Medieval Genealogy Family History Class Notes

As part of a series of classes I was teaching at the Pennsic War, in 2013 I taught this class which focused on creating a medieval styled family history book or record.

Introduction

I have taught several genealogy classes here at Pennsic and other events. While it is understood that our personas cannot be connected to historical or actual persons, it is natural that we think about how our own family lines reach back into the medieval period and think about researching them to find links in medieval times. Therefore, there appears to be a great deal of interest in this area within the SCA.

After family researchers begin to compile information on their family tree, they get to the stage where they want to share it. People post their trees on the internet, create websites to hold their information, and many create family history books which they can easily share with their family members or pass down to later generations. 

There are a variety of courses in the modern world, including some excellent ones by the National Genealogical Society, on how to write family history books. But being medievalists, it is not surprising that we consider making a book in the medieval style.

This class will provide you with information about medieval genealogies so that you may apply this to making your own medieval style family history book.

Historical Genealogies

Most medieval genealogy commonly concerned the lineage either Christ or Royalty. There are several examples of genealogies for noblemen and knights as a proof of lineage, especially as it relates to their suitability for elevation in rank. There were also genealogy scrolls of various families which became increasingly more common in the later period of the Middle Ages and were very popular during the Renaissance and beyond.  

Book of Kells

Illuminated manuscripts of the period varied greatly in design and this is true for those concerning genealogies. We see a wide variation in page layout and design, as well as a variety of ways to depict family trees and familiar connections. In these medieval examples we see the development of the depiction of family trees which we are used to seeing today. 

Simple listing

Earliest is the Book of Kells. Folio 200 recto contains a depiction of St Luke’s genealogy of Jesus.   This is a simple listing format showing descent directly from one person to the next.

Portraits

Lambeth Bible

With the Lambeth Bible (England, second part of 12th century), which on 404 A folio depicts the Tree of Jesse, or the genealogy of Christ, miniatures depict the images of the persons in descent.

Next we see figures of the individuals in the family depicted in the illumination almost like small portraits. This style continues with the addition of roundels to include the names of persons contained in the family line. This is particularly true of genealogies concerning Royalty which are the most common in the medieval period. 

Early examples can be found in several Welsh genealogies created in the 12th Century. (More information was provided from a paper I prepared as part of a related A&S entry for the Ice Dragon Pentathlon. 

First use of Rondels and Trees
Manuscripts detailing the descendants of William the Conqueror were common. An example is the genealogical manuscript, the Chronicle of the Kings of England, c. 1340-1342 (Royal 14 B  vi membrane 5) shown on the right. Within the roundels are portraits of the dukes of Normandy, ancestors of William the Conqueror and the descendants of William. This is a beautiful depiction of a “family tree” and incorporates this idea of the tree in the artwork.   

The Genealogy of Edward IV (Harley MS 7353, ca. 1460-1470) includes a tree motif as does the  Nemus Genealogium Norvagicum (Chronicles and Genealogy of the Norse Kings from Legendary Fiormo up to 1647 (MS 2128, ca. 1711-20) which is shown below.

Roundels with Names or Heraldry but not portraits
The practice of using roundels evolves during the period as portraits would no longer be painted, but the names of the people would be scribed within the roundels. One of the best examples of this style of medieval genealogy comes from the Chronicles and Genealogy of the Kings of England (MS 033, ca. 1325-1430).

Heraldry within the roundel is also used to indicate a particular person.

Lesser nobility family histories and parchment scrolls



By the end of the medieval period, more families were beginning to record their lineages. This was an important process for those who were eligible for promotion to the peerage as they had to prove their knightly rights. The same requirement existed for those seeking to join secular orders ---they also had to prove knightly descent on both sides of their family. One such example is The Byron Family Genealogical Roll written in 1627. This roll traces the family back from John the First Baron Byron who was born in 1626. to Radulphus Buron who was mentioned in the Doomsday Book of 1086, The borders are illuminated and 68 coats of arms are shown. The document was prepared for his elevation to the peerage and was later referenced by his descendant Lord Byron.


Later, more affluent families began to record their families, and by 1600 this is becoming more common. There are 40 such manuscripts of English genealogies in the Schoyen Collection of Medieval Manuscripts.

Genealogy of Roger of St. Albans

By this time, recording family trees on parchment was the norm for most noble families. The Schoyen Collection has a variety of these including the genealogy of Roger of St. Albans. What is particularly interesting about this parchment scroll is the resemblance of the artwork to the Fraktur of the Pennsylvania Dutch. Frakturs were used to document births and marriages and were thought by scholars to have developed from medieval manuscripts. This particular family scroll shows the same type of artwork and provides that “missing link" between the two art forms.

 

 

Printed Genealogies

After the invention of the movable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the middle of the 15th century, printed books began to appear which included the genealogies. Two of the most notable such books are those written by George Owen Harry and John Speed. The first source is George Owen Harry’s “Genealogy of the High and Mighty Monarch, James.” The second source is by John Speed, published in 1610, identified as: “The genealogies of the scriptures, according to euery familie and tribe. With the lyne of our sauiour Iesus Christ obserued from Adam, to the blessed virgin Mary./ Gathered and contriued by Iohn Speed.” 

Harry’s “Genealogy of the High and Mighty Monarch, James.” 

These books were published in the beginning of the 17th century and utilize a similar format to show lineage as the earlier illuminated manuscripts. The use of roundels persists but there is little of the other usual illumination.

John Speed's work

 
In these examples from Harry's work (below),we clearly see the use of what appears to be modern pedigree trees. Also seen in these examples are family narratives similar to what is used today. These examples provide historical data about the person, parents, and some descriptive information. 

These medieval genealogy examples give us an idea of how genealogy was recorded in the period, but also provide us with inspiration for making our own medieval style family history. Many families have a commercially produced family history made from a family member’s research. But few families can boast a richly illuminated and calligraphed book of their family history, which will become a family heirloom to be cherished for generations. I am currently working on my own medieval style family history, incorporating these principles from extant sources and examples. I am using illumination to richly decorate the pages and give it that real “medieval “look. The words will be written in calligraphy instead of printed with a computer and printer. If you think you can’t do that -think again as I just started calligraphy and illumination this year!

 

Sources:

Bodies Politic & Non-Codex Genealogy/Predigital Worlds, Pre-Digital World, 8 Jun 2012, 22 Feb 2013,  http://predigitalbooks.wordpress.com/2012/06/08/organic-politics-non-codex-genealogy/

A Genealogists Sketchbook.  (Medieval and Modern Genealogy, memory and history-part of nltaylor.net.)  The Mother of all medieval genealogies- the 'great stemma, 22 Aug 2011, 5 Mar 2013, http://nltaylor.net/sketchbook/archives/1577

Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts: November 2011, Feb 20013, http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2011/11/index.html

Medieval Genealogy Manuscripts, Feb 2013, http://www.r3.org/bookcase/misc/edward4roll/frame.html

“Peter of Poitier's Historical Genealogy of Christ, Genealogy of...”  Family Tree Art, 22 Feb 2013, http://www.flickr.com/groups/1729723@N22/pool/?view=lg

The Schoyen Collection, 21 Feb 2013, http://www.schoyencollection.com/historyMedieval.html

Secular Manuscripts: Roger of St. Albans, 1 Feb 2013, http://library.lehigh.edu/omeka/exhibits/show/medieval/secular/ralbans

Walther, Ingo F and Norbert Wolf.  Codices Illustres: The World’s Most Famous Illuminated Manuscripts, 400 to 1600.  Italy: Taschen, 2001