Kings to Convicts
Welcome to a journey into my past – an exploration of how family fortunes can transform the most powerful Kings of Europe into the most powerless child – convicted of petty crime and transported 11,000 miles to a penal colony in Van Dieman’s Land
Some time ago, myself and some other members of my family mapped my ancestral line back to a large number of the monarchs of both France and England. That ancestral line, however, runs through a child, arrested at 15 and transported as a convict to Van Dieman’s Land at 17. That means that, through family misfortunes, the descendants of some of the most powerful figures in history becomes the some of the most powerless. How does this happen – was it caused by a few fate changing events, or was it a slow descent.
I can confidently say that this story is known by no-one – including me. It is a story that unfolds as quickly as I can add to the site.
The site will include a blog that outlines the additions and changes to the site. It will also include pages on the families that make up the family tree, the places they lived, some historical events that have occurred around my family and a timeline outlining some of the defining events in the journey back in time.
Feel free to explore. You can follow the full blog, or just explore the families and individuals that connect me with my ancestors. I would love comments and contributions! Help me find my past and explore how miss-step and misfortune can reduce the most powerful to the powerless and how families can regroup and rebuild.
Please note that if you have been here before and it is looking a little different – it is because I have changed the format. I have moved from a site where all of the content is in the blog, to a page based site with just my comments in the blogs posts. Hopefully the new format is easier to follow.