The Mount Everest of Genealogy

Certificate of the Saints and Sinners

For many years “climbing the Mt. Everest of genealogy” meant to prove your ascent to Charlemagne, who was crowned the Emperor of western and central Europe in 800 A.D. That was the ultimate prize. While some mathematicians claim that virtually everyone of European descent is descended from Charlemagne, and others estimate that 50 to 80 percent of Westerners descend from Charlemagne, only about 2500 people have actually proven it. These are the members of the august Order of the Crown of Charlemagne society. I am fortunate to be member number 1945 of this society, so let me tell you how you, too, can climb this genealogical mountain, and how other, higher mountains now loom in the misty distance, even earlier than Charlemagne.

First of all, you have to do all the usual genealogical research – interviewing living relatives, securing solid proofs of links and dates, using DAR and other applications from your relatives (but checking them!), and working back gradually to the colonial era. Your target is at least one “gateway ancestor” – a person whose ancestral line is already established back to European nobility or royalty. The Crown of Charlemagne society lists 86 of these on its website www.charlemagne.org and has about 160 in Tracy Crocker’s book Order of the Crown of Charlemagne: Verified Lineages to Gateway Ancestors. Other useful references are Gary Boyd Roberts, Royal Descents of 600 Immigrants and Patricia Scherzinger, Colonial Americans of Royal and Noble Descent. Some gateway ancestors are famous, but many are ordinary early immigrants, such as my three gateways: Sarah Ludlow (1635-1668), Lt. Col. Thomas Ligon (1624-1675), and Christopher Branch (1598-1681) – all immigrants to early Virginia.

Only 86 to 600 gateway ancestors may sound like a small target to shoot for. But remember, your chances are mathematically better than you think. By going back to the 1650 or so, you are exploring 12 generations (12 x 30 years per generation = 360 years). Barring intermarriage of cousins, there would be 4096 (2 to the 12th power) ancestors in your 12th generation, and there were only a few thousand Western people on the eastern shores of America in 1650. So the chances that one of yours is a gateway ancestor are pretty good. Keep looking!

Next, you should review the line from your gateway ancestor up to Charlemagne. Most of these ascents go through the English or French kings, such as Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine -- remember The Lion in Winter? Henry II is my 22nd great-grandfather and he is also the 11th great-grandson of Charlemagne. These ascents are very well established, and the proofs are given in such reputable sources as Douglas Richardson, Plantagenet Ancestry and Roderick W. Stuart, Royalty for Commoners.

Then, take your proofs, type them up in the prescribed format, and send them in to the Crown of Charlemagne society. There they will be checked by a highly trained and professional genealogist, who will then certify that you have proven your case. (Or he may make some suggestions for further research and proofs.) Congratulations! You’re in!

Is that the end of your climbing quest? Yes and no. Many people are content with pushing back their family tree to the year 800. Very impressive. But a few years ago some medieval specialists began researching the ancestors of Charlemagne. These reputable genealogists found convincing proofs from Charlemagne back to Merovee, King of the Salic Franks, who lived from about 415 to 458 A.D., and who ruled much of present day France and the low countries. A new Everest to climb! Based on this discovery, the Order of the Merovingian Dynasty was formed (see http://merovingiandynasty.com/), and anyone who has proven their ascent to Charlemagne can join. I am proud to be member number 50 of this society, which now has about 300 members and is growing rapidly. Again, to join, your application papers will be submitted to a professional genealogist and rigorously checked. But if you have successfully climbed the mountain to Charlemagne, you should have no trouble.

Saint Gregory of Armenia

Still not content, with 45 generations and almost 1600 years of proven lineage? Want to climb higher still? There is now another Mt. Everest to ascend, even earlier than King Merovee. This is possible through the newly formed National Society of Saints and Sinners (www.nationalsocietyofsaintsandsinners.org/). This society draws on the excellent book by Alan J. Koman, A Who’s Who of Your Ancestral Saints, supplemented by extensive research by the well-known genealogist Alex Bannerman. This society provides information on 275 early and medieval saints who are ancestors of famous persons in the Middle Ages. I joined this society in January of 2011, as member number 44. Although I am not the first member of the society, I am the first to join and prove my ascent back to the earliest saint for which proofs are available. This is St. Gregory “The Illuminator” of Armenia and Turkey, who lived from 256 to 326 A.D. He was the first person to convert (or “illuminate”) an entire country – Armenia – to Christianity, and is the patron saint of that country. St. Gregory is my 54th great-grandfather! And my family tree now goes back 1755 years!

My line goes from Henry III, King of England (1207-72) and his wife Eleanor of Provence up to Richelde of Poland (1130-66) through various Polish kings to St. Theophano Skleros (956-91) to St. Isaac the Great (352-439) to St. Gregory. (Yes, saints had children back then.)

Thus I can fairly claim to be the first person to climb the current Mt. Everest of genealogy – the first to prove to modern genealogical standards a line back to the earliest possible, provable known ancestor: St. Gregory. I will never climb the real Mt. Everest, but in my field, sitting at my desk, I have climbed very high indeed. Remember that you can, too.

Is that the end of the quest? Well, a reliable source tells me that one reputable scholar is working on an even earlier line. This line will probably run through the kings of the Near East, and may well reach back into previously uncharted territory, before the birth of Christ. That would be incredible. You had better believe that when that research is done, I will be standing there, ice ax and computer in hand, ready to climb the new Mt. Everest. And I will shouting out the war cry of all explorer-climber-genealogists: “Onward! Upward! Backward!”