Brenda Stardom [ 28 Out of 42 US Presidents' Roots Traced To First King of Portugal ]

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28-12-2006 - 28 Out of 42 US Presidents' Roots Traced To First King of Portugal

This is mind-blowing. Last night Mr. S asked if I'd heard Gerald Ford had died. Yep. The question, "did you know his family can be traced back to the first King of Portugal along with most of 'your' (I deny the your) presidents?" Whoa, that's crazy but then again finding proof royal blood has flowed as if pipelined across the Atlantic is a bit crazy. Thinking about it makes sense, though, because Portugal existed long before America. I was steered to genealogia and have been tripping the info fantastic.

George Washington led the pack, followed by 6; John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. The list goes on and on, lifting my eyebrows, tiring my eyes as to search one prez, I have to go from page to page to page, but the end result is worth it. The last 7 are also listed as having Royal Portuguese Blood; Richard Milhouse Nixon, Gerald Rudolph Ford, James Earl Carter Jr., Ronald Wilson Reagan, George Herbert Walker Bush, William Jefferson Clinton and George Walker Bush. I'm not about to take this into the realm of any conspiracy, but hot damn this is a trip.

I wish I had the Euros to sign up for the basic and premium services for this site so I wouldn't have to spend so much time on each one. Since Ford was the last to die and the one who set this report in motion, I'm tracing his lineage. It begins with his mother, Dorothy Ayer Gardner, her mother, Adele Augusta Ayer, her mother Amy Gridley Butler. Next it turns to Amy's father, George Selden Butler. Now in the year 1795, it switches back to his mother, Betsey Comstock, then her mother, Elizabeth Jewett and back to the dad, David Jewett, his dad, Nathan Jewett. I wish I could say screw it, but I've gone too far to stop. Nathan was son of Mary Hibbert, born in 1675.

I hate long paragraphs so Fordward I move again. Mary was daughter of Hannah Gibbons, who was the daughter of Judith Lewis, girl child of Elizabeth Marshall who gave birth to Katherine Mitton, who was mother to Joyce Mitton. I'm only in the 1400's now, much more to go. One more cup of coffee before I forge on in search of Gerald Ford's Portuguese lineage. Ouch! I must issue a warning. Never stand up quickly wearing headphones if you have a piercing at the top of your ear. Ok, back to sniffing the trail of Ford.

Joyce Mitton was the daughter of Constance Beaumont who was the daughter of (it's starting to get good) Sir Henry Beaumont. It gets better. He was the son of Henry Beaumont, lorde Beaumont, born c. 1380. Lorde Beaumont was the son of another lorde Beaumont, John Beaumont, lorde Beaumont. "Hurry hurry hurry before I go insane". The Ramones are helping me with my energy right now. Actually I don't want to be sedated, I need to get to the Portuguese connection. Next is Henry Beaumont, lorde Beaumont, father to John who was son of John, lorde Beaumont, who was son of Henry Beaumont, lorde Beaumont, conde de Buchan, born in 1265. Getting closer, I think, I hope.

First I must find out who these lorde Beaumonts were. Brits. How much further to Portugal, mom? No clue, enjoy the ride. Henry was son of Louis de Brienne, visconde de Beaumont (Luis de Acra) born around 1230. That sounds French. His mother was Berengária, infanta de Castela, born 1198. Sounds Spanish now. Her father was Afonso IX, rei de Leão e Castela and I know rei means king! Ok,now we get into Portuguese land. His mother was D. Urraca, infanta de Portugal, born 1176. Hold on, the big news is coming. Her father was the first king of Portugal -- D. Afonso Henriques, rei de Portugal. Woohoo, made it all the way back and if I did this with all the presidents, they'd wind up a descendant of D. Afonso Henriques.

I don't know if I'm up to tracing anyone else, but damn, George Bush has me curious. I'll just hop on through the lines until I get near Portuguese ties. Wow, both mother and father have the symbol for 'sangue de portugal" meaning Portuguese blood. It continues that way with both sides until it gets into the great(s) grandmothers, with Elizabeth Wellington who was daughter of Benjamin Wellinton whose mother (wow this is not easy) was Mary Pagrave, whose father was Richard Pagrave, son of a preacher man, rev. Edward Pagrave, born in 1540. Now it gets confusing as his trail drops to Henry Pagrave's marriage to Anne Glemham, born 1480. Her mother was Leonor Brandon, duh tuh duh, father, sir William Brandon, marshal de Marchalsea. Finally into royalty!

It turns out Sir William was the son of Elizabeth Wingfield whose mother Elizabeth Goushill was the daughter of Elizabeth Fitzalan. This is getting tiring. I hope the Portuguese connection is made soon. The year by now is 1346. Skipping ahead to 1282 and the princess of England, Isabel, whose father was king of England but he didn't carry the Portuguese bloodline. It was her mother, Leonor, infanta de Castela, born 1240. Going to 1171, the same ancestor as Ford is found, Afonso IX, rei de Leão e Castela. This is getting interesting! It winds up the same way with D. Afonso Henriques, rei de Portugal, born 1109.

That's enough. Anyone curious to know more, and who has a lot of time, can go through every one of the 28 US Presidents and trace them back to the King of Portugal. Most curious, most cool in a way. I doubt many readers are aware of their heritage, maybe even the presidents and their descendants themselves don't know.

Brenda Stardom
Portugal - 6h33 GMT