-Presentation of research findings, including Ancestry.com and lineage citations (1,038 pages of data)
-Free access to dedicated website that contains new and revised blog articles (so you are never out–of-date with ongoing research findings and blog article revisions).
-Access to all individual research exhibits (762 PDFs)
-PDF edition download link
This ebook edition is perpetually alive and fluid due to the WordPress.com linking protocol that immediately updates all blog articles as revisions and additions occur. It’s an important feature since ongoing research often results in significant redactions to one or more related blog articles, the occurrence of which will be posted as a notification on the Facebook page.
American author Ambrose Bierce (1842 – 1914), who served under General Howard as a major, once sardonically commented that he remained a “consummate master of the art of needless defeat.” Indeed, most historical military reviews of his early performance as a battlefield commander characterize his effectiveness as “spotty”. Perhaps the “Christian General” lacked the leadership skills and pure savagery of command his peers exhibited, such as William Tecumseh Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant. By the time Sherman took Atlanta in July 1864, however, he appeared to have redeemed himself to the extent that he was given the command of the Army of Tennessee. During Sherman’s conclusive March to the Sea and through the Carolinas, he served with distinction on his right flank. In his memoirs, Sherman commended the Christian General as a commander of “the utmost skill, nicety, and precision.”
While nowhere near the zeal of Abolitionist Captain John Brown (1800 – 1859), he regularly publicly expressed open support of emancipation before the outbreak of the Civil War. After its conclusion, he was appointed the first Freedmen’s Bureau commissioner which was created as the principal social welfare initiative during the Reconstruction period. Poorly funded from its inception, the initial relief aid effort provided meals to millions of destitute blacks and whites, started educational programs, and opened the possibility of civil rights reforms in the future. The Christian General, though proven to be an unqualified administrator of the program, founded Howard University with federal funds he managed to procure. The bureau eventually evolved as America’s first federal public welfare agency.
Left: a Roman sculpture of Cleopatra VII wearing a royal diadem, mid-1st century BC (around the time of her visits to Rome in 46–44 BC). Right: A posthumous painted portrait of Cleopatra VII of Ptolemaic Egypt from Roman Herculaneum, made during the 1st century AD. Credit: Louis le Grand A map illustrating the Hellenistic World and the successor kingdoms of the Diadochi (Alexander the Great‘s successors) c. 301 BCE.Bust of Ptolemy I Soter (367 – 283 BC), king of Egypt, and founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty.The religious decree issued by Pharaoh Ptolemy V Epiphanes at Memphis, Egypt in 196 BC is inscribed on the Rosetta Stone.Ptolemaic Egypt in 240 BCEShake-speare‘s Antony and Cleopatra, 1953 directed by Glen Byam Shaw. Peggy Ashcroft as Cleopatra. Michael Redgrave as Antony. YouTube videos
Following the birth of Pharaoh Philadelphus, Ptolemy’s first son whose mother was of Egyptian nobility, the Ptolemaic pharaohs adopted strict adherence to the ancient Egyptian pharaonic custom of incestuous inbreeding to assure the deified purity of the bloodline and control of the line of succession with brother and sister ruling as co-regents (often brother or sister and first cousin). This was Cleopatra’s experience, though she never gave birth to a child during her marriage to her half-brother and her mother was of Egyptian nobility, perhaps omens of her tragedy; she instead bore children to two high-ranking Romans, viz., Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Of the two, Mark Antony was her legendary agnatic cousin, whereas Julius Caesar, Octavian’s great-granduncle, was purely of ancient Roman nobility, stretching back in time in agnatic lineage to the legendary Romulus (771 – 717 BC), the first King of Rome.
In song and verse, Cleopatra is typically depicted as a tragic heroine who captivated and entranced the ardor of the mightiest men of her age as a radiant beauty, akin to a Siren. However, by most contemporary accounts she was slightly homely as a visage, sporting a prosaic aquiline nose and red hair, and stood about five feet tall. Instead, her charm, prodigious intellect, and power as the queen of Egypt rendered her exceptionally alluring to men in bold approach to her wiles as pharaoh (her nemesis Octavian being the notable exception).
Her death marked the demise of the Ptolemaic dynasty that favorably ruled Egypt for nearly three centuries. Afterward, Octavian killed her son Caesaron, a potential heir to the throne, as an august herald of the advent of Roman Egypt that also portended him as the first Emperor of Rome. Adding Egypt to the Roman Empire’s territorial portfolio also capped the end of the Macedonian Greek Empire, mainly as a consequence that the fractured confederacy previously failed to marshal a leader of Alexander the Great’s stature as a conqueror of unparalleled gift as a military commander. Moreover, one can only reasonably speculate as to whether or not Alexander would have conquered what was to become the Roman Empire had he lived to old(er) age. Alas, only he would have had that ambition and presence of mind to succeed before the rise of the Roman Empire.
At the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, England’s King George III (1738 – 1820) requested 20,000 Russian troops as military aid to immediately quell the colonial uprising. Catharine the Great rejected his request and Russia remained neutral throughout the armed conflict. In 1780 she publicly issued a Declaration of Armed Neutrality and sponsored efforts to mediate between Britain and the colonists. She even allowed the residency of the diplomatic mission Benjamin Franklin sent to persuade her to recognize the Continental Colonies as a nation that same year, although she never did until after the war was over. Nevertheless, Russia’s neutrality may well have had a significant impact on its outcome, perhaps wittingly.
The principles of European enlightenment that Peter the Great embraced and started to implement continued as a major guiding course of her monarchal agenda. She championed the arts, reorganized the law code, and reformed education, all pretty much along the lines of the European practice of the day. She and Voltaire (1694 – 1778) regularly corresponded for fifteen years before his death, so her interest in French enlightenment as a philosophy was one of her compelling passions.
Peter I the Great (1672-1725) 1838 (oil on canvas) (see also 144528) - Delaroche, Hippolyte (Paul) (1797-1856) - Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany
Peter’s upbringing in a Moscow suburb was patently non-traditional for a tsar prince who was traditionally confined to a palace to receive a rigorous formal education. He was instead tutored by a succession of clerks who undoubtedly couldn’t begin to fathom the prodigious curiosity and intelligence of the autodidact. Moreover, he was free to develop his keen interests and skills in vocational trades, such as carpentry, blacksmith’s work, and printing, all of which would serve him well during his reign.
He brought the late-medieval Russia he inherited, often kicking and screaming, into the milieu of European enlightenment culture through the reformation of government administration and social habits of the nobility, such as dress code requirements and forbidding beards. He became self-taught in many facets of European society through his productive travels there, mainly learning government and economic practices he would later adopt. He even spent many months working as a shipyard carpenter, which proved to be an invaluable experience in his buildout of the first-ever Russian naval fleet Behind only the U.S. and China, today, the Russian Navy is currently ranked third as a military seapower.
The military games he loved to play as a child likely began to hone his skill as a battlefield commander and strategist. His victory over the Swedish army during the Second Northern War (1700 – 1721) secured the coastal territory needed to establish a seaport to provide Russia with shipping lane access to the Baltic Sea. The first modern European-style Russian city, he founded Saint Petersburg in 1703. It was the capital of the country from then until Vladimir Lenin moved it back to Moscow in 1918 and renamed it Leningrad.
Especially considering his height (6’8″) when fully grown, any comparison of the stature of Peter the Great’s herculean legacy as a tsar would be difficult to render; although Ivan the Terrible would be a contender as one of the “greatest” in Russian history.
Speculatively, he may have had a clandestine political agenda in his literary colorization of a patent blood-sucking tyrant with few rivals in “human” history. Anyway, as an Irishman whose mother survived a catastrophic plague in Ireland, he may have been drawn to the metaphysical intrigue that his Dracula represented to him, especially in Dracula’s reflection as a perpetual overlord of his soulless victims he stealthily managed to ensnare into his demonic spiritual realm through his august and wicked noble charm.
For reasons unknown, Stoker chose Wallachia Count Vlad Dracula as his life-and-blood antagonist for his novel and made Transylvania his fictional principality (perhaps because of its eerily scenic beauty). However, like no other ruler of late medieval Europe, he was by far and away the cruelest and “evil” in his gruesome treatment of his foes and unruly subjects. So, knowing little more than that, his Count Dracula fits the bill. FYI, soon after his death, Vlad’s reputation was known in Europe through the circulation of German pamphlets.
In light of all the general angst surrounding Vlad’s rule, most Romanians today regard him as a national hero because of his fight against Ottoman Turk invaders and struggle to gain Romanian independence from the domination of Hungary. Moreover, many would regard his harsh rulership style as justifiable given the horrendous conditions he contended with, both in employing draconian measures to subdue relentless and merciless enemies he faced on all sides of his realm, even within.
Contrary to Stoker’s errant belief, Vlad was an agnatic descendant of Genghis, Great Khan of the Mongols (1162 – 1227) instead of Attila the Hun ( – 453) 59th King of Huns (primogenitor of the Magyar/Arpad royal dynasty of Hungary). Both, however, possess pedigrees that show them as descendants of ancient emperors of China (primarily, Han and T’ang dynasties) at some point along their respective ancient lineages.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, there were numerous reports of half-dead humans (perhaps best characterized as zombies) who survived consuming human flesh. Putatively, they were victims of plagues that often decimated human populations.
Since the 1920s when book sales began to rapidly increase in response to a Broadway play adaptation, Dracula continues to capture the hearts and souls of Gothic horror film, television and literature aficionados. Dracula mania reached a fever pitch with Universal’s blockbuster 1931 film, starring Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi.
Arch of Claudius RomeThe restored attic inscription reads “The Senate and People of Rome [dedicated this] to Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus…because he received into surrender eleven kings of the Britons conquered without loss and he first brought the barbarian peoples across the Ocean under the authority of the Roman people.”
“The senate on learning of his achievement gave him the title of Britannicus and granted him permission to celebrate a triumph. They voted also that there should be an annual festival to commemorate the event and that two triumphal arches should be erected, one in the city and the other in Gaul, because it was from that country that he had set sail when he crossed over to Britain.” Cassius Dio, Roman History (LX.22.1)I, ClaudiusBBC TV series (1976) adapted onhistorical novel by English writer Robert Graves, published in 1934.
King Caratacus attempted to expel the Romans from Britain. He was finally defeated and captured. He and his family were subsequently transported to Rome for execution on the order of Emperor Claudius. Before the sentence was carried out, Caratacus was brought before him at his court to hear his official execution decree. In response, Caratacus gave a speech pleading for mercy that was so compelling and eloquent that Claudius immediately rescinded the decree. He later gave Caratacus one of his daughter’s hand in marriage. She married his brother (or cousin) King Arvirargus instead. Caratacus spent the rest of his life in exile in Rome residing in peace at the Palatium Brittanicum (a villa built by his ancestors as a British diplomatic embassy during the reign of Julius Caesar) on Esquiline Hill. His son Linus became the first Catholic Bishop of Rome.
The legendary Brutus of Troy conquered Britain during the 12th century BC after his expulsion from Rome as punishment for killing his parents (albeit accidentally). An agnatic descendant of Aeneas “The Dardanian” (1245 – 1175 BCE), Ascansius, his grandfather, founded Alba Longa (c. 1152 BCE). Brutus may well have been either the brother or agnatic cousin of Romulus, the First King of Rome, and his brother Remus. the primogenitors of gens Julii (of which, Julius Caesar was an agnatic descendant). Claudius was a direct descendant of the lineage, both paternally and maternally.
Roman General Gaius Julius Caesar first invaded Britain in 55 BC. The expeditionary force consisting of only two Roman Legions was summarily routed by the army formed by the Britons tribal alliance. He came better prepared for the second invasion almost a year later, but it was largely rebuffed, although the negotiation for his withdrawal from the island yielded an important concession that the Brits would pay Rome an annual tribute to cease all further military incursions. The Britons lived at peace with Rome for nearly a century before Emperor Claudius decided to renege on the armistice agreement.
Claudius and Julius shared a common interest in history, both being prolific authors during their respective “life and times”. Of the two, Claudius had more of a scholarly interest in history, whereas Julius was mainly a chronicler of contemporary events, often as an interpreter and propagandist, in his experience as a statesman, general, and emperor. Both left an indelible mark on history as authors. What is known about their Roman eras is their legacy to historians, both past and present.
The portrayal of Claudius in the BBC series I, Claudius (1976) captures the essential ethos and pathos of a Roman patrician who no one, including his family members, would have ever thought it possible he would one day ascend to rule the Roman Empire. The physical and mental frailities he exhibited until then made him regularly the brunt of jokes and derisive comments, even to his face, from almost every quarter as well as social isolation from his peers and the public. Instead of producing a debilitating inferiority complex as a result, one gets the impression due to his nonplussed attitude in regular response that his demeanor had a purpose behind it, perhaps many. Firstly, to realize a measure of enough sympathy for his disabilities to label him as a non-combat in the dangerous struggle, quite often mortal, between the ranks of power-hungry Romans who were robust enough to challenge the status quo in pursuit of their political ambitions. Secondly, wisely sensing that active involvement in Roman Machiavellianism was a fruitless waste of time and effort, he was content to survive as a keen observer of the political arena and pursue his scholarly passion in history all the while. Thirdly, biding his time that way to take advantage of the right opportunity to express his unbeknownst ambition to ascend to the emperorship in a bloodless coup (except for the assassination of Caligula) was an exceptionally rational strategy of a highly intelligent and potentially capable Roman leader. After Caligula’s assassination, he simply bribed the Praetorian Guard (maybe before) who killed him in order to install and protect Claudius as the successor Emperor of the Roman Empire. They did so with little or no muss or fuss about it afterward from any quarter.
Miraculously, as canny Emperor Claudius openly admitted, many of his frailties, such as stammering and walking with a limp, began to disappear. His reign from 41 to 54 AD is generally considered by historians as successful in bringing about a higher level of social prosperity for Romans than before and expanding the Roman Empire’s territorial rulership to a considerable degree. However, the one glaring fraility he wasn’t able to overcome, that is, his choice of wives, the last of which allegedly poisoned him to death.
Norman Rockwell and Grandma Moses enjoyed a friendship both as fellow artists and neighbors. They resided within proximity of one another across from the New York-Vermont border. They reflected the sublime joy of their unigue form of artistry for millions of Americans to appreciate during their era and thereafter.
This receipt states that on July 10, 1789, George Washington paid one pound and four shillings to have 140 of his fruit trees inoculated. Receipt from John Marshall to George Washington, July 10, 1789, MS-5635, MVLA.U.S. Supreme Court statueU.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice administering the first inaugural oath of office to President-elect Andrew Jackson
John Marshall commanded a Virginia regiment as a captain during the Revolutionary War and developed a friendship with General George Washington (1732 – 1799). He was present during the winter at Valley Forge (1777-1778) and fought in the battles of Brandywine (1777) and Monmouth (1778). After the war, Marshall studied law at the College of William and Mary. Admitted to practice law in Virginia in 1780, his law practice thrived and he entered into politics and won an election to the Virginia legislature in 1782.
When serving as U.S. Secretary of State, President John Adams (1735 – 1836) appointed him to the position of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice in 1800. During his tenure of over 34 years, he elevated the power and importance of the Supreme Court to a position on par with the Executive and Legislative branches of the federal government and established the Supreme Court as the final judicial interpreter of the U.S. Constitution.
Following the death of King John in 1216, William le Marshal served as Regent of England and Protector of King Henry III until 1219. The pivotal role he played as the de facto ruler of England in expelling French invasion forces, particularly with his victory over Comte du Perche at the Battle of Lincoln (1217), saved both the Plantagenet monarchal dynasty and the English language from extinction. If French Prince Louis VIII Capet’s army had prevailed, that would also have spelled the end of British sovereignty, perhaps indefinitely. The Plantagenet dynasty and the British monarchy owed him and future Earl Marshals an everlasting debt of gratitude. In the same vein, both John Marshall and George Catlett Marshall represent his legacy as heroic protectors of their respective visions of democratic government in the face of adversity.
John Marshall, 4th U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Birth 24 Sep 1755 in Germantown, Fauquier, Virginia, USA Death 6 Jul 1835 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Somerled was a petty king in Kintyre when he married a daughter of Sigurd I Magnusson, King of Norway and Orkney (1089 – 1130). The first Scandinavian king to participate in the Crusades, in 1107 he and his fleet of 80 ships set sail for the Holy Land. On the return voyage four years later, he visited Roger I de Hauetville (1065 – 1108) in Sicily and declared him king of the sovereignty.
In 1156 Somerled’s fleet of 80 ships defeated the naval force of Godfred (IV) V, King of the Isle Of Man ( – 1187) in a devastating battle for both sides. Afterward, a peace pact was negotiated in which Godfred ceded half of his kingdom of the Isles to Somerled.
Two years later, in contravention to the peace agreement, Somerled launched a devastating invasion of the Isle of Man, ostensibly in a bid to wrest the kingship of the island from Godfred whose agnatic lineage held regnal control since 855. This time Somerled took control of the island without any negotiation as Godfred was forced to flee to Norway to plead with the king for protection from him. His wife was his sister so he probably had reason to regard the acquisition of Man as one of his possessions. Miraculously, while the island had been thoroughly plundered, he forbade the ransacking of St. Maughold church that stored the island’s vast treasure, ostensibly out of a sense of Christian respect for the inviolability of hallowed ground.
In 1160 Somerled negotiated a peace agreement with Malcolm IV, 25th King of Scots (1141 – 1165) after a fierce battle between the two. He agreed to cease plundering raids of the interior of Scotland. Four years later, however, in retribution, possibly a pretense, for insulting behavior toward him by the king and his ministers, The King of the Isles sailed up the Clyde with 164 galleys and 15,000 troops to Greenock. He landed at the Bay of St. Lawrence and marched on Renfrew. There are two popular stories about what occurred in Scotland. In one version, a bribed nephew murdered Somerled and the army of the Isles dispersed and went home. In the other version of the story, the battle was joined between the Scots and the men of the Isles, and Somerled was killed. His son Gillecallum, his heir, also died during the battle. Now without a leader, the army from the Isles dispersed and went home. In either case, Somerled died in Scotland in very early 1164.”
The Patricians Genealogical Research Foundation 
