Questions Along The Way

        Many branches of my Jones surname family tree have been discussed beginning with Inigo Jones 1650's [December 15, 2021].  You might think of this blog as a book and, each post is a page in the book of my tree climbing. Only in this book, instead of page numbers, things are stored by dates written month, day, and then year of posting. From cows to Celts, then Romans, then Monks, to deciding to flop down in all those hills and valleys. Who would have thought. 

        All this tree climbing has raised a lot of questions along my families' journeys. Are there any questions or comments you might have out there regarding the clusters of branches and twists knotted about? Use the comment section at the bottom of any post (page) dealing with a topic/subject. You know, anyone can climb out their own family tree.  Besides, that Jones surname is buried just about under every rock along the way. 

         See post of November 12, 2010 [We Are The Chosen]. If this post brings a tear to your eye, you are ready to get going!

Enough Already

        By this time in my Jones surname family tree (1300 A.D.), many in the branches had to be thinking better days have to be ahead, cause things could not get any worse. Many sleepless nights around the kitchen table hearing many family stories about past days swimming around that sea of troubles. [post 1 Dec. 2023] Being reminded many times how my name Llewelyn (JL-1) was past down to me. All these new overlords demanding conduct against our very way of life. Enough is enough! Not!

       The next century brought a whole bunch of troubles yet to shake the family tree. At first, it was hoped the new supreme overlord Edward II (1307- 1327 A.D.), titled "Prince of Wales", would help us out. Then all the other overlords started steeping on one another's toes and kicking one another in the shins. Across the Channel things started getting out of hand [The Hundred Years War, starting around 1337] after our Prince of Wales lost his life at Berkley Castle whose family would connect to my Jones surname family in that yet to come Virginia colony. But first, the darkest days are yet to come.

       The above is the cover of my copy discussing this hallway of time. It was published 1978. In his Forward, Desmond Seward (born in Pairs) quotes Sir John Hawkwood who lived during this time, "Do you not know that I live by war and that peace would be my undoing". What a way to live. Enough already!

Seward D., The Hundred Years War, The English In France 1337 - 1453, Penguin Group, N.Y., 1978.

Daily Living

        Mowing grass, ranking leaves, shoveling snow, and pulling weeds are some of the seasonal activities expected living in my part of the world. The garbage goes out Wednesday night for Thursday pick-up, the water bill is due by the tenth of each month and, taxes from the city and county are paid at the beginning of the year. On and on it goes with school tax, property tax, sales tax, car tax, and any other taxes that folks in charge can contemplate. What in the world one would think. Well, just imagine what day to day living would have been in 1300 A.D.

       Those in charge were considered "overlords". The supreme overlord sat upon what was conceptualized as "The Throne" and under accepted theory owned all the land that folks of the day lived [or survived upon]. You had to mow his grass, plant and harvest his fields, milk his cows, and every other task he so desired. The system that was brought over to the neighborhood by the French speaking Normans and, their Marcher Lords, came to be called "feudalism". Of course, you had to go along to get along. 

       The best text describing the origin and introduction of this concept to the hallways of history is by two French folks, Jean-Pierre Poly and Eric Bournazel. First published in French (1980), an English translation was published in 1991. The cover of my copy is shown.

      "Seigneuries" was the new word on my vocabulary list. It meant the territory under the government of a feudal lord. Let's see now, the Norman folks who dug-in all sorts of places among my ancestors family's land, claimed all the territory they had come to occupy by force of arms. This land become their new governmental territory. They were the feudal lord, with no buts and or otherwise! 

       Daily life would certainly change from the common law of the kindred, to this new law of the feudal lord. 

The above text was translated by Caroline Higgitt and published by Holmes & Meier Publishers, Inc. N.Y., 1991.

New Rules and New Rulers

       Subordination to a higher authority can bring about all kinds of changes to the home front. For my ancestors, following the Statute of Rhuddlan 1284, changes were introduced in what became the new areas called Flint [Tegeingl and Maelor Saesneg], Denbigh [Ros and Rhufoniog], Rhuthun [Cantref of Dyffryn Clawyd], and Bromfield & Yale [Maelor Gymraeg]. A new governmental framework was established involving the institution of "English" criminal law to what was the families' common law. The focus here are the Maelors since Tudor Trevor (JC-1) was recognized as the founder of "The tribe of the Marches" where the Maelors played a central role. 

      Let's see now. New fellows named "Sheriffs" were appointed to administer each of these new named areas. They were to collect rents and new taxes owed to the new "Lord Paramount" which was conceived as the "The Crown". Sheriffs were to supervise local officials and, hold a court once a month [Juries introduced]. The IRS [Exchequer at Westminster] held the purse strings but, local jurisdiction was considered legitimate authority. A solemn treaty it was announced. From "Common Law" to "State Law" was the main change of concept thus, providing an order and tranquility to that wild and free way of living among all the family. (Hywel Dda would certainly have something to say about all these changes.)

       "Movables" (inheritances) was to remain under common law and, land disputes could be solved by the local folks. Since the family moved to Llwyn-Onn, Iorwerth Fychan (JI-1) [see post of 28 August  2023], until Llewelyn (JL-1), who was named after Llywelyn (II) [who died 11 December 1282], the family had already made a number of adjustments to the mindset. For example, there were new ways of survival (post 11 Oct 2023 "Food & Fleece") and self-sufficiency (post 20 Nov 2023).  A new network of connectors were established as discussed in post of 23 Sept 2023 ("Highroads"). The family then faced a series of ground shaking events and a series of tidal waves [see post 1 Dec 2023 ("Sea of Troubles") and, 6 Jan 2024 ("Shifting Sands")]! Then Howel (JM-1) had to submit to a new authority with a whole bunch of new horizons to face.

       Hum...the "Hundred Years War" 1337-1453, the battle of Calais 1346, the "Black Death" 1350, and the battle of Poitiers 1356, were all about to hit the fan under this new prerogative of "The Crown"... new rules and new Rulers, what can one say.

For review: family tree from Iorwerth Fychan (JI-1) to Howel (JM-1). All marked with blue color.

Panorama

       Just look at it. A mental picture of the earliest branches of my Jones surname family tree. Color coded it is.                   

           From Gadforch (JA-1) at the top, to the ninth generations down the branches (JI) and, all those folks in-between are presented. How do you say "Wow"! Tudor Trevor (JC-1) starts things out with a bang, realizing his wife Angharad (JC-2) was the daughter of that law giver Hywel. Three sons and a daughter come next branching out in all directions. While exploring all the branches, a few key items should be noted.

       First, Tudor Trevor (JC-1) had a brother. Ynyr Frych (JC-3) was his name and, his identity has not been recognized prior to all this tree climbing. He was described as Abbot of Dore Abby (Adad Dor) in the "Golden Valley" Hereford. 

 

      The second item to note is that Gronwy (JD-1), eldest son of Tudor Trevor (JC-1), had as heir a daughter Rhingor (JE-3). She married a fellow named Cynelyn (JE-6), which of all things produced a son Ethelystan Glodrydd (JF-6) who is discussed at some lengths among the many pages yet to come down the hallways of history. Royal Tribe IV of Wales is his beginning [Between the Wye and Severn].   

       Close by, the second son of Tudor Trevor (JC-1), Llydocya (JD-2), also had a daughter Gweyrl (JE-7) who married a fellow named Ednowain ap Bradwen (JE-8), who founded Noble Tribe XV in Merioneth. In addition, a son of Llydocya (JD-2), Llywarch Gam (JE-4) [meaning crooked footstep], leads a significant branch down to the noted individual Rhys Sais (JG-4), who married Eva (JG-3) a daughter of Cynrig (JF-1), making Rhys Sais (JG-4), a son-in-law to the fellow who is remembered as being killed 1073 A.D. Whew, can you follow all that?  He was in direct line to my branch through Dingad (JD-3)! 

       Also note, the line of Dingad (JD-3) married into the oldest brother's line Efa (JH18) to Jeuaf (JH-1). The second son's line also joined in with Eva (JG-3) to Rhys Sais ( JG-4).

  

      It was Dingad (JD-3) who was the baby of the family. Little did he know that a future branch of his family tree would be identified by the saying of all others, "Keep Up With The Joneses". 

A Page...or Two

       Saving and storing all that family tree stuff can present all kinds of decisions. How does one begin and how does one finish? You can imagine that after a few generations things can get a bit crowed and all clumped together. A coding systems has been discussed [post of 9 March 2023] and offers a way to keep each family member identifiable from all others who might clog up the branches. Putting things together in a paper format may also be another way to help keep things organized. The following copy of my coding system placed on paper is shown.

      Now remember, the capital letter of the English alphabet represents the surname of the individual putting the family tree together. For my surname Jones it would be "J". Any future note or document having an individual starting their code with a "J" would always be of my Jones surname family. The second capital letter would represent the generation that this individual would belong. The first of course would be "A" if starting at the top of the family tree. Thus JA would mean an individual belonging to the first generation from the top. Thus, B=second, C=third and so on down the branches for at least 26 generations! Next, the JA followed by "-", then a number would indicate the place that this individual holds within that generation. Thus, JA-1 would mean the named individual was the first to be located among this generation by the one doing all the searching. By way of remembering from previous posts, the next figure shows the coding system as presented by my drawings.

     Starting at the top fellow colored blue, JA-1 = Gadforch. He is the first of my great...great...grandfathers starting from the top of my family tree. His wife JA-2= name unknown for now, but if discovered at a later date, she already has a place among the branches. The son JB-1 = Ynyr, a good Celtic name (see post 31 March 2023). His wife Rhiengar of Hereford =JB-2 is listed and, on down the connected line can be followed. JC-1= Tudor Trevor (see post 27 April 2023), then coming to Dingad JD-3 the baby of this generation. My page shown first above at this generation [the D generation or 4th in line down from the top] list all family members identified as to this date 6/15/2011. You can see this expands the number of individuals as the increasing of branches are applied. The JE generation grows larger in number and you can imagine how each following generation would multiply. Several hundred of folks are listed in some of the generations sharing the same number of branches along the way. 

       Also note you can add additional comments important to recall for future tree climbers. My specific grandfather line is underlined.  It certainly might take a page or two.

     

   

Consider History

 

       From London, 1861.