Articles by Jan-Olov von Wowern

Genealogy of the Royal House of Aragon The Royal House of Aragon was founded by James I of Aragon ("The Conqueror") who reigned as King of Aragon 1213 - 1276. The Kingdom of Aragon was one of the small Christian states which arose in the Iberian peninsula following the gradual expulsion of the Moors, who had held sway in the area in the wake of their conquest of the old Visigothic realm of Spain in the eighth century.

Nobiliary law - what is it by Jan-Olov von WowernI have elsewhere defined nobiliary law as "national legislation, or international or national customs, regulating nobiliary issues. In many cases this is not codified, but rather a set of rules and traditions having gained acceptance" (see my book at

Rules of noble succession by Jan-Olov von WowernLet me first say that the rules of noble succession, as they apply to a specific noble family, can normally not be changed. They are determined either by:1) the rules of succession laid down in the letter patent which was given to the family member who was first ennobled (for patent nobility)or2) the rules of succession in use at the time and the place where the family was first recognised as noble (for original nobility)It follows that in the case of patent nobility the rules of succession could only be changed by the conferring authority, the reigning Monarch or his or hers successors (if the constitution would allow for such changes).

Ancestor surname : do you belong to an ancient noble familyby Jan-Olov von WowernThe purpose of this article is to show what you should look out for if you are searching for an ancestor's surname and want to know if it is noble.

1) Catholic hierarchy : the nobiliary element in the Catholic Church by Jan-Olov von WowernIt seems to me that some of the oldest still surviving hierarchies are those of the nobility, the Church and the military.

Forefather: find the ancestor who founded your noble family!by Jan-Olov von WowernI will here use the term "forefather" in the sense of "founder", which, as used in nobiliary genealogical work, usually refers to the person who was first ennobled or recognized as noble.

Noblewomen: the first ladies!by Jan-Olov von WowernThe role and position of noblewomen in later medieval Europe is a subject about which comparatively little has been written. The noblewomen, particularly those of the higher nobility, usually found themselves in a situation where it was taken for granted they would marry and strengthen the position of the family by forming a union with a man of similar (or better) standing.

The original nobility: patricians and knightsby Jan-Olov von WowernBy "nobility" I refer to that class in society which once had hereditary political, financial and social privileges guaranteed by law.

Title of nobility : what is it by Jan-Olov von WowernThe purpose of this short article is to explain the use of titles of nobility for genealogical purposes. A title of nobility is by no means subject to international standardisation, but rather to national and local differences.

Find Your Noble Ancestors! Are you interested in genealogy and family search Would you like to find out if you belong to an ancient noble family 3 years ago I started doing serious research about my family, and came all the way back to the founder of our family who was made a Marquis in the year 1141.