A Moment of Incredible Credibility

Our (the Romance Spinners) next novel is called "For Richer, For Poorer".

Love hath no fear like a woman’s scorn. Or the curse she can weave.
In 11th century England, jilted by Philippe Devereaux in favour of a wealthy Norman wife, impoverished Gytha of Wessex conjures a binding spell that curses generations of wealthy Devereaux to suffer unless the Rich marry the Poor.
The succeeding generations of Devereaux can resist the curse and refuse their fate. But if they do, they will lose everything. Their lands will become barren. Their wealth will dry up... life as they know it will cease to exist.
But amid their bitter destinies, they find true love. And perhaps, some day, true love could break the curse.

My story takes place a thousand years later in the 21st Century.

I have Beatrice, a distant Devereaux descendant, who attempts to track down Gytha and Philippe through genealogy. I was speaking to someone the other day about this particular aspect of the story, and she could not suspend her disbelief. "Nobody can do their genealogy back that far," she told me.

Well, I beg to differ:

134. Their Ladyships
133. Me (Her Grace)
132. My Dad
131. My Grandmother
130. My Great-Grandmother
129. Mary Isabel Pettit (b 9 Jul 1866, M Henry Green)
128. Edwin Alfred Pettit (b 16 Feb 1834, M Rebecca Hood Hill)
127. Jesse Pettit (b 26 Feb 1793, m Mary Pettit, his first cousin)
126. William Pettit (b 1754, m Catherine Ryder) and brother James Pettit, Sr (b 1757, m Mary Ann Sealey)
125. Increase Pettit (b 17 Aug 1726, m Martha Eldert)
124. Joshua Pettit (b 24 Feb 1702, m Sarah (Susannah) Carpenter)
123. Thomas Pettit III (b 1666, Long Island, New York, m Catharine Branch)
122. Thomas Pettit II (b 25 June 1630 on the ship "Talbot" in Salem Harbor, Mass, m Hannah Goffe Moore)
121. Christian Mellows (b abt 1611, Widford, Hertford, Essex, England) m Thomas Pettit I (b 1610)
120. Martha Bulkeley (b 1572, m Abraham Mellowes)
119. Reverend Edward Bulkley (b 1540, M Olive Irby)
118. Thomas Bulkeley (b abt 1520, m Elizabeth Grosevenor)
117. William Bulkeley (m Beatrice Hill)
116. Humphrey Bulkeley (m Cecliy Moulton)
115. Hugh Bulkeley (m Helen Wilbraham)
114. John Bulkeley (b abt 1325 m Arderne Titley)
113. Baron Peter De Bulkeley (m Nicola Bird)
112. Baron Robert de Bulkeley (m Feliece)
111. Ellen Davenport (b abt 1250, m Baron William de Bulkeley)
110. Roger De Davenport (b abt 1226, m Mary Salemon),
109. Vivian De Davenport (b abt 1180, m Beatrix De Hulme),
108. Amabilia De Venables (b abt 1147, m Richard De Davenport),
107. Margary De Hatton (b abt 1100, m Gilbert de Venables)
106. Walter de Hatton (b abt 1075)
105. Emme Lupus (m Ivan Bellomontensis b 1026)
104. Geoffrey Bretagne (Duke) (b abt 972AD, M Hedwig of Normandy (Countess Brittany)

Yes, it can be done. I've got several lines that go back this far. Pretty much, once you hit nobility (who were meticulous about keeping records), you can go back until you run out of recorded info.

[Beatrice] looked at her handheld, silent and dark. The small machine held tens of thousands of genealogical names along with their hatches, matches and dispatches, generations of Beatrice's ancestors, some lines going, as her Grandmother put it, "all the way back to Adam."

Oh really? How far back can one go?

Well...

103. Ermengarde of Anjou (m Conan "the Crooked")
102. Geoffrey I Grisegonelle of Anjou (b 11 Nov 958AD, m Adelaide of Vermandois)
101. Fulk II "the Good" (m Gerverga of Gatinais)
100. Fulk I "the Red" (m Roscille de Loches)
99. Adlinde Rescinde de Gatinais (m Ingelgerius)
98. Geoffrey de Orleans
97. Bouchard de Fezensac (b 800AD)
96. Aubri de Fezensac
95. Bouchard "the constable" de Fezensac
94. Guerin von Thergovie (b 20 May 722AD, m Adenlindis)
93. Robert (b abt 700AD, m Williswinda)
92. Lambert of Hasbaye
91. Warinus (Guerin) (m Gunza of Metz)
90. Sigrada Sigree (m Bodilon de Treves)
89. Erchembaldus (m Ansoud)
88. Ega (b abt 560AD, m Gerberga of the Franks)
87. Erchenaud of Moselle
86. Ausbert of Moselle (m Blithildis of Cologne)
85. Ferreolus of Metz (b abt 450AD, m Deutria Outeria of Rome)
84. Ferceolus
83. Sigimerius
82. Clodius "the long-haired" (m Basina)
81. Pharamund (m Argotta, b abt 376AD)
80. Marcomir
79. Clodius
78. Dagobert II (b abt 300AD)
77. Genebald
76. Dagobert I
75. Walter
74. Clodius III (b before 264AD)
73. Bartherus
72. Hilderic
71. Sunno (Huano)
70. Farabert (b abt 122AD)
69. Chlodmir IV (b abt 104AD, m Halfilda
68. Athilidus (b abt 90AD, m Marcomir)
67. Coel I of Britain
66. Caradoc
65. Bran "the blessed" (m. Enygeus "Anna")
64. Penardim (m Lear "Llyr Llediaitha")
63. Anna the Prophetess (m Nasciens)
62. Joseph "of Arimathaea" ben Matthat
61. Matthat ben Levi
60. Levi "Levi ben Melchi" ben Simeon
59. Simeon "Belchi ben Jannai" ben Judah
58. Jannai ben Joseph
57. Joseph ben Mattathias
56. Mattathias ben Semel
55. Semein ben Josech
54. Josech ben Joda
53. Joda ben Joanan
52. Jonan ben Rhesa
51. Rhesa ben Zerubbabel
50. Zerubbabel of Judah
49. Salathiel ben Jeconiah
48. Jeconiah ben Jehoiakim
47. Yekhonia ben Josiah
46. Josiah ben Amon
45. Amon ben Manasseh
44. Manasseh ben Hezekiah
43. Hezekiah ben Ahaziah
42. Ahaz
41. Jotham
40. Uzziah
39. Jehoram
38. Jahosaphat
37. Asah
36. Abijah
35. Rohoboam
34. Soloman
33. David
32. Jessee
31. Obed
30. Boaz
29. Salmon
28. Nashon
27. Amminadab
26. Ram
25. Hezron
24. Perez
23. Judah
22. Jacob
21. Issac
20. Abraham
19. Terah
18. Nahor
17. Serug
16. Reu
15. Peleg
14. Eber
13. Saleh
12. Arphaxad
11. Shem
10. Noah
9. Lamech
8. Methuselah
7. Enoch
6. Jared
5. Mahalaleel
4. Cainan
3. Enos
2. Seth
1. Adam & Eve


Cool or what?