Saturday, October 31, 2015

Seedy Saturday- Pumpkins


Happy Saturday everyone!  Seeing as today is Halloween, this week’s blog is fitting.
 
 

As a variety of winter squash, pumpkins are native to the New World, and Native American tribes were growing the “Connecticut Field” variety when settlers arrived.  We grow the same kind now for Jack-o’-lanterns, but back then they used every part of the pumpkin for a range of purposes, including a good source of food.  Strips of the pumpkin were roasted over the fire and could be stored to help them last through the long, cold North American winters.  The flesh of the pumpkin, which is sweet, they ate roasted, baked, parched, boiled and dried, as well as the seeds for sustenance and medicine. 

A number of theories for the origins of Jack-o’-lanterns are quite interesting.  Turnips and potatoes were used early on by the Scottish and Irish to carve out the very well-known decoration we associate with Halloween.  The English used beets, and to illuminate them they would light a piece of coal, that was set inside, on fire and this would do the trick.  After arriving in North America, the Europeans discovered that pumpkins were easy to carve and this is thought to be the reason that pumpkins are now the classic vegetable used as our primary Jack-o’-lantern shell.
Have a safe and great upcoming week!
Catie Welch

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Genealogy Jam: Writing Your Own Family's World War Wednesdays



     Something that seems to be a hot topic lately with Remembrance Day around the corner is genealogy, as people want to discover their own family's involvement in wartime. If this is something you've never looked into before, or at least haven't done in a few years, then this is the post for you!
     Family history is something I've gotten pretty well acquainted with in the past year, so I thought I would pass along some of the things I've learned in the hopes of making other people's searches easier. I cannot stress enough to people how much this field has changed in the past ten years, so even if you consider yourself an expert, you should really try seeing what else is out there. With digitization and the number of different resources available, you will be very surprised at the kinds of things not only available for access but possible to view online and at home. In all my experiences both working in an archives and conducting my own searches, I've never met a curator who wasn't enthusiastic, supportive, and helpful with genealogical questions of any kind, and they really do work tirelessly to preserve these records. They may have all the information you're looking for, and they get excited when they have someone who's interested!

     Before you start out on this seemingly daunting journey, there are some things you should think about and ask yourself. Depending on where you're looking, it's not quite as easy as going into an archives and saying "I'd like to see anything you might have on the .... family." It's important to make the most of your search by doing your homework beforehand and figuring out what holes need to be filled. Plus, if you've ever looked up the visiting hours of an archives, you'll know that your window of opportunity can be pretty limited, so you want to ensure that your session is worth the trip!




Step One: Who are you Looking For?
     Who arethe people you're interested in researching? A great first step in your search is to start with what you do know, rather than what you don't. Your assistant and all search engines are most reliable when you've provided as many details as possible, so I really recommend doing your homework! Genealogy Services at Library and Archives Canada has researchers fill out a pedigree chart before beginning the search (one for each of your parents). These trace your family tree back at least five generations, and once you've filled in as much as you can you'll be able to identify what needs further research.

Step Two: What are you Looking For?
     While this may sound broad, it's the first thing an archivist will ask you, and you'll want to have the answer narrowed down beforehand. What's important for a potential researcher to know is that there are different archives and resources for different types of information, and the person you're meeting with will need to assess whether or not your question can best be answered through their collection. Are you interested in immigration, census data, land records, military, birth/marriage/death records?

Step Three: What is the Geography of your Search?
     This question is essential for deciding the best place to visit in order to have your questions answered. If your question involves information with a national focus (military, census, immigration records), then Library and Archives Canada would be your source. However, the LAC is not recommended as a resource for specialized local study. If you're looking for information specific to a city, town, municipality, church, etc., you'll need to look into where the local archives are housed as well as any other historical societies or libraries which may also have some records.

Step Four: How Will you Go About your Search?
     Based on the general audience of this blog, I'm assuming that your searches will be conducted in and around Elgin County, so this part will be specific to those readers. If this doesn't apply to you, I encourage you to investigate what the equivalents would be for your own area! Elgin County is very fortunate to have an extensive municipal archives which are housed in the basement of the Elgin County Administration Building at 450 Sunset Drive, St. Thomas. You can visit them from Tuesday-Friday, 10am-4pm to have your local questions answered, or email archives@elgin-county.on.ca. Their website is also located here: http://www.elgincounty.ca/archives. If your search includes the western end of Elgin County with the Townships of Dunwich and Aldborough, the Backus-Page House Museum is also home to a variety of helpful sources. Lastly, local library branches are also great resources! Most libraries have paid subscriptions to Ancestry.ca, which is something I recommend everyone take advantage of (these subscriptions can cost thousands!) This provides access to census data, most notably the 1921 Canadian Census, which was fully digitized in 2013 and is the largest source of Canadian genealogical information found online.


     How the heck will you get the national information without making the trek to Ottawa?? Well, you've got a couple of options here. As I mentioned before, there is a great deal of information available to access online, which you should check out first. However, from my experience, it can be difficult to maneuver if you aren't totally comfortable with online database searches, and even if you are, the LAC website is definitely not user-friendly. So, I will make myself available for assistance should anyone need help finding something from the LAC. You can always send me an email at delanyleitch@gmail.com and I'll do my best to get you the links!
     In terms of military records, the process can be mildly to extremely frustrating for researchers. If you're looking for someone who fought in the First World War, all records have been made fully available for consultation. However, the Second World War records are not so easy, which I found out last week. If you're looking for information on a WWII veteran, living or deceased, you have to send away an application for military service information to the LAC's ATIP and Personnel Records Division. If the veteran is living, you must have his or her written consent to do so. If the veteran is deceased, you must have proof of their death as well as proof of your relationship (an obituary was recommended). Once you've filled out the form and provided this information, you can request a Genealogy Package, which includes copies of the significant documents which summarize their service, and takes about 4-8 months to receive. This will not give specific details of campaigns and battles they served in, and you must then use their service number and regiment information to track them through the LAC military records. If this is something that you would be interested in doing, I have received copies of the necessary form from the LAC and can send you a digital copy for printing, just send me an email with a request! Also, for anyone who has completed this step and would like to have their relative traced to see the campaigns their veteran was a part of, I would be more than happy to go to the LAC and have that done for you. Our local veterans deserve to have their stories told and remembered with accuracy, and if I can be of any help with that I will do my best!
     I've tried to include a guide for useful online resources which will be of use in your searches, courtesy of Library and Archives Canada:
-Ancestry.ca www.ancestry.ca
-Automated Genealogy (census indexes) http://automatedgenealogy.com/index.html
-Canadian Gravemarker Gallery www.rootsweb.ancestry.ca/~cangmg/
-Canadian Headstone Photo Project www.canadianheadstones.com
-Ellis Island (passenger lists, New York, 1892-1924, includes transit to Canada) www.ellisisland.org
-FamilySearch (Family History Library) https://familysearch.org/
-Legion Magazine's Last Post Death Notices http://legionmagazine.com/en/last-post/
-Obituary Daily Times www.rotsweb.ancestry.com/~obituary/
-Our Roots (local histories online) www.ourroots.ca
-Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid http://ocfa.islandnet.com
-Ontario Cemetery Ancestor Search http://ogs.andornot.com/CemeteryIndex.aspx
-Ontario Vital Statistics Project www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onvsr
-And of course, Library and Archives Canada http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/genealogy/Pages/introduction.aspx

     Hopefully this helps with any family history hesitation you may have! As always, feel free to ask questions.
     Thanks for reading,
Delany

Seeking Volunteers to Serve on the Board of Directors

         
Tyrconnell Heritage Society is seeking volunteers to serve on the Board of Directors for 2 and 3 year terms commencing February 25, 2016. 

Interested individuals are required to be minimum of 18 years of age; pay your annual Tyrconnell Heritage Society membership; complete and submit a Recruitment Form to the nominating committee; and encouraged to attend the Annual General Meeting on February 25, 2016, 7pm at Backus-Page House Museum.

Documents are available on our website, by emailing info@backuspagehouse.ca , or by calling 519-762-3072.  
The Board of Directors will post the approved candidacy list online, 40 days prior to the Annual General Meeting (on or before January 17, 2016).  
Submission deadline to be considered for nomination and election is December 31, 2015.

Attn: Nominating Committee
Tyrconnell Heritage Society

Box 26, 29424 Lakeview Line
Wallacetown, ON, N0L 2M0

The Nomination Committee consists of Betty McLandress (current board member), Angela Bobier (current staff person), Brian and Liz Elliott (current society members).  

We are especially seeking individuals with experience in computers, human resources, building maintenance, grounds keeping, reenacting, history, museum work, environment or nature, accounting, bookkeeping, and those that excel in sales and fundraising.  

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Seedy Saturdays- Wormwood



Happy Saturday Everyone!  Here is today's plant.

Wormwood is native to Eurasia and Northern Africa, but is naturalized widely in Canada and the northern United States.  It is grown as a decorative plant, but is also an ingredient in certain alcoholic drinks, especially absinthe.  Aside from the “green monster,” it adds flavour to other wines and spirits, such as vermouth, and was used instead of hops in beer in England during the 1700s.   In Europe today, it is used as a medicine traditionally, for stimulating appetite and to relieve indigestion.


Wormwood may look like an ordinary plant, but its leaves and flowers hold a secret.  They house what is call terpene thujone, which is a bitter, aromatic substance that is thought to cause clarity of thought, increased sense of perception, enhanced creativity, inspiration and the ability to “see beyond…” all without explanation.  These effects were discovered in the 19th century by poets, writers and other artists.  

Friday, October 23, 2015

Family History Friday - Andrew Backus

When compiling information about a person from the past, you sometimes get overwhelmed with all the dates that may or may not be important to telling their story.  I am consistently finding dates that fit into the biographies of the people associated with Backus-Page House Museum and surrounding area.  I've found it helpful to open up a Word document and start a timeline for each of them.

I thought I'd share with you the current timeline for Andrew Backus. There will be many duplicates between Andrew and his wife, Mary Jane's, timelines since they share children, family, and residence.  Her timeline was posted last week.  If you have information that can be added please post a comment or send me an email at info@backuspagehouse.ca
Happy History!
Angela Bobier
Cultural Manager

Biography of Andrew Backus
1812    January 1 in Dunwich Twp.  Lot 13 Concession 10
1814    Log house of Stephen and Anne (Storey) Backus was looted during War of 1812.
1814    Brother Joseph Backus born
1816    September 28 Brother Thomas Backus born
1816    The Year Without Summer (weather anomaly due to volcano eruption)
1818    June 28  Sister Mary backus born
1820    April 16 Thomas BACKUS, born Sept. 28, 1816, bap Apr. 16, 1820, son of Stephen & Anne; sponsors Leslie PATTERSON, John PEARCE, Elizabeth & Sarah STEWART  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas
1820        April 18 Mary BACKUS, born June 28, 1818, bap Apr. 18, 1820, dau of Stephen & Anne; sponsors Leslie PATTERSON, John PEARCE, Elizabeth & Sarah STEWART  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas
1821        May 22 Sister Olivia Backus born
1822    The first school was held in the home of John Pearce in 1822 – The first teacher was Thomas Gardener.
1822    June 26 Olivia BACKUS, born May 22, 1821, bap. June 26, 1822; dau of Stephen & Anne; sponsors Walter STORY, Mary STEWART & Elizabeth STEWART  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas
1823    Sister Sarah Anne Backus born
1823    September 8  Sarah Ann BACKUS, bap Sept. 8, 1824, dau of Stephen & Anne; sponsors William PEARCE, Frances PEARCE & Catherine PEARCE  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas
1824    John Miles Farlane kept school in a house on Lot 11 Concession 11, this was located on one side of the settlement and the people felt that the school should be more centralized and so erected a school on the corner of the Backus land.
1825    Brother Stephen Jr. Backus born
1825    June 21  Stephen BACKUS, bap June 21, 1825, son of Stephen & Anne; sponsors Walter STORY, Leslie PEARCE, Elizabeth & Sarah STEWART  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas
1825    Stephen and Anne (Storey) Backus built west section of house.
1827    Brother Robert Backus born
1827    August 21 Robert BACKUS, bap Aug. 21, 1827, son of Stephen & Anne  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas
1827    August 21 Andrew Backus confirmed by Lord Bishop of Quebec in Dunwich Twp
1829    Brother Henry Backus born
1831    January 19 Sister Hannah Backus born
1831    January 30 Hannah BACKUS, born Jan. 19, 1831, bap Jan. 30, 1831, dau of Stephen & Anne; sponsors Walter PATTERSON, Hannah PATTERSON and Mary Anne PEARCE [note - surname is incorrectly spelled "BECKIS" in register]  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas
1832    October 29  Brother Walter Backus born
1832    November 18  Walter BACKUS, born Oct. 29, 1832, bap Nov. 18, 1832, son of Stephen & Anne, sponsors John PEARCE, William PEARCE, Frances PEARCE  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas
1833  The school on the Backus land fell into decay and seeing the need for a new school, the settlers got together in 1833, organized a bee and a log schoolhouse was erected on land donated by James Conn. The schoolhouse was completed in 1835. The older children and youths went to St. Thomas to further their education.
1838    Andrew was given his grandmother’s property; he would eventually build the Backus-Page House here
1839  May 2  Married            to Mary Jane Hamilton in Dunwich Twp Andrew aged 27 Mary Jane 23
1839    Stephen Backus, Andrew’s father, gave him 125 acres of land
1840 November 5 Daughter Eliza Ann Backus                      
1842 February 2 Son Walter Backus Born
1842  March 20  Walter BACKUS, born Feb. 2, 1842, bap Mar. 20, 1842, son of Andrew & Mary, sponsors Joseph BACKUS, Sally BACKUS & Stephen BACKUS  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas
1842    Grandmother Mary Storey died
1843    March 4 Daughter Mary Jane Born
1843    April 9  Mary Jane BACKUS, born Mar. 4, 1843, bap Apr. 9, 1843, dau of Andrew & Mary Jane; sponsors William PEARCE, Olivia BACKUS & Mary MOREHOUSE  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas
1844    February 15 Brother Henry Storey Backus Died
1844    February 23 and 25  Eliza Ann and Walter Died
1844    December Son Stephen Alexander Backus Born
1846    Son William Henry Backus Born
1848    Son Andrew Storey Backus Born
1848    Robert Morris was hired to build the east section of the Stephen Backus House
1850    June Daughter Sarah Ann Backus Born
1850    Andrew employs Robert Morris to help him built the house
1851    June 13 Family eat their first meal in house.

Wills of Elgin County 1846-1852  Estate of John Pearce – Andrew Backus was one of 3 witnesses. 

1852    August late Son Robert John Backus Born
1852    September 10 Robert John Backus Died
1853    The Tyrconnell Wharf and Harbour Company began. Andrew and his family did not invest
1854    Daughter Katherine Elizabeth Born
1857    April  Anne Storey, Andrew’s mother Died
1858    Amelia Olivia Victoria            Born
1859    Infant daughter born
1859    Infant daughter died
1860    Sister Olivia Died
1860    Brother Walter Died
1861    April  Andrew bought shares in the Dunwich Pier Company for $20 a share
1862    Elizabeth Hamilton, Mary Jane’s mother, died

1862    Son Arthur Edmond Backus Born
1862    Arthur Edmond Backus Died at 10 days old
1864    Sister Hannah Died
1865    November  Stephen Backus, Andrew’s father, died
1871    Sarah Ann Backus married Thomas Leslie Pearce
1874    Mary Jane Backus married John R. Gow
1877    March 1  William Henry Backus married Euphemia Buchanan at St. Thomas
1878    Stephen Alexander Backus married Francis Morrish
1879    Amelia Olivia Victoria Backus married Thomas C. Humphries
1880    Andrew Storey Backus, a local farmer, married Eliza Ann Potticary
1883    Alexander Hamilton, Mary Jane’s father, died
1884    Sister Sarah Anne Died

1885  March 22 Andrew Backus died and left the farm to his son, Andrew Storey Backus.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Events to Attend at The Backus-Page House Museum!



Reminder that this Saturday is the Family Harvest Party at the Backus-Page House Museum! Bring your family out for a haunted trail walk, spooky tour, bonfire, games, crafts and refreshments! 

Followed by an outside Halloween movie under the stars! Bring your lawn chairs and blankets! The Family Harvest Party costs $6.00/child and $2.00/adult. The event is taking place this Saturday, October 24, 2015 from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. The outdoor movie will start at 7 p.m. Hope to see you all there!

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

World War Wednesdays: Shattered Innocence: The SS City of Benares


     In case you're wondering why I always seem to write about sunken ships and disasters at sea, my best attempt at an answer is that my interest was piqued with my first taste of history as a child through the story of the Titanic, and throughout my studies I've repeatedly stumbled upon similar tragedies.
     If any of my readers follow History at Western University, you might recognize this week's topic, but I assume most of you understandably do not, so I'll fill you in on how I got acquainted with it!
     A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled across a gal named Claire Halstead on Twitter who is a PhD candidate at Western researching British child evacuees in Canada during the Second World War. She recently featured excerpts from original letters and quotes of accounts related to the sinking of the ship the SS City of Benares in 1940. I found these tweets to be especially moving and made a mental note to someday research the topic for a blog, but then I saw in the news the other day that Claire successfully defended her dissertation on the topic two days ago and officially earned her PhD. Congratulations, Dr. Halstead, and thanks for inspiring this post!

Monday, October 19, 2015

Memory Mondays- The Backus Homestead




Stephen Backus and family did not arrive to the Talbot settlement until 1810, but after arriving married Anne Storey, who had come the year prior.  He built a log cabin on the land originally and eventually bought the farm for 75 pounds in 1817.  He built the west section of the home in 1825 and employed Robert Morris to build an addition in 1848.  Morris was also the architect to design and build the house of Stephen’s son, Andrew, which is the home of our Backus-Page House Museum today.  Jamie and Stacie Littlejohn own the home presently. Take care and have a great week! 

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Seedy Saturdays- Cowslip



Happy Saturday Everyone!  This week is all about cowslip.

Cowslip is an herb that flowers and is native to most of Europe and Asia.  The leaves have been used in a number of different cultures in their cooking.  They have been used as a salad green in Spanish cooking, and the flowers were used to flavor wine and vinegars. 


It Is an early bloomer that has played a big role in the lives of the Celtic druids, as a part of their pharmacy and mythology.  It was likely used in magical potions to help the other herbal constituents to be increasingly absorbed.   Medicinal parts of the plant were also recommended  by Hildegard von Bingen, a German Benectine nun, for topical use, but the leaves were eaten as food as well.  In folk medicine, gout and rheumatism were treated with cowslip, as well as it being a sedative.  Today, it is mostly used as tinctures or dry extracts.  

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Friday, October 16, 2015

Family History Friday - Mary Jane Hamilton Backus

When compiling information about a person from the past, you sometimes get overwhelmed with all the dates that may or may not be important to telling their story.  I am consistently finding dates that fit into the biographies of the people associated with Backus-Page House Museum and surrounding area.  I've found it helpful to open up a Word document and start a timeline for each of them.

When you do this you realize some odd circumstances.  For Mary Jane and Andrew in February 1844 they lose two young children and Andrew's brother within a 10 day time period.  This makes me wonder if there was an illness, such as cholera, in the area and I've added that to my research list of things to find out.  Normally a biography ends with the person's death, but I've added the death of Mary Jane's brother because it is one day after her's.  Could be a coincidence, but that is another item on my list to research to look for both causes of death.

I thought I'd share with you the current timeline for Mary Jane (Hamilton) Backus and next week I'll post the same for husband, Andrew Backus.  If you have information that can be added please post a comment or send me an email at info@backuspagehouse.ca
Happy History!
Angela Bobier
Cultural Manager



Biography to date of Mary Jane (Hamilton) Backus

1816    The Year Without Summer (weather anomaly due to volcano eruption)
1816    November 30 Born in Ireland
1816-1820 Alexander, Elizabeth & family Hamilton come to Canada
1822    The first school was held in the home of John Pearce in 1822 – The first teacher was Thomas Gardener.
1824    John Miles Farlane kept school in a house on Lot 11 Concession 11, this was located on one side of the settlement and the people felt that the school should be more centralized and so erected a school on the corner of the Backus land.
1833  The school on the Backus land fell into decay and seeing the need for a new school, the settlers got together in 1833, organized a bee and a log schoolhouse was erected on land donated by James Conn. The schoolhouse was completed in 1835. The older children and youths went to St. Thomas to further their education.
1839  May 2  Married Mary Jane Hamilton in Dunwich Twp Andrew aged 27 Mary Jane 23
1839    Stephen Backus, Andrew’s father, gave him 125 acres of land
1840 November 5 Daughter Eliza Ann Backus                      
1842 February 2 Son Walter Backus Born
1842  March 20  Walter BACKUS, born Feb. 2, 1842, bap Mar. 20, 1842, son of Andrew & Mary, sponsors Joseph BACKUS, Sally BACKUS & Stephen BACKUS  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas
1842    Andrew’s Grandmother Mary Storey died
1843    March 4 Daughter Mary Jane Born
1843    April 9  Mary Jane BACKUS, born Mar. 4, 1843, bap Apr. 9, 1843, dau of Andrew & Mary Jane; sponsors William PEARCE, Olivia BACKUS & Mary MOREHOUSE  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas
1844    February 15 Brother-in-law Henry Storey Backus Died
1844    February 23 and 25  Eliza Ann and Walter Died
1844    December Son Stephen Alexander Backus Born
1846    Son William Henry Backus Born
1848    Son Andrew Storey Backus Born
1850    June Daughter Sarah Ann Backus Born
1850    Andrew employs Robert Morris to help him built the house
1851    June 13 Family eat their first meal in house.
1852    August late Son Robert John Backus Born
1852    September 10 Robert John Backus Died
1852    December 19 Mary Jane’s sister-in-law Harietta died (possibly in childbirth as baby lived 12 days????)
1853    The Tyrconnell Wharf and Harbour Company began. Andrew and his family did not invest
1854    Daughter Katherine Elizabeth Born
1857    April  Anne Storey, Andrew’s mother Died
1858    Amelia Olivia Victoria Born
1859    Infant daughter born
1859    Infant daughter died
1860    Sister-in-law Olivia Backus Died
1860    Brother-in-law Walter Backus Died
1861    April  Andrew bought shares in the Dunwich Pier Company for $20 a share
1862    April 5  Elizabeth Hamilton, Mary Jane’s mother, died
1862    Son Arthur Edmond Backus Born
1862    Arthur Edmond Backus Died at 10 days old
1863    August 17 Alexander Hamilton, Mary Jane’s father, died at Tyrconnell
1864    Sister-in-law Hannah Backus Died
1865    November  Stephen Backus, Andrew’s father, died
1871    Sarah Ann Backus married Thomas Leslie Pearce
1874    Mary Jane Backus married John R. Gow
1877    March 1  William Henry Backus married Euphemia Buchanan at St. Thomas
1878    Stephen Alexander Backus married Francis Morrish
1879    Amelia Olivia Victoria Backus married Thomas C. Humphries
1880    Andrew Storey Backus, a local farmer, married Eliza Ann Potticary
1884    Sister-in-law Sarah Anne Died
1885  March 22 Andrew Backus died and left the farm to his son, Andrew Storey Backus.
1887    Sister-in-law Mary Died
1891    Son Stephen Alexander Died
1892    September 18 Mary Jane (Hamilton) Backus  Dies
1892    September 19  brother Archibald Hamilton Dies

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Fall Raffle Winners

Thank you to everyone who purchased a raffle ticket to support Tyrconnell Heritage Society and Backus-Page House Museum.  Congratulations to our winners!!

1st Prize - Laurie Sura
2nd Prize - Karen Keith
3rd Prize - Yvonne Brooks

We appreciate the individuals and businesses who donated our items.  


Wednesday, October 14, 2015

World War Wednesdays: Profile of a Hero: The Incredible Edith Cavell


     Yesterday, October 12 marked the centenary of a truly unbelievable event that occurred during the First World War. A lot of readers may recognize the name in the title from the name of the prominent Port Stanley Boulevard, which originates from this story, as do countless schools and landmarks around the world. They all serve as tributes to a truly remarkable lady who is an example to all of us.

     Edith Louisa Cavell was born on 4 December, 1865 in Swardeston, a village near Norwich, England, where her father was vicar for 45 years. After a period as a governess, she trained as a nurse at the London Hospital and worked in various hospitals in England. In 1907, she was recruited to be the matron of a newly established nursing school in Belgium. By 1910, Miss Cavell launched a nursing journal and a year later was a training nurse for three hospitals, 24 schools, and 13 kindergartens in Belgium.

     When the First World War broke out in 1914, she was visiting her widowed mother in Norfolk, England. She returned to Belgium, where her clinic and nursing school were taken over by the Red Cross.

     After the German occupation of Brussels in November 1914, Cavell began sheltering British soldiers and funneling them out of occupied Belgium to the neutral Netherlands. Wounded British and French soldiers and civilians of military age were given false papers and sent through various guides to the houses of Cavell and others in Brussels, where they were given money and guides to reach the Dutch frontier. This placed Cavell in violation of German law, which made German authorities increasingly suspicious of both her actions and outspokenness.

     On August 3, 1915, Cavell was arrested and charged with harboring Allied soldiers. She had been betrayed by a man who was later convicted by a French court as a collaborator. She was held in a prison for 10 weeks, the last two of which were in solitary confinement. She made three depositions to the German police admitting her role in conveying about 60 British and 15 French soldiers and about 100 French and Belgians of military age to the frontier and had sheltered most of them in her house.

     In her court-martial she was prosecuted for aiding British and French soldiers, in addition to young Belgian men, to cross the border and eventually enter Britain. She admitted her guilt when she signed a statement the day before the trial, and stated that the soldiers she had helped escape had thanked her in writing after their safe arrival in Britain. The penalty, according to German military law, was death.

     While the first Geneva Convention ordinarily guaranteed the protection of medical personnel, the protection was forfeit if used as a cover for any belligerent action. The British government could do nothing to help her, but since the U.S. was not yet in the war, they were in a position to apply diplomatic pressure. Hugh S. Gibson, First Secretary of the U.S. legation at Brussels, made clear to the German government that executing Cavell would further harm Germany's already damaged reputation. He later wrote:
     We reminded [German civil governor Baron von der Lancken] of the burning of Louvain and the sinking of the Lusitania and told him that this murder would rank with those two affairs and would stir all civilised countries with horror and disgust.
   
     Despite not being a German national, Cavell was arrested not for espionage but for treason. When in custody, she was questioned in French but minuted in German, which gave the interrogator the opportunity to misinterpret her answers. Despite this, she made no attempt to defend herself.

     The night before her execution, she told the Anglican chaplain who had been allowed to see her that, "Patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone." Her final words to the German Lutheran prison chaplain were recorded as, "Ask Father Gahan to tell my loved ones later on that my soul, as I believe, is safe, and that I am glad to die for my country."

     At 7:00 AM on October 12, 1915, sixteen men forming two firing squads carried out the sentence pronounced on Edith Cavell and four other Belgian men at the Tir national shooting range in Schaerbeek.

     In the months and years following her death, she became an iconic propaganda figure due to her sex, nursing profession, and heroic approach to death. Her death was represented as an act of German barbarism and moral depravity.
A poster showing Edith Cavell

A stamp commemorating her death

A postcard featuring Cavell's story

Her story was used extensively for recruitment



     As part of the ceremony for the centenary of her death, a bust in her honor was unveiled in the park of Mountjoie in Uccle, Belgium by the city's mayor, as well as Princess Anne of Britain and Princess Astrid of Belgium.


     Among many other memorials around the world in her honor, the one in Paris was ordered to be destroyed by Adolf Hitler during his 1940 visit to the city.

     100 years later, the story of Edith Cavell still incites a sentiment of grave injustice and a cold absence of humanity. However, her bold sense of duty and profound bravery in the face of death remain just as enduring. In this day and age, it seems hard to imagine such an act of absolute selflessness, but as long as her story is told, there are small pieces of Edith Cavell still alive in this world.

Thanks for reading,
     Delany

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Seedy Saturdays- Coral Bells and Wild Bergamot



Happy Saturday Everyone!  This week you will receive information on two types of plants.

This particular flower is native to North America, spanning from the Arctic down to Mexico, with approximately 37 varieties.  These bloom in many colours, as an ornamental plant in summer.  The Native Americans used coral bells in some medicines, as a remedy for inflammation, a pain reliever and also to stop bleeding.  Though these flowers are enjoyed by us now, in the Victorian era they were not an eye-grabber to the masses. 


This species scientific name is Heuchera, named after a German doctor from the 1700s, Johann Heinrich von Heucher.  Johann was a friend to the father of taxonomy, Linnaeus, who was known to honour his friends by naming plants after them.  This is what happened with Johann in 1738.   




This plant is actually a wildflower that is part of the mint family and is native to North America.  In the summer time, it blooms with white flowers and is used often as a honey plant, a garden ornamental or for medicine.  A number of Native American groups used it for its last purpose, as a medicinal plant.  They used it in a tea to treat colds, and even families today still use it for the same purpose, adding a little honey to sweeten its strong taste.  Other groups used =wild bergamot to treat skin infections and small wounds, as well as mouth and throat infections caused by gingivitis.  Wild bergamot is used in flower arrangements and is used for nectar by bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.    

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

World War Wednesdays: The Wicked Wit of Winston Churchill


     Whew! Were there enough 'W's in that title for you? This week's topic features one of my top two most beloved historical figures: Sir Winston Spencer Churchill. Basically, I'll take every possible opportunity to talk about the iconic British Bulldog, and he has been the topic of much of my own research and writing. I've actually heard on good authority that it is now considered backward in the historical community to favor Churchill when researching and writing on the Second World War, and if that's the case then as per usual I would hate to be forward. If any of my readers this week tend not to favor Churchill, I hope this post causes you to find some place in your heart for him on a personal level. I have tried my best to compile just some of the numerous reasons why he is one of the biggest inspirations in my life, and say what you want about the old bugger but he was never short on inspiration!

     About a year ago, I was in the gift section of Chapters and stumbled upon a book called "The Wicked Wit of Winston Churchill" by Dominique Enright. Basically, she had compiled a series of recollections and quotations which featured instances of Winston Churchill's remarkable ability to say the most perfect thing at all the most perfect times. While most people get themselves involved in discussions, leave them, and are struck with the frustration of having thought of the perfect response a day later, Churchill always seemed to be able to strike with a paralyzingly witty remark which nullified any retort the other person could ever think of. I like to think that his almost constant state of drunkenness had only a minimal part to play in this. After combing through the Enright book I've made this compilation of my own favorites of these examples of The Wicked Wit of Winston Churchill.

On Politics
     When asked what qualities a politician required, Churchill replied, "The ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen".

     When an Ulster Member shouted 'Contemptible' during an Irish Home Rule debate in the House: "If I valued the honourable gentleman's opinion I might get angry".

On Words
     In one of the many documents that came his way throughout his career, a civil servant had gone out of his way to be grammatically correct, and had clumsily avoided ending a sentence with a preposition. Churchill scribbled in the margin: "This is the sort of English up with which I will not put."

     In September 1943, General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson was selected to take the Greek island of Leros with a small number of troops. Churchill encouraged him, saying, "This is the time to play high. Improvise and dare." Later, he wrote: "He improvose and dore."

     After a march of over a hundred miles during a 1907 tour in Africa, Churchill turned to his private secretary Eddie Marsh and said, "So fari-- so goodi!"


On Himself
     When a woman came up to him and declared that her baby looked just like him, he responded with "Madam, all babies look like me."

     On his seventy-fifth birthday, November 30, 1949: "I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is ready for the ordeal of meeting me is another matter."

     "My idea of a good dinner is, first, to have good food, then discuss good food, and after this good food has been elaborately discussed, to discuss a good topic- with me as chief conversationalist."

On Nations
     At the Yalta Conference in 1945, Churchill was persuaded to follow Roosevelt's tribute to Soviet leader Josef Stalin, objecting all the while "But they do not want peace."He got to his feet and proposed a toast "to Premier Stalin, whose conduct of foreign policy manifests a desire for peace." Then, in a whispered aside out of earshot from the interpreter, "A piece of Poland, a piece of Czechoslovakia, a piece of Romania..."

     In 1943, Churchill sent Anthony Eden on a mission to bring Turkey into the war. After receiving a telegram from Eden reporting "Progress slow. What more can I tell Turkey", Churchill responded with, "Tell them Christmas is coming!"
Churchill and his wife, Clementine Hozier
On Women, Marriage, and Family
     "My wife and I tried two or three times in the last few years to have breakfast together but it was so disagreeable we had to stop."

     At a reception in Richmond, Virginia, in the USA, his hostess, an ample lady, led Churchill, the guest of honour, to the buffet table. When she offered him some cold chicken, he asked if he could have a breast. As she helped him to a particularly succulent-looking piece his hostess informed him genteelly that "We Southern ladies use the term 'white meat.'" The next day a corsage arrived for her with a card from Churchill which read, "I would be most obliged if you would pin this on your 'white meat.'"

     At a reception during a speaking tour in Canada he was seated next to a straight-laced Methodist minister when a young waitress came up to them with a tray of glasses of sherry. Churchill first took a glass, and when she turned to the minister, he was appalled at having been offered alcohol: "Young lady," he announced, "I'd rather commit adultery than take an intoxicating beverage." Churchill then beckoned the girl, "Come back, miss- I didn't know we had a choice."

     Leaving the Commons bar one evening, it is said that Churchill ran into another woman MP, the formidable Bessie Bradddock. "Winston," she said icily, "you're drunk." Churchill drew himself up: "Madam, you're ugly. But tomorrow I shall be sober."
Churchill and American General Eisenhower
On Drink
     In reply to Field Marshal Montgomery's smug statement, "I neither drink nor smoke and am a hundred percent fit," Churchill said, "I drink and smoke and I am two hundred percent fit."

     "Always remember, Clemmie (his wife), that I have taken more out of alcohol than it has taken out of me."

     "When I was younger I made it a rule never to take strong drink before lunch. It is now my rule never to do so before breakfast."

Monday, October 5, 2015

Memory Mondays- The Patterson Homeastead



In 1809. Colonel Leslie Patterson brought his family up to the Dunwich area from the United States and was one of the 4 founding families to settle here.  He was a captain in the Middlesex militia during the war of 1812-1814 and his home was heavily looted during this time.  It is a great building however, with secret compartments for hiding valuables, 2 doors in almost every downstairs room and a basement floor still of care earth.  This home was also the place where the first confirmation service of Elgin County was held and where the first post office in Dunwich was run.  None of Patterson’s sons wanted the farm, so his daughter and her husband, Lydia and Archibald Duncan, took up the task of farming the land.  In 1914, the house was purchased by Audrey and Alistair Littlejohn and their relatives continue to live there today.  Have a great week and take care! 

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Seedy Saturdays- Strawberries



Happy Saturday everyone!  I know we are out of season now, but today’s blog is about this delicious berry.

The strawberry is another berry native to North America.  Native Americans called them "heart-seed berries" and would pound these red treasures into their traditional cornmeal bread.  In Europe, the strawberry was originally grown more for decoration than for eating.  For example, Charles V had 1200 strawberry plants grown in the Louvre’s royal gardens in Paris.  It would be another century before they were grown and refined for the market. 

An interesting fact about the strawberry is that this plant is a member of the rose family, and did you know that the berry itself holds the actual fruits which are the little seed-like things embedded all over its surface?!  In terms of this fruit’s name, there are many explanations, including the practice of placing straw around the plants as they grew for protection, or the fact that the runners spread outward from the plant and in Anglo-Saxon “spread” translated to strew, which eventually became straw to the English. 


In traditions of love, strawberries were used to show flirtation, signifying an intoxication for someone or the fact that they were delicious to you.  In Art and Literature, this fruit was a symbol of desire and sensuality, and began to be considered an aphrodisiac, because of its high number of tiny seeds.  Lastly, in Norse (Viking) mythology, the goddess Frigga gave strawberries to symbolize spirits of young children that had died as an infant and made their way to heaven inside a strawberry.