This Old Tree, April 2020
For the first month of social distancing, I have been busy organizing some of my genealogy magazines and papers. I stated in my President’s message that we should try to do some genealogy and sorting of our papers. Well, I have been doing what I have been preaching to spend some of the Covid-19 shutdown […]
Archival Notes, April 2020
Historical Trivia, March 2020
Why A Brides Bouquet Here are some facts about the 1500s: Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence, that is why […]
Historical Trivia, February 2020
Eavesdroppers Was the Term “Eavesdroppers” Coined From a Misunderstanding of Architecture? In Secrets of Henry VIII’s Palace: Hampton Court, it is claimed that little painted figures of human faces carved into the ornate ceiling beams of Hampton Palace as though surreptitiously observing the people below inspired the term “eavesdroppers” uninvited listeners to other people’s conversations […]
Surname Backgrounds
Here are some names of old occupations that may give you an idea of the history of your surname: Surname Occupation Backman/Backster/Baxter/Beck/Becker baker Barker One who strips bark from trees prepares leather with bark = tanner Bauer German for farmer Beadle/Bedel/Bedell town crier or someone who keeps order Boniface innkeeper Brewster female brewer Burgess represented […]
Historical Trivia, January 2020
The Upper Crust Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust. Orlan Smith