About Banquo / Banqvi, Thane of Lochaber
Wikipedia: Shakespeare often used Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland—commonly known as Holinshed's Chronicles—as a source for his plays, and in Macbeth he borrows from several of the tales in that work. Holinshed portrays Banquo as an historical figure: he is an accomplice in Mac Bethad mac Findlaích's (Macbeth's) murder of Donnchad mac Crínáin (King Duncan) and plays an important part in ensuring that Macbeth, not Máel Coluim mac Donnchada (Malcolm), takes the throne in the coup that follows. Holinshed in turn used an earlier work, the Scotorum Historiae (1526–7) by Hector Boece, as his source.
Boece's work is the first known record of Banquo and his son Fleance; and some scholars such as David Bevington suggested that perhaps they were people whose story became fictionalized characters. History was initially passed on by oral means, which made historical events subject to later dispute, revision, or embellishment due to property claims or dispute over historical credit for an event. In Shakespeare's day, Banquo and Fleance were considered historical figures of great repute, and the king, James I, based his claim to the throne in part on a descent from Banquo. The House of Stuart was descended from Walter fitz Alan, the first High Steward of Scotland, and he was believed to be the son of Fleance and Gruffydd ap Llywelyn's daughter, Nesta verch Gruffydd. In reality Walter fitz Alan was the son of a Breton knight.
George Edson, STEWART CLAN MAGAZINE, Tome J, Volume 47, Number 7, JANUARY, 1970, pp. 77-80 (copied on http://www.angelfire.com/ok/PeggyAGivens/HiddenManuscripts.html)
His wife was the daughter of a King of Scotland--which one is unknown. He was born at Lochabar. He died circa 1048.
- Kenneth of Lochaber
born about 0960 died about 1030
- Ferguard of Lochaber
born 0929 died about 0980
- Ragnild Eriksdottir of Norway
- Dunclina Princess of Scotland
born about 0960 Scotland
- Banquo of Lochaber
born about 0990 died 1043
biographical and/or anecdotal: notes or source: ancestry.com
Posted by: Rick Eaton on http://genforum.genealogy.com/eaton/messages/3371.html
RISE OF THE HOUSE OF STEWART
The Stewart clan claims descent from Banquo, the Thane of Lochquhaber, a legendary Highland chief from the time of MacBeth. In 1606, following the Union of the Crowns under which James VI of Scotland became also James I of England, Shakespeare wrote of Banquo in his famous drama "MacBeth". Shakespeare had gotten the historical background for his play from Holinshed's "Chronicles", but it had also been recorded by Hector Boece in his "Historia" from a lost source document of John Barbour entitled "The Stewartis Original". Barbour traced the origins of the Stewart clan back to Ninus, the founder of Nineveh.
It was not uncommon in those days for aristocratic families to claim descent from mythological characters. The Scottish royal line that ended with the death of Alexander III in 1290 traced its lineage beyond the original Fergus Mor Mac Erc of Dalriada to a legendary character named Gaythelos, who engendered the Scottish race by marrying Scota, daughter of an Egyptian Pharaoh who reigned during the time of Moses. The early British kings were said to be descended from Brutus, great-grandson of Aeneas. It became a sort of contest among the royal families to claim the most impressive roots, and, in Scotland's case, it served to establish the separate origins of the Scottish people as against their nemesis, the English.
Holinshed died 20 years before the Union of the Crowns. In Holinshed's version, Banquo's son Fleance meets up with the three weird sisters, the Godesses of Destiny These are Holinshed's words from which Shakespeare would have borrowed the famous scene:
"We promise greater benefits unto thee than unto him [i.e., MacBeth], for he shall reign indeed but with an unlucky end; neither shall he leave any issue behind him to succeed in his place, where contrarily thou indeed shall not reign at all, but of thee those shall be born which shall govern the Scottish kingdom by long order of continual descent."
In Shakespeare's version, MacBeth murders Banquo but not his son, Fleance. MacBeth visits the weird sisters to get a look at what the future holds and learns of the long dynasty in store for Banquo's descendants. The sisters show him a long line of Stewart kings, some carrying a triple scepter to symbolize their rule over England, Scotland, and Ireland. Of course, Shakespeare already knew of the Union of the Crowns. He was simply flattering his new King, James VI and I.
The truth behind the Stewart genealogy did not begin to emerge until 1858, when Shropshire historian E. W. Eaton discovered documents establishing that Walter, the first High Steward of Scotland, had come into the Scottish realm during the time of King David I (1124-1153). David I is known for establishing Norman feudalism in Scotland. He had grown up at the English court shortly after the Battle of Hastings. When he took the throne of Scotland, he brought with him many of his Anglo-Norman companions, and they became the progenitors of Scottish nobility. Of course, many of them also held aristocratic status and estates in England, and this led to the problem of divided loyalties Wallace encountered later during the first Scottish War of Independence. The Bruce (de Brus), Comyn (de Comines), and Balliol (de Balleuil) families were among those who came into Scotland during David's reign.
Walter, the First High Steward of Scotland, however, was not of Norman descent. His ancestors were from Brittany. Thus, they were of Celtic blood. The correct genealogy of the Stewarts was uncovered in the late nineteenth century, when Dr. J. Horace Round discovered their roots. Banquo was reduced to legendary status. However, Shakespeare's Fleance (Banquo's son) had a very real counterpart in Flaald, one of three sons of Alan, Dapifer (Steward) to Rhiwhallon, Count of Dol, a town in Brittany near St. Malo. http://genforum.genealogy.com/eaton/messages/3371.html
722251872. Banco of Lochaber, Thane, born Bef. 1018 in , Scotland; died Abt. 1040 in , England. He was the son of Murdoc of Lochaber and Princess of Dunclina of Scotland, Princess.
Notes for Banco of Lochaber, Thane: Banco - Thane of Lochaber (Andre Roux: Scrolls, 57.) (Buchanan, William:, Page 20.) (Royal Genealogies authored by James Bettenham, published 1732.) (O'Hart, Irish Pedigrees, Page 262, #107). Born: before 1018 in Scotland, son of Murdoc of Lochaber and Dunclina of Scotland. Banquo is presumed to have been at least 15 years of age when he married. Banco was the Patriarch of the House of Stuart. The parentage of Banco is highly disputed and uncertain. O'Hart's Irish Pedigrees asserts no direct parentage for about 10 generations but that Banco is lineally descended from Donogh=Duncan, Thane of Lochquaber. The parentage given here is one postulated by Buchanan in his 'An Inquiry into the Genealogy and Present State of Ancient Scottish Surnames ...', first published 1820, reprinted 1994. James Anderson's 'Royal Genealogies' indicates Bacno's parents as un-named son of Grimus, son of Mogallusa, Prince of Scotland [brother of Kenneth III and Dufus] , son of Malcolm, son of Duncan, son of Constantin, son of Kenneth MacAlpin. Banco was a general in the army with MacBeth. He also was Governor of the West Islands under King Duncan I of Scotland. Died: circa 1040 in England. Banquo was murdered by Macbeth.
Children of Banco of Lochaber, Thane are:
>>i. Alan II De Dol, born Abt. 1056 in Dol-de-Bretagne, Ille-et-Vilaine, France; Stepchild. >>ii. Rivalon=Rhiwallon De Dol, born Abt. 1058 in Dol-de-Bretagne, Ille-et-Vilaine, France; Stepchild. 361125936 >>iii. Fleance De Dol, Seneschal, born Abt. 1035 in , Scotland; Stepchild; married Guenta Ferch-Gruffydd.
This Source: http://www.angelfire.com/ok/PeggyAGivens/HiddenManuscripts.html could do with backing up from some primary sources.