Friday, 29 July 2016
The Modern Reenactor: Making Souliers de Boeuf
The Modern Reenactor: Making Souliers de Boeuf: It only just hit me the other day: my first French and Indian War reenactment of the year is happening in one month at the Fort at No. 4 (...
Wadena Co. Historical Society presents ‘Fur Trade in Minnesota’ exhibit
Wadena Co. Historical Society presents ‘Fur Trade in Minnesota’ exhibit: Explore the fascinating people and places of Minnesota’s first global business in “Fur Trade in Minnesota,” a new traveling exhibit from the Minnesota History Center opening August 5 at the Wadena County Historical Society.
Thursday, 28 July 2016
Wednesday, 20 July 2016
Guns & Ammunition. The Old Bailey Records.
Guns & Ammunition. The Old Bailey Records.
he caused a Ladder to be fetched, and a Blunderbuss charged
with Peas, being Fired in at the Grate under the Arch, the dread of a further
Harm, induced them to more calmness. However, they continued to declare, they
would rather dye in the place, than be Executed at Tyburn,
Ordinary's Account, 15th July 1689.
And upon that, did (that is, one of them) shoot him with a
Brass-Piece or Blunderbuss, and lodged seven or eight Bullets in his Body.
Ordinary's Account, 7th February 1705.
and purchas'd 2 Pistols and a half Blunderbuss, which was
all the Arms he ever used on the High way, although Jo-s carried along with him
(also) a sharp Knife, and sometimes a Dagger.
Ordinary's Account, 26th July 1731.
a Guard thereto, as soon as the Passengers had been plundered,
discharged a Blunderbuss, and shot W - in the Hip with a Slug, and graz'd
him under the Eye with another; upon which Fluellin set Spurs to his Horse, and
riding up to him, shot him Dead upon the spot, and then gallopp'd off.
Ordinary's Account, 8th November 1738.
Monday, 18 July 2016
Sunday, 17 July 2016
Saturday, 16 July 2016
Thursday, 14 July 2016
Two Great Books To Read To Children Of All Ages.
Do you read to your children or Grandchildren? The following books are great for children of all ages, I read these to my three sons.
The Matchlock Gun By Walter D. Edmonds.
The Matchlock Gun By Walter D. Edmonds.
In 1756, New York State was still a British colony, and
the French and the Indians were constant threats to Edward and his family. When
his father was called away to watch for a raid from the north, only Edward was
left to protect Mama and little Trudy. His father had shown him how to use the
huge matchlock gun, an old Spanish gun that was twice as long as he was, but
would Edward be able to handle it if trouble actually came? This classic, first
published in 1941, has an updated, kid-friendly format that includes the
original black-and-white illustrations.
Winter Danger By William O'Steel.
Caje's taciturn father has raised him to be a woodsy,
always on the move, hunting and trading, trying to stay alive. Jared Amos
adamantly believes that neither he nor his son should be beholden to anyone,
ever. When they're forced by the worst Tennessee winter on record to stay with
Caje'saunt and uncle, the boy is excited to have the opportunity of being warm
and safe, well-fed, and on a farm. His father can only bear it for a short time
before abandoning his son in the middle of one harsh winter night. There are
plenty of exciting scenes involving Indians, bears, hungry wolves and a
panther, illness and starvation due to the unusual weather. Caje eventually
realizes that he belongs with this family; being beholden just means that he'll
be able to return the favour eventually.
Look these books up on the net, plenty of copies for sale.
Keith.
The Matchlock Gun PDF.
Monday, 11 July 2016
"Once Upon a Time": Pre-1900 Logistics
"Once Upon a Time": Pre-1900 Logistics: Having problems deciding what food stuffs to pack for the upcoming reenactment event? What rifle or smoothbore to take? "Oh what th...
Thursday, 7 July 2016
Wednesday, 6 July 2016
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, by George Francis Dow. 3
The settler also must take with him a supply of food to
answer his needs on reaching Massachusetts, and it was advised that enough for
the space of a year might be required in which case each person should be
certain to have in store 8 bushels of meal, 2 bushels pease, 2 bushels oatmeal,
1 gallon brandy, 1 gallon oil and 2 gallons vinegar. Sugar could be had in New
England as the Colonial vessels were bringing it from the West Indies in the
way of trade, but spices, necessary to the English diet, must be brought from
England.
John Josselyn, writing in 1638, listed the following
articles as necessary equipment for every family coming to New England, viz.:
|
Bellows
|
£0
|
2
|
0
|
|
Scoop
|
|
0
|
9
|
|
Great pail
|
|
0
|
10
|
|
Casting shovel
|
|
0
|
10
|
|
A sack
|
|
2
|
4
|
|
Lanthorn
|
|
1
|
3
|
|
Tobacco pipes
|
|||
|
5 broad howes
|
|
10
|
0
|
|
5 narrow howes
|
|
6
|
8
|
|
5 felling axes
|
|
7
|
6
|
|
2 hand saws
|
|
10
|
0
|
|
1 whip saw
|
|
10
|
0
|
|
1 file and wrest
|
|
10
|
|
|
2 hammers
|
|
2
|
0
|
|
2 augers
|
|
1
|
0
|
|
Wheels for a cart
|
|
14
|
0
|
|
Wheel barrow
|
|
6
|
0
|
|
Canoe
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
|
Short oak ladder
|
|
0
|
10
|
|
Plough
|
|
3
|
9
|
|
Axle tree
|
|
0
|
8
|
|
Cart
|
|
10
|
0
|
|
[11]3 shovels
|
|
4
|
6
|
|
2 spades
|
|
3
|
0
|
|
2 broad axes
|
|
7
|
4
|
|
6 chisels
|
|
3
|
0
|
|
3 gimblets
|
|
0
|
6
|
|
2 hatchets
|
|
3
|
6
|
|
2 frows
|
|
3
|
0
|
|
2 hand bills
|
|
3
|
4
|
|
|
|||
|
Nails of all sorts
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
|
3 locks and 3 pr. fetters
|
|
5
|
10
|
|
2 curry combs
|
|
0
|
11
|
|
Brand for beasts
|
|
0
|
6
|
|
Hand vise
|
|
2
|
6
|
|
100 wt. spikes nails and pins (120)
|
2
|
5
|
0
|
|
2 pick axes
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
|
Chain and lock for a boat
|
|
2
|
2
|
|
Coulter (10 pound)
|
|
3
|
4
|
|
Pitch fork
|
|
1
|
4
|
|
Plough share
|
|
2
|
11
|
Household implements for a family of six persons, viz.:
|
1 iron pot
|
0
|
7
|
0
|
|
1 great copper kettle
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
|
1 small kettle
|
|
10
|
0
|
|
1 lesser kettle
|
|
6
|
0
|
|
1 large frying pan
|
|
2
|
6
|
|
1 small frying pan
|
|
1
|
8
|
|
1 brass mortar
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
|
1 spit
|
|
2
|
0
|
|
1 grid iron
|
|
1
|
0
|
|
2 skillets
|
|
5
|
0
|
|
Platters, dishes and spoons of wood
|
|
4
|
0
|
The above prices are estimated costs in England and the
freight on the same would be reckoned at the rate of half a ton per person.
Tuesday, 5 July 2016
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, by George Francis Dow. 2
During the ten years that followed the settlement of the
Massachusetts Bay, a continuous flow of emigration from England crossed the
Atlantic in all kinds of available sailing craft.[4] The
passage usually cost £5 per person and this included provisions provided by the
ship such as "salt Beefe, Porke, salt Fish, Butter, Cheese, Pease,
Pottage, Water-grewell, and such kinde of Victualls, with good Biskets, and
sixe-shilling Beere; yet it will be necessary to carry some comfortable
refreshing of fresh victuall. As first, for such as have ability, some Conserves,
and good Clarret Wine to burne at Sea; Or you may have it by some of your
Vintners or Wine-Coopers burned here, & put into Vessels, which will keepe
much better than other burnt Wine, it is a very comfortable thing for the
stomacke; or such as are Sea-sicke: Sallat-oyle likewise, Prunes are good to be
stewed: Sugar for many things: White Biskets, and Egs, and Bacon, Rice,
Poultry, and some weather-sheepe to Kill aboard the Ship: and fine flowre-baked
meates, will keepe about a weeke or nine days at Sea. Iuyce of Lemons well put[7] up, is good either to prevent or curre the Scurvy.[5] Here
it must not be forgotten to carry small Skillets or Pipkins, and small frying-panns,
to dresse their victualls in at Sea. For bedding, so it be easie, and cleanly,
and warme, it is no matter how old or coarse it be for the use of the Sea: and
so likewise for Apparrell, the oldest cloathes be the fittest, with a long
coarse coate to keepe better things from the pitched ropes and plankes.
Whosoever shall put to Sea in a stoute and well-conditioned ship, having an
honest Master, and loving Seamen, shall not neede to feare, but he shall finde
as good content at Sea, as at Land.[6]
The Mayflower shipped 15,000 brown biscuit and
5,000 white, that is, hard bread, i.e. crackers; also smoked or half-cooked
bacon, as it came from the smokehouse, which was much liked with the biscuit
and when fried was considered a delicacy. Haberdyne (dried salted codfish) was
also a staple article of diet; also smoked herring. Potatoes were practically
unknown at that time and the store of cabbages, turnips, onions, parsnips,
etc., soon ran short and gave way to boiled mush, oatmeal, pease puddings, etc.
Their beer was carried in iron-bound casks.
When passengers came aboard vessels bound for New England
in those early days, how did they stow themselves and their possessions?
The Mayflower had a length of about 110 feet and measured about 244
tons. It was originally intended that she should carry ninety passengers, men,
women and children, but when the Speedwell put back, twelve of her
passengers were taken aboard, and two boys were born during the voyage. The
ship also carried a crew of twenty to twenty-five men, and officers and petty
officers, about sixteen in number, would bring the total of those aboard to one
hundred and forty or more. Goats, pigs, and poultry occupied pens on the upper
or spar deck and in the boats carried there. Small sleeping cabins were
provided for the ship's officers and the more[8] important
passengers; most of the company slept in narrow bunks, in hammocks, and on
pallet beds of canvas filled with straw, placed on the deck beneath the
hammocks. The crew bunked in the forecastle. The chests and personal
possessions of the passengers were stowed below on the lower deck where the
food, water and ship's stores were kept. On the Arbella, Governor Winthrop's
ship, the male passengers lodged on the gundeck and four men were "ordered
to keep that room clean."
The ship Whale, in 1632, brought thirty passengers,
including Mr. Wilson and Mr. Dummer, all in good health, and seventy cows of
which they lost but two. The shipRegard of Barnstaple, 200 tons, arrived
in 1634, brought twenty passengers and about fifty cattle. The
ship Society of Boston, N. E., 220 tons, with a crew of thirty-three
men, arrived in 1663, with seventy-seven passengers. A notable example of
fortitude is found in the voyage of the sloop Sparrow Hawk, that sailed
from London in 1626 for Virginia and having been blown off her course was
wrecked on Cape Cod.
She was only forty feet in length, had a breadth of beam
of twelve feet and ten inches, and a depth of nine feet, seven and one-half
inches. Bradford in his Historyrecords that she carried "many
passengers in her and sundrie goods ... the cheefe amongst these people was one
Mr. Fells and Mr. Sibsie, which had many servants belonging unto them, many of
them being Irish. Some others ther were yt had a servante or 2 a piece;
but ye most were servants, and such as were ingaged to the former persons,
who also had ye most goods ... they had been 6 weeks at sea, and had no
water, nor beere, nor any woode left, but had burnt up all their emptie
caske."[7] And
this happened in the month of December!
In those days cooking on shore was done in an open
fireplace. On shipboard, the larger vessels were provided with an open
"hearth" made of cast iron sometimes weighing five hundred pounds and
over. More commonly a hearth of bricks was laid on deck, over which stood an
iron tripod from which the kettles hung. More[9]crudely
still a bed of sand filled a wooden frame and on this the fire was built,
commonly of charcoal. On the ship Arbella, in which came Governor John
Winthrop and his company, in 1630, the "cookroom" was near a hatchway
opening into the hold. The captain, his officers and the principal men among
the passengers dined in the "round house," a cabin in the stern over
the high quarter-deck. Lady Arbella Johnson and the gentlewomen aboard dined in
the great cabin on the quarter-deck. The passengers ate their food wherever
convenient on the main deck or in good weather, on the spar deck above. Years
later, a new ship lying at anchor in Boston harbor was struck by lightning
which "melted the top of the iron spindle of the vane of the
mainmast" and passing through the long boat, which lay on the deck, killed
two men and injured two others as "they were eating together off the
Hen-Coop, near the Main Mast."
The ship supplied each passenger with a simple ration of
food distributed by the quartermasters, which each family or self arranged
group of passengers cooked at a common hearth as opportunity and the weather
permitted. Of necessity much food was served cold and beer was the principal
drink. John Josselyn, Gent., who visited New England in 1638, records "the
common proportion of Victualls for the Sea to a Mess, being 4 men, is as
followeth:
"Two pieces of Beef, of 3 pound and
¼ per piece.
"Four pound of Bread.
"One pint ¼ of Pease.
"Four Gallons of Bear,
with Mustard and Vinegar for three flesh dayes in the week.
"For four fish dayes, to each
Mess per day, two pieces of Codd or Habberdine, making
three pieces of fish.
"One quarter of a pound of Butter.
"Four pound of Bread.
"Three quarters of a pound of Cheese.
"Bear is before.
"Oatmeal per day, for 50 men, Gallon 1. and so
proportionable for more or fewer.
"Thus you see the ship's provision,
is Beef or Porke, Fish, Butter, Cheese, Pease, Pottage, Water
gruel, Bisket, and six-shilling Bear.
"For private fresh provision, you may carry with you
(in case you, or any of yours should be sick at Sea) Conserves
of Roses, Clove-Gilliflowers, Wormwood, Green-Ginger, Burnt-Wine, English
Spirits, Prunes to stew, Raisons of
the Sun, Currence, Sugar, Nutmeg, Mace, Cinnamon, Pepper and Ginger, White
Bisket, or Spanish Rusk, Eggs, Rice, Juice of Lemmons, well
put up to cure, or prevent the Scurvy.
Small Skillets, Pipkins, Porrengers, and small Frying pans.
"To prevent or take away Sea sickness, Conserve
of Wormwood is very proper."[8]
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, by George Francis Dow. 1
The Massachusetts Bay Company seems to have maintained a
"company store," in the modern phrase, at which the colonists might
obtain clothing, fabrics, foodstuffs and supplies of all sorts. When Governor
Endecott came over in 1628, the Company sent extra clothing sufficient for one
hundred men including three hundred suits of clothes, four hundred shirts and
four hundred pairs of shoes. Two hundred of the suits of clothes consisted of
doublet and hose made up of leather, lined with oiled skin leather, and
fastened with hooks and eyes. The other suits were made up of Hampshire
kerseys, the doublets lined with linen and the hose with skins.[6] There
were a hundred waistcoats of green cotton bound about with red tape, a hundred
Monmouth caps, at two shillings each, five hundred red knit caps, milled, at
five pence each, and one hundred black hats, lined in the brows with leather.
This store supplied the natural wear and tear of headgear among the hundred
men. The stock contained four hundred pairs of knit stockings, ten dozen pairs
of Norwich garters, three hundred plain falling bands, two hundred handkerchiefs
and a stock of sheer linen with which to made up other handkerchiefs. Scotch
ticking was supplied for beds and bolsters, with wool to put therein. The
blankets were of Welsh cotton and fifty rugs were sent over to place over the
blankets, while mats were supplied "to lye vnder 50 bedds aboard
shippe."[3]
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/43970/43970-h/43970-h.htm
Beware that "cotton" in this period covered all spun thread and that Welsh Cotton and Cotswolds Cotton were usually wool.
Reference is Hopkins, The Tale of a Soldier's Coat, Stuart Press, 2000
Cheers,
Wayne
Beware that "cotton" in this period covered all spun thread and that Welsh Cotton and Cotswolds Cotton were usually wool.
Reference is Hopkins, The Tale of a Soldier's Coat, Stuart Press, 2000
Cheers,
Wayne
A Survey of 18th- and 19th-Century Food Preservation Techniques in Philadelphia 2.
The American Practical Cyclopaedia (1866) includes
specific instructions for storing
cabbages.
To Keep Cabbages in Winter: Cut the heads out with two
or three courses of outside leaves upon them, fold close
to
the head, pack them in barrels or boxes, set them in a
cellar,
if the cellar is dry, keep outside leaves on top of the
cabbage, to exclude enough air to prevent wilting. It is
better still to pack the cabbage heads as above with nice
damp moss…it will preserve the cabbage just sufficiently
damp and fresh all winter. Beets, carrots, celery, etc.,
may
also be kept finely this way.53
Monday, 4 July 2016
A Survey of 18th- and 19th-Century Food Preservation Techniques in Philadelphia 1.
If you wish to salt fat pork, scald coarse salt in water
and
skim it, till the salt will no longer melt in the water.
Pack
your pork down in tight layers; salt every layer; when
the
brine is cool, cover the pork with it, and keep a heavy
stone
on top to keep the pork under brine. Look to it once in a
while, for the first few weeks, and if the salt has all
melted,
throw in more. This brine, scaling and skimmed every time
it is used, will continue good twenty years. The rind of
the
pork should be packed towards the edge of the barrel.44
Salting meat was a less time consuming task that salting
pork. Child explained
that “you have nothing to do but rub in salt plentifully,
and let it set in the cellar a day or
two…In summer, it will not keep more than a day and a
half; if you are compelled to
keep it longer, be sure and rub more salt, and keep it
carefully covered from cellarflies.”
45
43 Deborah Norris Logan, Diary VII, December 28, 1824.
Historical Society of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Sunday, 3 July 2016
Friday, 1 July 2016
"Once Upon a Time": The Battle of Fort Necessity
"Once Upon a Time": The Battle of Fort Necessity: Painting by Robert Griffing After learning of the attack at Jumonville Glen , Claude-Pierre Pecaudy de Contrecoeur, the veteran Fre...