Of Kings And Bastards

This from my uncle on our geneology.

John of Gaunt was a son of King Edward III.

John's long-time mistress was Catherine Roet. He had children by her, including Joan Beaufort who was born out of wedlock (hence, a bastard). After John's second wife died he married Catherine. At John's request the Parliament passed a law legitimating the children born of John and Catherine. Therefore, those children were, at one time or another, both bastards and legitimate, hence it allowed me to join the "Royal Bastard Society" and several "Royal" societies.

Joan married Ralph de Neville, a Knight of the Garter, and they had Sir Edward de Neville, Knight of the Garter, and so on down our line to Nancy Stout, wife of Edward Hart, son of John Hart the Signer. They had Elijah Hart, and so on down to you and me (without garters).

My grandmother on my mother's side was Virginia Hart.

High brow and low brow baby.