Family Tree History & Research
Historic Castles of my Ancestors
Repinski Family Tree
Detiz Family Line
Surnames: Repinski-Pope-Smith-Norton-Cheney-Cokayne-De Grey-Hastings-Huntingdon-Cranmore
Castle: Edinburgh Castle-Edinburgh, Scotland
Since I began researching my family tree branches from my mother's English family branches from my great grandmother Grace Pope Deitz and my great grandfather Henry Deitz, I have discovered not only early colonial American settlers but further back, the history of both of their lines brings European nobility and royalty into the family mix.
With these noble and royal ancestors also came the grand homes, manors, castles and palaces that they built and lived in through the centuries.
Most people have heard of the following castle, set high upon a craggy rock overlooking the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.
The first stone castle was built on this site by one of these ancestors.
My 27th Great Grandfather, David mac Maíl Choluim Cranmore, also known as David I, King of Scotland commenced the building of Edinburgh Castle.
Edinburgh Castle And My Ancestral Relatives
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Edinburgh Castle is situated on Castle Rock in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. Castle Rock formed after a volcano erupted over 340 million years ago. The first castle that existed on the rock was known as “The Castle of the Maidens”. According to legend, the castle had been a shrine to the “Nine Maidens”, one of whom was Morgan le Fay. |
Castle Rock had been a military base and royal residence for centuries. However, the edifice that is known as Edinburgh Castle was built during the 12th century by David I, son of Saint Margaret of Scotland.
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| Statue of David I-King of Scots |
David I, son of Saint Margaret of Scotland was my 27th Great Grandfather and his mother, St. Margeret of Scotland was my 28th Great Grandmother.
Saint Margaret, Queen of Scots is your 27th great grandmother.
You
→ Marlene Grace Repinski
your mother → Raymond Harold Dietz
her father → Grace Elizabeth Dietz
his mother → Isadore Pope
her mother → Edward Y Smith
her father → Sophronia Smith
his mother → Tristram Norton
her father → Mary Norton
his mother → Millicent Norton
her mother → Thomas Cheney, Jr.
her father → Thomas Cheney
his father → William Cheney, Sr.
his father → Lawrence Cheney
his father → William Cheney
his father → William Cheney
his father → John Cheney
his father → Sir Thomas Cheney, Kt., of Irthlingborough
his father → Sir John Cheyne, Kt.
his father → Elizabeth Cokayne
his mother → Baroness Ida Cokayne
her mother → Reynold de Grey, 2nd Baron Grey de Ruthin
her father → Elizabeth Hastings, Baroness Grey of Ruthin
his mother → John Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings
her father → Sir Henry ll de Hastings, of Ashill
his father → Ada of Huntingdon, Heiress of Yardley
his mother → David, 8th Earl of Huntingdon
her father → Henry, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon
his father → David I, King of Scots
his father → Saint Margaret, Queen of Scots
his mother
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| St. Margaret, Queen of Scots-27th Great Grandmother |
The tensions between the English and Scottish monarchies nearly always centred on Edinburgh Castle. He who held the castle held rule over the city of Edinburgh and, therefore, over all of Scotland. Consequently, the castle was almost constantly under siege.
The first major battle the castle witnessed was during the late 13th century when Edward I of England attempted to seize the then vacant Scottish throne.
(Edward I, King of England being my 23rd great grandfather through another line)
From 1296 to 1341, the castle bounced from English to Scottish hands several times during the First and Second Wars of Scottish Independence.
After the Wars of Independence, the castle was in great need of repairs.
Most of the construction was overseen by David II.
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| David II King of Scotland 21st Great Uncle |
David II was my 21st Great Uncle through his father, King Robert Bruce, my 22nd Great Grandfather.
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| Robert Bruce-King of Scots-22nd Great Grandfather |
He was also my 3rd cousin-20 times removed through my 21st Great Grandmother, Maud FitzJohn, Countess of Warwick and her sister, Aveline Fitzjohn, of Ulster, my 22nd great aunt who was David's Great Grandmother.
In his honour, David’s Tower was erected.
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| Mary-Queen of Scots |
In 1571, English forces laid siege to the city of Edinburgh in an attempt to capture Mary, Queen of Scots. The siege, which lasted for two years, became known as the “long” or “Lang” siege. By February of 1573, all of Mary’s supporters had surrendered to the English. During the Lang Siege, David’s Tower was destroyed.
Mary, Queen of Scots was my 13th great aunt (we are both descendants of James V Stuart-King of Scotland, she a daughter of James and myself a 14th great grandson of James)
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| James V-King of Scots-14th Great Grandfather |
The castle, again, witnessed strife when, in 1650, Oliver Cromwell executed Charles I and led an invasion of Scotland. In August of that year, Edinburgh Castle fell into English hands.
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| Oliver Cromwell |
Oliver Cromwell was my third cousin 13 times removed (we are both descendants of Morgan Williams, he a 2nd great grandchild of Morgan and myself a 15th great grandson of Morgan).
Morgan was the son of Joan Tudor who was a supposed illegitimate daughter of Jasper Tudor.
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| Charles I |
Charles I was my second cousin 13 times removed (We are both descendants of James V Stuart-King of Scotland, he a great grandson of James and myself a 14th great grandson of James)
During the Jacobite Risings (1688-1746), the Scots attempted, several times, to recapture their castle. Unfortunately, they were never able to overpower the English. The final attempt was in 1745 when the Jacobite army was led by Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie).
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| Charles Edward Stuart-Bonnie Prince Charlie |
Charles Edward Stuart was my fifth cousin 10 times removed (we are also both descendants of James V Stuart-King of Scotland, he a 4th great grandson of James and myself a 14th great grandson of James)
Although the Scots were able to capture the city, they were never able to lay siege to the castle. In November of that year, the Jacobites were forced to retreat.
From the late 18th century to the early 19th, Edinburgh Castle was used to hold military prisoners from England’s many wars. The castle became a national monument in 1814 after a mass prison break proved that the castle could not hold prisoners. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the castle was slowly restored. Military ceremonies began to be held there and, in 1927, part of the castle was turned into the Scottish National War Memorial.
Edinburgh Castle is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Scotland. The more than one million people who visit the castle each year witness military ceremonies, historical re-enactments, and can visit sites such as St. Margaret’s Chapel and the Great Hall of King James IV.
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| Edinburgh Castle as seen from the neighborhood at the bottom of the Rock |
Timeline of Edinburgh Castle
340 million B.C.E. – Castle Rock forms after volcanic eruption
900 B.C.E. – Castle Rock is inhabited by humans for the first time
638 C.E. – The city of Din Eidyn is captured by the English and renamed Edinburgh
c. 1070 C.E. – Malcolm III marries an English princess later known as Saint Margaret of Scotland
(My 27th Great Grandparents)
1130 C.E. – Margaret's son, David I, builds on Castle Rock the edifice that is still standing to this day
(My 26th Great Grandfather)
1286 C.E. – Alexander III dies without a successor. Edward I of England declares himself feudal overlord of Scotland
(Alexander III was my 23rd great uncle-he being the son of Alexander II, King of Scotland and myself being the 24th great grandson of Alexander II, King of Scotland)
1296 C.E. – Edinburgh Castle is captured by the English under the command of Edward I
(Edward I, King of England was my 23rd great grandfather)
1313 C.E. – Castle is recaptured by the Scots
1334 C.E. – Castle is, again, captured by the British
1341 C.E. – Castle is, once again, recaptured by the Scots
1356 C.E. – David II rebuilds the castle; David’s Tower is named in his honor
(David II was my 21st great uncle)
1511 C.E. – James IV builds the great hall that can still be seen to this day
(James IV was my 15th Great Grandfather)
1573 C.E. – The Lang Siege takes place and destroys David’s Tower
1578 C.E. – Castle is rebuilt
1633 C.E. – Charles I becomes the last Scottish monarch to inhabit Edinburgh Castle
(Charles I was my 2nd cousin 13 times removed)
1650 C.E. – Oliver Cromwell executes Charles I and captures the castle
(Oliver Cromwell was my 3rd cousin 13 times removed)
1689 C.E. – Members of the first Jacobite Rising attempt, and fail, to recapture the castle
1745 C.E. – Bonnie Prince Charlie and the members of the fifth Jacobite Rising, once again, attempt and fail to recapture the castle
(Bonnie Prince Charlie was my 5th cousin 10 times removed)
1757 C.E. – Edinburgh Castle is turned into a prison and holds thousands of military prisoners from the Seven Years War, the American Revolution, and the Napoleonic Wars
1822 C.E. – George IV of England becomes the first ruling monarch to visit the castle in nearly two hundred years
(George is my 7th cousin 8 times removed as we are also both descendants of James V Stuart-King of Scotland. He being a 6th great grandson of James and myself being a 14th great grandson ofJames)
1927 C.E. – Part of the castle is turned into the Scottish National War Memorial
1945 C.E. – Edinburgh Castle survives World War II
1999 C.E. – Edinburgh Castle becomes one of the most popular tourist attractions in Scotland
Present Day – Edinburgh Castle has over one million visitors each year
I hope to be one of the over one million visitors to this home of my 27th Ancestral Great Grandfather and other ancestral relatives someday soon.
How neat it will be to touch the very place that was home to my kinfolk and my blood all those hundreds of years ago.
Warm Regards,
My Family Historian
John J Repinski
Some links for further reading on some of these ancestral relatives in my family tree:
Sources for this post:
*https://www.facebook.com/CastlesofUK/posts/2326216507618412?__tn__=K-R
*https://www.geni.com/people/David-I-King-of-Scots/6000000002461246164?through=6000000005029367221
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Castle
*https://www.geni.com/people/Saint-Margaret-Queen-of-Scots/6000000009432315864?through=6000000002461246164
*https://www.geni.com/people/David-II-king-of-Scots/303650988800006466
*https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bruce-510
*https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stuart-1
*https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stewart-6849
*https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stewart-588
*https://www.geni.com/people/James-IV-of-Scotland/4229916861440069622
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_I_of_Scotland
