most influential woman in Europe.  She was Queen of Aquitaine in her own right (meaning she didn't get the title when she married a king) but she, did indeed marry two Kings:  Louis VII of France and Henry II of England. She was not a queen who sat in the corner embroidering scarves but considered herself an equal.  She was outspoken and opinionated which was not appreciated in that male dominated world of Medieval Europe.  She even accompanied her husband Louis on a Crusade to the Holy Lands. Legend has it that she and her company of women were dressed (or undressed) like Amazons going into battle.

Eleanor had ten children:  two with Louis VII and eight with Henry II.  Of those ten children three were kings of England in her lifetime:  Henry III, Richard I and John . One daughter Eleanor was Queen of Castille and another Joan was Queen of Sicily. Her power was so great she was often the only woman "in the room" when politics were discussed and plans  were made.

So, how are we related to this remarkable woman who is my 24th great grandmother?  We descend from 5 of her children. She had two daughters with Louis VII:  Marie Capet (Countess of Champagne) and Alice Capet (Countess of Blois).  They were both my 23rd great grandmothers. With Henry II, I descend from Matilda (Duchess of Saxony and Bavaria), Eleanor (Queen of Castille) and John (King of England)---my 24th great grandmothers and grandfather.

I was over-joyed to find that I descend from such a strong woman who could hold her own with such powerful men and yet loved poetry. She was clever and out-spoken. Sadly we don't have any of her actual words but we do have some wonderful quotes from The Lion in Winter addressing her husband and sons:

 Of course he has a knife, he always has a knife, we all have knives! It's 1183 and we're barbarians! How clear we make it. Oh, my piglets, we are the origins of war: not history's forces, nor the times, nor justice, nor the lack of it, nor causes, nor religions, nor ideas, nor kinds of government, nor any other thing. We are the killers. We breed wars. ... For the love of God, can't we love one another just a little - that's how peace begins. We have so much to love each other for. We have such possibilities, my children. We could change the world.

And "change the world" they did but it was not peacefully done.. . .  

The Royals

 I don't know what to do with the information I have on my genealogy.  Am I the only one so confused by being descended from European royalty:  Saxon, Scottish, English, French, Spanish, German and Portuguese.  Such notables as Charlemagne, William the Conqueror, Eleanor of Aquitaine (and both of her royal husbands King Louis of France and King Henry of England), St. Margaret of Scotland, her husband King Malcolm, St. Eberhard and San Fernando.  I would have been content with being descended from a serving lady or a baron.

Do I keep it a secret or do I share the information with family not knowing how they will react.  I'm sure there are thousands (if not millions) who descend from all of them.  I've decided to just give a book to each grandchild for their birthdays about one person with information on how we are related, why that person is significant. To throw all of this at them could be a smothering as it is for me or they may toss it aside as being meaningless.

Genealogy is an odd study---it's not static at all but constantly changing with more evidence.  Our children grew up thinking they were related to Joshua Fry, Elizabeth Fry and Fry chocolate but with DNA and further study proving that we were not that Fry family.

Going back to Medieval times never interested me because I've seen so many NPE (not parent events) where the parents in documents are in fact not necessarily so with DNA.  But, in this case DNA is what sent me in this direction.  I'd always thought Judith Maupin was Nancy Burch's mother , but DNA told me that Nancy's mother was Jane Epperson and the Eppersons were my gateway ancestors unlocking the genealogy of Medieval royalty

The first birthday is Anna and I've chosen a little book by Kristiana Gregory: Eleanor, Crown Jewel of Aquitaine.  It's an author I respect ---- I don't have time to read it.  It got very good reviews for historical accuracy.  But, it stops when she becomes Queen of France which is a very small part of her story. But, it's a start.  I don't want an exhaustive biography so this will be fine.

John Dabney Maupin's Application for Civil War Pension Part 3

 

Neighbors Affidavit

I'm not sure how it information about being with Connecticut Volunteers---obviously a mistake.  So skipping down 4 lines:

"Christopher Spies aged 57 years, a resident of Linn Co. Late Co. C, 12th ConVols (???)) whose post office address is St. Catherine in Linn Co. Mo. who being duly sworn, declare in relation to aforesaid case as follows:that he has lived a neighbor and has known John D. Maupin  for 20 years last past and that he was afflicted with chronic diarrhea up to the present time and from which disability and its consequences he is at present a helpless invalid requiring constant care and watching by his wife.  He further states his health and condition is such that he is liable to succumb almost ANY day.

That this claim outht to have immediate attention.  I know these facts from personal knowledge and have seen him as much as once a week for ten years. . . . .

24th May 1897. St. Catherine in the county of Linn state of MO."

This document is untitled but is testimony of Jane Gross Maupin and John W. Finney, Justice of Peace:

"On this 24th day of May 1897, personal appearance before me Mrs. Jane G. Maupin age 56, a resident of St. Catherine, MO, wife of John D. Maupin late Co. D 9 Reg Mo Cavalry war 61 (?), and that at present and for many years prior to this date, he has been a total physical weak .  So that she has to wait on him the same as a CHILD both day and night and that she knows that he was suffering from effects of chronic diarrhea and its result is when he came home that she could respectfully ask that his case be made SPECIAL his present Pen??? under new law is 618.059

Jane G. Maupin

State of Mo

Linn Co.  Subscribed and seen before me by Jane G. Maupin who I well know and that she is a credible witness and the aforesaid affidavit  read to her and understood by her in signing the same and that I am not interested in the prosecution of this claim for pension.  In Sistime any where I have set my had a Justice of Peace for Linn Co. Mo.  

John W. Finney, Justice of the Peace

I hereby certify that John W. Finney who has signed his name to the foregoing affidavit was at the time of doing it a Justice of the Peace in and for said county and state duly commissioned and from that all his official acts as such are entitled to full faith and ended it this signature there is genuine.

Geo. W. Adams, Clerk Court Linn Co. Mo"

Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions, Washington DC January 15 1898

Certificate no. 618.059

John D. Maupin

Sir:  In forwarding to the pension agent the executed voucher for your next quarterly payment please favor me by returnint this circular to him with replies to the questions enumerated below.  

Very respectfully, ???? Evans, commissioner

First.  Are you married?  If so state your wife's full name and her maiden name: Jane G. Maupin---Jane G. Dickinson

Second. When, where and by whom were you married?:  June 6th 1858 Williamsburg, Mo by Stephen Ham, Minister

Third. What record of marriage exists:  Recorded at Fulton Callaway Co Mo.

Fourth. Were you previously marriedd?  If so please state the name of your former wife and the date and place of her death or divorce:  Narcissa Maupin died at Wellsville Mo Aug 28th 1857.

Fifth.  Have you any children Living?  If so please state their names and dates of their birth:  T.C. Maupin April 8th 1838, Wm. A. June 29th 1842, Nannie M. Feb. 5th 1845, Mattie A July 14th 1859, Henry W. May 7th 1861, John D. Jan. 16th 1869, Ira R Jan. 6th 1872, Oliver T Nov. 29th 1873.

John D. Maupin (his mark)

April 30th, 1898

Witness:  E. Anderson, Mattie A. Maupin

Pensioner Dropped

U. S. Pension Agency

Topeka Kans, Oct. 31 1900

Certificate 618.059

John D. Maupin

Blacksmith D 9 Mo S M Cav

Sir:  I have the honor to report that the above named pensioner who was last paid at $12 to 4Aug. 1899 has been dropped because of death.

Jane Gross Dickenson Maupin died June 28, 1897 one month after she gave testimony on how near death he was.  John Dabney Maupin died August 16, 1899.  I don't have any documents stating he was entitled to a pension, just this last one stating he was last paid $12.