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Hello to all...
I descend from French, Spanish and (possibly) Italian noble families. A "noble of the blood" arises following three consecutive generations of noble status. By this definition I am a "noble of the blood" via paternal ("Castro-Palomino") and maternal lines ("Menendez", "Inclan", "Valdes", "Marino de Lobera", "Arango", "Cuervo", "de Lamar", "de Acosta", "Portillo", "Rodriguez de Leon", and "Abbadie").
Ancient Spanish tradition called for untitled nobles termed "Hidalgos" ("Sons-of-Something or -Someone"). Following unwelcome French intervention in the Spanish War of Succession circa 1700, "titles of nobility" were introduced to Spanish society, en masse. The concept was genuinely foreign to Spain and stripped Spain of the somewhat egalitarian concept of "Hidalgos" and "Hidalguia". Ancient Spain honored its military, ecclesiastic, and civil service heroes and their families with noble status. Nobility privileges were largely limited to the non-payment of taxes, military service at the level of officer, and facilitated entry into civil servant positions which were nominally lucrative (in addition to other simultaneously held posts generating salaries or "rents".) Ancient Spanish nobles were expected to serve in the armed forces as officers, serve as religious clergymen, or serve as civil servants. Incomes were derived from these salaries or from rents derived from properties held within "lordships".
Exhaustive archival searches in Asturias, Spain reveal that
I am a collateral descendant of Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Alonso de la Campa--First Adelantado and Governor of Florida. Pedro's true surname was "Menendez Valdes".
One of my ancestral surnames from Asturias, Spain, is "Valdes". DNA testing shows that we descend from a 17th century "Menendez Valdes" probably of the House of Valdes in Gijon. DNA testing also shows that our Menendez Valdes "matches" 1,500 years ago were in western Germany or Holland (Saxony). The 16th century canon bishop of the Cathedral of Oviedo, Tirso de Aviles, wrote that "Valdes" was derived from the Saxon surname, "Baltes"--a family of knights who were exiled from Britain (losers in war of succession?). The Baltes or "Valdes" family began its history in northwestern Spain between 700 and 1,000. Bermudo Armentariz (Lord of the original House of Valdes in Luarca, County of Valdes) married Dona Palla aka Dona Santa Palla or Paya (different spellings) circa 1,000 AD. Dona Palla was
"nieta de Ramiro II, Rey de Espana" [Taken from BOLETÍN DE LA REAL ACADEMIA DE LA HISTORIA, May 1911.]
English: Granddaughter of Ramiro II, King of Spain. Taken from Bulletin of the (Spanish) Royal Academy of History, May 1911.
The eldest male of the Pedro Menendez de Aviles (or Menendez Valdes) lineage held the title of Lord of Dona Palla which was linked to lucrative lands, rental properties and other economic privieges.
Also...
1. Baltodias de Valtés, floreció reinando en León don Ordoño I. años [de] 858 [y] fue señor de la villa de Luarca, cabeza del Consejo de Valdés, llamado así por su dueños, uno de los Puertos marítimos del Principado de Asturias, que es la casa solariega de esta familia, el cual tuvo por hija a:
2. Flora Valtés, que sucedio a su padre en el estado de Luarca, y casó con Falarando, hijo de
Roldán, hermano de Nuño Belchides, hijos de Milon, Conde de Angleria, y su mujer Berta, hermana de Carlo Magno, Emperador de Alemania, y Rey de Francia. Así lo dicen Fr. Gonzalo de Arredondo, Abad de San Pedro de Arlanza, Cronista de los Reyes Católicos, en la historia del Conde Fernán González, y Pineda en la Monarquía Eclesiástica, tomo 4, libro 27, capitulo 1, por donde participan los Valdés de la sangre de Carlo Magno.
English: Clear Origin and Illustrious descent of the ancient House of Valdes, its famous males, and services rendered to the Monarchy of Spain. Offered to the Catholic Majesty of the King, Our Lord, Don Felipe IV.
by Rodrigo Mendez Silva, General Historian of the Kingdoms of Spain and Minister of the Supreme Council of Castile, Year 1650.
1. Baltodias de Valdes, prospered under the reign of Ordono I, of Leon, year 858, and was Lord of the town of Luarca, capital of the County of Valdes, a seaport of the Principality of Asturias which is the most ancient House of this family, who had a daughter...
2. Flora Valtes, who succeeded her father in Luarca and married Falarando, son of Roldan, brother of Nuno Belchides, sons of Milon, Count of Angleria, and his wife Berta, sister of Charlemagne, Emperor of Germany and King of France. So says Father Gonzalo de Arredondo, Abad of San Pedro de Arlanza, Historian of the Catholic Monarchs, in the history of Count Fernan Gonzalez y Pineda in the Ecclesiastic Monarchy, vol. 4, book 27, chapter 1, the link of the Valdes family and the bloodline of Charlemagne.
My baptismal certificates for "Valdes" go back to the 17th century--we link to the Houses of Gijon and Luarca (County of Valdes).
Thus, although "Spanish" our "Menendez Valdes" (aka Menendez de Aviles) ancestors appear to have been from Saxony and later the British Isles.
I descend from French, Spanish and (possibly) Italian noble families. A "noble of the blood" arises following three consecutive generations of noble status. By this definition I am a "noble of the blood" via paternal ("Castro-Palomino") and maternal lines ("Menendez", "Inclan", "Valdes", "Marino de Lobera", "Arango", "Cuervo", "de Lamar", "de Acosta", "Portillo", "Rodriguez de Leon", and "Abbadie").
Ancient Spanish tradition called for untitled nobles termed "Hidalgos" ("Sons-of-Something or -Someone"). Following unwelcome French intervention in the Spanish War of Succession circa 1700, "titles of nobility" were introduced to Spanish society, en masse. The concept was genuinely foreign to Spain and stripped Spain of the somewhat egalitarian concept of "Hidalgos" and "Hidalguia". Ancient Spain honored its military, ecclesiastic, and civil service heroes and their families with noble status. Nobility privileges were largely limited to the non-payment of taxes, military service at the level of officer, and facilitated entry into civil servant positions which were nominally lucrative (in addition to other simultaneously held posts generating salaries or "rents".) Ancient Spanish nobles were expected to serve in the armed forces as officers, serve as religious clergymen, or serve as civil servants. Incomes were derived from these salaries or from rents derived from properties held within "lordships".
Exhaustive archival searches in Asturias, Spain reveal that
I am a collateral descendant of Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Alonso de la Campa--First Adelantado and Governor of Florida. Pedro's true surname was "Menendez Valdes".
One of my ancestral surnames from Asturias, Spain, is "Valdes". DNA testing shows that we descend from a 17th century "Menendez Valdes" probably of the House of Valdes in Gijon. DNA testing also shows that our Menendez Valdes "matches" 1,500 years ago were in western Germany or Holland (Saxony). The 16th century canon bishop of the Cathedral of Oviedo, Tirso de Aviles, wrote that "Valdes" was derived from the Saxon surname, "Baltes"--a family of knights who were exiled from Britain (losers in war of succession?). The Baltes or "Valdes" family began its history in northwestern Spain between 700 and 1,000. Bermudo Armentariz (Lord of the original House of Valdes in Luarca, County of Valdes) married Dona Palla aka Dona Santa Palla or Paya (different spellings) circa 1,000 AD. Dona Palla was
"nieta de Ramiro II, Rey de Espana" [Taken from BOLETÍN DE LA REAL ACADEMIA DE LA HISTORIA, May 1911.]
English: Granddaughter of Ramiro II, King of Spain. Taken from Bulletin of the (Spanish) Royal Academy of History, May 1911.
The eldest male of the Pedro Menendez de Aviles (or Menendez Valdes) lineage held the title of Lord of Dona Palla which was linked to lucrative lands, rental properties and other economic privieges.
Also...
CLARO ORIGEN, Y DESCENDENCIA ILUSTRE DE
la antigua Casa de Valdés, sus Varones famosos,
y servicios señalados, que han hecho a la
Monarquía de España.
OFRECIDO A LA MAJESTAD CATÓLICA
del Rey N.S. Don Felipe Cuarto.
POR RODRIGO MÉNDEZ SILVA, CRONISTA
General de los Reinos de España y Ministro del Supremo
Consejo de Castilla
Año 1650
1. Baltodias de Valtés, floreció reinando en León don Ordoño I. años [de] 858 [y] fue señor de la villa de Luarca, cabeza del Consejo de Valdés, llamado así por su dueños, uno de los Puertos marítimos del Principado de Asturias, que es la casa solariega de esta familia, el cual tuvo por hija a:
2. Flora Valtés, que sucedio a su padre en el estado de Luarca, y casó con Falarando, hijo de
Roldán, hermano de Nuño Belchides, hijos de Milon, Conde de Angleria, y su mujer Berta, hermana de Carlo Magno, Emperador de Alemania, y Rey de Francia. Así lo dicen Fr. Gonzalo de Arredondo, Abad de San Pedro de Arlanza, Cronista de los Reyes Católicos, en la historia del Conde Fernán González, y Pineda en la Monarquía Eclesiástica, tomo 4, libro 27, capitulo 1, por donde participan los Valdés de la sangre de Carlo Magno.
English: Clear Origin and Illustrious descent of the ancient House of Valdes, its famous males, and services rendered to the Monarchy of Spain. Offered to the Catholic Majesty of the King, Our Lord, Don Felipe IV.
by Rodrigo Mendez Silva, General Historian of the Kingdoms of Spain and Minister of the Supreme Council of Castile, Year 1650.
1. Baltodias de Valdes, prospered under the reign of Ordono I, of Leon, year 858, and was Lord of the town of Luarca, capital of the County of Valdes, a seaport of the Principality of Asturias which is the most ancient House of this family, who had a daughter...
2. Flora Valtes, who succeeded her father in Luarca and married Falarando, son of Roldan, brother of Nuno Belchides, sons of Milon, Count of Angleria, and his wife Berta, sister of Charlemagne, Emperor of Germany and King of France. So says Father Gonzalo de Arredondo, Abad of San Pedro de Arlanza, Historian of the Catholic Monarchs, in the history of Count Fernan Gonzalez y Pineda in the Ecclesiastic Monarchy, vol. 4, book 27, chapter 1, the link of the Valdes family and the bloodline of Charlemagne.
My baptismal certificates for "Valdes" go back to the 17th century--we link to the Houses of Gijon and Luarca (County of Valdes).
Thus, although "Spanish" our "Menendez Valdes" (aka Menendez de Aviles) ancestors appear to have been from Saxony and later the British Isles.
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