Post by HRH The King XIX on Mar 28, 2008 1:53:17 GMT -5
For my anyway... this is amazing,
I was studying my ancestry again today and discovered I am a descendant of the Paston family of Norfolk, England who lived there in the 1300s.
A peasant named Clement Paston took advantage of the fact that all the rich people in the town of Paston, Norfolk, England had died from the Black Plague. He made himself a gentleman and instead of the peasant Clement he was known as sir Clement Paston of Norfolk.
The really amazing thing about being descended from this family is the wonderful records that still exist about them.
Sir William Paston, son of Clement, married a wonderful country girl by the name of Agnes Barry. Please note, these people lived in the early 1420s A.D. Anyway, Agnes wrote over 100 wonderful love letters to William Paston, he responded with many back. These letters survive, and reading the love story of my ancestors from so long ago is really a treat. Agnes takes occasion to write sometimes to her son William Paston Jr. She lovingly wrote these letters and stored them away so they could be read by future generations.
To think about how long the family line has come, to think I never would have known who grandmother Agnes was without Agnes's caring to save the letters.
Anyway, I wanted to write this because I was so very thrilled when I discovered the Pastons were my ancestors. I have been a long time fanatic in European genealogy/history and have known about the Pastons for a long time.
So remember, when you hear about that so-and-so in the history book, that so-and-so might have guaranteed you would exist approximately 700 years ago: like Agnes did, unknowingly for me.
Pi
I was studying my ancestry again today and discovered I am a descendant of the Paston family of Norfolk, England who lived there in the 1300s.
A peasant named Clement Paston took advantage of the fact that all the rich people in the town of Paston, Norfolk, England had died from the Black Plague. He made himself a gentleman and instead of the peasant Clement he was known as sir Clement Paston of Norfolk.
The really amazing thing about being descended from this family is the wonderful records that still exist about them.
Sir William Paston, son of Clement, married a wonderful country girl by the name of Agnes Barry. Please note, these people lived in the early 1420s A.D. Anyway, Agnes wrote over 100 wonderful love letters to William Paston, he responded with many back. These letters survive, and reading the love story of my ancestors from so long ago is really a treat. Agnes takes occasion to write sometimes to her son William Paston Jr. She lovingly wrote these letters and stored them away so they could be read by future generations.
To think about how long the family line has come, to think I never would have known who grandmother Agnes was without Agnes's caring to save the letters.
Anyway, I wanted to write this because I was so very thrilled when I discovered the Pastons were my ancestors. I have been a long time fanatic in European genealogy/history and have known about the Pastons for a long time.
So remember, when you hear about that so-and-so in the history book, that so-and-so might have guaranteed you would exist approximately 700 years ago: like Agnes did, unknowingly for me.
Pi
