psychoceramics: BYZANTINE EMPIRE (fwd)

[Carl Moss <carl @ cueball.demon.co.uk>]

In message <Pine.SUN.3.91.960521111948.777V-1--@s--.us.itd.umich.edu>,
Alan Terlep <x--@u--.edu> writes
>Thought y'all might be interested in this...
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Sat, 18 May 1996 18:48:57 -0400 (EDT)
>From: TEKNOTRADE <TEKNOTRADE--@i--.it>
>To: x--@u--.edu
>Subject: BYZANTINE EMPIRE
>
>Dear Sir,
>Here is the KING OF ARMS office of the "BYZANTINE EMPIRE" actually
>governed by H.M.I.R. PETER III Paleologus, Prince of Byzance.
>We are interested to cooperate with all the International Organizations
>involved in HERALDRY field, also because the BYZANTINE EMPEROR is today
>fully in charge of the "FONS HONORUM", coming to Him as per legitime and
>continuous Genealogy.
>We are ready to offer to you more details on demand to our email or :
>Ph. +39.80.5429119
>Fax +39.80.5428425
>
>Best regards
>
>H.EX. Dott. Ing. Gianfranco LIUZZI
>SPECIAL ENVOYS of
>H.M.I.R. PETER III Paleologus
>Prince of Byzance

On this subject, I quote from "The Immortal Emperor" by Donald M. Nichol
about those who claim descent from the imperial Palaiologos family:

'A less likely claimant to the Byzantine legacy was a postman called Archie
White-Palaeologus who, in the 1970s, declared that he was of Greek origin
and descended from the imperial family of Constantinople.... Archie
maintained that his real name was Prince Robert Wheeler Palaeologus; and he
reported that there were still many Palaeologi living in England who from
time to time dressed up in their imperial robes and held assemblies.....

The embers of the fire and glory of the last Christian Emperor of
Constantinople smoulder on. The latest to huff and puff upon them was
another Englishman, Peter Francis Mills of Newport in the Isle of Wight, who
died aged 61 in January 1988. For long he had called himself Prince Petros
Palaeologus, though he liked to be styled as 'His Imperial Majesty Petros I,
Despot and Autokrator of the Romans, The Prince Palaeologus'. His
letterheads were imprinted with the title of Grand Master of the Ordo
Imperialis Constantinianus Militaris Sancti Georgii. His seal displayed the
double-headed eagle. His Imperial Chancellor (or Kouropalatios) who was
convinced of his own imperial ancestry, lived in Dunkineely, Co. Donegal in
Ireland....

It seems that the self-styled Prince, Emperor, Despot and Duke was no more
than an English eccentric. He was often to be seen striding the streets of
Newport, "with long flowing white hair, sandals but no socks and some sort
of military order around his neck"...... His second wife .. piously and
loyally continues to defend her assumed title of H.I.H. Patricia
Palaeologina, Empress of the Romans. Debrett's Peerage refused to have
anything to do with him....

There may well be others who claim the heritage of the imperial Byzantine
family of Palaiologos. None of them, however, can do more than try to prove
the title through collateral descent. For the last Emperor Constantine died
childless and unmarried.'


The same book also mentions that there is a long-running belief that the
family of Kolonet, Colnet, Colnutt or Colenutt to be found on the Isle of
Wight is connected with the Palaeologi - the name 'Kolonet' is said
originate in the Byzantine province of Koloneia in Asia Minor. In
particular, many of those so claiming assert their descent from one John
Laskaris Palaiologos of Kolnet who died at Viterbo in 1558. He is alleged to
have married Maria Colneat Phokas, a child of the marriage of Prince Matthew
de Kolonet to a daughter of Uzun Hasan, Khan of the Turkomans of the White
Sheep or Ak-Koyunlu and Lord of Dyarbakir in Persia. One of the sons of
Maria Colneat and John Laskaris Palaiologos is said to have been Richard
Komnenos Phokas Palaiologos of Kolonet who married Joanna Dauntsey, daughter
of Sir John Dauntsey, a cousin of King Henry VIII of England. Joanna settled
at Combley on the Isle of Wight where she died in 1551. Prince Petros liked
to claim his descent through William Colenutt, a son of Richard Palaiologos
and Joanna Dauntsey.


-- 
Carl Moss                                       c--@c--.demon.co.uk