Have been exploring the family trees of my gr. grandmother, Anne Sims Perry. Gained access after husband J.J. Perry's name was straightened out (John Joseph, not the reverse), which led to Anne's death certificate; which gave us her father's name, Wm. Sims, and her mother, Nancy Padget. As a country girl from Yadkin Co., NC, not much was expected from her people. Right away,we found two Patriot soldiers, Leonard Henley Sims and John I Padget Sr., both NC Militia. They join almost 50 other Patriots in my background. Then the families diverge somewhat: Simses are Old Virginia ( there is a descent from Col. Wm. Claiborne, surveyor of Jamestown, also 1st settler of MD) and go back to SW England (pretty standard for VA settlers),  one was a knight of the shire in Somerset. The Padget family goes back through Maryland to England and her leading families. Both the Sims and Padget families claim illegitimate descent from Royals: Simses from John of Gaunt and Padgets from Henry VIII through his mistress Mary Boleyn (played in the recent movie by Scarlett Johannson) Daughter Lady Mary Carey was at least 1st cousin of Queen Elizabeth I, and probably half-sister. King Henry made Mary Lady-in-Waiting for Anne of Cleves, and Queen Elizabeth paid all of her burial expenses. Then there is the Newton connection: Baron Wm. Padget was 1st cousin to Sir Isaac; and the Popham connection. Supreme Ct. Justice Popham sentenced the Jesuit Southwell, Mary Queen of Scots, and Guy Fawlkes to death, and freed Sir Walter Raleigh. One Sir Wm. Padget became a highwayman when his inheritance fell short.

Have been exploring the family trees of my gr. grandmother, Anne Sims Perry. Gained access after husband J.J. Perry's name was straightened out (John Joseph, not the reverse), which led to Anne's death certificate; which gave us her father's name, Wm. Sims, and her mother, Nancy Padget. As a country girl from Yadkin Co., NC, not much was expected from her people. Right away,we found two Patriot soldiers, Leonard Henley Sims and John I Padget Sr., both NC Militia. They join almost 50 other Patriots in my background. Then the families diverge somewhat: Simses are Old Virginia ( there is a descent from Col. Wm. Claiborne, surveyor of Jamestown, also 1st settler of MD) and go back to SW England (pretty standard for VA settlers),  one was a knight of the shire in Somerset. The Padget family goes back through Maryland to England and her leading families. Both the Sims and Padget families claim illegitimate descent from Royals: Simses from John of Gaunt and Padgets from Henry VIII through his mistress Mary Boleyn (played in the recent movie by Scarlett Johannson) Daughter Lady Mary Carey was at least 1st cousin of Queen Elizabeth I, and probably half-sister. King Henry made Mary Lady-in-Waiting for Anne of Cleves, and Queen Elizabeth paid all of her burial expenses. Then there is the Newton connection: Baron Wm. Padget was 1st cousin to Sir Isaac; and the Popham connection. Supreme Ct. Justice Popham sentenced the Jesuit Southwell, Mary Queen of Scots, and Guy Fawlkes to death, and freed Sir Walter Raleigh. One Sir Wm. Padget became a highwayman when his inheritance fell short.

FitzRoy family

Yesterday, Ancestry.com sent me hints for Gryffudd ap Cynan, who is in the Reece family line. The Reeces have a wonderful Welsh ancestry. The name contains the Welsh "C"; they descend from Lord Rhys, ruler of S.Wales. While, looking, pursued a link to the English side, the FitzRoys. I had forgotten what the name means-illegitimate son of a king-when I turned a corner, and there was King Henry I, who was a son of William the Conqueror. Henry had 14 illegitimate children; one group used FitzRoy, another FitzHenry. Legit children used "of England" or D'Angleterre, since French was spoken until Edward III. Like most English, I have found numerous links to these Kings (Henry I to Edward III), but they were'nt English. The Perrys do not have a link.

The Old American.

Am calling myself this because of all of my VT mother's ancestors who answered the Lexington Alarm, and then pursued the British back to Boston, fought on Breeds (Bunker) Hill, and then through the Siege of Boston. Since my father was from NC, I also have southern Patriots, including Quakers who took the oath of fealty, to add to a list of over 30 names.