Found another Historic Character in Our Family Tree (Mom’s side – Downing)

It seems Ancestry.com has been adding some more records, so I decided to do some more digging.  Sure enough, an interesting new character appeared in my family tree!  This time it was the friend of King Edward the 2nd.  His name is Piers Gaveston.  Turns out, there is quite a bit of information published on Piers Gaveston, and even more on King Edward II, but let me give you the highlights…

1. Piers’ father Ernaud Gaveston moved to England from France.  Ernaud was not royal or noble, but he held a significant amount of land which was meaningful during feudal times and may have led to his meeting with King Edward .   In fact, it was a family debt and land-deal that placed Ernaud on King Edward’s radar in 1282 (that history here). He ends up working in the the service of King Edward #1, and marrying and having 5 children.  His wife died about 1287 shortly after his son Piers Gaveston was born.   Even more of his history here.   Ernaud also became a Knight and crusader, and has a tomb in Winchester, England even to this day. 
2. In the meantime, Ernaud and King Edward 1 became well acquainted and trusted, and round 1300, Ernaud Gaveston became a part of the household of King Edward… even caring for his sons (because the King’s wife also died).  
3. Piers and Prince Edward Jr were about the same age (Edward born on or around April 25th, 1284, Piers’ exact birth date is is unknown but listed as 1284 also) and appear to become best friends and very close. Piers and Edward both probably about 13 at the time when Piers’ father began working in the King’s household.  There was no mother or Queen in the household at this time.  Both boys lost their mother about the same time (1287 for Piers and 1290 for Edward) when they were still young…    So, neither of them really knew their mother, and instead seemed to form a tight bond with each other.  Edward Jr. would even refer to Piers as his ‘brother’ in later years.  
4. Piers and Prince Edward’s relationship becomes so extravagant and partial (possibly homosexual) that the King banishes Piers from the kingdom.  Gifts bestowed upon Piers were not only lavish, but political in nature (involving land) and interfered with the King’s ambitions. 
5. But only a few months later, on July 7th, 1307 King Edward dies.   He leaves his son to inherit the throne and an ongoing war with Scotland.
6. King Edward 2 recalls Piers from exile.   
7. Edward bestowed Earldom (3rd level below King) on Gaveston, and arranged for him to marry his niece Margaret de Clare, (my 29th Great Grandmother) sister of the powerful Earl of Gloucester.  Earldom also included governorship over the region of Cornwall.  
8. King Edward continues to lavish gifts and power upon Piers,… in particular, King Edward left England for awhile to marry a French bitch named Isabella (who would later kill him), and left Piers Gaveston in his place temporarily as king (regent, but you get the idea)!  He married Isabella, the daughter of the powerful King Philip IV of France, in 1308, as part of a long-running effort to resolve tensions between the English and French crowns.   The Royalty and Isabella were upset when King Edward lavished more attention on Piers than Isabella.  They became very ‘concerned’ and upset and jealous of Gaveston’s exclusive access to the King.  They began plotting his exile. 
9. Only 1 year after his exile, Gaveston was forced him into exile (well, Ireland) again. 
10. Gaveston does a good job, actually, in Ireland and managed to return to England in 1309.
11. But nobility still hated him.  In 1311, they exiled him again.
12. But he returned defiantly in late 1311 against all ordinances,…  and in 1312…
13. He was hunted down and brutally murdered.  First stabbed through with a sword, and then beheaded.   

King Edward II was reportedly grief-stricken and outraged at the news of Piers’ death, but politics forced him to move on quickly.   He continues on as King, fighting against Scotland to the north and France to the south.  In the meantime, he also reportedly took up another lover named  Hugh Despenser the Younger.  He battled for his throne until 1327 when he meets his own grisly death at the hands of his pissed off, super-bitch Queen Isabelle.  She hanged him, and then had him quartered.   He also gave up his throne to his 14 year old son, King Edward 3.  

There are lots of juicy details in this whole saga. Too much to publish here, so if you are interested, I suggest you dig through these links.  It is a very “Game of Thrones” type thriller with lots of sex and betrayals and so on and so forth.   Google ‘Piers Gaveston’ or ‘King Edward II’ for lots and lots of information. 

• English History: LGBT History
• Specific History of Piers Gaveston
• Who was Piers Gaveston?
• The Wikipedia Explanation of Piers Gaveston
• King Edward 2 history  
• The Wikipedia Explanation of King Edward II

1. 
   A monument to Piers Gaveston exists to this day in Blacklow Hill

………………………………………………………………….

Otherwise, you can watch the movie “Braveheart”.  This is one of my favorite movies ever.  I’ve seen it 4 or 5 times, but never realized one of the characters was my GGGrandfather!  That just blew my mind when I became aware of this.  First, you have to know Braveheart is only ‘based on history’, and even director and star Mel Gibson says calls it ‘historical fiction’.   It is NOT accurate, and even full of inaccuracies, and nowhere near historical truth.  It’s an entertaining movie!!  Chill out!  But, amazingly, he includes a scene where King Edward 1 confronts his homosexual son and his lover “Phillip” (meant to be Piers Gaveston)…. and even throws his him out of the window to his death (which did not happen in real life, but meant to depict the actual disdain, rejection, and murder of King Edward 2’s lover).   

King Edward 1 “Longshanks” was portrayed in Braveheart extensively by actor Patrick McGoohan.   Piers Gaveston is fictionally and generically portrayed as “Philip” in movie.  In this clip, the actors talks about their roles as Edward King 1 and his son, as well as Piers Gaveston who is mention at about 1:50 in this clip.  

The full scene of King Edward 1 confronting his effeminate son and his lover Piers Gaveston

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

This is the straight line from Piers Gaveston to me.  He is my 25th great grandfather.  

• Piers Gaveston 1284-1312 Blacklow Hill, Warickshire England
• Amy Gaveston – 1312 – 1334 b. unknown, d. Wakefield, Berkshire, , England
• Alice DeDriby – 1340 – 1412 b.Wakefield, Berkshire, , England, d.Stamford, Lincolnshire, , England
• Eglantine Mallory – 1312 1393 b. Kirkby Mallory, Leicestershire, England, d.Mallory, Leicestershire, England
• Ralph Bagot – 1327 – 1376 b.Bromley, Staffordshire, England, d.Blithfield, Staffordshire, England
• John De Bagot 1348 – 1437 b.Bromley, Staffordshire, England, d.St Augustine, Staffordshire, England
• Richard Bagot 1412 – 1485 b. BLITHEFIELD, Staffordshire, d.England  Leicestershire, England
• John Bagot – 1436 – 1489 b. Blithefield,Stafford,,Wales d. Blithefield,Stafford,,Wales
• Lewis Bagot  – 1454 – 1534 b. Staffordshire, , England, d.Staffordshire, , England
• John Baggott  – 1489  -1512 b. Norwich, Norfolk, England, d. Suffolk England
• Robert Baggot – 1511 – 1623 b.Norwich, Norfolk, England, d.Suffolk England
• Elizabeth Bagot 1562 1637  b.Norwich, Norfolk, England, d.Blithfield, Staffordshire, England
• John Carman – 1584 – 1684 b. Hempstead, Hert England, d. Hempstead Hemel, England
• John Carman – 1606 1658 b.Parish, Hampshire England, d. Long Island NY
• Caleb Carman – 1645  – 1693 b. Long Island NY, d. Cape May NJ
• James Carman – 1677 – 1756 b. Cape May, d. Cranbury Middlesex, NJ
• Caleb Carman 1708-1807  b. Middletown New Jersey d. Burlington NJ 
• Mary Elizabeth Carman – b.1758 Carol, Maryland d.1820 Burlington, NJ
• Ruth Logsdon – 1773 – 1830  b. Sommonset, Pennsylvania, d. Hart, Kentucky
• Solomon Kessinger – b.1800 Hardin, Kentucky d.1878 Carter, Missouri 
• James William Kasinger – b.1857 … d.1899 Siloam Springs, AR
• America “Sis” Kasinger – b. Doublas Missour 1858 d.Mountain home, AR 1942
• Marcus W Biggers – b.1882 Mountain Home AR, d.1953 Shawnee, Pottawatomie, Oklahoma,
• Jasper Downing – unknown
• Landus Earl Downing – 1901-1965 b.Missouri, d.Mountain Home, AR
• Shirley June Downing/Dutton – 
• Joseph Aaron Dutton – b.1965 Harrison, Arkansas