The new Second Edition of The Royal Descents of 900 Immigrants to the American Colonies, Quebec, or the United States identifies 600 major historical figures in its 1,700+ pages. These celebrities range from W. H. Auden and Jane Austin to Thomas Mann and Karl Marx, and from John Kerry and Robert E. Lee to Aristotle Onassis and Cornelius Vanderbilt II.
One of the more interesting descendancies in RD 900 2nd Edition is that of the late mercurial rock and blues singer Janis Joplin. Janis’s claims to a royal heritage are linked to John “Lackland,” King of England, d. 1216 and Isabel of Angouleme. The singer’s American immigrant ancestor was Ralph Joplin(g) of Virginia. We’ve reprinted the Joplin line, complete with sources, below. Imagine what royal line from RD 900 2nd Edition you might be connected to.
