I would like to share with you some information about Marge’s ancestors that probably will surprise and perhaps shock you. I have been researching my ancestors, and those of my wife Virginia, who is Marge’s younger sister. In the last year, I have discovered amazing information about the Peel family.
I would like to begin with the maternal side of Marge’s family. Her mother, Violet Dripps was born and raised in Philadelphia. Her grandfather, Joseph Dripps was a gardener who worked on private estates in Germantown and surrounding areas. He immigrated from County Derry, Ireland about 1884/5. Marge’s grandmother, Hannah Wilson immigrated to Philadelphia about the same time from County Donegal, Ireland. I have learned some information about Marge’s Irish great grandparents, which include the surnames Connor and Laird, but the trail ends there.
The paternal side of Marge’s family hails from Elland, Yorkshire, England. Marge’s father Gilbert was born in Philadelphia. Her grandparents, Ogden Peel and Elisabeth Warrington both were born in Elland. Ogden immigrated to Philadelphia about 1888. Lizzie, as she was known, immigrated with her family about 1883/4.
If I may, I would like to digress for a moment. There is an old British nursery rhyme that was written in 1708/9 about Old King Cole. You all remember it -
Old King Cole was a merry old soul
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl
And he called for his fiddlers three.
Every fiddler had a fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he;
Oh there’s none so rare, as can compare
With King Cole and his fiddlers three.
Old King Cole was a historic figure whose name was Coel Hen “the Old” ap Tegfan who lived from about 350 AD to about 420 AD. He was the King of Northern Britain, and is Marge’s 48th great grandfather.
Coel Hen is just one of many historic figures that are among Marge’s ancestors. I would like to share a few with you -
Eleanor of Aquitaine (1132-1204) was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. After the annulment of her first marriage to King Louis VII of France, she married Henry Plantagenet, Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou, who became King Henry II of England in 1154. They were Marge’s 26th great grandparents.
William the Conqueror (1024-1087) was the first Norman King of England (1066-1087). He was Marge’s 28th great grandfather.
Charlemagne (742-813), King of the Franks, King of the Lombards, and Emperor of the Romans (Holy Roman Emperor). He had 18 children with 8 of his 10 wives or concubines. He was Marge’s 38th great grandfather.
Fulk V (1092-1143) was Count of Anjou, France, and a wealthy Crusader (1119/20), who became King of Jerusalem in 1131. He was Marge’s 28th great grandfather.
Malcolm III (1031-1093) was King of the Scots for 35 years. He is the historical equivalent of the character of the same name in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Malcolm’s wife Saint Margaret is the only Catholic saint in Scotland. They were Marge’s 29th great grandparents.
I could go on naming other important ancestors, but the point I would like to make is that Marge’s ancestors helped shape the history of Great Britain and Western Europe. They were among the rulers of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Germany, and Spain. They were owners and rulers of vast amounts of land in England and France.
Ultimately the many ancestral lines evolved into reduced power and fortune. Through many marriages, we find Marge’s an ancestral line settling in Elland, Yorkshire, where it connects with the Peel line.
In closing, I am reminded of the words of the humorist Garrison Keillor - “be well, do good work, and stay in touch.”
23 Jun 2012
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