I guess this is a slightly specific query but it could become more general about medieval genealogies available on the internet.

I yesterday began to try and determine my Paulet ancestry, and was suprised to see a huge number of websites listing it. All the websites had the same tree but none have any sources of any form... The Visitations seem to support most of the tree (though I realise that means very little) and have found parish and civil records for the later members. What I'd really like to understand is how every site seems to suggest the Paulet family is illegitimately descended from the Plantagenets:

"Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, Duke of Brittany (b 23.09.1158, d 1186)
m.(1181) Constance, Duchess of Brittany (b 1161, d 05.09.1201)
i. Arthur Plantagenet, Duke of Brittany (b 1187, d 1203)
ii. Eleonore Plantagenet (b 1184, d 1241)
Mentioned in Collins (1741, vol i, Powlett of Bolton) and presumably an illegitimate son of Geoffrey was ...
iii. William de Paulet of Leigh Paulet (d 1242)" From Stirnet.com

Stirnet at least have some explanation but that line seems to be confused: Collins certainly doesn't mention the Paulet's as illegitimate, but rather, that they were members of Geoffrey's retinue.

Anyway, I was hoping someone might know a bit more about illegitimate children of such individuals and be able to suggest whether this is pure fabrication (as I suspect).

Many thanks,

Ben