Stokes Throughout the Ages

My brother Henry, our resident genealogist, found a list of Stokes' in our family dating back to 1038 AD!

Ranulphus De Praers Lord of Vil of Stokes 1038
William de Stoke or Fitz Ranulf 1088
Sir Richard De Stokes Knight 1117
Roger De Stokes Baron of Walton 1140
Robert De Stokes Lord of Clavering 1161
John De Stokes Baron of Walton 1181
Robert De Stokes Custodian of Newcastle Mnt 1203
Richard De Stokes Burgess of Colchester 1231
Edmund De Stokes 1268
Robert De Stokes 1303
John De Stokes 1329
Thomas Stokes 1357
Robert Stokes, esq. 1387
Thomas Stokes, esq. 1413
Thomas Stokes 1438
George Stokes 1466
Thomas Stokes 1498
John Stokes 1535
Henry Stokes 1566
Henry Stokes ?
Thomas Stokes Sr. Burgess of Colchester 1640
Joseph Stokes Sr. 1682
Samuel Stokes Honorable 1711
John Hinchman Stokes 1764
John Hinchman Stokes 1782
Henry Newlin Stokes 1859
John Hinchman Stokes 1885
James William Stokes 1939

and then yours truly (Brian John Stokes), Colin Samuel Stokes, and Henry Alexander Stokes

A big shout-out to Ranulphus for getting the Stokes party started 969 years ago!

Charlotte goes to Texas

The Stokes family united in San Antonio this past weekend for Thanksgiving. Charlotte was naturally the center of attention. (How could it be otherwise?)

Charlotte Reaching Out Through Cyberspace

How very 2006. A screenshot taken from my computer showing my face (via webcam) both locally and on my brother's computer in Boston, being touched by his daughter Charlotte. Whew!

Colin says that the sitcom Dinosaurs got it right with Baby Sinclair saying "Again!" over and over. This is probably Charlotte Request To Be Upside Down # 317.

Charlotte, recovering after a successful Charlotte Request To Be Upside Down # 1203.

Charlotte, apparently checking to see if I'm really a floating head.
(The correct answer may surprise you.)

Colin, Charlotte, and Uncle Brian, brought together by consumer-grade videoconferencing technology (either that or masterful Photoshop skills.)

Webcam-ing with Charlotte & Colin is becoming a weekly ritual. This week we tried using SightSpeed, an alternative cross-platform video chat program. (Apple's iChat works great between Macs, but when talking to PCs, the absurdly crappy AOL AIM software launches up, making the PC user image the size of a postage stamp and forcing him to choose between seeing them and seeing himself. Get with it, AOL. Pathetic. Or better yet, Apple should make a version of iChat for the PC.)

Overall, SightSpeed is MUCH better, though the sound is a tad echoey from my end (might be my sound card setup). On Colin's end, my image was higher resolution. On my end, their image seemed a little blockier than from iChat, but it was good enough.

I hope Charlotte isn't totally confused when we see each other in person over Thanksgiving.

Uncle John Stokes

My brother Colin went to Normandy recently and found the grave site of our Uncle John, who died on D-Day at Omaha Beach, dramatized at the beginning of Saving Private Ryan.

Via Henry Stokes.

Little Miss Charlotte (my niece)

Adorable, smiley, and with her own line of chic accessories. It's Charlotte!