About those English nobility linkages of mine

It was a few years ago over a heritage society lunch that I learned from someone who became a great genealogy friend that I descend from English nobility, royalty, several Magna Carta barons and sureties and Crusaders. This is a story that I didn't touch on when I wrote here about my Nova Scotia Newcomb ancestors.

The connection comes through my 13th great grandmother, Alice Gascoigne (abt 1521-abt 1559) who married John Newcomen (abt 1520-1589) of Saltfleetby, Lincolnshire in about 1547. Newcomen was the original spelling of Newcomb.

Alice's grandmother was Lady Margaret Percy (1446-1486), daughter of the third Earl of Northumberland, Henry Percy (1421-1461), described in this Wikipedia article as an English magnate. Lady Margaret married Sir William Gascoigne (1450-1487). The Gascoignes came to England at the time of the Norman invasion, from the Gascon region of France, and were Yorkshire landowners and more. The Percys are an ancient English family whose eldest sons have held the title of Duke of Northumberland since 1766. Women from some of England's most noble families, including Nevil, Mortimer, Stafford and Plantagenet (there's my John of Gaunt crush again coming through again) married into the Percy family for centuries.

It is through these families and others that I can trace several of my direct ancestors to Magna Carta barons and sureties. The Magna Carta came about of course because of the very bad behaviour of my 24th great grandfather, King John (1166-1216), who was not a nice man.

But never mind all that, and much more yet to be told. I like to think that I'm distantly related to the English actor Chris Gascoyne who plays Coronation Street's messed up Peter Barlow. I have a soft spot for him.

The never ending story continues .....


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