Fun Fact Friday #17 - Don't Forget to Carve Your Turnip! 🎃

      Now, this post is going to be less of a fun fact and more of a fun (fictional) tale about the history of jack-o-lanterns and how they got their name.  

      Many of the stories that surround the naming of the glowing pumpkin come from a man named Stingy Jack. Stingy Jack was a troublemaker to say the least. He would drink as much as he could and then play tricks on everybody, even the Devil himself. One day Jack tricked the Devil into climbing an old apple tree. After the Devil climbed the tree, Jack left crosses all around it's trunk. Of course, the Devil is unable to touch crosses, so he was not able to climb down. He did this so the Devil would promise to not take his soul when he died. The Devil promised, Jack took away the crosses, and the Devil climbed down. 

Stingy Jack and his turnip jack-o-lantern.

      When is was Jack's time to pass on he went up to Heaven and met Saint Peter. Jack was told that becasue he was mean and nasty during hi lifetime he was not allowed into Heaven and was sent down to the dark depths of the Devil's home. The Devil kept his promise, though, and would not let him in. Jack was lost somewhere in the middle, called the Netherworld. He asked the Devil how he could leave this lightless place, so the Devil showed him an ember to lead him back to the depths. 

      In this story, Jack always carried a turnip with him because it was one of his favourite foods. Jack hollowed out the turnip and stuck the ember inside. From that day forward, Jack wandered Earth, with no resting place, lighting his way with his "Jack-O-Lantern". 
      
      This story came from Ireland and it's ancient Celtic traditions on All Hallow's Eve. Because Ireland was lacking pumpkins, they would use turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes, or beets. 

      The Tyrconnell area was once known as Little Ireland because of the amount of Irish people that lived there. It is possible that the settlers might have carved some sort of vegetable on All Hallow's Eve. 

Come for a tour at the oldest house in Little Ireland, the Backus-Page House Museum!
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
(519) 762-3072

Ireland and Scotland with Backus-Page House Museum

http://backuspagehouse.ca/event/the-best-of-scotland-and-ireland/

World War Wednesdays:"More Trouble than it was Worth:" Ireland and WWII

Damage after a bombing raid in Dublin which killed between thirty and forty people, May 30, 1941

     Sometimes we like to get a little geographical with our WWW focus, and for this week's post I decided to venture into territory that's been on the list for a while but not yet made the cut. This one goes out to any Irish readers, or just anyone who likes a good geographical history and/or a pint of Guinness.

     To begin, it is important to point out that Ireland was a divided country during the war, and both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland remained officially neutral. But, Ireland presents a curious case as a neutral country because it did make some contraventions in favour of the Allied cause, such as allowing the use of the Donegal Corridor for Allied military aircraft and extensive co-operation with Allied intelligence including exchanges of information and detailed weather reports of the Atlantic Ocean. Geographically, Ireland's position benefited the Allies more than the Axis, since, for example, British airmen who crash-landed there could go free if they could claim not to have been on a combat mission. However, it also refused to close its German and Japanese Legations, and leader Eamon de Valera signed the book of condolence following Adolf Hitler's death in May 1945 before personally visiting the German ambassador. As a result, then, Ireland is a fascinating study of the complexities of wartime neutrality and international diplomacy in general.

     In the Republic of Ireland, the Second World War was known as the Emergency, which was declared on September 2, 1939 and gave the government sweeping powers until its lapse on the same date in 1946. In the Republic's case, the greatest wartime threat came from inside Ireland in the form of the rebel group IRA, which sabotaged the Irish Army and killed policemen while forging links with German intelligence to plan a German-supported invasion of Northern Ireland.

Some of the devastation caused by the bombing of Belfast, April 1940

     Despite the fact that the invasion never came to fruition, Northern Ireland did experience hardship at the hands of the Germans during the war. Believing itself to be a distant an unlikely target, Belfast did little to prepare for Nazi air raids, but the city's shipyards actually presented a major strategic target for the Luftwaffe. Belfast thus experienced dozens of raids in April and May 1940, with the worst on April 15 when two hundred German bombers pounded the city relentlessly. The onslaught resulted in the deaths of over nine hundred residents, one of the entire war's highest single-day death tolls, in addition to the destruction of factories, infrastructure, and half the city's housing, leaving a quarter of the population homeless.

     Between 1938 and 1939, when the war was just on the horizon, the iconic Irish brewery Guinness was exporting around 800,000 barrels of beer annually. By 1940 and 1941, the figure was closer to the one million mark. This was thanks to the rapidly-growing number of men enlisted in the British military and wartime industries, who had a thirst for the classic drink from the isle. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill recognized Guinness's importance for the preservation of morale, but by the end of 1941 wheat was becoming increasingly scarce. On all fronts, it looked like Ireland's neutrality would be unable to survive the war, and because of the vulnerability of the Irish ports and the British need to supply the neutral country with important goods for the war effort, Churchill decided to further Ireland's economic weakness in the hopes of forcing them onto the Allied side. Throughout 1941, the full onslaught of British economic warfare was thrust upon Ireland, making famine once again a realistic fear. In March 1942, in an effort to preserve the wheat supply for bread for the poor, the Irish government imposed restrictions on the malting of barley and banned the export of beer altogether. This dramatically changed the British attitude and promptly snapped them into drafting an agreement to trade badly needed stocks in exchange for Guinness. When, a short time later, Guinness complained of a lack of coal supply to produce beer for both home and export markets, the Irish government reinstated the ban and British officials once again responded with more aid. The pattern of barter continued repeating itself, resulting in enough supplies to keep Ireland afloat for the rest of the war and the thirst American and British troops in North Ireland well quenched during the lead-up to DDay. The overall result, as author Bryce Evans comments, was that Guinness effectively saved Ireland during the war.

     I hope you enjoyed this little spotlight on the Emerald Isle, and that you'll keep it in mind as St. Patrick's Day approaches. If you're interested in some further reading, here are some interesting links:
On Guinness during the war: http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/how-guinness-saved-ireland-in-world-war-ii
On Northern Ireland during the war:
 https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/irishhistorylive/IrishHistoryResources/Shortarticlesandencyclopaediaentries/Encyclopaedia/LengthyEntries/NorthernIrelandandWorldWarII/
Research credits to Bryce Evans, "How Guinness Saved Ireland in World War II;" Alphahistory.com, and Irish History Live at Queen's University Belfast,
     Thanks for reading,
Delany
   

World War Wednesdays: Friends in the Fight: WWI Pals Battalions

     Hello and welcome to the latest edition of "It's Totally Possible to Write Weekly Blogs About the World Wars for Almost Two Years and Never Run Out of Topics"! The First World War has been in the news a lot recently, especially in regard to the centenary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme, but I wanted to take a look at a unique topic that I hadn't previously heard much about. This week is all about the Pals Battalions, a uniquely British phenomenon whereby men were recruited to serve alongside their friends, relatives and workmates.

     A crucial fact which contributed to this concept was that Britain found itself as the only major power to enter the war without a mass conscripted army. After the war began, it became clear very quickly that the British army was just not large enough for a global conflict.

     Thousands of men began volunteering for service in Lord Kitchener's New Armies, propelled by patriotic fervor. It did not take long before it came to be realized that local ties played a major role in enlistment, and that many more men could be enticed to serve if they knew that they would be doing so among familiar faces.

     On 21 August 1914, the first of the Pals Battalions began to be raised from the City of London stockbrokers. Amazingly, 1,600 men joined what became the 10th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers in just a matter of days. The phrase "battalion of pals" was first coined by Lord Derby, and recruited enough men to form three battalions of the King's (Liverpool) Regiment in only a week.

     Soon, Pals Battalions came to be synonymous with Northern British towns. Men from cities including Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Hull, Glasgow, and Edinburgh enlisted by the thousands in 1914 and 1915. In addition, the battalions were also raised from Birmingham to Bristol and from Cambridge to Cardiff.

     After being trained, the first of the Pals Battalions began arriving on the Western Front in mid-1915. However, most of them never saw major action until the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916. Many of these units sustained heavy casualties, which had a major impact on the communities they left behind. As a result, the close-knit structure of the Pals Battalions was never continued after the introduction of conscription in 1916.

Here are some examples of the different Pals Battalions across Britain:

The recruitment of Pals battalions appealed to the complex local and national identities of men in Britain. Here the image of Field Marshal Sir John French, the Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, is used to appeal to men from Newcastle-upon-Tyne with Irish roots. Four 'Tyneside Irish' battalions were raised, as well as four 'Tyneside Scottish' battalions.

Volunteer recruits of the 'Preston Pals' parade in their civilian clothes in Market Square, Preston, on 7 September 1914. In two days, over 200 Preston men formed a company of the 7th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. They were joined by volunteers from Blackpool, Kirkham and Chorley.

A group of 'Leeds Pals' at their training camp in the Yorkshire Dales in September 1914, shortly after enlisting. A local benefactor gave the men pipes, but their uniforms did not arrive until November - reflecting how quickly Pals battalions had been recruited. These men became part of the 15th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment.

Recruits of the 'Grimsby Chums' (10th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment) pose with rifles, September 1914. Access to rifles so soon after joining up was rare due to the shortage of equipment, with new recruits often having to go without khaki uniform for several months.

Infantrymen of 10th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment (Hull Commercials) marching near Doullens, 28 June 1916. While this photograph shows men of a Hull Pals battalion clearly having been encouraged to smile for the camera, it does reflect the sense of optimism among the troops of the British Army on the eve of the Battle of the Somme.

Men of a support company of an assault battalion of the Tyneside Irish Brigade moving forward shortly after zero hour on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916. This significant day was when many Pals battalions experienced their first major attack. The Tyneside Irish attacked near La Boisselle, suffering very heavy casualties.

     Major thanks to Imperial War Museums and their article "The Pals Battalions of the First World War" by Matt Brosnan, from which the majority of the photos were borrowed. This topic stands out to me as one of many heartbreaking stories related to the First World War, especially to the Battle of the Somme, and I hope that keeping the memories alive will do these men justice in some small way.

     Thanks for reading,

Delany (@DLeitchHistory on Twitter)

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