Somehow, much of my grandmother's hand written and (badly) typed notes and research wound up in my possession. Traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles and back to Chicago again. It sat, in the dark of my mother's closet, until my dad passed and my mom decided to begin her great purge. Knowing I had picked up the torch, the next generation to pursue the Greatest Hobby on Earth, the papers came to live with me. Unsure for many years on just what to do with them, I have decided to bring them out and share them with you - transcribed, of course - no one can read my grandmother's handwriting! But in her own words; mistakes, rambling sentences, and all. I think she will be pleased her work and her writing are once again out in the light.
Yakima Aug 31 - '67
continued .....
P.S.
I have read Thomas Costain's books, that he accomplished researching medieval history, and there is a tale -
Inez my youngest daughter, in her history reading in school, used to remark to her father that his ancestors were real rascals, stole the castles and lands they had, and Dad would just laugh - But, in medieval times the church controlled even kings, and had holdings also, and if a king was pleased with his fighter barons they were given castles - even wives - and lands - taken away from someone else of course.
Now in Costain's books, there are four - researched and published now, real history and true as to the historical facts - So I knew from relatives of my husband who researched too, but all in this America - but Poitevine, Aquitaine was told to be the ancestor's domain and so Costain says, too. Then Amy Kelly also researched and with the help of Costain she wrote Elinor of Aquitaine - who is the Poitevine ancestor -
Her father was quite religious - almost a monk himself - so history reads - the grandfather was a poet and troubadour - had traveled to Spain, etc, but was a rascal. How they accumulated so much land, etc. was probably, as history in 1066 reports, they were given it or stole it-
Elinor was almost 15 or 16 - a beauty, her father had died, her grandfather wanted to get in the good graces of the King, so to Louis (the Fat) King of France he offered Elinor, so Louis, wanting all that land, agreed to marry Elinor to his son Louis VI and he did. She became Queen about 1100 brought all her boisterous retinue with her and in due time Louis (almost a monk himself) divorced her - and let her keep all her lands, etc - Then Henry wed her. Wm. of Normandy had two sons, Henry I - and Henry I became King of England - died, and Henry II was to become King. Henry had lived in Normandy - a lovely place - sunny - warm - so was France. They didn't care for England - the English were rough - it was a cold island - Then Henry met Elinor, married her and Henry became Henry II, King of England -
So the books -
The Conquering Family
Elinor Of Aquitaine
The Three Edwards
The Magnificent Century
All take Elinor thru the history of England. She had 8 children by Henry, 4 became Kings of England - They as men were brilliant fighters but bad Kings and the English never liked Elinor - but I think you can obtain all these books through a pocketbook dealer - I just have the pocket editions - Random House publishes them but the book stores have a hard time getting them -
My sister-in-law - in Conn - who hates to read history says she has enough to think about without delving into 1066 -
But my family are interested and Elinor started the Plantagenet line - I hope you will like to find these books too -
I don't care to pay a big price for a hardcover - the paperbacks are just the same reading -
Let me hear from you -
BEP
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©1967 Beulah E Potwin - Private Collection
