Wednesday, September 26, 2012

ROYAL FAMILY CONNECTIONS - Charlemagne


(26 Sep 2012) There are so many unexpected surprises found while climbing our Family Tree.

Today, while researching my maternal lineage, I discovered a Family Connection to Charlemagne also known as Charles The Great.  WOW!   Dorothy Hazel Tarr.


[PHOTO: Statue of Charlemagne by Agostino Cornacchini (1725), St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican, Italy]


[PHOTO crown:  Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne  (about age 25 or 26), the Holy Roman Emperor in St. Peter's Basilica, in Rome, on Dec 25, 800 AD. Charlemagne, was the first emperor to be crowned in St. Peter's.]
 
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INTRODUCTION

Below I have first posted some brief notes about Charles The Great, then some notes about our Family Connection to this Ancestor!


IT'S ALL IN THE LINEAGE DETAILS

 
Who is Charlemagne?  Below are some excerpts from Internet sources.
 

“He was large and strong, and of lofty stature, though not disproportionately tall (seven-feet tall).  His head was round and well formed, his eyes very large and vivacious, his nose a little long, his hair white, and his face jovial.  His appearance was always stately and very dignified, whether he was standing or sitting.  …. His gait was firm, his whole carriage manly, and his voice clear.”  Einhard, Life of Charlemagne, (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1880), pp. 56-7.

 

Below is a short excerpt from wikipedia about this ancestor!

Charlemagne ( /ˈʃɑrlɨmn/; French pronunciation: [ʃaʁləmaɲ]; c. 742 – January 28, 814), also known as Charles the Great (Latin: Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus) or Charles I, was the founder of the Carolingian Empire, reigning from 768 until his death. He expanded the Frankish kingdom, adding Italy, subduing the Saxons and Bavarians, and pushing his frontier into Spain.  The oldest son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon, Charlemagne was the first Emperor in Western Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire four centuries earlier.
 
Becoming King of the Franks in 768 following the death of his father, Charlemagne was initially co-ruler with his brother Carloman I. Carloman I's sudden death in 771 under unexplained circumstances left Charlemagne as the undisputed ruler of the Frankish Kingdom.  Through his military conquests, he expanded his kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe.
 
Charlemagne continued his father's policy towards the papacy and became its protector, removing the Lombards from power in Italy, and leading an incursion into Muslim Spain.  He also campaigned against the peoples to his east, forcibly Christianizing them along the way (especially the Saxons), eventually subjecting them to his rule after a protracted war.  Charlemagne reached the height of his power in 800 when he was crowned as "Emperor" by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day.
 
Called the "Father of Europe" (pater Europae),  Charlemagne's empire united most of Western Europe for the first time since the Roman Empire.  His rule spurred the Carolingian Renaissance, a revival of art, religion, and culture through the medium of the Catholic Church.  Through his foreign conquests and internal reforms, Charlemagne encouraged the formation of a common European identity.  Both the French and German monarchies considered their kingdoms to be descendants of Charlemagne's empire.
 
Charlemagne died in 814 after having ruled as Emperor for almost fifty years.  He was laid to rest in his imperial capital of Aachen.

 
 
What is the Family Connection?

[NOTE: The figures in square brackets below show the number of relationships required to connect to Charlemagne.]

 
My personal Family Connection is through my maternal lineage according to the research material; and it appears that the number of relationships required to connect me to Charlemagne is [35].  My mother Dorothy Helen Scott Tarr (1923-1982) is [34].  My maternal Grand Aunt Pearl Harbour Jones Bennett (1875-1939) is [33].  Pearl Harbour Jones Bennett was married to Thomas Smith Bennett (1873-1959).  Thomas Smith Bennett was the older brother of Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Bennett Scott (1897-1980)—my maternal grandmother and my mother's mom.  I am related to Pearl through several Family Branches; and this is because the paternal first great grandparents of Pearl, the maternal second great grandparents of Thomas, the second great grandparents of Mary, my mother's maternal third great grandparents, and my maternal  fourth great grandparents  are the same:  Daniel Thompson Payne (1780-1858) and Martha Sarah Frazier Payne (1783-1849).
 
The Family Connection to Charlemagne that I have followed is through Pearl's maternal lineage and Pearl's mother Melvina Frances Harbour Jones (1836-1917) who is [32].   

 
CLOSING THOUGHTS
 
The Royal Blood lines from Charlemagne offer an amazing journey for a Family researcher.  There is just a wealth of historical information about Charlemagne on the Internet, in books, film, and more.  Some of these are listed below.

 

SOURCE LINKS: 

 
Source LINK for Melvina Frances Harbour Jones:

 
Source LINK for Pearl Harbour Jones Bennett:

 
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