General Notes

From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.

Curt Hofemann, in a post-em, indicates many people have doubts about Sprota's noble birth:

Sprota [Ref: ES III:694A] note: I have numerous notes on her (lack of) ancestry which I think I've previously provided. If I've not, let me know & I will gladly share them... Curt

Raoul/Rudolf/Ralph, count of Ivry, is the uterine brother of Richard I of Normandy, son of William. ("This was given by Dudo based on information supplied to him by Raoul himself, so is perfectly reliable", as Todd's mentioned.) But my understanding has always been that Raoul was the son of Sprota/Esporta de Bretagne/Senlis not by William Longsword but by Asperling/Esperlingus/Eperling. [Ref: Christopher Nash message to Gen-Medieval 15 Apr 2002 discussing an error in KSB Keats-Rohan's Domesday People. TAF (Todd A Farmerie) in response confirmed the above] note: she was NOT de Senlis and as far as "de Bretagne" see below... Curt

While this speculation is certainly possible, the alternative is likewise possible, that being that she was just some cute looking Breton peasant that William took a liking to. That, however, provides no opportunity for further genealogical research, so tends to pale in comparison to the possibility of attaching her to some noble house. My gut reaction is that, considering her son Ralph (d'Ivry) was one of the main sources of the norman historian Dudo, yet no such important connection was mentioned, she likely did not have any hereditary recomendations (sic) when chosen by Longsword. [Ref: TAF 9 Dec 2002]

Regards,
Curt


Sources:

1. Title: Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists, 7th Edition, by Frederick Lewis Weis, additions by Walter Lee Shippard Jr., 1999
Page: 121e-19
Text: Sprota (Danish wife of William I of Normandy), a Breton (no last name)
2. Title: The Plantagenet Ancestry, by William Henry Turton, 1968
Page: 6, 100
Text: Sporta de Senlis
3. Title: Complete Peerage of England Scotland Ireland Great Britain and the United Kingdom, by G. E Cokayne, Sutton Publishing Ltd, 2000
Page: VI:447 (g)
Text: not named but implied as mother of Richard I & Ralph d'Ivry
4. "Ancestors of John Whitcomb" from GEDCOMs downloaded from AOL on 06/21/97, p. 13
5. Title: Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists, 7th Edition, by Frederick Lewis Weis, additions by Walter Lee Shippard Jr., 1999
Page: 121e-19
Text: no date, 1st wife (930 would coincide with William's conquest of Brittany when Sprota was probably taken