Book Review: All the Flowers in Paris

As a family historian, I endeavor to breathe life into my ancestors by telling their tales. Taking aged documents, diaries, letters, and photographs, I try to recreate my predecessors’ realities, using our words and my imagination. Everyone has a story to share.

Book Review: Dearly Beloved

In between Shakespeare and statistical analyses, Austen and annual reports, I indulge in historical romances. I especially relish reads whose heroines are spirited, steely-spined, softhearted survivors. And when it comes to strong women, author Mary Jo Putney always delivers.

Joan of Valois

My genealogical researches have uncovered dozens of devout ancestors. This is the ninth installment of a series of posts titled “Doing God’s Work: Our Families’ Faithful”, documenting the lives of those who served God.

In the previous post of this series, I discussed the life of Marie of Brabant (my 23rd great-grandmother), who entered monastic life after the death of her husband. In this post, I will discuss the life of my ancestress, Joan of Valois, who became a nun after her husband’s death.

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On this day, 7 March 1342, Joan of Valois, Countess of Hainault, passed away. She was my 22nd great-grandmother through her grandson Thomas of Woodstock, my 23rd great-grandmother through her grandson Lionel of Antwerp, three-times 20th and three-times 21st great-grandmother through her grandson John of Gaunt, and my 21st great-grandmother through her grandson Edmund of Langley.

Born circa 1294, Joan of Valois was the second eldest daughter of Charles of Valois and Margaret of Anjou.

Marie of Brabant

My genealogical researches have uncovered dozens of devout ancestors. This is the eighth installment of a series of posts titled “Doing God’s Work: Our Families’ Faithful”, documenting the lives of those who served God.

In the previous post of this series, I discussed the life of Ela of Salisbury (my 24th and my 25th great-grandmother), an abbess. In this post, I will introduce Marie of Brabant (my 23rd great-grandmother), who entered monastic life after the death of her husband.

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On this day, 12 January 1322, Marie of Brabant passed away.

Born on 13 May 1254, in Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium, Marie was the youngest child and only daughter of Henry III, Duke of Brabant, and Adelaide of Burgundy. She joined brothers Henry (born circa 1251), John (born 1253), and Godfrey (birthdate unknown).

Ebles I de Roucy

My genealogical researches have uncovered dozens of devout ancestors. This is the sixth installment of a series of posts titled “Doing God’s Work: Our Families’ Faithful”, documenting the lives of those who served God.

In the previous post of this series, I focused on family members who served either as Abbott of Abernethy or Abbott of Dunkeld. Now, I will discuss the life of Ebles I de Roucy, my 30th great-grandfather, who died on 11 May 1033.

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