Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Cowboy Legacy -- A Million Ancestors in 20 Generations


Did you happen to watch the genealogy TV series "Who Do you Think You Are?" on August 27, 2013?  I was amazed to learn supermodel Cindy Crawford is descended from Charlemagne King of France (742 AD - 814 AD)

I have been studying my family history for over forty years and I know that everyone has two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen great-great-grandparents and so on. I've learned that as you move backwards, each generation doubles the number of ancestors from the previous generation.  So, when you go back twenty or thirty generations the numbers are incredible:

20 generations: more than one million ancestors
30 generations: more than one billion ancestors

This morning I decided to research one of my earliest ancestors on ancestry.com.  I was amazed to see what has turned up since the last time I looked him up a few years back.

Henry Spencer (1392 - 1477)

He is Henry Spencer, born about 1392 in Badby, Northamptonshire, England, son of Thomas Spencer and Joan, daughter of Richard Pollock, of Kent, lived here.  Henry Spencer of Badby, Esquire, held certain lands and was lessee of the demesne and tithes of Badby under the Abbey of Evesham in the reign of Henry VI., and also in the reign of Edward IV, from 1451 to 1477.  The Spencer Family removed to Everdon.  The death of William Spencer of Badby and Everdon on August 17, 1576, is noted in Baker's History.  Henry died in 1476

My lineage back to Henry is as follows:

Henry Spencer (1392 - 1477)
is your 17th great grandfather

Sir John Spencer (1434 - 1475)
son of Henry Spencer

Robert Spencer (1460 - 1521)
son of Sir John Spencer

John Spencer (1477 - 1532)
son of Robert Spencer

John Spencer (1505 - 1558)
son of John Spencer

Michael Spencer (1530 - 1599)
son of John Spencer

Gerard Spencer (1576 - 1646)
son of Michael Spencer

Ensign Gerard Spencer (1614 - 1685)
son of Gerard Spencer

Hannah Spencer (1641 - 1691)
daughter of Ensign Gerard Spencer

James; Deacon Brainerd (1669 - 1742)
son of Hannah Spencer

Deborah Brainerd (1698 - 1745)
daughter of James; Deacon Brainerd

Oliver Bailey (1738 - 1822)
son of Deborah Brainerd

Thomas Bailey (1765 - 1854)
son of Oliver Bailey

Smith Bailey (1789 - 1862)
son of Thomas Bailey

Orange Bailey (1811 - 1905)
son of Smith Bailey

David Solomon Bailey (1837 - 1915)
son of Orange Bailey

David Jackson Bailey (1865 - 1949)
son of David Solomon Bailey

Franklin 'Frank' Jackson Bailey (1886 - 1968)
son of David Jackson Bailey -- granddad

Famous People Descended From Henry

When you get back 20 generations -- as I have with Henry Spencer (1392 - 1477) -- you are likely to find many famous people who are also direct descendants of that ancestor.  

In my case they are...

Presidents George HW Bush and George W Bush

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

President Calvin Coolidge

President George Washington

Princess Diana 

Prince William

Studying family history can be an amazing trip, and is a great way to renew your knowledge of world history.

Happy hunting.

1 comment:

  1. Im searching for my lines..Proctor /Northumberland,On,Ca./(Ira P/harriet Butler)My Cobb/England,Knight/England,Styles?French?Benson?Williams? I guess indian is in Tecumseh.I want to make sure have info right.so mite have connection here also..?Janet

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