In writing a recent post, I noted the couple Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March and his wife Joan de Geneville (sometimes rendered as Joinville). I descend from four of their children. This got me to wondering which family do I descend from the most siblings.
In terms of colonial ancestors that would have to be the Rev. Joseph Hull 1596-1665. By two wives he had seventeen children and I descend from three: Elizabeth (from whom I descend twice), Temperance, and Reuben.
But three is less than four and certainly some medieval couple must be the answer. One such couple would be Henry of Huntingdon, Earl of Northumberland 1114-1152 and Ada de Warenne. I descend from five of their children: William "the Lion" King of Scotland, David, Earl of Huntingdon, Margaret, wife of Humprey IV de Bohun, Ada, wife of Florent III, Count of Holland, and Marjory, wife of Gilchrist de Angus, Earl of Angus.
But the true winner is Ada de Warenne's mother, Isabel (or Elizabeth) of Vermandois. By her two husbands she is the mother of thirteen children and I descend from eight of them. From her first marriage to Roger de Beaumont, Earl of Leicester (d. 1118), I descend from Robert, 2nd Earl of Leicester, Waleran, Earl of Worcester, Isabel, the wife of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, and Maud, wife of William de Lovel. By her second marriage to William de Warenne, Earl of Surrey (d. 1138), I descend from William, Earl of Surrey, the aforementioned Ada de Warenne, Gundred, wife of Roger de Newburgh, Earl of Warwick, and Reginald de Warenne.
It should be noted that Isabel de Beaumont was a mistress to King Henry I of England.
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