A query, oh my American Colonial experts, from your medievalist cohort.
I’m working on a line that is supposedly from Normans in Sicily, supposedly descended from the de Hautevilles, who then went to England.
It’s sounding decidedly suspicious to me, and the only evidence I have found so far is from L.C. Hiil’s “History of the Mayflower Planters.”
The relevant passage isn’t even that helpful — here, from Sir Aaron Fitz Roger, Il —
“Source of the following is: History of MF Planters by L.C. Hills: The Rogers Family: Sir Tancred de Hautville, born c970. died aft 1058, a nobleman of Hautville near Cautauces, Normandy, m. firstly c992 Moriella; m. secondly c1013 Fredistand. There among their sons were Robert, Roger and William. Robert "Guiscard" born 1015, became a great General, commanding Norman troops in Italy, and was created Duke of Apulia 1059; King of Naples and had other honors, and died in 1085. His brother Roger became Grand Count Roger I 1089-1102 of Sicily. He was born 1030 and died in 1101/2. Duke Robert and his brother Grand Count Roger were largely responsible for the Norman conquest of Sicily, and the FitzRoger name in South West England is said to have arose from descendants of these brothers. Religious upheaval in Sicily forced Aaron Fitz Rogers, a merchant of Rome, to flee to London where he engaged in business. The Rogers Family were given the right to bear the coat of arms accredited to Grand Count Roger I of Sicily. Aaron Rogers was born in Italy c1260/70.”
As you can see, the line is “said to have arose” from descendants of Robert and Roger, sons of Tancred de Hauteville.
But there is no actual line, and the one we have on Geni was connected to one of the descendants of the brothers who had no issue himself. I disconnected that, but the line still needs to be cleaned up and sourced.
Certainly Normans might have been getting out of Sicily in 1282, when the French were getting massacred in the War of the Sicilian Vespers — which, despite its name, wasn’t a religious war. It started after vespers one day, but concerned the Sicilians getting very tired of being mistreated by the French. At any rate, that a Norman family might be going to England from Sicily isn’t impossible or improbable.
Also, who gave the FitzRogers the right to bear the arms of Roger of Sicily? Was that in Sicily? Did they get them from the Anglo-Normans when they went to London?
But the line of this particular family seem to me to be romanticized. Maybe they were descended from Tancred, but there were many Norman knights who took over Sicily, so that’s not necessarily so. Unless the carrying around the arms of Roger of Sicily is a true thing.
Quick and dirty Wikipedia links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tancred_of_Hauteville
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Guiscard
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_I_of_Sicily
Those of you who know the book, does LC Hills give sources?
