ROYAL CONNECTIONS FOR JACKSON, COX, HEARD, HICKS, LINDSEY, HEWELL, FAMILIES: The Descendants of the Rev. Haute Wyatt

For better or worse, I have just learned that I am my own 8th cousin, once removed.  My Father. Wilmer H. Jackson, Sr. and my Mother, Myrtis Lee Heard  are both descended from the Rev. Haute Wyatt (at least to according to current genealogical research).  My Father, and all of our JACKSON, COX, and HICKS cousins are descended from the Rev. Haute Wyatt (1594-1638) through his son George Wyatt (1622-1671); while my Mother and all of our HEARD, LINDSEY, and HEWELL cousins are descended through his son Edward Wyatt (1619-1670).  If you are interested in the details of this genealogy, you can explore it in Frances' Family History at http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/24623198/family. 

The Heard Family descent from Edward Wyatt was posited a number of years ago by a cousin, John Kent, who worked with Elizabeth Heard in tracing our Heard, Lindsey, and Hewell Families.    I've only recently discovered the Jackson-Cox-Hicks connection through the work of a Cox relation Glenn Davies.

Why is the connection to REV. HAUTE WYATT of particular interest.  Well, if the connections established by these genealogists are valid, the Rev. Wyatt links these families to WILLIAM THE CONQUER, and the PLANTAGENET dynasty of England. The Rev. Haute Wyatt is the great-grandson of Thomas Wyatt, (the Elder 1503-1542) famed poet and statesman and friend of Henry VIII; and the grandson of Thomas Wyatt (the Younger 1521-1554) who led a rebellion against Queen Mary in an attempt to put Elizabeth I on the English throne.  For his efforts, he was beheaded in the Tower of London on April 11, 1554. Read about the Rev. Wyatt at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=41897239, and about Thomas the Elder at  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Wyatt_%28poet%29; and Thomas the Younger at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Wyatt_the_younger.

A ROYAL CONNECTION -- While no one does genealogy primarily to establish a Royal Connection, it is great fun when such a relationship is found.  Since most histories and biographies center on the rich and famous, having family connections to the "actors" in history's dramas makes their stories come alive in a personal fashion.  Since the nobles of Britain intermarried, we have multiple connections to the Royals through the wives of the Wyatt men.  The wives with royal connections, include Jane Conquest (wife of Edward Wyatt) Barbara Mitford (wife of Rev. Haute Wyatt), Jane Finch (Rev. Haute's mother), Catherine Moyle, (Jane Finch's mother), Jane Hawte (Thomas Wyatt, Jr.'s wife), Elizabeth Brooke (Thomas Wyatt Sr.'s wife).

The Elizabeth Brooke connection is one of the most interesting.  Elizabeth (1503-1560) on her father's side (Thomas Brooke) is the granddaughter of Margaret DeNeville.  On her mother's side (Dorothy Heydon), she is the grand daughter of Ann Boleyn (Aunt of the more famous Ann Boleyn who married King Henry VIII).  Margaret De Neville is the granddaughter of Joan DeBeaufort (daughter of John of Gaunt of the PLANTAGENET line and his wife Katherine DeRoet read about Joan at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Beaufort,_Countess_of_Westmorland).

    
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster had four wives, and has the distinction of having the most descendents to ascend to the throne of England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of_Gaunt,_1st_Duke_of_Lancaster) .  His father was King Edward III and his grandfather was Edward II, son of Edward I. John of Gaunt's son, Joan's half-brother, was Henry IV.  John of Gaunt was the 7th great grandson of William, the Conquer, King of England, and Duke of Normandy.  That makes William the Conqueror my 27th great grandfather.  If you are really compulsive, you can connect this line to the royal familes of most of Europe, including France, Germany, Belgium, and Scotland.

       

IS OUR ROYAL CONNECTION REAL OR IMAGINED?  WHO KNOWS!! -- DNA is the only proof positive available, and we are descended through maternal lines, so Y DNA testing is not feasible.  The question in the genealogical records are the links of our Wyatt ancestors to Edward and George Wyatt, the sons of Rev. Haute Wyatt.  Each link is based on documents, but there are always some questions.   As they  say genealogy is a work in progress, but until the connection is disproved we can enjoy the distinction.  We are in interesting company.