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Authors

I am pleased to introduce the work of Leo van de Pas. Leo has been a gatherer of genealogical information for many years and has collected quite a library of books and sources. The fruits of his labours are evident on his website Genealogics, a non-commercial site intended to assist genealogists worldwide.

Leo van de Pas was born in The Netherlands but has made his home in Australia since 1968. For many years Leo assisted Australian author G.M. Glaskin with his work. These works include a memoir on Hans Suyin, the famous author of A Many-Splendoured Thing, as well as A Waltz Through the Hills, filmed with Australian Ernie Dingo and American Academy Award nominee Dan O'Herlihy.

From these endeavours Leo has created a number of works, the latest of which is as follows:

Sinners and Saints

Sinners and Saints is a different kind of book that may well be the first of its kind.

The book is a collection of small interesting biographies for selected ancestors of HRH Princess Michael of Kent. Several of these are also ancestors of persons active in medieval genealogy newgroups: Brice Clagett, Chico Doria, Ian Fettes, Peter de Loriol, John Ravilious, William Addams Reitwiesner, Gilbert von Studnitz, Nathaniel Taylor and Kelsey Williams.

The biographies appear in time order and with each biography it is recorded how many times that person is an ancestor of Princess Michael of Kent. In addition, after each biography is a basic genealogical line displayed to another ancestral descendant with a biography; so all lines end with HRH Princess Michael of Kent.

The ancestry of Princess Michael of Kent has been ignored for too long, especially as she has such interesting ancestors. For instance at the last count 188 Knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece, 47 Knights and Ladies of the Garter as well as the following Magna Carta Sureties: Hugh Bigod, 3rd Earl of Norfolk; Roger Bigod, 2nd Earl of Norfolk; Henry de Bohun, 1st Earl of Hereford; Gilbert de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford; Richard de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford; John de Lacy, 1st Earl of Lincoln; Saher de Quincy, 1st Earl of Winchester and Robert de Vere, 3rd Earl of Oxford. Charlemagne and William the Conquerer, of course. As well as these she also has the famous painter Peter Paul Rubens, explorer Hernando Cortes and also ancestors who were in Peru when the Spanish settled there.

Of the 1175 ancestors, 1037 were born before the year 1600. The bibliography covers 12 pages and the index 47. Amongst the ancestors two popes can be found. What seems surprising is that her French ancestors seem to be the second largest group. Also a reference can be found to the possible descent from early Chinese Emperors.

This book of 732 pages is available through Heraldry Today in England who can also advise the cost with shipping.

Author: Leo van de Pas

Reseller: Heraldry Today

Plantagenet Cousins

This book is co-authored by myself and Leo van de Pas

The book is a collection biographies of 360 selected descendants of Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou. Geoffrey was born 1113 and died 1157. He was the progenitor of the Plantagenet dynasty.

The descent lines of the selected people appear in time order and with each biography it is recorded how many times that person is a descendant of Geoffrey.

This book of 589 pages is also available through Heraldry Today in England who can also advise the cost with shipping.

Author: Ian Fettes

Reseller: Heraldry Today