Ada de Warenne, Countess of Huntingdon - All curators please assist Find a grave verifies no grave or burial site here

And one other point -- I think it's good to be immediately skeptical of any theory that depends on a faked death.

First, there's the problem that any theory invoking a faked death has to remain forever speculative, unless some evidence surfaces that clearly and unambiguously proves it. That is, there is NO other scenario that will work.

Second, there is a usually a simple logical problem with speculating about a faked death. Here, the problem is that there would have been many people who could have benefited from the king's favor if they had reported the fraud. Yet none of them came forward to receive that bounty?

Third, just personal experience, this is arguably the most common plot device for fakers in general. I know half a dozen guys who are Habsburg princes because some 19th century Austrian prince faked his death and ran off to South America with a mistress he secretly married. Fakers all ;)

In the Brereton book Ulf quoted from, by an American descendant studying in 1904, and aware of the inscription etc, he was very sorrowfully skeptical of the claim, and went into some detail to think through the contradictions and how they could have originated.

http://archive.org/stream/breretonsofchesh00brer/breretonsofchesh00...

My impression is that he was thinking it started as a simple mixup in the 1600s when the site was examined as part of applying for the coat of arms.

He stopped short of saying he thought it was evidence twisted or fabricated to make that particular claim "grander," but i did come away with that implication.

And I don't understand why there seems to be (i have not fully researched this) no reference to Ada de Huntington as a Brereton wife and MOTHER in the years between 1242 and whenever it was the pedigree was created (1600s). That seems odd.

Agreed. I think we all realized early on that this claim has all the features of a typical fraud by Tudor heralds. I'm still willing to consider the idea that it's not, but I'm waiting to see some actual evidence.

The homely little story about the muzzled bear in the Brereton has an exact parallel in dozens of English and Scottish family legends first recorded in this period.

And, the statement by James I in a patent to William Brereton also points to a origin before or about the time of the Visitations.

It looks like the pedigree might have gained some credence in Victorian times due to this:

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dwarris,_Fortunatus_William_Lilley_(D...

In the ‘Archæologia,’ xxxiii. 55, is a paper by Dwarris ‘On the History of one of the Old Cheshire Families,’ the Breretons, with whom his wife was connected.

The Tudors were unscrupulous, and the Victorians very gullible. A perfect match.

Best summary, ever. I'm going to have it done in calligraphy, frame it, and hang it on the wall above my desk.

This caught my eye. A great saying, framed and hung :)

How about you can lead a human to knowledge but you can't make em think...