Hi Heraklia, hi all...

Thanks for the great response to my posting of 'Who was Who' at Hastings, and thanks to all those who left messages or grammed me concerning the post. I'm still trying to catch up on my responses. I must admit, it took me several hours to write it all out, translate from heavy duty French Norman calligraphy and type up... alas the document is 75cm by 55cm and simply too big to scan. The copy of the principle commanders/knights, as I mentioned, hangs framed in my dining room and is one of 3 copies of various "Battle Rolls" that I possess. I know of 4 others. The one posted here is the French version... and differs greatly from a copy I have of the (English) Battle Abbey Roll, from Battle, Hastings. In the weeks to come, I hope to be able to post this version too... but might simply do an A to W with one post for each letter.

Heraklia, I'm smiling at your reference to all the "Fitz" prefix's. Fitz means "the son of" and has never indicated a bastard descent. Fitz, the Scottish Mac and the Irish Mc, all mean "the son of."

An example of this is found in the so called Irish surname of Fitzgerald, which simply means 'son of Gerald.' I say, 'so called' as the surname FITZ GERALD is French Norman, the spelling in Norman being M'Geralit. Gerald being of Teutonic origin and meaning - all-surpassing, excellent. This ancient and honorable family is traced from Otho, a Baron of Italy, descended from the Grand Dukes of Tuscany whose powerbase was in Florence up to 950AD. The Italian spelling being Gheradini. Walter, son of Otho, came into England before William the Conqueror, in 1057 from Bayeux, and being Norman, took part in the Battle of Hastings, afterwards settling in Wales. Walter's grandson, Maurice Fitz Gerald was the principle commander under Richard Strongbow in the Anglo-Norman conquest of the Kingdom of Ireland in 1169... and I'm proud to say directly related to me. "Bastards?" Well yes, at times we can be... but it's only an attitude thing. *L*