Royal and Noble Ancestors of Colonial American Families
Royal and noble ancestry is as common among residents of the United States as in European countries. At one time, publications on this matter provided royal pedigrees for only a few colonial American families. However, with improved documentation on-line, millions of Americans can now trace their royal and noble European ancestry.
Due to primogeniture (where only the eldest son could inherit property), many American colonists of high social status were the younger children of English aristocratic families, who came to America looking for land, because they could not inherit land in their native countries. Many of these colonial immigrants maintained high social standing where they settled in the colonies. There were at least 650 colonial families with traceable royal ancestry, and 387 of them left descendants in America. These colonists with royal ancestry settled in every state, but the majority lived in Massachusetts and Virginia.
According to American genealogist Gary Boyd Roberts, an expert on royal descent, most Americans with colonial New England Yankee, Mid-Atlantic Quaker, or Southern planter ancestry are descended from medieval kings, especially those of England, Scotland, and France and some through German immigrants who descend from German royalty. Roberts is the retired Senior Research Scholar of the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS). His book, The Royal Descents of 600 Immigrants to the American Colonies or the United States (2004, available from NEHGS and Genealogical Publishing Company), is a good starting resource for identifying colonial ancestors with royal roots.
I have traced the royal and noble ancestry of the Lunney Family of Maine. Several of our Maine ancestors with the family names LUNNEY, TAYLOR, PATTEE, LOWE, LOW, STEVENS and MOSHER, Massachusetts ancestors with family names CUDWORTH, THORNDIKE and STRATTON and Rhode Island ancestors with family names TRIPP, MACOMBER and MOSHER share this royal and noble pedigree beginning with Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne in 742 AD.
I have attached a copy of my pedigree charts (with embedded links to genealogical documentation for each individual ancestor) below:
Tags: CUDWORTH, LOW, LOWE, LUNNEY, MACOMBER, MOSHER, PATTEE, STEVENS, STRATTON, TAYLOR, More…
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Permalink Reply by Pamela Carter on -
Thanks for sharing!
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Permalink Reply by Laurie Davis on -
I have found Sirs and Knights and Lords....who knew?
My goal is to get all my branches to the immigrant here in the colonies...not that I can but I set my sights high ;) so I never know what else I may find...especially if I can get rid of a brick wall or two...
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Permalink Reply by Timothy Lunney on -
This post has been updated with an expanded attached family tree.
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Permalink Reply by Timothy Lunney on
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I have updated the ancestry chart for the Lunney Family of Maine. Several of our Maine ancestors with the family names LUNNEY, TAYLOR, PATTEE, LOWE, LOW, STEVENS and MOSHER, Massachusetts ancestors with family names CUDWORTH, THORNDIKE and STRATTON and Rhode Island ancestors with family names TRIPP, MACOMBER and MOSHER share this pedigree beginning with Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne in 742 AD.
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Permalink Reply by Mary Ellen Aube on -
I am also descended from William the Conqueror. How did you find out about the order of Charlemagne? I would like to know about joining it. Thank you. Mary Ellen Aube E-mail aubemaryellen@yahoo.com My line is John Carleton of Woolwich, Maine who was descended from Edward III and Phillipa of Hainault.
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Permalink Reply by Timothy Lunney on
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The Order of Charlemagne is a term of reference for the number of generations in descent from Charlemagne. For example, if you are the 45 generation in descent from Charlemagne, you would be Order of Charlemagne No. 45: http://familypedia.wikia.com/wiki/Property:Order_of_Charlemagne
The "Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the United States of America" is a membership organization for descendants of Charlemagne. Here is the link to their membership page: http://charlemagne.org/ui27.htm. I am not a member, and cannot vouch for this organization. They require a registration fee of $550 in advance, documentary proof for sources for each ancestor in the line of descent, and state that they can keep $225 if they reject your application. They may also charge additional amounts for "verifying sources".
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Permalink Reply by Mary Ellen Aube on
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Thank you I guess that it way out of my reach financially. but I am eligible. Mary Ellen Aube
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Permalink Reply by Laurie Davis on
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at least one of my branches is proven back to Charlemagne...through a Maine family... as well as William the Conqueror.
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