Upper and Lower Canada. Which One's Up?

At the close of the Seven Years War, France agreed to turn over it's lands in northern North America to the British. This was the event known in the United States as the French and Indian War (1763).

At the time, most of the residents north of the Saint Lawrence River were of French ancestry, (typically Catholic) while farther south  were the British colonies (typically Protestant). Much of what had been France's colony was populated by the First People. For the most part, the French settlers were trappers and traders and coexisted. British settlers were generally not so amiable. I'm not looking to cause trouble but the British were not good neighbors. Yes, they felt they had good reason. Did France take advantage of it? Of course.

I've posted before, here and on my other group blog, Inkwell Inspirations, about the relationships between Native tribes and how 'siding' with one colonial power or another only made more problems in the long run.  (See New York's Native People) Along comes the Revolutionary War, and now, without France in the picture, it is Britain against her colonies and both sides are looking for help from the tribes they've done little to ingratiate.

War rages. Thousands of Tories leave the new United States and head for British Canada.  Families split and come back together. An influx of new residents adds to the already strained relationship in the British Colony of Quebec.  Britain's solution is to take the populated areas along the St. Lawrence River and divide it into two large colonies: Lower Canada and Upper Canada.

Keeping the Catholic "French" happy was important when it was hard to tell who was your enemy or friend in the colonies.

Now here's the confusing part if you look at a map.  Lower Canada is farther north. It was the eastern portion of the original Quebec colony and for the most part was populated by Catholics of French ancestry. The capital was Quebec City.



Upper Canada was west and farther south. It became a colony of British subjects and loyalists (Tories) who'd fled the new U. S.

The upper and lower designations come from the fact travel was much easier by water and much of the area was settled via the St. Lawrence River. If you settled in the east, you were in  "Lower Canada". If you went far UP river (to the west, um, actually south) you were in Upper Canada.  Simple, right?

I was confused until I asked a Canadian Reenactor a few years ago.

Although Montreal is now the capital of the province of Quebec, it was once the capital of Upper Canada and administered by the British.

Things had barely settled with the new colonies when war broke out between the United States and Britain in 1812 over naval press gangs, the arming of First Peoples by the British, and continued trade-without-permit along the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes. Upper Canada became central in the American War of 1812.

Forts that had changed hands between British forces and French forces throughout the last fifty years, now were won and lost by British and American forces.

I love the history of this area and I hope this has cleared up confusion or stirred up interest in these areas!

How the Colonies Got Their Names

I think a lot about words and where they come from. Words in general, but also names. And while I knew the story behind the names of quite a few of the original Thirteen Colonies, some others I was unsure of...so I thought it would be fun to dig a bit and share why each of the Colonies was called what it was. We'll go through them in alphabetical order.

Connecticut

This is one I don't recall ever reading about before. The colony of Connecticut was named from the Connecticut River. The river, in turn, is from the Mohegan people's Algonquin word quinnitukqut, which means "long river place"or "beside the long tidal river."

Delaware

I thought the state of Delaware took its name from another Native American word, but I was wrong! The river, bay, and state are all named for the first governor of Virginia, Sir Thomas West, 3^rd Baron De La Warr. His title is likely from the French de la werre, which means "warrior" (of the war).

Georgia

While King George sat on the throne of England, a group of philanthropists decided it would be a great idea to create a colony in the New World for debtors who were of sound character but meager purse. As it turns out, debtors were not the ones to settle in the colony, but it nevertheless named itself Georgia after the king who granted its charter.

Maryland

I had been taught that Maryland was so named because it was created as a sanctuary for the Catholic faith (hence Mary Land), but according to the sources I've been reading for this, that isn't right, LOL. Maryland was named for the wife of King Charles I, who signed its charter--Queen Henrietta Maria. A more likely explanation, I grant you...

Massachusetts

Ah, here we have another Native American word. Massachusetts is taken directly from the name of a tribe native to the area, whose name means "near the great hill," referring to the Blue Hills southwest of Boston.

New Hampshire

Not surprisingly, New Hampshire was named for old Hampshire, in England. What I didn't know was that the man who received it a grant and paid for its clearing and developing--John Mason--died before he ever got to step foot on his property.

New Jersey

Another colony named directly after an English region. This one because one of its founders, Sir George Carteret, had served as Jersey's Lieutenant Governor for several years.

New York

As with the other "new" states, this is in honor of York--but not just the English place, more particularly the English personage, James Stuart, Duke of York and future king. The word "York" traces its roots all the way back to Latin and means, quite simply, "city."

Carolina

Since we all know where the "north" and "south" parts come from, we'll view these two as a whole here. Not surprisingly, Carolina is derived from Charles, or its Latin form, Carolus. What I find kinda funny is that Charles II so named it after his father, Charles I. Convenient that they shared a name, I suppose... ;-)

Pennsylvania

Another one I knew! Pennsylvania is named after its founder, William Penn. The land was granted to the family to pay off a debt the crown owed to Admiral William Penn, though it was son who took possession of it. But that only explains the "Penn" part. Apparently sylva means "woods" and then they tacked on nia, which means "land." So the name actually means "Penn's woodlands."

Rhode Island

This one comes with a wee bit of controversy. =)  It would seem that the first to call this island Rhode was a Spanish explorer, who was reminded of the Mediterranean island of Rhodes. That wasn't a popular story, though, so the state has stuck with a different one--that the Dutch explorer Adrian Brock called it Roodt Eylandt ("red island") because of the red clay lining the shores, a name which was later anglicized. And finally...

Virginia

This one I knew and have read about recently in my kids' homeschool curriculum too. ;-) Queen Elizabeth I was the one who granted to Sir Walter Raleigh the charter for this English colony in the New World, and so they named it after her. Because she never married, she was known as the Virgin Queen, hence Virginia.

~*~

Roseanna M. White pens her novels under the Betsy Ross flag hanging above her desk, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When she isn’t homeschooling her small kids and writing fiction, she’s editing it for WhiteFire Publishing or reviewing it for the Christian Review of Books, both of which she co-founded with her husband.

Acrostic Poems, Colonial Valentines

Susan F.  Craft

        As part of a fad that was called “the lovers’ literary campaign of 1768,” the Virginia Gazette featured acrostic poems where the first letter, syllable, or word of each line, paragraph or other recurring featured in the text spelled out a word or a message.

        Several love struck swains of Williamsburg and its neighboring plantations honored their beloveds during the month on February, beginning three days before Valentine’s Day.
        One unknown admirer sang the praises of Miss Frances Lewis of a prominent Gloucester County family. Notice that the first letter of each line of his poem spells out Miss Lewis’ name.  
        Minerva's choice;—Apollo's fond delight,
        In whom fine sense and music's charms unite:
        Sweet lovely maid; dear fav'rite of the nine.
        Say, will you be my constant VALENTINE?
        For you the Muse expands her lapsid wings,
        Rears her fall'n pow'rs, and strikes the trembling strings.
        At thy dear feet she pays the tribute due:
        Nor thinks she bends too low to wait on you:
        Charm'd with thy lovely form;—thy music fine:
        Extatic raptures all my heart entwine.
        So my once lov'd Celinda touch'd the keys:
        Lovely like you—like you was form'd to please!
        Early in life the fatal summons came,
        Wither'd my joys and snatched the beauteous dame!
        In you dear nymph, the reparation lies,
        Say you'll be kind, or youthful Strephon dies.

        For the young men and women of Williamsburg, this romantic wordplay was the equivalent of pop songs and Hallmark cards.
        Here’s another sample written by David Mead of Nansemond County singing the virtues of his fiancée, Sally Waters:
        Most praise the gaudy tulips streak'd with red.
        I praise the virgin lilly's bending head:
        Some the jonquil in shining yellow drest;
        Some love the fring'd carnation's varied vest;
        Whilst others, pleas'd that fabled youth to trace,
        As o'er the stream he bends to view his face.
        The exulting florist views their varied dyes;
        E'n thus fares beauty in each lover's eyes.
        Read o'er these lines, you'll see the nymph with ease,
       She like the rose was made, all eyes to please.

       Mr. Mead’s valentine must have succeeded in winning Sally’s heart, for three months later, on May 19, the Virginia Gazette announced, “on Thursday last David Mead, Esq., of Nansemond, was married to Miss Sally Waters, of this city, an agreeable young Lady."
         Another acrostic was written by I. E. who praised Lucy Cocke, the daughter of the mayor of Williamsburg.
        Lovely dear maid, my gen'rous tale approve,
        Untaught in verse to sign the fair I love;
        Could you but know the dictates of my heart,
        Your gentle soul wou'd healing balm impart.
        Conquer'd by you, what raptures seize my breast,
        O say dear charmer, will you make me blest?
        Constant I'll prove as light to early day,
        Kind as bright Phoebus to his darling May,
        Each hour, each moment, shall my love display.

        As with all fads, the lovers' literary campaign of 1768 faded away as quickly as it started, but cropped up sporadically with one poem appearing in 1769, and other tributes between March 1773 and December 1776.
        The final acrostic published in the Gazette in 1776 honored Sally Cary. A subsequent notice in 1768 provided a happy ending to that poem with this marriage announcement, "Thomas Nelson, jun. Esq; captain in the first Virginia regiment, to Miss Sally Cary, eldest daughter of Wilson Miles Cary, Esq; of the county of Fluvanna."

        Here’s one more example written for Alice Corbin, the daughter of a wealthy and prominent planter-statesman:
        Accept, fair Nymph, dear Friendship's Tribute due:
        Lo, here she pays her kind Respects to you;
        In this first Di'ry, as on Wings of Fame,
        Constrains the Muse to sing thy dear-lov'd Name,
        Echo through Woods and Groves resounds the same.
        Charming as is the royal Queen of Love;
        Obedient as the rolling Orbs above;
        Religious too, in ev'ry chearful Strain;
        Blest with good Sense;—engaging, yet not vain; Ingenious, virtuous, delicate and true;
        No more my bounded Theme admits!—Adieu.

The Benjamin Patterson Inn, circa 1796 in Corning/Painted Post, NY

by Kathleen L. Maher

This photo of Benjamin Patterson Inn Museum is courtesy of TripAdvisor

 The region of Upstate New York around Corning first opened to settlers with tracts from the Pulteney Estate, managed by Benjamin Patterson in the late 18th century. His base of operations, and a place for travelers to stay while surveying their own purchase, was a place in Painted Post still in existence today--The Benjamin Patterson Inn at 59 West Pulteney Street.

The Williamson Road served as the first highway into the area from Pennsylvania, and the Chemung River conducted travelers through the region. Benjamin and his wife Sarah offered their hospitality to those visiting, looking to make a homestead in the lush and fertile land.

The original Benjamin Patterson Inn dining room is still in existence, plus a tavern, and a working kitchen with ,
This photo of Benjamin Patterson Inn Museum is courtesy of TripAdvisor

hearth, as well as a guest bedroom circa 1800 and the Patterson's own quarters. All is preserved in authentic period furnishings and living history demonstrations, guided tours, and a working garden in the summer. Some of the crops tended include broom corn, hops, spinach, yellow squash, lettuce, carrots, and more.

Stepping back into time in this lovely historical preserve and museum is encouraged for anyone visiting the Finger Lakes region. School tours are routinely given, and admission is very reasonable at $10 per family.

Other historical buildings and attractions nearby include a one room schoolhouse, the Wixon Road log cabin circa 1855, and the Starr Barn, which details agricultural history in the region from 1800. Tobacco was one of the chief crops in the area, but orchards, vineyards, dairy, and lumber also created livelihoods for settlers. The museum features tools and methods used in the first half of the 18th century.

For more information, see http://www.pattersoninnmuseum.org/aboutus.php

Charleston's Exchange Building and Provost Dungeon by Elva Cobb Martin

Today I want to share one of my favorite historic places to visit and photos I took while there. This was part of my research for a pirate novel I am polishing.

In 1718 Stede Bonnet “The Gentleman Pirate” and his crew were imprisoned in the Court of Guard prison which once stood on the site of the current Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s a great place to visit located at 122 East Bay Street at Broad Street.

A brass plaque on the back wall of the current building attests to the fact the site was once the place of arms or guard-post of the early colonists of South Carolina and where pirates were detained.

Inside the museum area you can see a great 1711 plan and map of the Charles Town harbor as illustrated by Edward Crisp.

Between the 1690’s to the 1730’s ten to thirteen foot walls protected Charles Town, with the harbor being the most heavily fortified. Here, a brick seawall was defended with cannons to oversee the safety of the harbor. The half-moon battery, as semi-circular protrusion located at the center of this seawall provided the formal entrance to the town from the sea. A segment of this brick wall is visible to visitors to the lower level of the Exchange Building and Provost Dungeon today.

As Charles Town continued to grow and prosper the north, west and southern walls of the city were gradually demolished to allow for expansion of the city. The construction materials were eventually dumped into the Cooper River harbor to expand the land mass which now includes at least a block which used to be under water. The current Exchange Building marks a spot where the waters once came to.

Walls in the museum area depict information about Major Stede Bonnet (1717-1718) and list his crew members who also stood trial with him. Bonnet, once a planter in Barbados, became a pirate, it is said, to escape a nagging wife. With his ship Revenge he joined Blackbeard, and preyed upon coast wise shipping off the Carolinas. He was captured, tried and hanged in Charleston in 1718.

The museum area also boasts a number of paintings and photos of the American Revolution and the Civil War related to Charleston.

The Provost Dungeon, on the lower level of the Exchange building, is a sight you don't want to miss. One can well imagine the days of pirate prisoners and later patriots, during the American Revolution, who were kept in this cold, dark place.

Visitors step down into a real dungeon! With barred window slits which opened onto the street above, one can well imagine escape was impossible for pirates or patriots.

       

I love to visit places like this, but heavens to Betsy, I'm glad I was born in the current century. How about you? Thanks for stopping by.

Elva Cobb Martin is a freelance writer, Bible teacher and grandmother. She is president of the American Christian Fiction Writers new South Carolina Chapter. She has been published in Decision, Charisma, and Home Life and is currently polishing an inspirational romance novel. Elva lives in Anderson, South Carolina, with her husband and high school sweetheart, Dwayne. You can connect with her through her web site at www.elvamartin.com , her blog at   http://carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com, on Face Book and Twitter @Elvacobbmartin.  

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S LADY

President's Day celebrates the birthdays of two of our great presidents, Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of the United States, and George Washington, the Father of our Country. Abe was born February 12, 1809. 

George's birth date is more interesting. Born during a time when the colonist's used the Julian calendar, his birthday is recorded as February 11, 1731. But in 1752 Britain, and the colonies, adopted the Gregorian calendar, and his birth date became February 22, 1732.

The story of President Washington is fascinating. Though his formal education ended when he was fifteen years old, he was bright, ambitious and athletic. His father died when he was eleven and George worked hard to help his mother on the family plantation, he also spent
time with his elder half-brother, Lawrence Washington, at the Washington family estate, Mount Vernon. 

It was at Mount Vernon the young Washington would learn the social graces and a love of dancing that would lead him to the love of his life, Martha Dandridge Custis, a young wealthy widow. Five foot tall, she was tiny compared to her husband's height of over six foot two.

It was a novel, interestingly enough, that first really peaked my curiosity about the Washingtons as a couple. Mary Higgins Clark's first novel, a historical romance and written before she became Queen of Suspense, was Aspire to the Heavens, released in 1968. In 1996, Simon and Schuster re-released it as, Mount Vernon Love Story.

George and Martha married on January 6, 1759, shortly after he had resigned his commission. Although they never had children of their own, George became legal guardian of Jacky and Patsy, Martha's two surviving children from her first marriage.

In 1761, George inherited Mount Vernon, the home along the Potomac River that Washington would expand from 2,000 acres to 8,000 in his lifetime. The estate is open to the public, and one of my favorite historical sites.

But a quiet life on their large estate was not to be for many years. When Washington assumed the role of Commander of the Continental Army, Martha threw herself into being a support to her husband and his troops. 

Every year she made the journey from Mount Vernon to George's encampments during the Revolutionary War. She was confidant and secretary to her husband, and boosted not only his morale, but that of the many sick or wounded soldiers with her presence. 

In 1783, victorious and desiring to return the fledgling nation to civilian rather than military control, Washington resigned his commission and returned to Mount Vernon and Martha. But if he thought he'd retire, the new nation had another thought. 

With a unanimous vote, General Washington reluctantly accepted his role as our first president. The family moved to New York city, the first capitol of the new government. Martha once again stepped into the spotlight as supporter of her husband and our new nation. She became known as Lady Washington and was a model for future wives of presidents, who would become known as First Ladies.

Washington's presidency ran from 1789 to 1797, and George and Martha once again returned to their beloved Mount Vernon. Sadly, he died in his bed 2 1/2 years later, and Martha never again slept in the bedroom they shared, but preferred to move into a third story bedroom. She died 2 1/2 years after her husband.

George and Martha are buried in a tomb on Mount Vernon, along with several members of the Washington family.

Rebecca DeMarino is a historical romance author. Her debut A PLACE IN HIS HEART, releases June, 2014 from Revell. For more information please visit www.rebeccademarino.com.You can find her on Facebook.

The Amish in Colonial America

I was raised as a Mennonite by parents who grew up Amish, and I have a multitude of Amish relatives. With the continuing interest in this conservative denomination and the popularity of Amish romances, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the origins of the Amish church in America, especially their main settlement in the mid 1700s, the Northkill Amish Church, named for the creek that wound through it.

Northkill Marker

For the past few years I’ve spent considerable time researching the lives of my Hochstetler ancestors for the novel a cousin, author Bob Hostetler, and I have coauthored, releasing March 1. Titled Northkill, the story focuses on the family of Jacob Hochstetler, whose farm came under attack during the French and Indian War. The story of the Hochstetler massacre is well known in the Amish and Mennonite communities, and a plaque marks the site of the farm where it happened, near present-day Shartlesville, Pennsylvania. We were determined to make our fictional depiction of this story as accurate as possible 257 years later, which meant not only doing intensive research, but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually living in their time. Writing Northkill has been a fascinating and emotional journey, all the more so because as direct descendents of the story’s main characters we owe our very existence to them.

The Amish came to America because of severe persecution in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries due to their insistence on believers’ baptism and opposition to military service. They were drawn to Pennsylvania by William Penn’s assurances of religious freedom and economic opportunity denied them in Europe. The Northkill Creek area in Berks County was opened for settlement in 1736, and that year a couple of Amish families settled there, with others following the next year. My great-great-great-great-great grandfather and grandmother, with two small children, were part of a group that landed at Philadelphia on November 9, 1738, aboard the ship Charming Nancy.

They soon joined other members of their church in the Northkill settlement 75 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Additional groups immigrated to the area in 1742, and again in 1749, when Bishop Jacob Hertzler arrived to provide leadership for the growing congregation. The earliest known organized Amish church in America, it included nearly 200 families at its height. It remained the largest Amish settlement in America into the 1780s, when it slowly declined as families moved westward in search of better farmland.

The Northkill settlement lay at the foot of the Blue Mountain, the legal boundary of English settlements according to treaties with the Native Americans. However, white settlers persisted in crossing the mountains into territory claimed by the French and their native allies. Hostilities finally broke out in 1754, with the French enlisting the Indians to attack the border settlements. During the French and Indian War over 200 settlers were killed in Berks County alone. The Indian attack against my ancestors’ farm early on the morning of September 20, 1757, was one of those horrific incidents.

On Monday, September 19, the Hochstetler family hosted an apfelschnitzen (apple cutting) frolic for the young people of the church. The youth traditionally stayed late into the evening to enjoy games and courting, but their guests finally left and the family went to bed. In the dark hours of Tuesday morning, the oldest son still living at home, Jacob Jr., roused when the family’s dog set up a clamor. When he opened the door, 17-year-old Jacob was shot in the leg by a member of a war party composed of Delaware and Shawnee warriors who surrounded the house.

The family managed to barricade themselves inside. Because the Amish hold fast to the commandment not to kill, Jacob made what must have been a truly wrenching decision that they wouldn’t shoot at their attackers despite the hunting rifles at hand and his sons’ desperate pleas. When the Indians set fire to the house, Jacob, his wife, three sons, and a young daughter were forced to take refuge in the cellar. During the terrifying hours that followed, they repeatedly beat out flaming embers while the house burned above their heads.

Artist's Depiction of Attack on Hochstetler Farm

At last dawn brightened the sky. Seeing through a narrow window in the foundation that the Indians had withdrawn and believing themselves safe, the family hurriedly forced their way out, barely escaping the flames. But one of the warriors, a young man called Tom Lyons, had lingered in the orchard to pick ripe peaches. When he saw them emerge from the blazing structure, he called the rest of the war party back, and they fell upon their defenseless victims.

The mother, the wounded son, and the young daughter were killed and scalped. Jacob and two sons, Joseph, 15 years old, and Christian, 11, were carried away into captivity. Their journey, described in a remarkable deposition preserved in the papers of British Colonel Henry Bouquet after Jacob’s dramatic escape, will be the subject of book 2 of the series, The Return. It will cover the captives’ lives among the Indian clans the French gave them to, Jacob’s harrowing escape and his efforts to find his boys, Joseph and Christian’s forced return home after the war, and their difficulty in assimilating into a culture they had largely forgotten, while reestablishing a relationship with the father whose decision had torn apart their lives.

The story of my ancestors is a deeply moving account of obedience, hope, and endurance, and of God’s unfailing faithfulness to His people even in the worst of trials. In the centuries since the attack, our family has been extraordinarily blessed. Jacob’s descendants have spread throughout the world and their accomplishments span a wide range of endeavors. My ancestors’ example daily inspires me to faithful discipleship, and my hope and prayer is that it will equally inspire readers in their walk with the Lord.

For more information, visit my Northkill blog.

The First Great Awakening Changed America

In the mid 1700s, traveling evangelists like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and John Wesley preached along the countryside of the British colonies, and the seeds were planted for America to become a great nation.

It really started almost 100 years earlier, in 1630, when John Winthrop, one of the Pilgrims, preached a sermon entitled A City on a Hill. The text for the verse was Matthew 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Winthrop said that God ordained the colonies in America to be that city on a hill. They were the New Jerusalem that would evangelize the world with the Gospel.

Over the next eighty years, colonists forgot those awesome words and had drawn away from God. Church attendance was at an all time low, and few felt Christianity played a major role in their lives. Church service were dry and dull, and most who did go to church did so out of religious duty.

When these preachers came on the scene it changed America for the better. They were fiery, emotional, and commanded attention. When Jonathan Edwards preached Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God, it was reported members of the congregation held on to the church beams fearing the wrath of God and the fire of Hell. Conviction spread all over the colonies, and people responded by having a "born again" experience with God that changed their lives forever.

Many denominations rose up during this awakening including Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists. Christians now felt they could have a personal experience with God and learn Scripture and doctrine for themselves instead of only relying on church leaders. Congregational leadership was determined by the congregations, not by church headquarters.

One of the biggest changes that took place during this awakening was that everyone was included. Slaves and poor men came to the meetings and were saved. It created a national unity and identity that later set the stage for the American Revolution where men fought for One Nation Under God. not a nation ruled by a denomination or a state church. The colonies had learned that the people decide on the leaders that rule them instead of letting the rulers dictate their nation's politics and religion.

Early Valentine's Soiree at Shirley Plantation!

Shirley Plantation

Welcome to our

Valentine Soiree!

(Virtual site is Shirley Plantation 

in Charles City, Virginia!)

AMC filmed many scenes from their upcoming television series "Turn" at Shirley Plantation.

(Click here for the "Turn" website with trailer--warning it is a secular show and violent.)

The servants will be coming through with tea, coffee, and cider. 

Kitchen at Shirley Plantation

They've been busy in the kitchens, preparing pies, cakes, tarts and all manner of foods for our guests. 

Reproduction Colonial  Sugar Bowl 

Giveaways: Gifts from Lady Cessalye's gift shop, an antique reproduction blue and white china sugar bowl from Yorktown Victory Center.

Whispers from the Shadows

A  copy of Roseanna White's novel, which shares similar elements as Alexander Rose's "Turn" but is a Christian fiction.












And a copy of Carrie Fancett Pagels' a copy of "Return to Shirley Plantation" novella.

Return to Shirley Plantation and Shirley ornament 

If you've come in character and dressed accordingly, you'll receive extra entries for the giveaways! Leave your comments and let the fun begin!

First giveaway:

Fine Tea from Colonial Williamsburg

This adorable little spoon rest is something I also found at a museum store!

Oh my!!! We have some new "company" who were not invited! They may call themselves privateers, but the militia at the garrison call them pirates! Oh dear!!!

Yorktown Privateers

I'm going to hand out a few our the lovely Shirley Plantation history books for those of our guests who may have decided to, er…hastily depart rather than sup with these "watermen" who've brought no fish with them, although their arrival here is rather "fishy" at best!





Ah, there come the Charles City Militia, ready to escort these "gentlemen" to their ships down at the James River!

Several types of colonial American military coats

An 18th Century Tea Table by Cynthia Howerter

During the 18th century, affluent American colonists continued the British custom of having a sumptuous tea in the afternoon.  Thus, the use of tea tables became a popular means of presentation for this repast.   Because tea, tea tables, and a fancy tea service were expensive, it was a sign of one's prestige to own such items.          

The first time I visited Keck Jackson’s Eighteenth Century Shop in Allison Park, Pennsylvania, I felt like I’d walked into the American Colonial period.  Not only was the shop’s extraordinary furniture, all handmade by Mr. Jackson, a feast for my eyes, but the beeswax polish that Mr. Jackson uses on each piece produces an exquisite scent.

Entering one of the shop’s rooms, I spotted a gorgeous tea table.  Mr. Jackson noticed me lingering in front of the table – actually, I was drooling – and handed me a photograph of the original table that served as the “pattern” for the reproduction.  As I compared the photo of the original with the piece that Mr. Jackson had painstakingly made by hand, he told me the history.

The original tea table had been made in the last quarter of the 1700s for a wealthy client in the Philadelphia area.  Although furniture made from mahogany was much sought after in the American Colonies at that time, the original tea table was made from walnut because that wood was more available.  Additionally, because the grains of walnut and mahogany are so similar, colonists were happy to purchase pieces made from walnut.

The reproduction tea table contains a rare piece of walnut - the table top is a single 17-inch wide board.  Because it's difficult to find walnut boards of that width, the original table top was composed of two boards. 

This particular table top is called a "tray top" because of the raised molding that frames the table's surface the same way a frame surrounds a picture.

In the photo below as well as in the article's first photograph, note that the table’s skirt contains handsome scallops while cabriole legs with pad feet support the table.  The photo below also provides a side view of the raised molding that frames the table's top.

 Mr. Jackson explained that in Colonial times, the tea table was a serving piece upon which a fine tea service would be placed along with whatever foods were being served.  When not in use, tea tables were placed on the side of a room or in a hall until it was time to serve tea.  At the appropriate time in the afternoon, the tea table was moved to a prominent part of a room. 

Tea tables were found in the homes of the affluent and used in more formal settings.  Less affluent colonists would not have been able to purchase such finely crafted tables. 

Mr. Jackson has been crafting authentic copies of 18^th century furniture since 1980.  Each piece is handmade using a full assortment of furniture making tools from the 1700s, including 80 antique molding planes.  Mr. Jackson uses the same materials in his reproduction furniture that were used in the originals.  Each piece of his furniture is historically accurate and requires many hours of work before it’s completed, but as you can see from the photographs, the wait is well worth it.




All photographs ©2014 Cynthia Howerter

Award-winning author Cynthia Howerter loves using her training in education, research, writing, and speaking to teach and inspire others about a time in America that was anything but boring. A member of the Daughters of the American revolution (DAR), Cynthia believes history should be alive and personal.

Visit Cynthia's website: Cynthia Howerter - all things historical