Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2019 Archive

In this issue:
- ‘Movie Time’: Thank You, UELAC
- 2019 UELAC Conference: Presentations Not to be Missed
- Fleshing Out Four Entries in the Victualing Musters: Part 2, by Stephen Davidson
- The Huguenots count among the most successful of Britain's immigrants
- Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, Father of the Canadian Crown
- Borealia: "Not one penny from an Irishman"
- JAR: James Bruce's Report on the Situation of West Florida and Havana, 1782
- JAR: James McCubbin Lingan, an American Story
- Ben Franklin's World: A History of Russian America
- The Old North Church: This Old Pew, #75 – Owen Richards: Unfortunate Customs Agent and British Loyalist
- Loyalist Gazette: Spring 2018 Publicly Available
- UELAC Archives Seeking Past Issues of Loyalist Gazette
- Cool Vintage Maps from Digital Archive Ontario
- Region and Branch Bits
      + Kawartha Branch Annual Banquet Saturday 11 May 2019
      + Odell House in Fredericton NB For Sale
      + Sat., Apr 27: Central West Region Annual Gathering
      + Easter Egg Hunt
- From the Twittersphere and Beyond

‘Movie Time’: Thank You, UELAC

This micro film is 4 minutes of gratitude for UELAC's support for our work – A big THANK YOU from Størmerlige Productions.

2019 UELAC Conference: Presentations Not to be Missed

Join fellow Loyalists and friends at UELAC Conference 2019 "The Capital Calls" – May 30 - June 2, 2019, at DoubleTree by Hilton Gatineau-Ottawa, 1170 chemin Aylmer, Gatineau, Quebec, hosted by Sir Guy Carleton Branch.

Among the topics to be discussed by presenters at The Capital Calls – the UELAC's conference in Ottawa this year, are Loyalist land grants in the region, significant public monuments in the Capital and a prominent early Canadian judge.

Other presentations include workshops to assist those writing a family history and methods on researching your ancestry as well as an author who has written historical fiction based on Loyalist experiences. Organizers of Conference 2019 remind those contemplating coming to the event on May 30, May 31 and June 1 and June 2 in the Ottawa regional municipality of Gatineau, they only have until April 30 to take advantage of reduced registration prices. See details on the uelac.org website. All of the following presentations will take place at the conference hotel – DoubleTree by Hilton Ottawa-Gatineau.

On Thursday afternoon, May 30, the opening day of Conference 2019, George Neville will present Loyalist Land Grants along the Grand (Ottawa) River in 1788. A descendant of Loyalist Daniel Shipman, George will describe how his ancestors came to the St. Lawrence River front in 1784 and will touch on both this waterway as well as the Ottawa River and their importance to Loyalist settlement in the region. A retired civil servant, he has served as vice-chairman and chairman of the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) and as editor of the provincial OGS quarterly journal Families. From 2010 to 2015 he served as president of The Historical Society of Ottawa and is currently active as the society's past president.

A second presentation on Thursday afternoon will be Capital City Treasures, an armchair guided historical and cultural tour of downtown Ottawa to be presented by Marilyn Schwartz. An avid hiker and hike leader, Marilyn believes it is not enough to walk and see the outdoors but it is also necessary to understand the history and background of the region. She will discuss the statues, monuments and memorials on Parliament Hill, Elgin Street, Sussex Drive north and places commemorating Colonel By, Champlain, Sir Galahad, the National Arts Center and the National Gallery of Canada.

Jonathan Sewell was an early multi-talented judge and prominent political figure in what was the former Lower Canada. His direct descendant, Valerie Knowles, will described his career and contributions to our country in her presentation Jonathan Sewell: Chief Justice of Lower Canada on the afternoon of Friday, May 31. Valarie is an Ottawa author who has written for newspapers, magazines and federal government departments. Besides having taught history and worked as an archivist, she has published twelve works of non-fiction and continues to write independent non-fiction books as well as accepting commissioned writing work with her focus remaining on Canadian and Ottawa political and social history.

Three workshops will be presented at the conference on Saturday, June 1. Retired teacher Jean Rae Baxter's two-hour workshop – Writing Loyalist Family History – will help those attending to write a narrative that people will want to read. Those at the workshop will also learn how to organize their writing project and use the tools of fiction to make the true story come alive. Participants are encouraged to bring some article or photo of one pertaining to the ancestor they might want to write about, to use it as a tool in their story. Jean has published five books on the effects of the American Revolution on various communities, along with a murder mystery and two short story collections.

The author of three, fact-based historical fiction novels, with a fourth in the works, Jennifer DeBruin's presentation at the conference is entitled Traitors, Spies and Heroes: Loyalist Espionage during the American Revolution. She has also written historical articles which have appeared in various publications. Jennifer holds several volunteer positions including serving as the public relations chair for the UELAC and she assists various organizations with communication and promotion including social media and website management.

Finding information about Loyalist ancestors is never an easy task as many UELAC members have discovered. But Lesley Anderson may be able to assist. In her presentation, Researching Your Loyalist Roots on Ancestry, Lesley will offer suggestions on the endless research possibilities on Ancestry.ca. She is well qualified to do so having worked for Ancestry.ca for more than 10 years as their Canadian spokesperson. She has made numerous presentations to genealogy societies and conferences across Canada and, for over 45 years, has been involved in personal research of her family tree.

See more details, including a flyer, the schedule, speakers, venue, directions, and the registration form. Registration is now open!

Fleshing Out Four Entries in the Victualing Musters: Part 2

© Stephen Davidson, UE

In last week's edition of Loyalist Trails, we considered the victualing muster entries for Garret Jacobus, Rachel Aycrigg, and Oliver Bourdett. Through the process of gathering data from other sources, we have not only fleshed out the stories of these Loyalists, but have come to discover that a man connected to all three of these people also has his name recorded in the ledgers of Fort Howe.

The fourth entry in the victualing musters worthy of our notice is that of Samuel Benson Lydekker. Listed as a New Jersey farmer, Lydekker sailed to New Brunswick on the Tartar without wife or servants. Given that Samuel was the older brother of Rachel and Catherine, it seems logical that he would have shared accommodations with his two sisters aboard their brig – and might have lived with widowed Rachel during his first year in New Brunswick.

Samuel came to the colony as the single parent of three children over ten. From his will, we know that Anna (the eldest child), and Samuel (the youngest) survived their father. Richard, the middle child, died before 1810.

While the Bourdetts remained in Saint John where they had been granted two city lots, Samuel Lydekker joined other Loyalists who were given land along the Washedemoak. Since this is also where Garret Jacobus was granted land, it seems that Rachel Aycrigg and her two children accompanied Samuel Lydekker to Queens County, for at some point in time she met and then married the widower Jacobus.

The blended Jacobus family stayed in the area of their grant until at least 1795 when Rachel's daughter Mary became the wife of John Wolhaupter, the son of New York City Loyalists. (The bride was 19 and the groom 23.), As Mary died in Woodstock, New Brunswick on August 31, 1842, it seems the Wolhaupter family did not remain in Queens County. John Wolhaupter is described as being a watchmaker in Fredericton in 1818. The couples' 8 (or 9) children later established homes in both Fredericton and Woodstock.

It may be that Rachel and Garret Jacobus left Queens County after Mary's wedding. Loyalist historian Esther Clark Wright states that the couple returned to New Jersey along with Benjamin Aycrigg (who would have been in his early 20s). Since Rachel died in Saint John, New Brunswick on October 25, 1807, it seems that she returned to the colony at some point – perhaps to be near Mary's family and her grandchildren.

Benjamin Aycrigg, Rachel's son, established himself as a merchant in New York City and married Susan Bancker, the daughter of an officer in the Continental Army. The couple had their first child in 1798. By 1808, Aycrigg was prosperous enough to organize a memorial to the 11,500 Patriots who had died in captivity aboard 16 British prison ships during the American Revolution. At the time of their deaths, the prisoners were buried in shallow graves on shore or thrown overboard. Two decades after the revolution, Benjamin Aycrigg had the remains of these Patriots "gathered and decently buried under his supervision". Given the fact that his parents and stepfather were Loyalists, one wonders if Benjamin undertook this project as a way to be reconciled with his fellow New Yorkers.

Aycrigg's first son was John Bancker Aycrigg, who would one day serve two terms as a congressman for New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives. Benjamin and Susan's daughter, Susan Augusta, married a sea captain named John Bogert Pell. It is unlikely that she ever told the seven Pell children that their grandparents, John and Rachel Aycrigg, were Loyalists.

Although Benjamin had survived the refugee evacuation of 1783 when he was just a boy of nine, he drowned during a ship's accident "on his passage to Fredericton" from New York City on April 22, 1818. It seems likely that he was on his way to see his younger sister Mary, a Fredericton resident, when the mishap occurred. Benjamin was laid to rest in Saint John's Old Burial Ground, the place where his mother had been interred eleven years earlier.

In the fall of 1874, 56 years after Aycrigg's death, Benjamin's second son visited his father's grave, and read the verse beneath his epitaph: " Affection reared this monumental stone/To mark the spot, where is the stranger's grave/ Who, distant far from children, wife, and home/Was hurried sudden in the fatal wave/Yet there's a world beyond this transient scene;/Dear relatives and friends again shall meet/But endless happiness shall reign complete".

Looking down on that tombstone was seventy-year old Benjamin Aycrigg Junior. A graduate of Columbia College, this Benjamin had pursued a career as a civil engineer and had been involved in the construction of many of Pennsylvania's public works. Because he had served as an aid to that state's governor, he was given the military title of colonel. In 1869, Aycrigg received a PhD from Pennsylvania College.

As well as being a man of science, Aycrigg was a devout Christian. His interest in theology led him to become one of the founders of the Reformed Episcopal Church in 1873. The first bishop of this new denomination was the Rev. George David Cummins. Accompanied by Bishop Cummins, Col. Aycrigg was in Saint John in the fall of 1874 to promote the new denomination in New Brunswick. – a journey which allowed him to visit his father's grave. Reformed Episcopal Churches were established in Saint John, Moncton, and Sussex.

Col. Benjamin Aycrigg died in Lakewood, New Jersey on February 2, 1895 at the age of 90.

A perusal of New Brunswick's 19th century newspapers identifies the ever-growing number of descendants of Rachel Lydekker Aycrigg, the Loyalist tailoress of New Jersey. The children and grandchildren of her daughter Mary Wolhaupter married into the families of the DeMills, the Raymonds, the McIndoes, the Connells, and the Dowlings, to name but a few.

Rachel's grandson Benjamin Wolhaupter became the high sheriff of York County, and Charles Wolhaupter, a great-grandson, lived in Australia for seven years. Rachel's great-great-grandson Benjamin Wolhaupter, a resident of Detroit, Michigan, married Edith Jane Hughes of St. Thomas, Ontario on September 17, 1884. The family certainly scattered widely over the globe.

By assembling information from colonial newspapers, Masonic Lodge histories, baptismal records, tombstone epitaphs, probate records, the Book of Negroes, and genealogical data, it has been possible to piece together the story of three Loyalist siblings and the man who married into their family. Children and servants who had been mere numbers in Fort Howe's ledger now have names and a bit more historical "flesh". It is an interesting example of what one can find when victualing musters are the starting point for a historical quest.

Editor's Note: View the names and data in Fort Howe's victualing musters in David Bell's book, American Loyalists to New Brunswick: The Ship Passenger Lists. This is an invaluable resource for every UELAC branch's library.

To secure permission to reprint this article, email Stephen Davidson.

The Huguenots count among the most successful of Britain's immigrants

As noted, we have had few contributions to Loyalist Trails in some time about the Huguenots. This article is from the UK's Independent in June 2015 when "Refugee Week" was about to begin.

Fleeing oppression after 1685, tens of thousands of French Protestants came here to start again. Now, with Refugee Week on us, and a "Huguenot Summer" looming, Boyd Tonkin explains how much they contributed to British life.

In the handsome 1720s house on Fournier Street where she runs an antique business and café, Fiona Atkins unrolls a large and beautifully detailed hand-drawn map. Created by the artist Adam Dant, it records the addresses of around 300 Huguenot families who lived in Spitalfields.

They were part of the great wave of French Protestant migration that transformed London, and England, after Louis XIV had in 1685 cancelled the civil rights granted them by the Edict of Nantes. At first, she had wondered whether many Huguenot descendants knew or cared where their ancestors had lived. Battalions of them did. "People were very engaged with the project," she reports. "I'm proud to have done it."

The map is just one of 100 or so events in this year's "Huguenot Summer" season. It remembers and celebrates their contribution, not only to London but 20 towns where the French settled – from Canterbury to Norwich, Plymouth to Rochester (where a Huguenot museum has opened and the "French Hospital" still reserves its almshouse accommodation for their descendants). Organiser and Spitalfields resident Charlie de Wet, who staged her first festival in 2013, has just returned from a talk in Plymouth. There, after the diaspora took root, "a third of the population were Huguenots, and nobody knows about it".

Although migration had begun beforehand on a modest scale, around 50,000 French Protestants came to England after Louis XIV revoked the 1598 Edict of Nantes at Fontainebleau in October 1685. Another 10,000 fled to Ireland, part of an exodus of perhaps 200,000 people. Other large contingents went to Holland, Sweden and Prussia. That still left the bulk of a hard-pressed but robust population of 750,000 or so to weather hardship in France and wait for more tolerant times.

Read more.

...Mark Bernard

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, Father of the Canadian Crown

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, was the fourth son and fifth child of Britain's king, George III, and the father of Queen Victoria.

Prince Edward was created Duke of Kent and Strathearn and Earl of Dublin on 23 April 1799 and, a few weeks later, appointed a General and commander-in-chief of British forces in the Maritime Provinces of North America. On 23 March 1802, he was appointed Governor of Gibraltar and nominally retained that post until his death. The Duke of Kent was appointed Field-Marshal of the Forces on 3 September 1805.

He was the first member of the royal family to live in North America for more than a short visit (1791-1800) and, in 1794, the first prince to enter the United States (travelling to Boston on foot from Lower Canada) after independence.

On June 27, 1792, Edward is credited with the first use of the term "Canadian" to mean both French and English settlers in Upper and Lower Canada. The Prince used the term in an effort to quell a riot between the two groups at a polling station in Charlesbourg, Lower Canada. Recently he has been styled the "Father of the Canadian Crown" for his impact on the development of Canada. (Source: Wikipedia)

See a Portrait of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, hanging in library at Province House, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

...Brian McConnell, UE

Borealia: "Not one penny from an Irishman" – the religious and financial engagement of Irish workers with the Roman Catholic Church on the Rideau Canal, 1831

By Laura J. Smith, 8 April 2019

Buried within the papers of a World War One Chaplain is a remarkable record of the religious and financial engagement of Irish Catholic canal workers with the Roman Catholic Church in Upper Canada. Meticulous notes penned by the Rev. John MacDonald, parish priest at St. John the Baptist in Perth, Upper Canada (1823-1837) detail his travels in 1831 along the Rideau canal between Merrickville in Montague Township and Jones's Falls in South Crosby Township (see map). While the priest was at a canal site he celebrated mass; workers brought their children to be baptized; others were married or witnessed the marriages of friends and relations.

MacDonald made careful record of the names, occupations (when they were canal workers), and the addresses (when they were settlers), of all those from whom he received money in 1831. He recorded the names of 623 canal workers, the majority of whom appear only once and had Irish surnames. Cross-referenced with the Perth parish register for the same year, this record reveals details of canaller religious practice, what one labour historian has called a "demonstrated craving for spiritual guidance."

MacDonald's records also situate the Irish Catholic workers within a colonial and religious world in which currency was increasingly important. Though Alexander Macdonell, the Roman Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of Kingston, frequently complained of the adverse effects the poverty of the Irish had on the fortunes of his diocese, the Rev. MacDonald's records make clear the financial significance of canallers to the priest's ministry, and by extension, to the fortunes of the Roman Catholic Church in Upper Canada.

Read more.

JAR: James Bruce's Report on the Situation of West Florida and Havana, 1782

by George Kotlik, 9 April 2019

The British loss of West Florida in 1781 ushered in a new era for the region, an era dominated by Spanish rule. For some, like the many Spanish officers who orchestrated the capture of the colony, the loss brought about much celebration and promotion. For others, like the British inhabitants of the territory, this transition of power dislodged them from their homes and forced them to relocate to other British-controlled areas. One inhabitant wrote an account outlining information surrounding the evacuation of West Florida along with other details about the military and political climate of the Gulf of Mexico, most notably the Spanish position in Havana.

James Bruce was a warrant officer in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War. Following this service, fortune favored Bruce. By luck, he became the customs collector in Pensacola. At the same time, he acquired vast tracts of land and he became a member of the provincial council. By the time the American Revolution came about, Bruce was a man of importance in the colony. Unfortunately for him, his position came to an end following the Siege of Pensacola in 1781, when the colony fell to Spanish dominion.

The most thorough biography of James Bruce overlooks two letters that he penned on the 22nd of January and the 25th of March, 1782, to the British secretary of state for the American colonies, Lord George Germain. They illuminate both his story and that of West Florida after its fall to the Spanish, offering tidbits of information Bruce found prudent to write about. The first letter was written from Charlestown (Charleston), South Carolina. He began with a comment on the hostility of the Indians towards the Spaniards. Bruce wrote, "they remain implacable in their hatred to the Spanish in so much that sometime before I came away they could not go out of the Garrison a mile to Cut Wood without a party of Armed Men to Protect the Wood Cutters." Bruce went on to discuss the Spanish Forces present in West Florida and New Orleans.

Read more.

JAR: James McCubbin Lingan, an American Story

By Patrick H. Hannum, 8 April 2019

Of the thousands of men and women who contributed to the Patriot cause during the American Revolution, James McCubbin Lingan (1751-1812) stands out with an important story to tell. A recent visit to Washington D.C. included a leisurely walk through Arlington National Cemetery. As one reads the many monuments honoring military personnel resting in Arlington's historic Section One consisting of an assortment of American Patriots and their spouses, an inscription on one monument grabs the attention of students of the Revolution. Lingan's distinctive monument reads in part, "A captive on the Prison Ship Jersey."

Prison ships were notoriously brutal places of incarceration for Patriots captured by the British during the American Revolution and the Jersey has the reputation as one of the deadliest prison ships in American waters. Who was this man, a Patriot officer from Maryland, who survived a hellish ordeal on a prison ship? How did he end up in Arlington? What led to his death in 1812? These were all interesting questions one just needed to answer. After investigation, the answers were all quite surprising. It turns out the inscription on this monument is misleading and inaccurate, the man's life and death tell an important American story. The price of liberty and freedom is high, and the threats to liberty and freedom often emanate from multiple sources as evidenced by James McCubbin Lingan's life and death.

Read more.

Ben Franklin's World: A History of Russian America

Gwenn Miller, an Associate Professor of History at the College of the Holy Cross, joins us to investigate a history of Russia's colonies in North America with details from her book Kodiak Kreol: Communities of Empire in Early Russian America.

As we explore Russian America, Gwenn reveals why Russia chose to establish colonies in Alaska in 1784; The history of the Alutiiq people of Kodiak Island and the role they played in Russia's colonial ambitions; And, details about the Russian fur trade and the important role it played in Russia's colonization of North America.

Listen to the podcast.

The Old North Church: This Old Pew, #75 – Owen Richards: Unfortunate Customs Agent and British Loyalist

By Mark Hurwitz, 14 December 2016

In the spring of 1768, John Hancock's vessel, the Lydia, pulled into Boston Harbor after a transatlantic voyage. Suspected of smuggling tea and other cargo, the vessel became a target for two customs officials, Owen Richards and Robert Jackson. When the captain of the vessel informed John Hancock of their arrival, he instructed the captain to keep the men from going below deck. Richards and Jackson left after being refused access below deck.

However, later that evening, the two men returned to the Lydia and snuck aboard to look around. Informed of their return visit, Hancock confronted them both and asked to see the legal documents that allowed them to search the vessel. Because the documents did not contain a specific date for the search, Hancock considered them invalid and ordered his crewmembers to escort the men off the vessel. The customs commissioners dropped the matter but kept their eye John Hancock. They knew that he was smuggling goods into Boston aboard his vessels, and they would eventually catch him in the act ...

Owen Richards, one of the customs officials with an eye on Hancock, was born in Wales and arrived to the American colonies in the 1740s. He married Rebecca Sampson of Boston and owned pew #75 at Old North Church. He attended Old North with his wife and their four children. A staunch Loyalist, Richards' fate in Boston did not bode well.

Read more.

Loyalist Gazette: Spring 2018 Publicly Available

Following UELAC policy that one year after publication, a digital PDF copy of each issue of the Loyalist Gazette will be available publicly, the Spring 2018 issue has now joined prior issues online:

• Loyalist Gazette Vol. LVI, No. 1: Spring 2018 (14.2 MB)

...Publications Committee

UELAC Archives Seeking Past Issues of Loyalist Gazette

A month ago, the UELAC Archives requested donations of past issues which are missing from the UELAC Archives: UELAC Archives Missing Past Loyalist Gazette Issues – Can You Help?

There have been several responses including one from Brian Tackaberry UE, Bay of Quinte Branch, representing the UELAC Heritage Centre and Park in Adolphustown which is donating some 28 copies published between 1974 and 1999, extra copies from their holdings.

See this revised list of missing copies, single copies needed of most and two copies of Spring 1995, Fall 1996 and Spring 1999.

If you are willing to donate any of the missing copies, please send a note to leonwwu@gmail.com.

...Carl Stymiest, UE, UELAC Dominion Archivist

Cool Vintage Maps from Digital Archive Ontario

By Bill V., 25 March 2019

Digital Archive Ontario – a website by Toronto Public Library – is a treasure chest of interesting digitized maps, postcards, bird's-eye views, vintage photos, ephemera and older books. There are over 160,000 items and the collection is expanding daily.

Hundreds of maps are available and I wanted to share a selection from across the province to give you a small taste of our rich resources. There are many maps and other items from communities (big and small) from all over the province in Digital Archive Ontario, so feel free to check out any town of interest.

Read more.

Region and Branch Bits

From the UELAC branches, news and events of interest to others:

Kawartha Branch Annual Banquet Saturday 11 May 2019

At Holiday Inn Peterborough Waterfront, 150 George Street North. The social hour begins at 12:00 noon, and the banquet begins at 1:00 p.m. Cost: $25.00 per person. Guest Speaker: Dominion President, Suzanne Morse-Hines UE. Trish Groom will host a sales table with UELAC Dominion promotional items. Advance reservations only as there will be no sales at the door. E-mail or phone Grietje McBride, Kawartha Branch President, for tickets. She can be reached at 705-295-4556 or maplegrm@gmail.com.

Odell House in Fredericton NB For Sale

One of Fredericton's oldest buildings is going up for sale. The congregation at Christ Church Cathedral has voted to sell Odell House, which it has owned for more than a century. Odell House in downtown Fredericton was built for Jonathan Odell, a Loyalist, a poet, a doctor and teacher. He was also the provincial secretary. It's where plans were made for 104th Regiment's march from Fredericton to Kingston in the War of 1812, according to architect and historian John Leroux. It also had slave quarters. The house is located in the city's heritage zone; it does fall under protection. – Mark Gallop

Sat., Apr 27: Central West Region Annual Gathering

An added note to last week that the formal meeting begins at 9:30 sharp. Please arrive closer to 9:00 when registration begins and coffee and refreshments are available; enjoy some networking with old friends and making new ones. More details.

Easter Egg Hunt

At the United Empire Loyalist Conservation Area, 2700 Ott Rd, Stevensville, ON in the Niagara Peninsula, the Stevensville Kinsmen and Kinettes will hold their annual egg hunt with prizes for the children as well as free hot dogs and drinks for families.

From the Twittersphere and Beyond

• Nova Scotia Branch UELAC met yesterday Saturday 13 April at historic St. George's Round Church in Halifax for a presentation and to celebrate their 5th anniversary. See a short video by Brian McConnell, President at https://youtu.be/WephfBXTc58
• Check out the new UELAC profile picture on twitter – looks great!
• Casimir Pulaski may have been woman or intersex, study says. Pulaski was born in Warsaw in 1745 and became interested in politics from an early age. As a teenager, he was outlawed by Russia for fighting for Polish independence, fleeing to Paris. It was there he met the American revolutionary Benjamin Franklin, who convinced him to support the colonies fighting against England in the American Revolution. He is believed to have saved George Washington's life in 1777's the Battle of Brandywine, finding an escape route through which Washington and his soldiers were able to retreat. He died in 1779 at the age of 34, a short time after being fatally wounded during the siege of Savannah. So what's this about him not being a "he"? At BBC, read more...
• Today in History: Lars D.H. Hedbor @LarsDHHedbor (see his page for associated photos):
• 12 Apr 1770 Townshend Acts, except for tax on tea, repealed by Parliament; Americans continue to revolt anyway.
• 11 Apr 1781 American Col. Harden captures 2 British officers & 7 enlisted men at tavern in Pocotaligo, SC.
• 10 Apr 1778 John Paul Jones departs Brest, France, commanding USS Ranger, to attack British shipping & shorelines.
• 9 Apr 1776 The General Assembly of SC creates a Court of Admiralty to dispose of any captured British ships.
• 8 Apr 1780 British attack on Charleston, South-Carolina begins, culminating in the worst patriot defeat of the war.
• 7 Apr 1776 First US Navy capture of British ship, Lexington under Captain Barry takes Edward.
• 6 Apr 1776 In defiance of Parliament's American Prohibitory Act, Congress declares ports open to non-British trade.
• 6 Apr 1776 Block Island RI. American ships gave chase to the HMS Glasgow. Glasgow fired and hit the tiller ropes of the American flagship Alfred disabling it. The Glasgow then escaped. American commander Commodore Hopkins eventually dismissed.
• Townsends
• Potato Chips in the 18th Century?
• Good morning – it is time for Sackback Saturday. Cotton sackback, with lively pattern, c1770s. Cotton and linen plain weave, block-printed and dye-painted, with silk passementerie.
• 18th Century dress, sack-back detail, The 'watercolour' effect of the silk used in this sack is achieved by a weaving process called 'chiné'. Most chiné silks were imported from France and were more expensive. 1755-1765
• 18th Century dress, robe a l'anglaise ca.1780's
• 18th Century men's waistcoat, detail of embroidery and buttons
• Collar detail of 18th Century of men's French court coat, 1780's
• Our costume team are currently recreating a pair of eighteenth century stays. They spent some time last week examining a pair of original c.1780s stays, lined in linen with a brown cotton twill exterior
• Some Roman women's sandals have toe-shaped cut outs. This one at Museum of London is particularly realistic, and may have been traced directly round the customer's foot.
• Boston's Blackstone Block. At right is the Ebenezer Hancock House, built in 1767, the only remaining house in Boston associated with John Hancock.
• Down came the c1716 caribou antlers during building restoration at The Warner House and the void behind them showed the original red grained paint. That interior painting is on the construction bill from 1718.
• The History of Goody Two-Shoes by Geri Walton 12 April 2019. The History of Goody Two-Shoes (with or without a hyphen) was a children's story written anonymously in 1765, published by John Newbery, and a variation of the story of Cinderella. Goody Two-Shoes was the nickname of a poor orphan named Margery Meanwell who goes through life with one shoe until a rich gentleman gives her a new pair of shoes. She was so happy with her gift she told everyone she met that she had "two shoes," resulting in her being called Goody Two-Shoes. Later, she became a teacher, taught children to read, and performed good deeds, ultimately resulting in her marrying a rich widower. Read the real story...