Serendipity Sunday - Farriers and Horseshoers

I came across one of these magazines and it interested me because I have a friend whose husband is a farrier...

A farrier doesn't just put shoes on horses, they have to know what kind of shoes to put on a horse for the job he does. The farrier is like a pedicurist and podiatrist in one - a total hoof specialist.

A farrier in the British Army in 1899 was of a higher rank and was paid more than a shoeing-smith.

Royal Warrant for the Pay 1899, pg 169

Did you have an ancestor that was a farrier or a horseshoer?



Relevant Links

International Horseshoers' monthly magazine (1900-1923)

The American farrier and horseman's companion, 1865

Farrier School Directory

Serendipity Sunday - Riposte

ri·poste (rəˈpōst/)

1. a quick clever reply to an insult or criticism.
2. a quick return thrust following a parry in fencing

I came across this book when I was researching schools....

Schools and Masters of Fence

It caught my interest because I have Fencers in my family... do you?

Relevant Links

Schools and masters of fence, from the middle ages to the eighteenth century

Escrimeurs Contemporains - Contemporary Fencers Vol 1 - 1899

Escrimeurs Contemporains - Contemporary Fencers Vol 1 - 1900

The Riposte (magazine for American Fencers)

US Fencing Museum Roll of Honor

Canadian Fencers (wikipedia)

Australian Fencers

New Zealand Fencers

Fencers of Great Britain

Irish Fencers

American Fencers

Profiles - US Fencing news and training tips

Related Posts:  Sports

Serendipity Sunday - Generations of Birthdays

Update: 13 Dec 2016

Mom has passed now and is with her mother and grandmother looking down on me as I celebrate yet another birthday. My Mom always made birthdays special, not just for us but even for strangers I would bring home that had no family close by. That is a gift I gave to my children as they are doing now for theirs!




I came across some old birthday books, and it just happens to be my birthday!

I love birthdays! They are always a celebration in our family, as they were in my parents', grandparents' and great-grandparents' families!

Mom getting kisses from her great grandchildren on her 90th birthday, 2015

Granny getting kisses from her great-grandchildren on her 90th birthday, 1984

My great-grandmother with her grown children on her 75th birthday, 1942

I sure hope I am around to get kisses from my great-grandchildren on my 90th birthday!

I have one daughter that was born Christmas Day.  I made sure her birthday was separate from Christmas, with a celebration at lunch with balloons and birthday-paper-wrapped gifts.  She liked having a Christmas birthday, just don't ever send her a Christmas/Birthday card (which we all did for her 30th hehehe!).

My grandmother never forgot an anniversary or a birthday.  She always bought her greeting cards ahead of time and kept them in her Birthday Organizer.  It was a book of envelopes in which she could place the cards for each month and write on the line for the right day the names of people having birthdays or anniversaries.
Something like this....

Every year I got a greeting card from my Granny and Grampa in the mail, and when I was young the card always had $2 tuck in it. When we went to my grandparents' for their birthday, my Granny always made a birthday cake with waxed-paper-wrapped money baked in it. Some nickles and dimes and one quarter. That was fun for us kids! Who would get the quarter?

In the 1800's to early 1900's it was popular to give someone a Birthday Book.  Some of these books had sayings or poems from famous writers, some had birthdays of famous people entered. There were lines to add the birthdays of family and friends.

From Astrological Birthday Book, 1915

I guess I am old enough to have seen some of the movies made by the actors in the Actor Birthday Book. Or, I just like old movies.

How do you celebrate birthdays differently, or the same, as your ancestors?




Relevant Links


Actor Birthday Book, 1908

Past and Present Birthday Book, 1899

The Comic Birthday Book, c1900's

The Canadian Birthday Book, English and French, 1887

Astrological Birthday Book, 1915



Related post:  The Day Granny King Turned 75

Serendipity Sunday - Old Manors and Houses in Quebec

A while ago I came across this book...

Old Manors, Old Houses - 1927

After the Table of Contents in the back is an index of names.

Serendipity Sunday - Mail Order Tombstones

I was researching the sport of Fencing, using keyword "fencing" and because of "iron grave fencing" being keywords in the topic, this catalogue popped up!

Monuments, Tombstones and Markers - Montgomery Ward & Co, 1915

Who knew you could check out fridges, sofas and tombstones from the same department store??  Even Tiffany's got in the act!

Relevant Links

Monuments, Tombstones and Markers - Montgomery Ward & Co, 1915

Monuments, Tombstones and Markers - Montgomery Ward & Co, 1934

Catalogue of tombstones, monuments, tablets and markers: Sears, Roebuck 1902

Tiffany Studios, 1913

Tributes to honor : Tiffany Studios, 1918

Serendipity Sunday - Founders and Patriots of America

This week I came across this publication....

The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America Register 1904

'''The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America''' (OFPA) is a highly restrictive, United States-based, hereditary fraternal organization whose self-declared purpose is to collect and preserve records related to the original American colonists and their descendants, and to promote camaraderie among descendants of original colonists. Its strict bloodline mandates and small size (currently less than 1,000 members), has earned it a reputation as the most exclusive lineage society in the United States."


There are more records here.

Serendipity Sunday - Medical Service of British Army

This week I came across this study done by the University of Aberdeen in 1917...

"Roll of commissioned officers in the Medical service of the British army, who served on full pay within the period between the accession of George II and the formation of the Royal army medical corps, 20 June 1727 to 23 June 1898, with an introduction showing the historical evolution of the corps."

Related posts:  

Military Medical 

Is There a Doctor in the House?

Serendipity Sunday - Remarkable Shipwrecks and Naval Disasters

This week I have been taking a new direction in my research. I am looking into the descendants of my 9th great grandfather, Ambrose Frost born 1610 in Moretonhampstead (sometimes written Moreton Hampstead), Devon, England.

In so doing I came across a Gilbert Frost in this publication...

Remarkable shipwrecks; collection of interesting accounts of naval disasters, 1813

Fortunately Gilbert was not shipwrecked, but rather a name on the subscribers list for New York.  This gives me another avenue to follow.  Gilbert is a common name in the Frost Family and it looks like one of them immigrated to America. 

I do have a 5th great uncle Gilbert Frost that was in the Royal Navy.  According to Silvester Treleavens Diary, word was received in Moretonhampstead on July 7th 1800 that Gilbert died aboard the HMS Edgar (74 Guns) off the coast of France.

HMS Edgar took part in the Battle of Cap-St-Vincent 1780

Serendipity Sunday - Who Screams for Ice Cream?

While doing my family search I came across this... a perfect thing for hot summer days!

Ice Cream Trade Journal 1921

When Dad was driving the family anywhere on a hot summer day and we saw an ice cream store coming up, we kids would all sing...

♫ I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream ♫

... hoping Dad would stop and get us each a cone.  Sometimes it worked, sometimes not.

On special occasions, my Mom would make waffles on the griddle and with a slice from a brick of Neopolitan Ice Cream, make ice cream sandwiches.

When my girls were at camp they made ice cream using 2 different size coffee cans and rock salt.

What are your favourite ice cream memories?



Relevant Links

Ice Cream Trade Journal

Ten choice receipts (recipes) for making ice cream for the use of families, churches, societies, hotels, eating houses, &c., with full directions, 1881

The book of ices : including cream and water ices, sorbets, mousses,iced soufflés, and various iced dishes, with names in French and English, and various coloured designs for ices, 1885

Thirty-six Years an Ice Cream Maker, 1907

Serendipity Sunday - Canadian Forces Postal Workers

The other day I came across an online pdf listing names of postal workers in the Canadian Forces.  It Is part of The History of the Canadian Forces Postal Services which was on the website of Bob Emery, retired Sergeant of the Canadian Forces Postal Corps, and put together by L. Dawson.

History of the Canadian Forces Postal Service - pdf

It gives a history of the postal service and nominal roll of postal workers for all the wars.

Serendipity Sunday - Modern Etiquette

In my travels this week I came across this book...

"Modern etiquette in public and private : including society at large, the etiquette of weddings, the ball-room, the dinner-table, etc" - 1893

I you search using the keyword "etiquette" you will find a few other publications.



Relevant Links

Modern Etiquette in Public and Private, 1893

Serendipity Sunday - Canadian Volunteers... so called

Names of the Several Persons to Whom Land Warrants have been Issued, and Extra Pay Allowed, Subsequent to the 3rd March, 1817, Under the Act Granting Bounties in Lands, and Extra Pay to Certain Canadian Volunteers (so called), and the Act Supplementary thereto; with the Names of Agents or Attorneys to whom Land Warrants were Delivered, and Money Paid – US War Dept - 1818

There are some letters to and from the Paymaster in the back



Relevant Links

Land and/or money issued to Canadian Volunteers 

Serendipity Sunday - Canada Engineers

This week I came across this publication...

The first part of the book is the listing of Engineers and their works, the next part of the book is the pubic works and the engineers that worked on them.

Was your ancestor an engineer in early Canada?

Relevant Links

Alphabetical record: engineers and superintendents, etc., and the principal public works on which they have reported or been employed : Canada, 1779 to 1891

Serendipity Sunday - Most Secret Secret Agents

During my research of my military ancestor, I came across a list of UK secret agents from WWII. The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a UK organization during WWII, formed to carry on espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe.

Relevant Links 

The Most Sercret List of SOE Agents 

Spies: The Secret Agents who Changed the Course of History

Serendipity Sunday - Other Practitioners in Illinois

This is an interesting directory I came across this past week ....

"Official register of legally qualified other practitioners; a list of persons licensed by the State Board of Health to treat human ailments without the use of medicines internally or externally, and without the use of operative surgery, prior to July 1, 1917" - Illinois

This is not surgeons and physicians, rather it is a directory of osteopaths, chiropractors, naturopaths, physcultopaths, vitopaths, naprapaths, etc...

Relevant Links


Register of Other Practitioners - Illinois

Serendipity Sunday - Emigrant's Guide

The other day I came across this Emigrant's Guide published in 1832, sold in London for one shilling. The title is:

"The emigrant's guide to New South Wales, Van Diemen's Land, Lower Canada, Upper Canada, and New Brunswick: containing an enumeration of the advantages which each colony offers ; with the regulations adopted by His Majesty's Government to facilitate male and female emigration ; the price of passage, certainty of permanent employment, and rates of wages ; list of tradesmen and mechanics most wanted, and the pecuniary assistance offered to married men and single females, towards defraying the expense of their passage, with copies of the official forms to be transmitted to the Colonial Department by each emigrant ; also, instructions for the guidance of military out-pensioners of Chelsea Hospital, who may be desirous of commuting their pensions, with a view to their becoming settlers in the British colonies."

You would think that, with such a long title it would be a thick book, but it is only a pamphlet of 34 pages. Talks about possible employment and wages to expect, how much to expect to pay for goods, cost of passage, etc. with a bit about each place.


Relevant Links

Emigrant's Guide 1832

Serendipity Sunday - Original Lists of Persons of Quality to 1700

This week while researching my ancestors, I came across this publication...

 

 

The Original Lists of Persons of Quality;

Emigrants, religious exiles, political rebels, serving men sold for a term of years, apprentices, children stolen, maidens pressed, and others who went from Great Britain to the American Plantations - 1600-1700: with their ages, the localities where they formerly lived in the Mother Country, the names of the ships in which they embarked, and other interesting particulars. - 1874



Here is a sneak peek...

"13 November.   Grant to James Marquis of Hamilton, Henry, Earl of Holland, and others, all that continent, Island or Region commonly called Newfoundland, bordering upon the Continent of America, to them and their heirs."  (Newfoundland mentioned in a few places throughout)

Includes records for New England, Newfoundland, Bermuda (Sommer Islands) and Barbados. List of Walloons (of Belgium) and French promising to emigrate to Virginia.

Serendipity Sunday - North West Mounted Police Business and Rebellion - 1885

The Nolin family may have had a big part in the fur trade in the 1700's and education for aboriginal and Métis girls in the early 1800's, but some were also quite involved in the Métis rebellions. Anything about the Métis history interests me. So I was pretty excited when I came across this Report.

After the Red River Rebellion of 1869-1870 the Métis moved from Manitoba to the northwest territories of Canada, settling in parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Things didn't go the way they had hoped and in 1885 they brought Louis Riel out of exile in the USA to lead them in their next fight against the Canadian government. The Northwest Rebellion of 1885 was short lived, but many died.

The following year the Sessional Papers of the Dominion of Canada of 1886 contained The Report of the Commissioner of the North West Mounted Police 1885, submitted by John A Macdonald, the Superintendent-general of Indian Affairs. 

Part I reports of ordinary NWMP business and cases, including murders and horse theft.

Part II reports about the rebellion from the time Louis Riel came back into the country.

The whole section is interesting reading.

Besides the various reports and letters, there are also lists of names in appendix. I have provided links to them here.

Relevant Links


Lunatics Part I

Wounded and Killed - March 26, 1885 at Duck Lake

Prince Albert Volunteer Company: men at Duck Lake March 1885

North West Mounted Police: D Division: men at Duck Lake March 1885

North West Mounted Police: men at Cut Knife Hill, May 1885 (+next page)

Men of C Division attached to Alberta Field Force (+ itinerary next page)

NWMP sick reports, surgeries, diseases (very few names, but interesting info, turn page)

Men of the NWMP and PA Volunteers killed / wounded

Criminal and other cases tried in the North West Territories (+ turn pages) 

Cases Tried and Criminals Confined at Battleford to Nov 1885 (+turn pages)

Cases Tried at Calgary, North West Territories to Nov 1885 (+ turn pages)

Cases Tried at Calgary and Prince Albert, NWT to Nov 1885

Cases Tried at Prince Albert and Edmonton, NWT to Nov 1885

All claims to land and right to participate in the North West Half Breed Grant by settlers of South Saskatchewan and vicinity

Lists of Claimants to land



Related Post:  Metis

Serendipity Sunday - What's in a Name?

This week I came across this book:  Anglo-Saxon names from the time of Beda  (c 700) to that of King John (c 1200).

Relevant Link

List of Anglo Saxon names from the time of Beda to that of King John, 1897

Serendipity Sunday - History of Prices in England

While doing my research on my Tait ancestors I came across these publications..

These helped me tell the story of my ancestors, giving prices of produce, dairy, beer and wine, cattle, candles, fuel etc, and what wages they might have made per day.  

I then found that there are issues for various years from 1259 to 1793 of "A History of Agriculture and Prices in England".

So I went in search of other publications that would give the cost of goods and wages at various times and places in history.

Related Links

History of Prices in England from 1259 - 1793 - table of prices

A history of agriculture and prices in England:

Vol I    1259-1400

Vol II   1259-1400

Vol III  1401-1582

Vol IV  1401-1582

Vol V   1583-1702

Vol VI  1583-1702

Vol VII  1703-1793 Part I

Vol VII  1703-1793 Part II

The diary and general expenditure book of William Cunningham of Craigends Scotland ... kept chiefly from 1673-1680

Wholesale prices in Canada 1890-1909

Prix des marchands seches et des produits de la ferme, Canada 1891

Comparative prices, Canada and the United States, 1906-1911

Foodstuffs, retail prices in twenty-four cities: US 1916

US Wholesale prices, wages and transportation, 1893

Price list of groceries, James Lumbers, Toronto 1888

The Canadian Grocer (Toronto publication)

Wholesale price list of groceries - spring 1894 / F.W. Humphrey, Toronto

The Master Grocer, California 1906, 1912, 1915

History of Wages in the United States from Colonial Times to 1928

Prices: An inquiry into prices in New Zealand 1891-1919

Trade unionism, unemployment, wages, prices and COL in Australia 1891-1912

Prices, Food and Wages in Scotland, 1550-1780 (Limited View)

Related Posts:

What's the Beef