Sanderstead Re-visited

For what it's worth

The posting in this blog dated FEbruary 23, 2011 and titled "Knights Templar" contained this paragraph: "In the book "Generations, A Thousand Year Family History" written by Ralph Sanders with his sisters , Carol Sanders and Peggy sanders Van Der Heide, there is a chapter championing the life and times of Sir Leonard de Sanderstead. These lines are taken from that book: "Who then was Sir Leonard de Sandewrstead? Although our knowledge of him stems from a single record, the record itself is particularly fertile. We find references to Sir Leonard in a seventeenth-century document called "Advente de Carmathenshire" [They came to Carmathenshire], indicating that Sir Leonard once held land in that County of South Wales. The record further indicates that he had at some point acquired knighthood and bore a Coat of Arms ---." These records also stated that Sir Leonard had, at least one son, Richard who sold land at Sanderstead in 1234. Thus the time line Ralph Sanders used to set Sir Leonard's birth date at about 1175 but I believe it probably was closer to 1150 and he was a contemporary of King Richard the Lionheart who led the Third Crusade. He probably was either a knight in King Richard's army or a member of the Knights' Templar. Was he one of my ancestors? I don't know for sure but according to Ralph Sanders' book he probably was. About 25 or 26 generations ago."

A few days ago we received an e-mail from Ralph Sanders, the author of the "Generations" book enquiring as to what information we were basing that time line on. Our answer had to be, like many genealogies, speculation. According to history, Richard the First, called Couer de Lion, or the Lion-Hearted, 1157 - 1199, was born in Oxford, England , the son of Henry the Second and Eleanoir of Aquitaine. Richard succeded his father as King in 1189 and immediately began raising money for a Crusade. Later that same year he led an army of 8,000 men and a fleet of 300 ships, embarking on the Third Crusade. He captured Cyprus and Acre in 1191, other wins followed but the winning of the battle of Arsuf (and probably Acre) was more from the efforts of the Knights' Templar than that of the Crusaders. King Richard died from a wound he received in battle in 1199 because of lack of medical attention. According to history, he wouldn't listen to his aide who urged him to have it seen to. During his 10 years as King he was in England only a few months, his brother, Prince John, (remember Robin Hood) ruled in his stead.

Because of the nearness of the time lines of King Richard and Sir Leonard de Sanderstead, I would, by speculation only, make them contemporaries. To the point, that was all I had except the book written by the Ralph Sanders family on which to base my opinions about the time line of Sir Leonard. If anyone reading this posting, or any other part of this blog, should wish to make comment they can make it here or contact me at williamlee100@netzero.com. Thanks for your time and input. - William