Grave Symbolism - A Depth of Meaning

I have been taken by genealogist who spend hours, if not days traveling from cemetery to cemetery recording the grave markers of famous people they are researching or for family members. Several member of my family do most of this kind of work. Until recently, I pretty much left it up to them. Then I spent some time on a tour in old Riverside Cemetery in Denver. There were grave markers that went back to the early days of Denver's history. Symbolism was absolutely everywhere, so I decided to learn more.

Eternal Life - Butterfly and Flowers - Eternal Life

It didn't take long before I was hooked. My next trip was to another of Denver's oldest cemeteries, Fairmont. My Father is buried there and most of the time I only go out to pay my respects to him.
My husband happened to be with me this time. We walked the cemetery and could not get over the great detail that went into most of the graves. Tiny little things came up, like the use of lambs or angels for the graves of small children. It was then that I realized that quite a bit could be gleamed about a person by their grave marker.

Indicative of a great loss - broken branch of family
and so close to the trunk.

This one above stuck out in my mind as I am also a Day. I remember when my Grandfather died back in the late 70's. It felt just like this grave marker indicates. A beautiful soul had died and the branch of family was broken as well. My Grandfather was the root of our family and the marker seemed to portray that as well. The broken branch is near the trunk.

Shows a journey to the other side.

This grave marker is full of symbolism. It shows the journey one makes from this life to that place where many of us feel our loved ones go. Life is a journey and perhaps these people felt their loved one was continuing the journey on.

In taking hundreds of pictures of both Riverside and Fairmont Cemeteries now, I have come to appreciate the beautiful artwork that is so carefully placed on grave headstones. Looking towards the part of the cemetery where the markers were set down into the ground, I feel at loss for the people buried there. Although still hallowed ground, the messages are often not included on such a small marker. It feels somehow empty with only the name, DOB and DOB on these graves.

I encourage you to walk your local cemetery some day and spend some time reflecting on the distinct messages each of the older graves have incorporated. It gives one a sense of appreciation for people you never knew.

Here is a link to some common grave symbolism. Take the link and remember them the next time you are in a cemetery.

Grave Marker Guide



 

New York in the American Revolution - A Source Guide for Genealogist and Historians

What are you reading? 

This book is exceptional and I highly recommend it. New York in the American Revolution - A Source Guide for Genealogist and Historians.  It is so pack full of information, I hardly know where to begin. A must have for anyone working in the New York area, or just interested in Colonial New York. The book is now available in printed version or as a PDF download through the DAR Store, visit dar.org/darstore or call the store toll-free at 888-673-2732 to order your copy. Enjoy and happy hunting!






Link Here

Consanguinity - The Degree of Genealogical Relationships

So you found someone famous in your family line have you? You turn to your friends and family and then have to proceed through a complicated description on just how you are related. Sounds easy at first, until someone's eyebrows scrunch, and a puzzled look come across their face as they try to process this new narrow, but worthy path you have just forage in relationships. 

Hoping that no one asks question we try to use the right words to help them understand the unique relationship you, or they have. If they understand or are family with the common language of relation sanguinity. It makes your job easier. 

So the statement that Daniel Boone is your the great-uncle of my great-great-grandfather's third cousin, shouldn't be a problem.  Right? I will give you a pen and watch you chart that relationship. No, you say? 

Hard to conceptualize? A bit confusing, right? Don't worry you are not alone. 

It is easier to think of what your shared ancestors would call you both - if your closet shared direct-line ancestor is your great-great-grandparents, and they call you both "great-great-grandchildren," then you have no removal, you two are second cousins. Once, Twice, Thice Removed...Have I lost you? Well hang on a bit. 

Actually, it is only by being familiar with the system we use in designating these relationships, that you can see there is a consistent formula to the kinship titles we assign to various family members. In English-speaking societies, we classify family relationship based on gender, generation, and consideration of consanguinity (direct descendants) and by what is called, immediate afinal (in-law) relationships. Our common familiarity is with immediate family and direct lines – brother, sister, cousins, aunts/uncles and the (great) grandparents. It starts to get confusing when differentiating between the “degrees” and “removals” of cousins. 

Something I am sure most of you will agree with as we all have wrestled with this system at one time or another. 

First, Second, Third Cousins?  What Does it Mean? The ordinals in this system, “first cousin”, “second cousin”, “third cousin”, all describe the degree of the cousin relationship or the number of generations to their closest ancestor. For example, your second cousin is a person you share great-grandparents with and is not your direct sibling. 

Table of Consanguinity Showing Degrees of Relationships

The secret is in the generations. When the cousins are not in your same generation then they are “removed. “First cousins once removed” declares that either one of you are one generation away from being first cousins. For example, if your first cousin has kids, they are your first cousins once removed – the closest common ancestor shared are your grandparents but are “once removed” from the level of first cousin (held by their parents). 

Here is the confusing part: there are two instances in your family tree that can share this title. This is a reflection of what cousins refer to each as. Up until now, each relationship in your family tree has inverse titles for each other. You are your aunt’s niece or nephew; you are your great-grandparents grandchild. Cousins refer to each other as cousins, but because of this, your first cousin’s kid is your first cousin once removed and you (the parent of their second cousin) are also their first cousin once removed – you each refer to each other as the same. This means that the child of your first cousin and the parents of your second cousin are both “first cousins once removed” despite each of them being generations apart. 

Here is the breakdown: 

FIRST COUSINS: Non-siblings that share grandparents 
SECOND COUSINS: Non-siblings that share great-grandparents 
THIRD COUSINS: Non-siblings that share great-great-grandparents 
FIRST COUSINS ONCE REMOVED: Two people for whom the first cousin relationship is    one generation removed. 
FIRST COUSINS TWICE REMOVED: Two people for whom the second cousin relationship is two generations removed. 

If this is still confusing, take a breath and remember they are not going anywhere and will still be your ancestor or relative tomorrow. You will in time and practice understand this classification system. Practice also always makes understanding so much easier. Try to use the chart with someone you are closer in relation to,  and you will find it easier each time you use it to classify your unique blood relation to people more distantly related.  Remember you can always pull out your file proving lineage and really impress everyone with your verifiable work. Because the proof is in the detailed genealogy work that you do anyway. 

Good luck and enjoy your newly discovered relatives!


 

Marriage Law for Genealogist - The Definitive Guide

Marriage Law for Genealogists: The Definitive Guide. By Rebecca Probert. Published by Takeaway Publishing. Copies are obtainable directly from the author at books@takeawaypublishing.co.uk or on Amazon. 2012. 160 pp. Illustrations, index. Softcover. $14.99.

The book is the definitive guide to understanding marriage law in England and Wales, from 1600 to the present. This book is written for genealogists and it is not a legal text. It is not a light read, but it is clearly written and is certainly worth the effort in reading all the way through to get a complete, accurate picture of marriage laws before it is used as a research tool to look up specific questions. 

Ms. Probert is a genealogist and Professor of Family Law at Warwick University and a leading authority of the history of marriage laws of England and Wales. She strongly disputes the writings of other historians such as John Gillis, Lawrence Stone and Brian Outhwaite who have all written extensively on marriage laws and practice, divorce, cohabitation, and children out of wedlock. Their books have guided many genealogists, including me, who write and research marriage laws. Probert contends that the errors and assumptions of these authors create confusion for genealogists. I would absolutely agree with her. In my personal opinion, she succeeds in clarifying the changing rules of marriage from 1600 to the present.

The book addresses five questions.  (1) “Whether and Why” your ancestor married deals with the likelihood of any given couple having gone through a valid ceremony of marriage. (2) “Who” examines who could marry, and whom they could or could not marry. (3) “How” examines the formalities required for a valid marriage, plus what that means for Roman Catholics or Protestants. (4) “When”  looks at the age at which couples could and did marry, when parental consent was required and who could object; plus it examines the seasons, days and hours when marriage could be and were celebrated. (5) “Where” moves beyond the legal requirements to large scale genealogical studies that provide guidance to family historians on where they may need to look for the marriages of their ancestors. Throughout the book there is a continual discussion of important key conditions (changing over time) that make a marriage valid, void, and voidable. Additionally there is frequent discussion about what in the law was required versus what was directory. Included in the text are sample questions typically raised by genealogists, and these are answered clearly. This is a must have book for all Genealogist. 

This book will greatly add to your understanding of marriage laws and help you in your research. It is a must for anyone seeking to understand the laws or struggling to find a particular marriage ancestor’s marriage. (Unique laws apply in Scotland and Ireland so don’t apply the laws here to other places, but make use of the framework presented here as an excellent structure for examining marriages in other locations.) If you think you know everything you need to know about English marriage laws then take the author's quiz

Find Here on Amazon


Find Here with Barnes and Noble

Princeton Battlefield Society - Tactical Reenactment

It is my great pleasure to share an exceptional upcoming event taking place April 6th and 7th 2013. The Princeton Battlefield Society of New Jersey will offer a tactical reenactment of the Battle of Princeton held on the site showing General Mercer's portion of the battle. Attending units will participate in a reenactment of General Hugh Mercer’s Brigade’s attack on, and defeat by, the British 4th Brigade, along with the subsequent rallying and counterattack of the American forces lead by General Washington.

The Princeton Battlefield Society will be offering a special tour of the battlefield. Refreshments will be available for purchase throughout the two day event. There will be militia drills, games and stories for the kids and for those young at heart. If you are interested please contact by email - Brianjkovacs@aol.com to confirm your attendance or ask any additional information about this event. Donations are welcome.

Find the Princeton Battlefield Society Here 

If you like to use Facebook and would like to follow or contact them, below is the link. Link to the Princeton Battlefield Society on Facebook

Children of the 18th Century

CHILDREN IN THE 18TH CENTURY from guido verelst on Vimeo.

A recreated look into the lives of children of the 18th Century.

Enjoy! 

Now for a reality check, which most of you are probably crying for after seeing this? Why? Because most of our ancestors did not live a life anywhere like this. 

There is an outstanding book, yes you still need to get your history there sometimes too. It was written by Alice Morse Earle, 1851-1911. It is called Child Life in Colonial Times and was republished by Dover Publications, Inc., in 2009. It is a newly reset, unabridged republication of the work originally published as Child Life in Colonial Days by The Macmillan Company, New York, in 1899. 

In this well written book, author Alice Morse Earle really describes what life was like for children in the colonial period. She also authored another great book, you should also own, Home Life in Colonial Times. Both literally are a treasure trove of customs and facts found no where else so complete. I have both of these in print and also on my iPad. I enjoy reading both of them. Every serious student of American Colonial History, or reenact or should have copies. 

Chatelaines - Châtelaines - Helper's

18th Century 
Chatelaines - Châtelaines

The word "Chatelaine" actually has two meanings. One is of course the tool that this lens is about, and the other means the mistress of a castle, mansion or house. The word in French literally means "kepper of the keys." A Chatelaine is a decorative belt hook or clasp worn at the waist with a series of chains suspended from it. Each chain is mounted with a useful household appendage such aas scissors, thimble, watch, key vinaigrette or perhaps a household seal. 

Since women of antiquity did not have a lot of pockets and they had to move around a large area, carrying these helpful items around with her kept her on task. The use of chatelaines dates all the way back to the Elizabethan Era. They were of course used during the American Revolutionary Period as the above picture represents one that was in service to it's mistress. There have been many times I wished I had a chatelaine even today. Not all of my clothing have pockets or ones big enough for what I need to carry around with me for the day. 

Below is a link to my collection of Chatelaines on Pinterest. 

Enjoy,

Christine

Chatelaines on Pinterest

Colonial Recipes - Making Wassail

COLONIAL HOT CIDER PUNCH, AKA "WASSAIL' 

1 Gallon heated apple cider 
1/2 ounce brandy flavoring 
1/2 ounce rum flavoring OR (even better) 1/2 quart light rum 
3 sticks cinnamon 
3 to 6 whole oranges small bag of whole cloves 


Simmer mixture with 3 sticks whole cinnamon to melt--DO NOT COOK. Allow to cool, pour into punch bowl. Separately stick whole cloves around entire surface of 3 to 6 whole oranges. Place oranges into baking pan with 1/2 inch of water, and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Place oranges into punch bowl Serves 40 Serve with pound cake, nut cake, or cheese and crackers. 

Enjoy!

Christine

Women of The Revolution - A Poem

WOMEN OF THE REVOLUTION

Read the fresh annals of our land the gathering dust of time

Nor yet has fallen on the scroll to dim the tale sublime;

There woman's glory proudly shines, for willingly she gave

Her costliest offerings to uphold the generous and the brave

Who fought her country's battles well; and oft she perilled life

To save a father, brother, friend, In those dark years of strife.

Whatever strong-armed man hath wrought, whatever he hath won,

That goal hath woman also reached, that action hath she done."

Mary M. Chase

Source: Hanafore, Phebe A., "Daughters of America on Women of the Century", True and Company, Augusta, ME, 1883.

Rode Island - A Colony Founded on Tolerance and Reform

Did you know that the colony of Rode Island, means Red Island? It  was founded on the principle of separation of Church and State guaranteeing religious freedom to all who settled there. It became a safe haven for persecuted Jews, Quakers and Presbyterians who had fled the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

William Rogers who is credited with starting the colony of Rode Island, was himself a Puritan who came to America. He had quite an impact on the second generation of Puritans at a time when ideas of change were contagious. Rogers was friends with the Puritan leaders of Colonial Massachusetts until he started voicing his discontent. Rogers told the Puritan leaders that the Puritanism practiced in the colony was not pure enough and the Church of England was beyond reform. He spoke out against the punishment of anyone for religious offences and denounced Puritan leaders for forcing religion on everyone who lived in the community. When asked to take an oath by the local government, Rogers refused stating that any kind of oath or vow was religious and could not be required of the government. For speaking his mind, the colony tried and banished William Rogers (founder) to Rhode Island. It later became it's own colony. After William Rogers was banished from Colonial Massachusetts, he made friends with the Pequot Indians and established Rhode Island from land that he purchased from the Indians. William Rogers believed that the Indians had legal right to the land, which further ostracized him from society. He learned the Pequot language and remained on friendly terms with the Indians. Rogers used his friendship with the Pequot to save the Massachusetts colony from attacks on many occasions yet the people of the colony still ostracized him. Despite the Puritans treatment, William Rogers still helped them.

The example William Rogers set for generations of Puritans was important. Literacy was widespread in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Many could read, and did read the Bible. They were able to think, making interpretations and judgments on their own. Most in the Massachusetts Bay Colony perceived William Rogers as a trusting person who was ostracized because he questioned the authority of "the establishment." Over one hundred years later an article in the Massachusetts Spy, stated, “For however strange it may appear, yet indubitable facts prove that mankind is naturally compassionate toward those who are subjected to pains and hardships for the sake of their religion, and very frequently join with them and espouse their cause and raise sedition and faction and endanger the public peace.”

Here is a little background:
In the Massachusetts Bay colony, those caught practicing the Quaker faith were whipped, tarred and/or hanged. Rogers chastised the Puritan Colony for refusing to allow freedom of religion after they had experienced religious persecution when he wrote his book The Bloudy Tenant of Persecution for Cause of Conscience. “The blood of so many hundred thousand souls of Protestants and Papists, spilt in the wars of present and former ages, for their respective consciences, is not required nor accepted by Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace.”

Rhode Island Colonial Facts

• The Puritans of Colonial Massachusetts exiled to Rhode Island those who did not fit into their society or those who's ideas and beliefs were contrary to theirs.
• Rhode Island original name was Rogues Island
• William Rogers set up a colony that was based on religious toleration
• Anne Hutchinson banished from Massachusetts settled in Rhode Island
• The capital of Rhode Island is Providence
• Rhode Island is the smallest State in the United States
• Rhode Island is a New England State

A Special Colonial Woman - Anne Hutchinson


Anne Hutchinson was another exiled to Rhode Island colony by the Massachusetts colony. Colonial women did not speak in Church or teach in public. Anne Hutchinson knew the Bible well and preached the word of God despite the consequences. She openly denounced the views of a preacher during a sermon at a church service. Labeled a heretic for her brazenness, Hutchinson was banished to the Rhode Island colony. The Puritans believed that the devil was using Anne to undermine the stability of Puritan society, which would eventually lead to the breakdown of moral standards. However, the real reason was that Anne was a woman who dared to speak out in church and teach in public.


Anne’s audacity threatened the man-woman relationship where colonial women submitted to the authority of their husbands. Anne in effect challenged the State and raised issues of responsibility and equality. An accuser told Anne, “You have stepped out of your place; you have rather been a husband than a wife, preacher than a hearer and a magistrate than a subject.” New laws enacted after Anne’s banishment put more restrictions on women and allowed the Puritan leaders to deny entrance to anyone thought to be seditious. People protested the enactment of these oppressive new laws by signing petitions. The Puritan leaders imposed fines on those who signed the petitions and forced them to give up their firearms. Authorities arrested the instigators who stood trial for seditious behavior and consequently denied legal council. Oppression of religious liberty led to oppression of other liberties. Anne Hutchinson was exiled to the Rhode Island colony where she continued to preach her beliefs.


Anne Hutchinson was an early Boston colonist who was expelled from the colony because of her different religious views. She conflicted with ministers who preached that “good works” were a sign of individual holiness. She believed that people instead could only receive grace from God. She was also known to draw women to prayer meetings at her house because she gave women’s souls the same value as men’s souls. As a result, she was banished for heresy in 1638, fleeing to Rhode Island, and eventually staying in the New Netherland colony. In 1643, she and her family died tragically in a conflict between the Dutch colonists and the local Native Americans. This statue was sculpted by Cyrus Dallin in 1922, and given by the Anne Hutchinson Memorial Association and the State Federation of Women’s Clubs.

Memorial Day Tribute 2011

May this Memorial Day mean everything it should to each of us Americans. May we never forget those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for us, to support and defend out great country.


General George Washington once said, "We will be remembered by how we treat our Veterans." May we all aspire to keep his words of wisdom in our daily lives.


To all who have served, or our serving in our Armed Forces. I will remember you.

God Bless The United States of America.

How to Fold The American Flag - Is There Symbolic Meaning?

For more than 200 years, the American flag has been the symbol of our nation's unity, as well as a source of pride and inspiration for millions of citizens.


Born on June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress determined that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternating between seven red and six white; and that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field representing a new constellation. Between 1777 and 1960, the shape and design of the flag evolved into the flag presented before you today. The 13 horizontal stripes represent the original 13 colonies, while the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. The colors of the flag are symbolic as well; red symbolizes hardiness and valor; white signifies purity and innocence; and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice.


Traditionally, a symbol of liberty, the American flag has carried the message of freedom, and inspired Americans, both at home and abroad.


In 1814, Francis Scott Key was so moved at seeing the Stars and Stripes waving after the British shelling of Baltimore's Fort McHenry that he wrote the words to The Star Spangled Banner. In 1892 the flag inspired Francis Bellamy to write the "Pledge of Allegiance," our most famous flag salute and patriotic oath.


In July 1969 the American flag was "flown" in space when Neil Armstrong planted it on the surface of the moon.


Today, our flag flies on constellations of Air Force satellites that circle our globe,  the fin flash of our aircraft, each Naval ship at sea in harms way  and in every corner of the world. Indeed, it flies in the heart of every American who serves our great Nation. The sun never sets on our cherished flag. 


Since 1776 no generation of Americans has been spared the responsibility of defending freedom... Today's service men and women remain committed to preserving the freedom that others won for us, for generations to come.


By displaying the flag and giving it a distinctive fold we show respect to the flag, and express our gratitude to those individuals who fought, and continue to fight for freedom, at home and abroad. Since the dawn of the 20th century, our military and citizens have proudly flown the flag in every major conflict on the sea, land and skies around the world. It is their responsibility ... to continue to protect and preserve the rights, privileges and freedoms that we, as Americans, enjoy today.


The United States flag represents who we are. It stands for the freedom we all share and the pride and patriotism we feel for our country. We cherish its legacy, as a beacon of hope to one and all. Long may it wave.

Properly folding the Stars & Stripes may look complicated, but it is not. In recent years after 9/11 many have taken the folding of our nations flag to ascribe to meaning for each fold of the flag. There are several scripts writtern to support a beautiful telling. However there is really no meaning ascribed that is inclusive of all people in our great nation.

Therein lies a problem. We are one United States that is inclusive and does not leave anyone group or religion out. Below is a popular script I found that is beautiful in it's telling, but limited in meaning for the above reasons.

Here is a typical sequence of one of the scripted readings:


(Begin reading as Honor Guard or Flag Detail is coming forward).


The flag folding ceremony represents the same religious principles on which our country was originally founded. The portion of the flag denoting honor is the canton of blue containing the stars representing the states our veterans served in uniform. The canton field of blue dresses from left to right and is inverted when draped as a pall on a casket of a veteran who has served our country in uniform.


In the Armed Forces of the United States, at the ceremony of retreat the flag is lowered, folded in a triangle fold and kept under watch throughout the night as a tribute to our nation's honored dead. The next morning it is brought out and, at the ceremony of reveille, run aloft as a symbol of our belief in the resurrection of the body.


(Wait for the Honor Guard or Flag Detail to unravel and fold the flag into a quarter fold--resume reading when Honor Guard is standing ready.)





What these Marines do is careful, respectful and full of meaning. 


HERE IS BUT ONE SCRIPTED MEANING. It is not the only one.

• The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
• The second fold is a symbol of our belief in the eternal life.
• The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.
• The fourth fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in times of war for His divine guidance.
• The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong."
• The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
• The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
• The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered in to the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on mother's day.
• The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood; for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded.
• The tenth fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since they were first born.
• The eleventh fold, in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.
• When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, "In God we Trust."

(Wait for the Honor Guard or Flag Detail to inspect the flag--after the inspection, the reading may continue.)


After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington and the sailors and marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for us the rights, privileges, and freedoms we enjoy today.


U.S. Folding Ceremony


After the flag is folded completely and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat. This reminds us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington and the sailors and Marines who served under Captian John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the armed forces of the United States, preserving for us the rights, privileges and freedoms we enjoy today.



May God Bless the United States of America.

Notes:
(1) From a report Secretary of Congress Robert Thompson wrote to define the Seal of our Nation (1777).
(2) Text from President Woodrow Wilson's Flag Day message (1917).
(3) Based upon historical facts.
(4) Concoran, Michael. For Which It Stands: An Anecdotal History of the American Flag
New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001. ISBN-0-743-23617-3
(5) Lopez, C. Todd. "New Flag-Folding Script Focuses on History, AF Significance,"
Air Force Print News. 18 Aug 2009
(6) Singleton, David. Honor Our Flag: How to Care For, Fly and Otherwise Respect the Stars and Stripes. Guilford, CT. Globe Pequot Press, 2001 ISBN 0-0762-72368-8

Native Roots-Modern Form

Explore works by renowned American modernist Allan Houser (Warm Sprngs Chiracahua Apache 1914-1994) in this outdoor sculture exhibition at Denver Botanic Gardens. Houser's connection to the and and his pride in American Indian ancestry are enhanced by the Gardens' collection of plants indigenous to the Rocky Mountain and Southwest.
Immerse yourself in the connection betwen cultural and botanical Heritage.


Where: Denver Bontanic Gardens
Address: 10th & York Street, Denver Colorado
(Parking available) May 1 - November 13 2011


Click Here To Visit Their Website Here

Today's Colonial Gift

'I am a good Spellar, Spillar, Speller' says Colonial Whiskers!

In genealogy, beginners often make two common mistakes, when reading handwritten documents. They create spelling errors where none exist because some letters used to be written differently. The word usually read as 'ye' as in Ye Old Shoppe is not a strange, outdated word at all. The letter that appears to be( a y ), is actually a character known as 'a thorn', that stood for the letters 'th.' 'Ye' is actually a very modern 'the' using an outdated symbol. Also, the letter that appears to be an 'f' is actually the accepted way of writing the first s. It was never intended to represent an f. The silent e on the end of almost any word was common and and very excepted. Doubling letters was also popular as in 'shoppe', being a good example of both.

Thomas Jefferson by Ken Burns - Part 1

This is a beautiful telling of Thomas Jefferson by Ken Burns. To know the essense of a great man is a priviledge. There are several parts to this telling. I present the first for you here today.


"On matters of style, swim with the current, on matters of principle, stand like a rock."
— Thomas Jefferson

Lexington and Concord - This Day in History

Historians do not always agree about the happenings of this day in colonial history. There are many accountings of what became the 'First Battles of the American Revolution.' I speak of course of the battles of Concord and Lexington. Many dispute the number of men present on the colonial side, if they were in fact militiamen at all. There is even dispute among scholars as to who fired the first shot. Some say the British, some say the colonist. That shots rang out between the men and forever changed our history is not disputed.


The issue of which side was to blame at Lexington and Concord grew during the early nineteenth century. For example, older participants' testimony in later life about Lexington and Concord differed greatly from their depositions taken under oath in 1775. All later said the British fired first at Lexington, whereas fifty or so years before, they weren't sure. All now said they fired back, but in 1775, they said few were able to. The "Battle" took on an almost mythical quality in the American consciousness. Legend became more important than truth. A complete shift occurred, and the Patriots were portrayed as actively fighting for their cause, rather than as suffering innocents. Paintings of the Lexington skirmish began to portray the militia standing and fighting back in defiance.


In the early dawn on April 19, 1775 according to one account approximately 70 armed Massachusetts men stood face to face on Lexington Green with the British advance guard. Another version states that the men of Massachusetts were not at all 70 in number, nor were they militiamen, but just residents of the small settlement of Concord.

That there was indeed a confrontation and that it had results in not in dispute. When I lecture on the Revolution, I always remind my audience that they are always two sides, sometimes more to every story in history. This historical event has it's legends too.


We know that a shot, some say unordered, the 'shot heard around the world' officially began the American Revolution. A volley of British rifle fire followed by a charge with bayonets leaves eight Americans dead and ten wounded. The British regroup and head for the depot in Concord, destroying the colonists' weapons and supplies. This they were ordered to do by General Gage. 

The engagement at Lexington has often been styled a battle, but in reading many sources the engagement at Lexington was just a minor brush or skirmish. As the regulars' advance guard under Pitcairn entered Lexington at sunrise on April 19, 1775, a Lexington "training band", emerged from Buckman Tavern and stood in ranks on the village common watching them, spectators watched from along the side of the road.


Their leader was Captain John Parker, a veteran of the French and Indian War, who was suffering from tuberculosis, and was said to be difficult to hear at times, a fact not left out. Interestingly, of the men who lined up, nine had the surname Harrington, seven Munroe (including the company's orderly sergeant, William Munroe), four Parker, three Tidd, three Locke, and three Reed; fully one quarter of them were related to Captain Parker in some way. This group of men were part of Lexington's "training band", a way of organizing local militias dating back to the Puritans, and not what was styled as a full minuteman company.


It is important to remember that Captain Parker was clearly aware that he was outmatched in the confrontation and was not prepared to sacrifice his men for no purpose. Captain Parker hoped that the Regulars would march to Concord, find nothing, and return to Boston, tired but empty-handed. He positioned his men carefully. He placed them in parade-ground formation, on Lexington Green. They were in plain sight (not hiding behind walls), as British accounts have it, and not blocking the road to Concord. They made a show of political and military determination, but no effort to prevent the march of the Regulars. Many years later, one of the participants recalled Parker's words as being what is now engraved in stone at the site of the battle:

"Stand your ground, don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here." 


According to Captain Parker's sworn deposition taken after the battle. Yes they took despositions even back then.

First Shot?
A British officer, probably Pitcairn, but accounts are uncertain, as it may also have been Lieutenant William Sutherland, then rode forward, waving his sword, and called out for the assembled throng to disperse, and may also have ordered them to "lay down your arms, you damned rebels!" Captain Parker told his men instead to disperse and go home, but, because of the confusion, the yelling all around, and due to the raspiness of Parker's tubercular voice, some did not hear him, some left very slowly, and none laid down their arms. Both Parker and Pitcairn ordered their men to hold fire, but a shot was fired from an unknown source.


Here are some copies of articles on the account taken from the June Edition of Gentleman's Magazine in 1775. It gives a richer perspective of the happenings of this day.

Take This Link To Read

When I speak today as a historian, I bring copies of paintings with me to show my audience. Some paintings portrayed the Lexington fight as an unjustified slaughter. The issue of which side was to blame grew during the early nineteenth century. My audiences all refect on what they see, and make comment that in one picture the patriots are small and seeming to be running away from the British. In another picture of a painting, quite the opposite in strength and resolve is seen in the colonial men and the the 'militiamen' are taking the upper hand.

One must remember that too often legend become more important than the truth. Understand that a complete shift may have occured in the telling of this famous day in our countries history. Nobody except the person responsible knew then, nor knows today with certainty, who fired the first shot of the American Revolution.


I respectfully leave you with the imortalized words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, written about the events at the North Bridge in his 1837 "Concord Hymn". This is how generations of Americans have learned our history in the 19th century No one will dispute that it helped to forge the identity of our nation.

"By the rude bridge that arched the flood
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world."


Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Concord Hymn"








References
Bradford, Charles H (1996). The Battle Road: Expedition to Lexington and Concord. Eastern National. ISBN 1-888213-01-9.
Brooks, Victor (1999). The Boston Campaign. Combined Publishing. ISBN 9780585234533.
Chidsey, Donald Barr (1966). The Siege of Boston: An on-the-scene Account of the Beginning of the American Revolution. Crown. OCLC 890813.
Coburn, Frank Warren (1922). The Battle of April 19, 1775: In Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Arlington, Cambridge, Somerville, and Charlestown, Massachusetts. The Lexington historical society. OCLC 2494350.
Dana, Elizabeth Ellery (1924). The British in Boston: Being the Diary of Lieutenant John Barker of the King’s Own Regiment from November 15, 1774 to May 31, 1776. Harvard University Press. OCLC 3235993.
Davis, Kenneth C. (2009). America's Hidden History. London: Collins. ISBN 0061118192.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1837). "Emerson's Concord Hymn". National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1875). Proceedings at the Centennial Celebration of Concord Fight, April 19, 1875. Town of Concord. OCLC 4363293.

On This Day in History - Thomas Jefferson was Born

Thomas Jefferson -- Author of the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia -- voiced the aspirations of a new America as no other individual of his era. As public official, historian, philosopher, and plantation owner, he served his country for over five decades.

Born: April 13, 1743. Birthplace: Shadwell, Virginia. Now for you historians that really keep track. His birthday was actually April 2nd under the old calender. You will see this notated as 'O.S.' When you see the earlier date. Look for my post on the change of the Gregorian to Julian calenders and how that effects many of our dates in history.
His father Peter Jefferson was a successful planter and surveyor and his mother Jane Randolph a member of one of Virginia's most distinguished families. Having inherited a considerable landed estate from his father, Jefferson began building Monticello when he was twenty-six years old. Three years later, he married Martha Wayles Skelton, with whom he lived happily for ten years until her death. Their marriage produced six children, but only two survived to adulthood. Jefferson, who never remarried, maintained Monticello as his home throughout his life, always expanding and changing the house.

Here is my Daughter, Lindsay giving her Uncle Thomas a hug. We are descendants from his sister Mary Jefferson. Ironically, Lindsay did not know this when this picture was taken as the developement of this line of our family had not been done yet. It does makes it more sweet to me that she felt some admiration and kinship to this great man.


There are many wonderful books on Thomas Jefferson. Please look to read a few, he was a remarkable thinker and writer.


Incidently, Jefferson's obelisk gravemarker is at Monticello, as he died on July 4, 1826, just hours before his close friend John Adams, on the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He was eighty-three years old, the holder of large debts, but according to all evidence a very optimistic man.


It was Jefferson's wish that his tomb stone reflect the things that he had given the people, not the things that the people had given to him. It is for this reason that Thomas Jefferson's epitaph reads:

HERE WAS BURIED

THOMAS JEFFERSON

AUTHOR OF THE

DECLARATION

OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE

OF THE

STATUTE OF VIRGINIA

FOR

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

AND FATHER OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

BORN APRIL 2, 1743 O.S.

DIED JULY 4. 1826

Happy Birthday Sir.

A Post-Colonial Myth - Name Changes at Ellis Island

If there is one common myth I run into often as a genealogist, it is someone believing that their last name was changed by a clerk at Ellis Island. Often the person telling the story feels some sense of violation and loss of identity. I want to expound on this today.

Did name changes happend according to this popular lore?

Actually, it is highly unlikely that this happened. To begin with the clerks at Ellis Island didn't write down names. They worked from lists that were created by the shipping companies. What usually happened was the emigrant bought a ticket from an office near his home. So, the seller probably spoke the same language and transcribed the name correctly. In cases where the name was recorded incorrectly, it likely occurred in the old country, not at Ellis Island.

There are several questions to consider when talking about the accuracy of name spellings on records:

• When the record was created, was there a standard ("correct") way to spell the name?
• Did the individual know how to spell the name himself? (Was he or she literate?)
• If he did not write the name himself, did the recording clerk ask him his preferred spelling? 

So much of the time, the answer to at least one of these questions was "no." However, let us assume that your immigrant knew how to spell his name and it was written correctly on the list created by the shipping company and used by the inspectors at Ellis Island. When he arrived at Ellis Island, he was checked against the list. With all the immigrants coming through the facility, many translators were employed so language problems were rare.

Bear in mind that name changes were often made by the immigrants themselves.


Remember Ellis Island was called Gibbet Island, after a few pirates that were hung there in Colonial Days! Ellis Island officially opened as an immigration station on January 1, 1892 and closed in November 1954.


Here is a story on the pre-colonial story, I feel is worth telling.

Whether your family came to this country during the Ellis Island period or the Colonial Period... 

I wish to welcome you to this great country. 


There truly is no other place like it in the world!