_Eobba ASGARD _______+
|
_Ida BERNICIANS _____|
| |
| |_____________________
|
|
|--Ealric BERNICIANS
|
| _____________________
| |
|_Concubines (?) _____|
|
|_____________________
_Aethelred II "The Redeless" of ENGLAND _+
| (0968 - 1016) m 0984
_Edmund II "Ironside" ENGLAND _|
| (0989 - 1016) m 1015 |
| |_Alfflaed of ENGLAND ____________________+
| (0968 - 1000) m 0984
|
|--Edward "Atheling" (The Exile) ENGLAND
| (1016 - 1057)
| _Morcar ENGLAND _________________________
| | (0960 - ....)
|_Ealdgyth of ENGLAND __________|
(0995 - 1014) m 1015 |
|_Edgitha of ENGLAND _____________________+
(0960 - ....)
_Merovaeus "Merovech" FRANKS _+
| (0415 - 0458)
_Childeric I of FRANKS _|
| (0436 - 0484) m 0464 |
| |______________________________
|
|
|--Clovis I "The Great" of FRANKS
| (0481 - 0511)
| ______________________________
| |
|_Basina of THURINGIA ___|
(0438 - 0470) m 0464 |
|______________________________
[291]
Clovis was a contemporary of the semi-legendary King Arthur in Britain.
lovis inherited his father's kingdom in 481, at which time he unified
the Salian and Ripuarian Franks. In 486 he defeated the Roman general
Syagrius who ruled northern Gaul out of Soissons. By 493 he married
the Burgundian princess Chlotilde. In 496, after defeating the
Alamanni, he was baptized, thus becoming the first Christian ruler of
post-Roman Gaul. By 506 the Alamanni were subdued, and the next year
Clovis finished his expansion by taking Aquitaine from the weak
Visigothic king Alaric II. On Clovis' death, the kingdom was split
between Chlodomer (Orleans), Childebert (Paris), Chlotar (Soissons),
and Theuderic (Metz).
regory of Tours writes:
The next thing which happened was that Childeric died. His son Clovis
replaced him on the throne. In the fifth year of his reign Syagrius,
the King of the Romans (probably "Master of the Soldiers") and the son
of Aegidius, was living in the sity of Soissons, where Aegidius himself
used to have his residence. Clovis marched agaisnt him with his blood
relation Ragnachar, who also had high authority, and challenged him to
come out to fight. Syagrius did not hesitate to do so, for he was not
afraid of Clovis. They fought each other and the army of Syagrius was
annihilated. He fled and made his way as quickly as he could to King
Alaric II in Toulouse. Clovis summoned Alaric to surrender the
fugitive, informing him that he would attack him in his turn for having
given Syagrius refuge. Alaric was afreaid to incur the wrath of the
Franks for the sake of Syagrius and handed him over bound to the
envoys, for the Goths are a timorous race. When Clovis had Syagrius in
his power he ordered him to be imprisoned. As soon as he had seized
the kingdom of Syagrius he had him killed in secret.
t that time many churches were plundered by the troops of Clovis, for
he still held fast to his pagan idolatries. The soldiers had stolen an
ewer of great size and wondrous workmanship, together with many other
precious objects used in the church service. The bishop of the church
in question sent messengers to the King to beg that, even if he would
not hand back any of the other sacred vessels, this ewer at least might
be restored to the church. The King listened to them and replied:
'Follow me to Soissons, where all the objects which we have seized are
to be distributed. If this vessel for which your bishop is asking
falls to my share, I will meet his wishes.' They came to Soissons and
all the booty was placed in a heap before them. King Clovis addressed
his man as follows, pointing to the vessel in question: "I put it to
you, my lusty freebooters, that you should agree here and now to grant
me that ewer over and above my normal share.' They listened to what he
said and the more rational among them answered: 'Everything in front of
us is yours, noble King, for our very persons are yours to command. Do
exactly as you wish, for there is none among us who has the power to
say you nay.' As they spoke one of their number, a feckless fellow,
greedy and prompt to anger, raised his battle axe and struck the ewer.
'You shall have none of this booty,' he shouted, 'except your fair
share.' All present were astounded at his words. The King hid his
chagrin under a pretence of long-suffering patience. he took the
vessel and handed it over to the envoy of the church; but in his heart
he resented what had happened. At the end of that year he ordered the
entire army to assemble on the parade-ground, so that he could examine
the state of their equipment. The King went round inspecting them all
and came finally to the man who had struck the ewer. 'No other man has
equipment in such a bad state as yours,' said he. 'Your javelin is in
a shocking condition, and so are your sword and your axe!' He seized
the man's axe and threw it on the ground. As the soldier bent forward
to pick up his weapon, King Clovis raised his own battle-axe in the air
and split his skull with it. 'That is what you did to my ewer in
Soissons,' he shouted. The man fell dead. Clovis ordered the others
to dismiss. They were filled with mighty dread at what he had done.
Clovis waged many wars and won many victories. In the tenth year of
his reign he invaded the Thuringians and subjected them to his rule.
[...]
Certain heresies began to be current in the town of Constantinople,
first that of Eutyches (c.440) and then that of Sabellius (c. 250), who
maintained that our Lord Jesus Christ had nothing about him which was
divine. At the request of King Gundobad (who had become converted),
Saint Avitus wrote polemics against these heresies. In the homily
which he composed on the Rogations he says that the ceremonies in which
we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord, were instituted by Mamertus,
Bishop of that same town of Vienne of which Avitus held the episcopate
when he was writing, at a time when the townsfolk were terrified by a
series of portents. Vienne was shaken by frequent earthquakes, and
savage packs of wolves and stags came in through the gates and ranged
through the entire city, fearing nothing and nobdy, or so he writes.
These portents continued throughout the whole year. As the season of
the feast of Easter approached, the common people in their devotion
expected God's compassion on them, hoping that this day of great
solemnity might see an end of their terror. However, on the very vigil
of the holy night, when the rite of Mass was being celebrated, the
King's palace inside the city walls was set ablaze by fire sent by God.
The congregation was panic-stricken. They rushed out of the church,
for they thought that the whole town would be destroyed by this fire,
or else that the earth would open and swallow it up. The holy Bishop
was prostrate before the altar, imploring God's mercy with tears and
lamentations. What more should I say? The prayers of this famous
Bishop rose to heaven above and, so to speak, his floods of tears put
out the fire in the palace.
[...]
When Alaric II, the King of the Goths, observed that King Clovis was
beating one race of people after another, he sent envoys to him. 'If
you agree,' said he, 'it seems to me that it would be a good thing, my
dear brother, if, with God's approval, we two were to meet. Clovis did
agree. He travelled to meet Alaric and the two of them came together
near the village of Amboise, on an island in the Loire, in territory
belonging to Tours. They conferred with each other, sat side by side
at the meal table, swore eternal friendship and went home again in
peace. At that time a great many people in Gaul were very keen on
having the Franks as their rulers.
[...]
"I find it hard to go on seeing these Arians occupy a part of Gaul,'
said Clovis to his ministers. 'With God's help let us invade them.
When we have beaten them, we will take over their territory.' They all
agreed to this proposal. An Army was assembled and Clovis marched.
[...] When Clovis reached the Vienne with his army, he was at a loss to
know where to cross, for the river was swollen with heavy rains. That
night he prayed that God might deign to indicate a ford by which he
might make the crossing. As day dawned an enormous doe entered the
wate, as if to lead them at God's command. The soldiers knew that
where the doe had crossed they could follow. The King marched towards
Poitiers, and while he and his army were encamped there a pillar of
fire rose from the church of Saint Hilary. It seemed to move towards
Clovis as a sign that with the support of the blessed Saint he might
the more easily overcome the heretic host, against which Hilary himself
had so often done battle for the faith.
History of the Fran
_James PEARCE _______+
| (1691 - 1755) m 1712
_James PEARCE _______|
| (1719 - 1767) |
| |_Martha WILBORE _____+
| (1690 - 1760) m 1712
|
|--Esek PEARCE
| (1760 - ....)
| _____________________
| |
|_Sarah SIMMONS ______|
|
|_____________________
_John D. WIMBISH ______+
| (1790 - 1863) m 1809
_John C. WIMBISH ______|
| (1829 - ....) m 1851 |
| |_Anna Jane C. BRIDGES _+
| m 1809
|
|--James W.F. WIMBISH
| (1858 - ....)
| _______________________
| |
|_Eliza Malinda TOUPES _|
m 1851 |
|_______________________