One phrase professional genealogists hear regularly is: “Our family arrived with William the Conqueror”, and it doesn’t always fill us with the level of excitement you might expect.
Firstly, it’s probably not the case. Secondly, even if true, it’s very hard to prove. And thirdly, it’s even less likely in Scotland. Nevertheless, it’s such a popular belief that it’s possible to get the impression that nobody lived in England until the Normans turned up.
So, let’s start with a few facts. On 5 January 1066, the childless King of England, Edward the Confessor, died, and his brother-in-law, Harold Godwinson, became king. However, Harald Hardrada, King Harald III of Norway, also lay claim to the English throne, and was supported in his claim by Tostig Godwinson, the new King of
