Family Genealogy

Genealogy—the study of family lineage—is of great personal significance to Paul. He believes that understanding one’s origins can offer valuable insight into personality traits and shed light on why certain aspects of life hold particular importance. While the environment in which one is raised and educated undeniably shapes one’s character, the genetic legacy encoded within one’s DNA also plays a vital role.

Paul’s paternal heritage is of Anglo-Irish origin. Several generations ago, his ancestors migrated to the English–Scottish border regions during the 1800s, eventually settling in Devonshire. On his maternal side, the family has long-standing roots in Devonshire, with some branches traceable as far back as the Norman Conquest (circa 1066).

Paul’s interest in genealogy began in 2006 and has steadily deepened over time. Initially, he undertook research in collaboration with a professional genealogist—a former researcher and private assistant to the Garter Principal King of Arms at His Majesty’s College of Arms. This partnership laid the foundation for what has since grown into an extensive family tree, encompassing over 3,000 individuals, including numerous cousins of varying degrees.

A significant portion of Paul’s research has focused on his maternal lineage, which has remained largely within the county of Devonshire for centuries. Nevertheless, various branches of the family have emigrated across the globe, including to Canada, the United States of America, New Zealand, the Commonwealth of Australia, South Africa, and several European nations.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, intermarriage between the aristocracy and landed gentry was common, while unions between differing social classes were far less frequent than in the modern era. From Paul’s 14th great-grandfather, John Petre, and the marriages of his descendants, the family has become distantly connected to many prominent British noble families. These include the Dukes of Norfolk; the Marquesses of Bute; the Earls of Shrewsbury, Castlehaven, Denbigh, and Granard; the Barons Petre, Howard of Glossop, Thicknesse-Touchet, and Clifford of Chudleigh; as well as the Baronets of Sheffield and Hanmer.

Among these distant relations are individuals who served as Secretaries of State to Tudor monarchs, as Governors-General of various Dominions—including the third Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia—and as notable figures in politics, science, diplomacy, and the Armed Forces, both in the United Kingdom and abroad.

At present, Paul has traced his maternal grandparents’ lineages—with his grandmothers’ lines reaching as far back as the 12th century and his grandfathers’ to the 15th. Research into his paternal lines is currently ongoing.