CREATESPACE The Ancestors of Stephen George Southerland: Volume I

This work, in three volumes, takes the documented ancestry of Stephen George Southerland from his Gateway Ancestors to notable historical figures in medieval history. To name just a few, in these pages you will find King Henri Capet of France, Charlemagne, Alfred the Great, St. Margaret, St. Fernando, St. Vladimir, and St. Louis. Also, included are Kenneth MacAlpin, William the Conqueror, St. Margaret of Scotland, King Henry II and his queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, the semi-legendary Viking leader Ragnar Lodbrok as well as documented Vikings such as Eric Blood Axe, Harold Fair Hair, and Rollo the Dane, with many other kings and queens of medieval Europe. The document ends with Merovech who fought Attila the Hun in 451 A.D. and with Cerdic of Wessex, the earliest documented ancestor of the English royal line. These volumes contain thousands of footnotes and references. The references that I have used in most cases are the same as those used by hereditary societies to track the ancestry of their applicants. These are listed in the bibliography at the end of each volume. COATS OF ARMS: Where possible, I have shown the historical Coats of Arms associated with each individual. Daughters typically have the same Coat of Arms as their father. Some notable exceptions are queens, as they typically carried both the Coat of Arms of their father and their husband in pale, or on the same shield, split vertically. Heraldry can tell the story of a lineage all its own. In some cases, the pedigree goes back before the age of heraldry. For example, it is doubtful that Charlemagne carried the shield shown beside his name. It is, however, the Coat of Arms that has been attributed to him. In other cases, such as the early Viking ancestry of some of the ancestors in this book, I have attributed a Coat of Arms to bring attention to the line. In some of the earliest cases, the history goes back to recited tales of lineage. This is especially true of Viking ancestry. The verbal lineage was written down 200-300 years after the fact, but it is what has been brought down from the 11th century. At this point documentation ceases and tradition begins. Where these can be found in reference material, I have included them. One must realize that when dealing with documents from the Dark Ages, the “Bureau of Vital Statistics” was not up to the modern standards of the 21st century Surnames were not commonly used in the early Middle Ages. Generally, people were known by the places where they were born, or by their father’s name, or the lands they owned. In England, the term de is frequently used. In the index, for example, you’ll find de Bohun, de Braose, and de Clare listed in the index under Bohun, Braose and Clare. Many people have no surname at all, especially the wives of many notables. They are listed by their given names at the beginning of the index. Patronymics were often used. In Norway, Olafsson means son of Olaf. In Scotland, MacDonald means son of Donald. In England, Fitz Osbern means son of Osbern. In Ireland, O’Neill means son of Neill. In Spain, Martinez means son of Martin. Any errors in this work are entirely my fault and not the fault of the original reference books I have consulted. Ky White—Houston, Texas—June 2017