OKAY...
Anyone following my posts about my climb up through my family tree may remember that last week I reported that I'm supposedly a direct descendent of Bernarbo di Visconti (1317-85), the Duke of Milan, through his illegitimate daughter Domnina de Porris who married the famous English mercenary (Italian condotierro) Sir John Hawkwood. Well, not quite accurate: Bernarbo was the Lord of Milan. The title of 'duke' wasn't bestowed on the family for another 10 years. (Isn't that always the case! Although I missed being a direct descendent of the Duke of Argyle by several centuries and have to make due with an ancestor who was merely an Earl.)
Anyway, according to what I'm reading, Bernarbo was the great grandson of Teobaldo Visconti, aka Pope Gregory X. O.O
My first thought was...yeah, I don't think so. There were, after all, two prominent families in northern Italy at this time named Visconti and no link has ever been found between them. So I was sure that Pope Gregory X came from the other Visconti family of Pisa. But I guess not.
Now, I'm well aware that Popes can father children (look at the Borgias). Indeed, for the upper tiers of the Catholic church, which was more of an occupation rather than a calling, it was the rule rather than the exception. It made me wonder though because Teobaldo's children were legitimate from his marriage to Anastasia Pirovano. But I guess a lot of the clergy, then and now, were married once. There's nothing that forbids it.
So, taken with a rather hefty block grain of salt, I guess we can call the Pope my most illustrious ancestor so far.
Also? Medieval Dutch names were so weird! The ladies: Wipke Tammens, Fossa Aeldrix, Sypcke Wydarts, Maritje Panswelsd, Trintje Jans Snoek, Bawe Fockens, Gepke Wijchers. The male names aren't quite as...odd...to the modern American ear, but still, Eppo Jans, Tammo Elties, Elteko Eltekens and his grandson Elteko Ubbens, Memmo Eppens and Achias Van Dyke (at least the last name is familiar).
Going back through the relatives who settled in Pennsylvania Dutch country (mostly Bucks Co) and New Amsterdam/New York, back to the old country gives me a headache. I can't keep the names straight and have to keep flipping back and forth from screen to screen. Oy!
Anyway, according to what I'm reading, Bernarbo was the great grandson of Teobaldo Visconti, aka Pope Gregory X. O.O
My first thought was...yeah, I don't think so. There were, after all, two prominent families in northern Italy at this time named Visconti and no link has ever been found between them. So I was sure that Pope Gregory X came from the other Visconti family of Pisa. But I guess not.
Now, I'm well aware that Popes can father children (look at the Borgias). Indeed, for the upper tiers of the Catholic church, which was more of an occupation rather than a calling, it was the rule rather than the exception. It made me wonder though because Teobaldo's children were legitimate from his marriage to Anastasia Pirovano. But I guess a lot of the clergy, then and now, were married once. There's nothing that forbids it.
So, taken with a rather hefty block grain of salt, I guess we can call the Pope my most illustrious ancestor so far.
Also? Medieval Dutch names were so weird! The ladies: Wipke Tammens, Fossa Aeldrix, Sypcke Wydarts, Maritje Panswelsd, Trintje Jans Snoek, Bawe Fockens, Gepke Wijchers. The male names aren't quite as...odd...to the modern American ear, but still, Eppo Jans, Tammo Elties, Elteko Eltekens and his grandson Elteko Ubbens, Memmo Eppens and Achias Van Dyke (at least the last name is familiar).
Going back through the relatives who settled in Pennsylvania Dutch country (mostly Bucks Co) and New Amsterdam/New York, back to the old country gives me a headache. I can't keep the names straight and have to keep flipping back and forth from screen to screen. Oy!