Some interesting ancestry

Gerald Fitz Walter; Constable of Pembroke Castle by 1092, when he held off a Welsh attack; commanded troops against native Welsh in SW Wales 1095; travelled to Ireland 1100 to seek the hand in marriage of King Murrogh's daughter for his overlord Arnulf de Montgomery; on Arnulf's disgrace 1102 was made full Keeper of Pembroke Castle by Henry I.
***********************************************************************************
Nest ferch Rhys: was a Welsh princess of Deheubarth who was renowned for her beauty.
Nest was the daughter of Prince Rhys ap Tewdwr Mawr by his wife, Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon.
After her father's death in 1093, Deheubarth was conquered by the Normans and King Henry I of England appointed himself her protector. Nest is thought to have borne him a son, Henry FitzRoy (1103-1158).
In c. 1095 King Henry decided to marry Nest to one of his followers, Gerald de Windsor, whom he appointed Constable of Pembroke.
Nest and Gerald had five children:

William FitzGerald (died 1173)
Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Llansteffan (died 1 September 1177)
David FitzGerald, Archdeacon of Cardigan and Bishop of St David's
Angharad de Windsor, who married William de Barry
A daughter (possibly Gwladys), the mother of Milo de Cogan
During Christmas 1109, Nest and her husband were visited by her cousin, Owain apCadwgan, son of Cadwgan ap Bleddyn, Prince of Powys. The story goes that Owain was so taken with Nest's beauty that he and fifteen companions attacked the castle of Cenarth Bychan (possibly Cilgerran Castle or Carew Castle, both in Pembrokeshire), seized Nest, and carried her and her children off.

Tradition also states that Gerald escaped by jumping down the garderobe (i.e. the lavatory chute) to get away. The children were later returned to Gerald. Nest is said to have borne Owain two sons, Llywelyn and Einion, before finally being returned to her husband.

This abduction earned Nest the nickname "Helen of Wales" because it led to civil war on a small scale. Owain ap Cadwgan left the country to avoid retribution, whilst Owain's father, Cadwgan ap Bleddyn, lost his own lands. Gerald waited for Owain to return to Wales, then ambushed and killed him.
***********************************************************************************
Old King Coel:
Old King Coel was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three.
Every fiddler, he had a fine fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he;
Oh, there's none so rare as can compare
With King Coel and his fiddlers three.

Coel Hen or Coel the Old is best remembered by the nursery rhyme, but the pipe would have been of the musical kind, and the bowl a drinking bowl. The fiddlers would have been harpists and not violinists as pictured above. Roman writings comment on the hospitality of Britons who would invite a visitor in for a feast and music before talking business.

Coel Hen was most likely the last of the Roman Duces Brittanniarum with his headquarters at York, and he did his best to carry on as the first King of Northern Britain when the Roman officials returned to Italy, leaving Britain and her people to fend for themselves. King Coel soon found himself fighting with a coalition of Picts and Scots who overran his forces about 420. Coel himself wandered in the unknown countryside until he eventually got caught in a bog at Coilsfield (in Tarbolton, Ayrshire) and drowned. After his death, Coel's Northern Kingdom was divided between two of his sons, Ceneu and Gorbanian.

To learn more about Coel Hen, click on Britannia: Gateway to the British Isles

*********************************************************************************
Uther Pendragon (French: Uter Pendragon; Welsh: Wthyr Bendragon, Uthr Bendragon, Uthyr Pendraeg) is a legendary king of sub-Roman Britain and the father of King Arthur.
***********************************************************************************

JOHN KOGER:OAK GROVE BANNER, OAK GROVE MISSOURI. JULY 13, 1917
Quantrill man dead.....JOHN KOGER.....Well known in the vicinity, died at Confederate Home in Higginsville.

John William Koger, died at the Confederate Home at Higginsville, Missouri last Sunday, July 8, 1917, and his burial ocurred at that place last Monday. Mr. Koger was well known in this vicinity, where he made his home. He was born in the county near Independence on March 23, 1834. All of his life was spent in this state, the greater part in this county.
Mr. Koger served during the Civil War on the Confederate side and was one of the few survivors of the famous Quantrell Band. Mr. Koger was wounded 12 times. He was in 12 different battles and at the time of his death still had 5 bullets in his body. Eight bullets were in Mr. Koger's body at one time, 3 of them being removed with a knife by Mr. Koger himself.

( Read about Quantrells men online, it's fascinating!)

*************************************************************************************
Rebecca (Blake) Ames and the Salem Witch Trials of 1692:
At about age 53 Rebecca was among the spectators for Rev. George Burroughs' hanging on Gallows Hill, Salem, on Aug. 19, 1692. She was in a house near the scene of the execution; and while there "the woman of the house" felt a pin stuck into her foot, as she said. Rebecca, not being as good as she might have been, was pointed out as the one who did it; and two warrants were issued for here arrest. She was imprisoned for witchcraft; stood trial, confessed and was sentenced to death. She was reprieved March 1693 after seven months in jail. Applied to selectmen for assistance when husband died. After her husband's death, she applied for assistance and she and her children were then taken in for winter 1693-94 by John Peabody. She applied for and had her name cleared and restitution paid in 1710.
***********************************************************************************

Alice Godfrey, my 8th great grandmother is the 9th great grandmother of President George Bush.
*************************************************************************************

Adelaide of Normandy (c. 1026 in Calvados, France[citation needed] - c. 1090) was the sister or half-sister of William the Conqueror.
She was the daughter of Robert the Magnificent, Duke of Normandy. Her mother was probably William the Conqueror's mother Herleva, although this is not certain. [1]

Adelaide married three times; first Enguerrand II of Ponthieu (died 1053) by whom she had issue; second Lambert II, Count of Lens (died 1054); and third Odo II of Champagne son of the Count of Troyes. By Lambert she had a daughter, Judith of Lens, who married Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria (executed 1076). Their daughter, Maud, 2nd Countess of Huntingdon, took for her second husband King David I of Scotland.

She gained the title of Princess when William the Conqueror became King of England
**********************************************************************************

Dietrich KOGER was Vogt (Bailif) of Auggen from 1640 to 1676, the period of the 30 Years War and the French war. He is credited with bringing law and order back to the land after these wars. The Koger gravestone reads, in old German, "Here lies buried the honor-worthy heart Dietrich Koger, the past at one time Mayor of Auggen, who in his first marriage with Mrs. Maria Leininger six and with the other Mrs. Anna Hagen 12 children raised. Also 55 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren survived, he lived to see them. On 17 November, 1688 at his age of 80 years and 9 months in Christ did fall asleep. With Gods blessings."
(quoted in "The Koger family history in Auggen Germany"- Grace Schwartz)

*****

Dietrich Koger was born during violent times in the history of Auggen Baden, Germany. During his lifetime, war raged and many times the village people were forced to flee into neighboring Switzerland. Dietrich grew up and became the vogt (mayor) of Auggen Baden and brought many needed changed to the area. His name became very well respected and for his contributions a street in Auggen Baden was named Dietrick Koger Street and remains to this day. In fact , the name Dietrick Koger is still very respected and his grave is decorated with flowers . A plaque depicting his life's story still hangs in the church in Auggen Baden. The 30 years War in Europe created much unrest and violence, but thanks to the efforts of Dietrich Koger peace was finally won in the Auggen Baden area and rebuilding of the village occurred. For more information on Auggen Baden and Dietrich Koger, please see Grace Schwartz' book : The Koger Family History in Auggen, Germany.