On The Other Side

        Deep and wide was the valley of death that forged its way into the world starting just east of the 70th degree longitude around 1346. It followed the major European trade routes and seaports until it arrived in the bailiwick of my Celtic, to become Welsh, yet to become my Jones surname family tree. The court rolls of Ruthin (Vale of Clwyd) 1349 recorded 77 of the inhabitants died within 2 weeks starting March of 1349.  [p. 154, Ziegler, post 21 February 2024] More than 1/3 of the world's population and, my family's small part thereof, are thought to have perished stated by Davies (p.186) in his book on Wales. [see post 16 November 2022] Law and order flew out the windows. A shortage of labor left many of the fields unplowed, nor planted, or harvested and, a decay of the manor and the manorial system followed. [That is the Welsh system as discussed 10 April 2024!]

      Now to the eager genealogist there was nothing more exciting than to find an ancestor that had already compiled a well-documented, accurate, and completed family tree in the direction you are headed! Even more so when you faced "the end of the road" at "world's end" with such a deep valley before your family tree branches. As a reminder here is such the family tree as shown in posts before:

       Taken from Jones-Parry "Paternal Descent", pp. 354-355, County Families of Carnarvonshire, Nicholas, Vol. I, a referenced discussed in several post as early 27 February 2023. You can see that we made a home to last among the Vale of Clwyd and that place called Llwyn-Onn.

Incessant Warfare

       Relationships between the cultures of the day (1350 A.D.) were mostly decided on the fields of battle. Rights by inheritance, rights by defense, and rights by conquest were often brought into question. The commote (Welsh-my ancestors), the hundred (Anglo-Saxon), and the demesne (Norman-French) often help define the issues.  Edward III in 1337 brought the throne of France and his claim of ownership into the conflicts of the day and, continued the battles yet to come. [see post 3 August, 5 February 2024]. At any rate, the following figure tries to show the spheres of culture on the north side of the channel as relates to my yet to become Jones surname ancestors. 

       So here we go. My Celtic to Welsh ancestors saw their land ownership as a right by inheritance. Any free man could become a proprietor (land owner) and pass down these rights to all sons. The Anglo-Saxons (Mercia) like to build fences along the land they had claimed to settle. Their free man was the well experience warrior who would commit to defend their burghal under the leadership of their council, the Witan. Land ownership by rights of defense and, fences (dykes) as outlined above with Offa's Dyke! The Norman-French like to claim their land by right of combat under a chief lord and, built all kinds of mote and bailey strongholds. Allegiance to the chief lord was the foundation of the demesne and, each fighter was expecting a reward in land (the fief). A much more fluid boundary was established called the Marches.

       A forth cultural dynamic not often considered a fighter among these battle fields was the Catholic (universal) Church. Their sphere of influence permeated all the social groups shown above. Of course each church group saw things a little differently among their community of believers. Monistic concepts dominated the most western side of the land (My Welsh ancestors). Monks went about the folks nearby and raised a lot of sheep. The Cistercian Order seem to dominate.

      The church seemed the center of community get-togethers involving the hundreds of the Mercia. Priest set about calling the folks together ringing that bell on those Sundays. The Augustine Order brought these folks together on the most part.

       Those French speaking folks like to build places to remember their victories and, an abbot gave the directions to all the folks around. The Benedictine Order lead the way.

       So there you have it. All the cluster groups were to be squashed together within that great valley of death to be changed forever on the other side. Warfare stopped for a while with all these folks fighting the flea. [see post 21 February 21, 2024] An Incessant Warfare indeed!        

Moving on Out My Family Tree Branches

      Cataclysmic catastrophizes change the world during their hallways of time. Such was the black death of 1348-1351 A.D. as discussed in posts February 21, 2024, and March 7, 2024. How the ancestors yet to become my Jones surname Y-DNA might have managed to climb out the great valley of death during this period of time is discussed September 2, 7, 24, 26, and October 13, 2024. The eldest son Llewelyn (JL-1) living before 1350, through Howel (JM-1) living during the great death, to Edward (JN-1) living just after, all past down their DNA to the branches. It is important to note that Llewelyn (JL-1) had 3 sons. Besides eldest son Howel (JM-1), he had sons Jevan (JM-3) and Madog (JM-4). More related branches down this family tree. You can again begin to see the added difficulty in keeping all the related branches connected correctly on both sides of this great valley of death.                                                                                                 

Being Alive 2025

       The new year begins for me still moving about my Jones surname family tree. One reference that will still be used is titled The Historians' History Of The World. It describes itself as "A Comprehensive Narrative of the Rise and Development of Nations from the Earliest Times. Edited with the Assistance of Advisers and Contributors", by Henry Smith Williams. It was first published 1904 "In Twenty-Five Volumes" by The "Encyclopaedia Britannica Company", New York. Each of the volumes shows the following image with the Latin statement as scanned.

      On multiple occasions the meaning of this motto marched around the valleys and canyons of my mine seeking its translation. Any Latin speaking folks out there in blogspot land that might help with a translation? This present site has visitors from around 170 countries with Brazil, Germany, and Austria heading the list at the start of 2025. Please post in the comment section which follows below your translation. It may be a good motto for this new year?

Closing The Door To 2024

               "Our fathers watered with their tears This sea of time whereon we sail;" 

               "Their voices were in all men's ears Who passed within their puissant hail,"  

               "Still the same ocean round us raves, But we stand mute, and watch the waves." 

      From Poems By Matthew Arnold. New and Complete Edition. (p. 339) Thomas Y. Crowell & Co, New York; no year listed. Matthew Arnold 1822 - 1888, viewed as a critic of the Victorian Age! What of this age now closing on 2024?

      puissant = powerful; strong; mighty; forcible - - from: Noah Webster's First Edition Of The English Language, 1828.

Happy Memories

      Merry Christmas and many Merry Memories to my Jones surname ancestors! Thank you for the life you past down all the hallways of time. Sending all my gratitude and love this Christmas Day 25 December 2024. The Jones Genealogist. 

Cultural Dynamics

        Cultural can be defined as the integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thought, speech, action, artifacts and, depends on man's capacity for learning and, transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations. Wow! This out of my good friend and lifetime partner Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary 150th Anniversary Edition which is now not so new since published in 1973 (p. 274). Anyhow, the pursuits, interest, and pleasures of my ancestors got pretty cloudy during this time (black death) of their journeys. Land and earth still played a dominate component among the three major spheres of influence seeking to climb together out of this deep valley of death. [see post 21 February 2024]

       Celtic to Welsh to my Jones surname [ lots of posts starting Unto These Hills and Mountains 23 January 23, 2022!]. Then, that Offa and group built a dyke along the way [Welcome To The Neighborhood ... NOT  28 June 2023]. Finally, those French speaking fellas brought their own cultural dynamic called feudalism [post: A World In Crisis 18 September 2023]. Whew, all these cultural dynamics came together while trying to figure the connections of my family tree. My Jones surname family of Llwyn-Onn [ see: Through The Ages: "Of Llwyn-Onn" 28 August 2023]. The Norman families de Grey and Fitzalan had important connections [see: Neighbors In Time 7 September 2024]. Finally, it was the Saxon connection to the Hanmer family that broke through the final major brick wall. Yet to be presented after climbing out of this valley of deep cultural dynamics.

 P.S. Here is a scan of the inside front of my Webster's copy. It is shown to thank them for all their help through my years since 1973 and, their years since 1831!