Wierzchosława Ludmiła, Polish Kings, Noble Men of The Holy Roman Empire and Our Direct Ancestors

Researching our direct ancestry on both paternal and maternal sides, I found quite a few kings, queens and noble persons of certain European royal houses. Each such discovery was quite a surprise, however, the greatest one was Princess Wierzchosława Ludmiła of the Piast House in our direct maternal line. Ludmiła's paternal ancestors are the very first rules of Poland including Mieszko I, the creator of the Polish state.

Actually, I first got to Wierzchosława Ludmiła's husband Ferry I de Lorraine, Duke of Lorraine, and our maternal great-grandfather (25 generations back). Then I found her, the great-grandmother. That is really great and very much unexpected!

Here are Wierzchosława Ludmiła's ancestors

 ⇒ her parents

Mieszko III the Old (b. about 1126/d. 13 March 1202 of the Piast dynasty - Duke of Poland and later High Duke of Poland. In about 1136, Mieszko III married Elizabeth, Princess of Hungary (b. about 1128/d. about 1154), the daughter of King Bela II of Hungary.

⇒ her grandparents

Bolesław III The Wrymouth (b. 20 August 1086/d. 28 October 1138) - Duke of Lesser Poland, Silesia and Sandomierz (1102-1107) and entire Poland (1107-1138). His first wife and our ancestor was Salomea of Berg (born about 1099/d. 27 July 1144), daughter of Count Heinrich von Berg-Schelklingen and Adelaide of Mochental.

Poland during the rule of Bolesław III

⇒ her great-grandparents

Władysław I Herman (b. about 1044/d. 4 June 1102) - Duke of Poland. Wierzchosława's great-grandmother was Judith of Bohemia (b. about 1056/d. 25 Dec. 1086), daughter of Duke Vratislaus II of Bohemia.

⇒ her great-great-grandparents

Casimir I the Restorer (b. 25 July 1016, Cracow/d. 28 Nov. 1056, Poznań) - Duke of Poland of the Piast Dynasty and the ruler of Poland (from 1834) + Princess Dobroniega of Kiev (b. about 1012/d. 13 Dec. 1087), daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir I of Kiev.

 Poznań Cathedral (10th century), Ostrów Tumski - the oldest Polish cathedral

⇒ her great-great-great-grandparents

Mieszko II Lambert (b. about 990/d. 11 May 1034) - King of Poland (1025-1031) and later Duke of Poland + Richeza of Lotharingia (b. about 995/d. 21 March 1063), granddaughter of Emperor Otto II.

Lotharingia = nowadays Netherland, Belgium, Luxembourg, North-Rhine Westphalia, Rhineland Palatinate (Germany), and Lorraine (France).

⇒ her 3 times great-grandparents

Bolesław I the Brave (b. 967/d. 17 June 1025) - Duke of Poland (992-1025), King of Poland in 1025 + Princess Emnilda (b. about 970/d. about 1017)

 The statues of Mieszko I and his son Bolesław I - Poznań Cathedral, Ostrów Tumski, Poland

⇒ her 4 times great-grandparents

Mieszko I (b. about 930/d. 25 May 992, Poznań) - the ruler of the Slavic tribe of Polans, creator of the Polish state. He accepted Christianity and the baptism of Poland in 966 + Princess Doubravka of Bohemia (b. about 940/d. 977).

The tomb of Mieszko I and Bolesław I the Brave, Poznań Cathedral, Ostrów Tumski, Poland

Mieszko I was also a grandfather of Canute the Great, king of Denmark, England and Norway.

And here is the explanation of how the family branch goes down, straight to our maternal grandmother.

Wierzchosława Ludmiła

⇒ her daughter Cunégonde de Haute-Lorraine (b. about 1175, Lorraine, France/d. about 1213, Limburg, Belgium) married Waleran III of the Ardennes-Verdun dynasty. Waleran was a count of Montjoie, count of Alton and Luxembourg, and a duke of Limburg (a state in the Holy Roman Empire - nowadays the area of Liege province, Belgium). He took part in the Third Crusade (1192).

⇒ her son Henry V de Luxembourg (b. about 1216/d. 24 Dec. 1281). Henry was called the Blondell/the Great. He was count of Arlon, Luxembourg, Laroche, and Namur, and lord of Ligny.

Coat of arms of Namur

In about 1240, Henry the Blondell married Margaret of Bar (b. about 1220/d. about 1275), the daughter of Henry II de Bar and Phillippa de Dreux. Margaret was also a great-great-granddaughter of King Louis VI of France.

⇒ his daughter Isabelle de Luxembourg (b. about 1243, Luxembourg/d. 25 Sept. 1298, Namur, Belgium). In March 1246, she married Guy de Dampierre (b. about 1226/d. 7 March 1305, Compiegne, France).

Guy was the son of William II de Dampierre and Margaret de Constantinople. Isabelle's husband was Count of Flanders and Marquis of Namur. He died in the French prison after the Battle of the Golden Spurs.

Coat of arms of counts of Flanders

⇒ her daughter Marguerite (de Dampierre) Armstrong (b. about 1265/d. about 1331) - married Alexander Armstrong II, the first Laird of Magnerton castle. I wrote about him and the line which goes to Giles Gant, our 4 times great-grandfather, in a previous POST.

 Giles Gant
served for 12 months in the Revolutionary War (from 6 June 1781). He was Corporal in 6th North Carolina Regiment under Col. Archibald Lytle (1).

Giles' Revolutionary War pay voucher (2) included below.

In January 1783, Giles married Miss Elizabeth Armstrong (b. 4 February 1762, Mecklenburg, North Carolina), the daughter of William Armstrong and Margaret Woods.

I have found the marriage license and marriage bond obtained by Giles Gant, with the help of Thomas Little, on 17 January 1783 (3). Who was Thomas Little, I do not know.

The Descendants of the First Settlers in America (which is an FB group) aided me in transcribing the above document.

"Know all men by these presents to that in Giles Gant and Timothy Lytle of the County of Lincoln and State of North Carolina are held and firmly bound unto Alexander Mar Esquire Governor in three hundred pounds specie for which payment will and freely to be made and done we bind ourselves our & each of our heirs Exrs. Adminst. (Executors & Administrators) firmly by these presents sealed with our seals and dated this 17th day of January 1783.

The Condition of the above obligation is such that where the above Bound Giles Gant th. day (this day) obtained a license of marriage to be celebrated between him & Elisabeth Armstrong of said County now if shall appear any future day by that there is no just cause to obstruct the said Marriage then the above obligation to be void otherwise to remain in full free x virtue.
Witness present

Giles Gant
Thomas Little"

At the same time I learned that in the 1700s such marriage bonds were a common practice. In case if the marriage did not happen or any legal obstacles appeared (e.g. one of the about to be spouses was married already) the bondsmen lost the money they had paid.

I have come across the info that Giles Gant was a farmer and justice of the peace. I wish I had known more about him.

⇒ their daughter Margaret (Gant) Lollar married Mr. Hugh Gant Lollar who was born in North Carolina, then moved to Alabama. He was the one who suggested the name for the city of Jasper, Alabama to honor the Revolutionary War hero Sgt. William Jasper.

The Census of 1870 informs that then, Hugh G Lollar Sr. lived at his son William Riley's house which was in Township 21, Range 10, Choctaw County, Mississippi (post office Mounta Vista). Hugh's youngest son David James and his wife Amanda M + their seven children lived in a house next to William Riley's (4).

More about this family line connection and Gant and Lollar ancestors mentioned in this line, you will find in my previous post HERE that is why I am not going to repeat the details regarding these persons.

⇒ her son Hugh Gant Lollar Jr. - our maternal great-great-great-grandfather

⇒ his son James Wiley Lollar - here we get to Texas - James Wiley married Melvina Donaretta Bradley in Hopkins, TX (1867)

⇒ his son Joseph W Lollar

⇒ his daughter Ethel B. Lollar - our grandmother

Ethel married Arthur Hollie McIntosh in 1910. Ten years earlier, he lived with his widowed mother and siblings in Justice Precinct 8, Upshur, Texas (5).

WWII draft registration record informs that Ethel lived in James, Texas, Route 2. However her husband was staying in Smyrna, Harrison County and he worked for Mr. Walter Bassum in Ore City, Texas (6).

More about Ethel, Samuel Hollie and their children HERE.


Sources:

• MyHeritage research,
• geni.com

(1) "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG2M-1ZR3 : 16 March 2018), Giles Gaunt, 06 Jun 1781; citing Military Service, North Carolina, United States, Citing various published state rosters, United States; FHL microfilm 102229235.
(2) "North Carolina Revolutionary Pay Vouchers, 1779-1782," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2WT-GJLP : accessed 8 March 2019), Giles Gaunt, 01 May 1792; citing North Carolina, United States, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh.
(3) "North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 ," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XFSW-RV9 : 10 February 2018), Giles Gant and Elisabeth Armor, 17 Jan 1783; citing Lincoln, North Carolina, United States, p. , North Carolina State Archives Division of Archives and History; FHL microfilm 1,760,463.
(4) "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF3Q-8GD : 12 April 2016), Hugh Lollar in household of William R Lollar, Mississippi, United States; citing p. 8, family 49, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,224.
(5) "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M35V-H5H : accessed 12 March 2019), Samuel H Mcintosh in household of Jurita E Mcintosh, Justice Precinct 8, Upshur, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 123, sheet 11A, family 196, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,675.
(6) "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XP53-NJC : 6 November 2017), Samual Hollie Mcintosh, 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

Pictures:

• Wierzchosława Ludmiła: By Augustin Calmet - Histoire de Lorraine...depuis l'entrée de Jules César dans les Gaules jusqu'à la cession de la Lorraine, arrivée en 1737,, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17711908
• Poland during the rule of Bolesław III: By Poznaniak - własna praca na podstawie: "Ilustrowany Atlas Historii Polski", CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12723897
• Coat of amrs - Namur: By Tom Lemmens - Own workThis vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this:  Arms of Flanders.svg.iThe source code of this SVG is valid.This vector image was created with Inkscape., CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org
• Coat of arms of Counts of Flanders: By Original:Claes HeynensoonVector:Tom Lemmens - Folio 80r de l'Armorial de Gelre, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62347123
• Jasper sign: By Bamassippi at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50465916

Armstrong Family Line

According to a legend, the original surname of the family was Fairbairn. It was changed into Armstrong after a Fairbairn helped a king of Scotland who had problems with getting his horse. Fairbairn lifted the king who was wearing his heavy armor and placed the king on the saddle of his steed. Armstrong = Strong Arms was the name chosen for the strong Fairbairn who was also granted by the king with the coat of arms and some land.

Clan Armstrong, originally of English heritage, lived around the border between England and Scotland. The border line was 110 miles long. That area, due to frequent Anglo-Scot wars, was a territory of turmoil and lawlessness. The locals could not count on any kind of government aid as the state institutions were simply too far from there. In such circumstances, the families who lived in that territory, including the Armstrongs, became border reivers to make their people survive. Among all the eighty-nine reiver families, they were the largest, the most bellicose and feared ones.

 Clan Armstrong crest - an arm for the soldier/armed

The seat of the clan chief was Mangerton Castle situated on a bank of the Liddle River.

The line of Alexander Armstrong (born about 1292), the 2nd Clan Chief and the first Laird of Mangerton is our direct family line (20 generations back)*. Very likely, Alexander took part in the battle of Bannockburn (1314 - the first war of Scottish Independence) and was of service to King Robert the Bruce.

Alexander was killed by William de Soulis of Hermitage Castle. The latter one, according to legends, practiced black magic and made a covenant with the Devil. William also violated local ladies, including an Armstrong girl. He also killed the girl's father who tried to defend her. As a result of that, the people of the area wanted to execute the killer. However, Alexander who investigated the incident calmed the locals down and saved William.

Considering Alexander's position and social influences, William de Soulis regarded Alexander as a rival. Therefore, he decided to get rid of our Armstrong man. Pretending to be thankful for saving his life, William invited Alexander to his castle for a feast. Alexander accepted the invitation not suspecting anything malicious. Sadly, during the feast he was stabbed to death by de Soulis.

The Armstrong Tartan

The companions of Alexander brought his body back to Mangerton castle. However, when they arrived there, it was too late in the night to bury the clan chief. His body was left till the morning at the Armstrong family cemetery place. On the next day, Alexander was buried. It happened in 1320. 

To honor Alexander, the memorial called Milnholm Cross was placed at the spot where his corpse was laid for the night.

A year later, William was trialed for treason - he plotted against King Robert the Bruce and was put in prison (Dumbarton Castle) where he died in April 1321.

Studying the Geni.com input regarding Alexander, I found out his wife was Marguerite de Dampress whose ancestry line goes through Germany and Belgium to France, and to King of Burgundy and Italy. I will write about that in another post, though.

From Alexander, 1st Laird of Mangerton, the family line goes to his son 

⇒ Alexander Armstrong (b. ≈1318 / d. ≈1376), Clan Chief, 2nd Laird of Mangerton

⇒ his son Clan Chief Alexander Armstrong IV (b. ≈1340 /d. ≈1398) , 3rd Laird of Mangerton

⇒ his son Lord Archibald Armstrong (b. ≈1370 Mangerton Castle, Dumfrieshire, Scotland/d. ≈ 1445)

⇒ his son Thomas Armstrong, 5th Laird of Mangerton (b. ≈1425/d. 1498)

⇒ his son Sir Alexander Armstrong, 6th Laird of Mangerton (b. ≈1445/d.≈1510)

⇒ his son John (Johnnie) Armstrong of Gilnockie (b. ≈1480)

The Gilnockie Castle, where Johnnie lived, was a couple of kilometers north of Canobie, on the Esk River, in County Eskedale.

Gilnockie Tower, Scotland - built in 1518

John and forty-six other men were executed at Carligrig by King James IV (≈ 1530). Johhnie became a legendary character and a hero of folk ballads (I guess, due to the circumstances of his death).

⇒ Johnnie's son Christopher Armstrong of Mangerton (b. ≈1526/ d. 22 Sept. 1606)

⇒ his son Colonel William Armstrong (b. 1565/d. 6 June 1646 - killed during the battle of Benburb)

During his life, in 1604, William moved to Ireland to escape being executed by King James Justice court.

⇒ his son Edward Armstrong of Terwinnay (b. 1604, Brookboro, Fermanagh, Ireland/d. 1650, Ederney, Terwinney, Ireland)

Edward served as a captain during the Civil War in Ireland. He married an Irish lady Mary Maguire ≈ 1625 in Brookboro. Her father was Cpt Thomas Maguire. The Maguires were kings of the County Fermanagh (13th-17th century).

Maguire Coat of Arms

  

Location of Fermanagh (Maguire) - Ulster, late 15th century

⇒ Edward and Margaret's son James Armstrong (b. ≈1645/d. ≈1758). Possibly, he came to North Carolina in 1744.
⇒ his son James Armstrong (b. 24 Jan. 1684, Brookeborough, Fermanagh, Ireland/d. 1 May 1745, Paxtang, Dauphin Co., Pennsylvania)
 ⇒ his son James Armstrong III (b. ≈1707, Paxtang, Dauphine, PA/d. Dec. 1758,
Paxtang, Dauphine, PA)

---

⇒ his son William Armstrong (b. ≈ 1739, Paxtang, Pennsylvania/ d. 21 June 1780, Lincolton, Lincoln, North Carolina)

Some sources say that William was a son of John (b. circa 1715) - a son of Edward Armstrong of Terwinnay. That John's wife was Mary Jean Graham. However, in a book on Graham's ancestry which I have come across, I have not found any information they had a son named William. That source says that John was the John "Jack" Armstrong who was killed by Indians in 1744.

---

⇒ William's daughter Elizabeth Armstrong (b. 4 Feb. 1762, Mecklenburg, NC/d. 4 Jan. 1834, Pendleton District, Anderson, SC)

On 17 Jan. 1783, in Lincoln Co., NC, Elizabeth married Giles Gant (b. 2 August 1756, Granville County, North Carolina), our direct ancestor 7 generations back.

*My MyHeritage research 

Credits:

Sources

1. The Armstrongs. The History of a Riding Family 1040-1650 by Derek James Stewart
2. A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, Enjoying Territorial Possessions Or High Official Rank, Volume 4 by John Burke Esq.
3. Armstrong Clan History
4.  Wikipedia.org
5. My MyHeritage research

Pictures

• Clan Armstrong Crest By Celtus (Celtus @ english wikipedia) - Own work by uploader. The crest element is adapted from an image in an out-of-copyright book: Matthews' American armoury and blue book (1907)., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4899948
• Tartan
  
  Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=305960
  Gilnockie tower By Farmer erik at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Raven1977 using CommonsHelper., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6188814
• Maguire Crest: By self-created - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42732669
• Location of Fermanagh - map: By Mabuska (talk) - I (Mabuska (talk)) created this work entirely by myself., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27821654