“My Ancestors were Normans” – Oh really? Prove it!

Just about every genealogical conversations at some point includes the following statement: Of course, my ancestors came to Britain with William the Conqueror. It is possible to get the impression that, before the Norman Conquest that began on October 14, 1066, there was hardly anyone in Britain at all, and certainly no-one worth being descended from. This ignores some salient points: 1. The Companions of the Conqueror were at most about 5,000-12,000 strong; most of them simple soldiers rather than anyone knighted or noble and worthy of mention; 2. In any case, we only know, reliably, the names of about 20 Companions of the Conqueror, and only some 15 have proven descendants in the present day – possibly only two with the original surname; 3. However, more Normans turned up in the decades after the Battle of Hastings, were given land, and had families. So how do you prove Norman ancestry? And what happened to the Normans in Scotland, Wales and Ireland? Join Dr Bruce Durie on a canter through the genealogy of Norman ancestors.