RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 21, 2018
KINSEARCHING
by
Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
Cathy Cooper Creel would appreciate any information about Drucilla COOPER, born about 1831, and her husband, name unknown. She had a son, Joseph Martin COOPER, born in 1859. Family tradition says Drucilla’s husband was Choctaw and their marriage was not recognized. If anyone can help, please contact Creel at [email protected].
Although many people are often unaware of the fact, millions of Americans alive today descend from medieval kings, particularly rulers of England, Scotland, and France. In his new two-volume set, THE ROYAL DESCENTS OF 900 IMMIGRANTS TO THE AMERICAN COLONIES, QUEBEC, OR THE UNITED STATES, Gary Boyd Roberts demonstrates how these connections are possible.
As Roberts points out in his introduction, history explains the social evolution common to most Western European nations. Since the oldest male usually inherited the throne, title, or land, younger sons and daughters of kings became part of or married into nobility. Younger children of the nobility became part of or married into the gentry, which included knights, manorial lords, gentlemen with coats-of-arms, baronets, lairds, and seigneurs. Younger children of the gentry became or married merchants, clergymen, Puritan or Huguenot leaders, university fellows, bureaucrats, or professional soldiers. Members of these last groups or their younger children often immigrated to the New World.
Despite its title, the two-volume set pertains to 970 immigrants. Of these, 489 individuals came to the American colonies, Quebec, or the United States and were either notable themselves or left descendants who were notable in American history. The remaining number of immigrants (which included colonial governors or other officials, Revolutionary figures, and early twentieth century notables) later returned to Europe. As a result, many living Americans are distantly kin to each other and to major leaders in world history.
Greatly expanding data in his previous works (published in 1993 and 2004) on the subject, Roberts has added 85 colonial immigrants, 45 French-Canadians, and more than 150 nineteenth and twentieth-century immigrants. He does not attempt to replace earlier books on the subject, such as those by Frederick Lewis Weis or Douglas Richardson. Instead, Roberts provides the best royal descents. To accomplish this task, he spent more than 50 years examining virtually all printed sources that lead him to these royal lines.
The result of this massive undertaking is a comprehensive survey of all pertinent research published through 2017. By far, THE ROYAL DESCENTS OF 900 IMMIGRANTS TO THE AMERICAN COLONIES, QUEBEC, OR THE UNITED STATES is the most enterprising treatment of the subject currently in print. Genealogical libraries will certainly want to have a copy available on their shelves.
Containing a total of 1,611 pages, the 2-volume set has softbound covers, acknowledgments, an introduction with ten appendices, and a full-name index. To the books’ price of $150.00, buyers should add the cost for postage and handling charges. For U. S. postal mail, the cost is $8.00 per set; for UPS, the cost is $12.00 per set. The volumes (item order #4961) may be purchased by check, MasterCard, or Visa from Genealogical Publishing Co., 3600 Clipper Mill Rd., Suite 260, Baltimore, Maryland 21211 (for phone orders, call toll free 1-800-296-6687; fax 1-410-752-8492; website www.genealogical.com ).