Sufferin’ Until Suffrage

I have voted in every election, primary and general, in which I could vote since I came of age many, many years ago. For me, voting is my right and my responsibility as an American citizen. Too many people for too long were denied this right. Who am I to squander it?

Ninety-seven years ago today—18 August 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting women the right to vote.

David Woodmansee

On this day, 13 July, in the year 1799, David Woodmansee passed away. He was my 7th great-grandfather.

David Woodmansee was born on 14 Nov 1719, in Shrewsbury Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Formed in 31 October 1693, Shrewsbury Township spanned nearly 1,000 square miles, extending north to the Navesink River, south to encompass present-day Ocean County, east to the Atlantic Ocean, and west to the present-day border of Monmouth County. It retained its size and scope until 1750, when it was divided, and Stafford Township was formed. On 21 February 1798, a year before David Woodmansee’s birth, Shrewsbury Township officially was designated a township by the New Jersey Legislature’s Township Act of 1798.

The Magna Carta

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.

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.

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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: