Royal Ties pt. 1 - Maternal

If anyone reading this has been following my ancestral journey, you know that I've discovered that my mother and father are very distant cousins through a couple branches, and that my husband is also a very distant cousin to each of them as well. I suppose this isn't uncommon if any one has relatives who were among the early colonists, lots of families intermarried. I thought the process of unraveling those American roots was as complicated as it would get.

Recently, I took it upon myself to find my maternal uncle's biological father. He was adopted out at birth, and was only recently discovered when I had my DNA done. Using his DNA results I managed to find his paternal cousins, and once he made contact, they were able to identify the father. It's made for an exciting year. The irony is, in finding his father, I discovered that my mother's biological father, and his biological father share an early colonist ancestor as well. So I guess it makes them cousins as well as brother and sister? Ugh.

The good news, and completely unrelated to that story, is that throughout this process I stumbled across a lead that opened up an entire medieval world of nobility and royalty, both on my father's side and my mother's side.

On my mother's maternal side

My mother's 4th great-grandmother, Mary Crosse, is the daughter of Solomon Crosse and Mary Keith.

Mary Keith is the 4th great-granddaughter of William of Camculter and Rathen Keith, born 1584 in Pittendrum, Scotland. His parents were William of Pittendrum Keith, descendant of William 3rd Earl of Marischal Keith and Elizabeth Gordon, and Barbara of Troup Keith (his cousin). 

This couple descend from: King Llywelyn of Wales; King Philip IV of France; King Henry I of Spain; King John of England; King Henry III of England Plantagenet through to Kind Edward III of England Plantagenet; King Robert of Scotland Bruce through to King James II of Scotland Stewart.

Through John Kimsey Miller's wife, Arenna Tabor there is another connection: her grandmother, Elizabeth Sharpe born circa 1742. She is the daughter of John Thomas Sharpe and Jemima Alexander, who are cousins, and the descendants of 3 immigrant families that intermarried: the Wallace's, the Alexander's, and the McKnitt's. 

Each of these families are descended in their own right from King Henry III of England through to King Edward III of England, as well as King Robert of Scotland Bruce through to King James I of Scotland Stewart.