12 Ancestors in 12 Months: Foundations

As I stated at the start of 2022, my New Year’s resolution is to blog more about our families’ history. With that intent in mind, I accepted genealogist Amy Johnson Crow’s “lighter” writing challenge, not 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks but the more achievable 12 Ancestors in 12 Months.

At first, January’s writing prompt, Foundations, had me stumped. Naturally, what first came to mind was construction. Did we have ancestors who erected buildings? Sadly, other than family farmers who raised barns; one uncle who poured concrete; another uncle, a great-uncle, and a grandfather who painted houses; and a father who installed plumbing and flipped houses as some of his many jobs/pastimes, I could not determine anyone in the past who had labored in construction.

Think, think, think… Suddenly, inspiration struck. Why not write about someone whose historical impact is still felt today? A “great” person who not only built an empire but also helped forge the foundation of today’s Europe… Charlemagne.

Bring Out Your Dead

The following post deals with some seriously sad times in humanity’s history.
To help lighten up an otherwise gloomy piece, I have included a bit of British humor for your viewing entertainment.

The Black Death, also known as the Great Plague, was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history.

In October 1347, about a dozen Italian merchant ships returning from the Black Sea, one of the key trade routes to China, docked at the port of Messina, Sicily. Many of sailors aboard these ships were either dead or seriously ill. Although the authorities ordered these ships to leave the harbor immediately, it was already too late. Within days, the disease had spread throughout Sicily and onto the mainland. One eyewitness told this grim tale:

“Realizing what a deadly disaster had come to them, the people quickly drove the Italians from their city. But the disease remained, and soon death was everywhere. Fathers abandoned their sick sons. Lawyers refused to come and make out wills for the dying. Friars and nuns were left to care for the sick, and monasteries and convents were soon deserted, as they were stricken, too. Bodies were left in empty houses, and there was no one to give them a Christian burial.”

500th Anniversary of a Faith Divided

On this day, 31 October 1517, Martin Luther, a monk and scholar, nailed a document to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany.https://youtu.be/ijjbtcAEOnY

This document condemned the corruption and excess of the Roman Catholic Church, especially the papal practice of selling indulgences for the forgiveness of sins. During this time, Dominican Priest Johann Tetzel was commissioned by the Archbishop of Mainz and Pope Leo X to travel throughout Germany, raising monies to pay for the renovation of Rome’s St. Peter’s Basilica. Though Prince Frederick III the Wise had banned the sale of indulgences in Wittenberg, some townspeople purchased them elsewhere. When these parishioners returned to Wittenberg, they showed the pardons to Martin Luther, claiming they no longer needed to repent for their sins.

Charlemagne and Isabella of Aragon

On this day, 28 January 814, in what is now Aachen, Germany, Charlemagne died. He was my twice-over 37th great-grandfather through his sons Pepin “Carloman” of Italy and Louis “The Pious” of Aquitaine. He was also my spouse’s many-times great-grandfather through his maternal mother’s line.

Recently, I posted a piece on my spouse’s gateway ancestor to Charlemagne, Edward Fowlke.  Since I will be also posting pieces about my gateway ancestors to Charlemagne, I will not be reviewing his life and accomplishments in this post.

Recreating the Past, One Stone at a Time

In my genealogical research, I have unearthed evidence that a quite a few of our ancestors have resided in some truly impressive manors, castles, or fortresses. Sadly, many of these structures have been lost through the ages.