Category: British History

Revolutionary War Vocabulary

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Here are two examples taken from the post:

Aide-de-camp: a military officer acting as secretary and confidential assistant to a superior officer of general or flag rank.

Jaeger corps: in the German army, one belonging to a body of light infantry armed with rifles, resembling the chasseur of the French army. Sharpshooter. Also Yager and Jager.

Source: www.karenfurst.com/blog/revolutionary-war-vocabulary/

First modern Britons had ‘dark to black’ skin, Cheddar Man DNA analysis reveals

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First modern Britons had ‘dark to black’ skin, Cheddar Man DNA analysis reveals

The genome of Cheddar Man, who lived 10,000 years ago, suggests that he had blue eyes, dark skin and dark curly hair

Follow this link to read the entire post: www.theguardian.com/science/2018/feb/07/first-modern-britons-dark-black-skin-cheddar-man-dna-analysis-reveals

Iron Age Britain’s Oldest Gold – Archaeology Magazine

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Iron Age Britain’s Oldest Gold – Archaeology Magazine

Staffordshire, England.  Four torcs uncovered in Leekfrith are the earliest Iron Age gold items ever found in Britain. Torcs are jewelry that were worn around neck, by both men and women.  They can be dated to between 400 and 250 B.C. based on their stylistic qualities, says Julia Farley of the British Museum, who notes they were most likely worn by women. The torcs’ age is remarkable because, for several hundred years starting around 800 B.C., people in Britain appear to have largely abandoned wearing and manufacturing gold jewelry.  Follow the link below for more on these:

Source: www.archaeology.org/issues/282-features/top10/6176-england-iron-age-gold-torcs

The Boston Coffee Party of 1777

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Alvan Fisher - Coffee clap
The following was recorded in the journal of John Boyle on that date: A Female Riot. ~ About 100 Women from the North-Part of the Town, getting information of a Quantity. of Coffee being in the Store of Thos. Boylston, Esqr. which he refused to sell at the regulated Price, attacked him in King-Street, and demanded the Keys of his Store, which he refusing to deliver, they immediately placed him in a Cart, and threatened to Cart him out of Town, upon which he delivered them the Keys. — A Committee was appointed to keep him Custody while the Body was employed in getting the Coffee out of the Store, which they speedily effected, and went off with their booty.
Writing from Boston, on July 31, 1777, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John, away attending the Continental Congress in Philadelphia wrote on the account:
“There is a great scarcity of sugar and coffee, articles which the female part of the state is very loath to give up, especially whilst they consider the great scarcity occasioned by the merchants having secreted a large quantity. It is rumored that an eminent stingy merchant, who is a bachelor, had a hogshead of coffee in his store, which he refused to sell under 6 shillings per pound.
“A number of females—some say a hundred, some say more—assembled with a cart and trunk, marched down to the warehouse, and demanded the keys.
“Upon his finding no quarter, he delivered the keys, and they then opened the warehouse, hoisted out the coffee themselves, put it into a trunk, and drove off. A large concourse of men stood amazed, silent spectators of the whole transaction.”

Lincolnshire, England couple spend two decades building Saxon house in their back garden

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Retired teachers Steve and Judith Jones built the home over 20 years. They have just had a new roof thatching crowdfunded on Kickstarter. The pair use the house to teach local children about the Saxon era. They don’t live in the hut – but have admitted to sleeping in it several times

To see the compete post follow this link:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3512679/Couple-spend-two-decades-building-Saxon-house-garden-mud-hair-lime-horse-manure-raising-money-crowdfunding.html

Music from the Island of Guernsey

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One of my Rhodes ancestors came from the Island of Guernsey to Virginia in the 1600s. I have always interested finding out about the lands of our forefathers, and when my daughter sent me a link to this video I felt compelled to post it. The video is of hurdy gurdy player Clare Salaman, playing an old Guernesiaise folk tune.

Categories: British History