On the off change that someone knows...

[Camondw]

I am trying to find some Geneology that goes back before a man named Ralph de Chesney. He was born in Quesnay county Normandy around the year 1044 and fought with William the Conqueror in 1066. He later was given a large part of Norfolk england for his distinguished service in the battle. I have been able to trace my lineage back to him, but as of yet I haven't been able to go farther. I know it probably can't be done, but I am just asking in the off chance that someone here has done it.


Thx

--
Fato Prudentia Major

 

[JoyforJESUS]

Have you tried the geneology websites? such as geneology.com?

 

[foadle]

Be careful...sources of this time and before are not always known for their accuracy. Infact from about mid 1700s it can be quite difficult

 

[JohnR7]

I am trying to find some Geneology that goes back before a man named Ralph de Chesney. He was born in Quesnay county Normandy around the year 1044 and fought with William the Conqueror in 1066.

The Normans were Northman who had come down from the north. They were Viking pirates who had plundered missionarys. They were given a small peice of land in northern France on two conditions, if they would convert to Christianity and if they would defend France against other Vikings. In the years after they converted they began to put huge amounts of money into building Churches to make up for the harm they had done. They were ashamed of their past and so they destoryed their genealogys and whatever recorded history that they had at the time. The Normans go back to Rollo and the men who were fighting with him. Before that they were Vikings who had a tradition of only giving land to the oldest son in the family. So the younger sons had to go out and fight their own land, for themselves to provide for their family.

I am a decendant of Tancrede de Hauteville who had 12 sons that were well known at the time. We ended up in England also, but got there going from Normandy to Italy to England over the years. I am still trying to trace our ancestors back to Norway but it is difficult because the only records are general and not for exact people. Also the Normans were very adaptive and picked up the language and the customs of the people around them.