Today, 15 June 2017, marks the 802nd anniversary of the Magna Carta, a document that has played a crucial role in the development of human rights, liberty, and the rule of law all around the world.
Cole-Marriner Line
ABCs & Our Family Trees: Letters I & J
I have always been fascinated by language, specifically where it originates and how it adapts, mutates, and relates to other languages. That is why I found the recent series of blogs by Andrew’s Kindred so intriguing. It combined my love of etymology with my love of genealogy. I was so inspired, in fact, that I decided to try my hand at chronicling the origins of our families’ surnames.
This is the ninth installment of a series of posts documenting the etymology of many of our families’ surnames (recent and distant, direct and indirect.)
Now that the H names have been discussed, next up are the letters I and J:
Order of the Garter
On this day, 23 April, in the year of our Lord 1348, the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the highest order of chivalry and the third most prestigious honor in the United Kingdom, was founded. The Order is dedicated to Saint George, England’s patron saint.
The Order’s emblem is a garter with the motto “Honi soit qui mal y pense.”—”Shame on him who thinks evil of it.” Members of the order wear this emblem on ceremonial occasions.
At the time of its foundation, the Order consisted of King Edward III, together with 25 founder knights, listed in ascending order of stall number in St. George’s Chapel. They are all depicted in individual portraits in the Bruges Garter Book, circa 1431.
Listed below are my ancestors who founded or were inducted into the Order of the Garter:
14 April: A Day to Remember
On this day, 14 April, history happened:
In the year 979, my three-times great-grandfather Æthelred “The Unready” (through his son Edmund II “Ironside”, my twice-over 30th great-grandfather, and through his daughter Ælfgifu, my 31st great-grandmother) was challenged for the throne of England.
In the year 1471, the Battle of Barnet, a decisive battle in the War of the Roses, was fought. The Yorkists defeated the Lancastrians, killing Richard Neville (my 17th great-grandfather). This military action, along with the subsequent Battle of Tewkesbury, secured the throne for Edward IV.
In 1865, Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater, Washington DC. President Lincoln died the next day.
In 1894, Thomas Edison held his first public showing of the kinetoscope (moving pictures).
Family Food History
When I was a child, I loved television. Of course, we only had three channels, if the antenna was working properly that day. (Move the rabbit ears a bit more, a bit more… stop… now, don’t move!) Our family would congregate around the TV set almost every evening. My favorite shows were All in the Family, Andy Griffith Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, The Dukes of Hazzard, Gilligan’s Island, Happy Days, I Dream of Jeannie, Laverne and Shirley, Little House on the Prairie, The Waltons, and Welcome Back, Kotter. And Saturday mornings? Those cartoons/kids’ shows were the best! My siblings and I loved The Bugs Bunny Show, Captain Kangaroo, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, The Flintstones, Hong Kong Phooey, H.R. Pufnstuf, Josie and the Pussycats, and Scooby Doo.
This days, however, I do not watch much television. (I guess I am too busy writing blog entries.) When I do turn on the tube, I tend to prefer:
- Genealogically related (pun intended) shows (As if you couldn’t surmise that already!)
- Sappy love stories (What can I say? I have a thing for happily ever after.)
- Home repair shows
- And My Grandmother’s Ravioli
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