With this talk of Charlemagne and gateway ancestors on the Devon list I thought I would share what I have found about a 'gateway' ancestor in my tree who appears to be descended from Charlemagne. There may well be others on this list who share a descent from Lydia PEPPERELL bap 1764, dau of Samuel PEPPERELL and Alice Bastard ('Ally') SYMONS. (Lydia married John NICHOALS and they had a large family baptised in Slapton and Dartmouth and I guess by now very many descendants). Alice was bap Kingsbridge in 1732/3, the daughter of Aeneas SYMONS (barber / wig maker of Kingsbridge) and Honor SHEPHERD; others may be descended from them. I have recently found that Aeneas' mother was Alice BASTARD, daughter of Beville BASTARD, a younger son of the gentry BASTARD family of Gerston in West Alvington while her mother was Elizabeth ROSE, from some interesting Dorset families. I would be interested in hearing from anyone sharing these ancestors, either to exchange research or just share what I have. My tree is online; Alice BASTARD's page is at http://teresa-goatham.me.uk/genealogy/names-and-origins/devon/south-hams/bastard/alice-my-gateway-ancestor/ (http://tinyurl.com/htubk6z) I have added a lot of 'ancestors' of Beville to my tree, mainly using Vivian (Devon visitations), though I have seen a few other documents at the National Archives and at the PWDRO, as well as a number of PCC wills. Also of course PR entries, but much of this is before surviving PRs. I have also added quite a few ancestors of Beville's wife Elizabeth ROSE. I have not found the baptism of Aeneas SYMONS of Kingsbridge, nor of his mother Alice BASTARD, nor the marriage of her parents, nor the baptism of her mother Elizabeth ROSE. It's surprising how much can be discovered now without the regular PR entries, most of this quite easily with readily available online resources. If you are interested in how I have established the links see the pages for the individuals from Alice's page, or an account of this here: http://teresa-goatham.me.uk/genealogy/names-and-origins/devon/south-hams/bastard/alice-my-gateway-ancestor/ (http://tinyurl.com/htubk6z) Because this research is recent I have yet to investigate most of the 'ancestors's shown, and haven't even added info about all of the docs I have looked at, though I am happy to share this. (I will be adding transcripts of the documents which establish the above links rather than just references to them, where copyright etc. permits and when my time also permits). See this page for more details about what I have added / why / how reliable (or not): http://teresa-goatham.me.uk/genealogy/names-and-origins/devon/south-hams/bastard/gentry-ancestors-on-my-tree/ (http://tinyurl.com/jth9c58) Although I have added Charlemagne to my tree I intend to add a generic note to each member of the gentry family arrived at via the gateway ancestor about the lack of confirming data. I didn't intend to publish my tree with them until I had done so, but wanting to share my tree with others I am in contact with and it taking me longer than I hoped to work out some software changes means they are there without comment - I hope any coming across them have a certain scepticism. Teresa