Lenora Rogers's Blog, page 81
July 9, 2016
The Jackson-Hayes-Clinton Connection
Losing a father as a boy is not unusual. Losing a father before you are born is VERY unusual.
Posthumous Children
Posthumous children, those whose fathers die before the child is born is rare – even in an age when life expectancy was low.
That three Presidents out of the forty-four men who have held the office, were posthumous children is not just rare, it is exceedingly rare. That these fatherless boys, Andrew Jackson, Rutherford Hayes and William Clinton managed t...
The Three Ancient Bridges, Wycoller, Lancashire
OS grid reference: SD932383 39247. The secluded little village of Wycoller nestles in a narrowvalley 1 miles to the east of Trawden, Lancashire, but it is well-known for its three ancient br…
Source: The Three Ancient Bridges, Wycoller, Lancashire
Worsaw Hill Burial Mound, near Downham, Lancashire
Worsaw Hill burial mound stands in the shadow of Pendle Hill.
OS grid reference: SD 7793 4321. About halfway between the Pendle villages of Downham and Worston, Lancashire, is the 725 foot high Worsaw Hill, which is a Limestone reef knoll. At the south-eastern side of the summit there is a small, grassy mound that is thought to be a Bronze Age burial mound, although very little is known about its history.There are also faint earthworks on the top of the hill whi...
July 8, 2016
A cemeterial conundrum: the case of Charles Fuchs (and others like him)
From John Hennessy: We repost this (originally from 2010) in advance of our walk through the National Cemetery tonight, for History at Sunset. It is a vivid example of the conundrums we often face.
The annual illumination of the National Cemetery–one candle for each of the 15,000 men buried there.
On September 30, 1865, a private of the 11th Connecticut Infantry died in Fredericksburg. The man and his regiment were in town as part of the post-war occupation force. He...
“My Own Dearest Maggie”: The Last Letters of a Scottish Soldier of the American Civil War
Irish in the American Civil War
My work on the widows and dependent pension files of American Civil War soldiers has revealed many hundreds of letters relating to Irish emigrants in the Union military. During the course of my research I have also come across files relating to other immigrant groups. Among them are many Scottish soldiers, whose dependents– like those of their Irish counterparts– often included letters written by their loved ones from the front in their pension applications. I...
Naples- the city of brotherly love.
Can’t believe I’ve never profiled or painted this woman!
Sancha of Aragon (1478-1506) was the illegitimate daughter of King Alfonso II of Naples and his mistress Trogia Gazzela (she might be next on my hit list.) She married Gioffre Borgia and the two became Prince and Princess of Squillace. They actually lived in the Vatican, where Sancha became close to her infamous sister-in-law, Lucrezia Borgia.
It all went downhill from there (and in the Vatican no less!)She was accused o...
July 6, 2016
Historic Photo: Banana docks, East River, New York, circa 1900, colorized.
This absolutely jaw-dropping photo is exactly the kind of history I love to see the most: a real, genuine piece of the past that has been made vivid, real and accessible in a way that speaks to us today very powerfully. In this photo, taken between 1890 and 1910 (my guess is it’s around 1900), a ship carrying bananas from Central or South America has just docked at a pier in the East River in New York City and fruit agents–the men in suits–are already haggling for deals,...
The Cult of the World War II Soldier
The American flag stands for different things to different people – some see it as the symbol of freedom, others see Old Glory in less benign terms as a banner of repression and global control. This 4th of July, though, Americans – and others – the world over will toast it and celebrate their nationhood with parties and parades festooned in red, white and blue.
The land of the free and the home of the brave – the Emerald City, where wealth, health and happiness are possible...
The Mystery of the Death of the Harkness Ballet
People often ask “Whatever happened to the Harkness Ballet?”
This is a question we intend to explore in our film “An American Ballet Story” and we invite your participation in our efforts to uncover the real story. So far we’ve interviewed over 40 people who were associated with the Harkness – principal dancers, soloists, members of the corps, trainees, students, teachers and staff members.
Some thoughts on the reality of running a dance company:
It costs a LOT of MONEY to ru...July 4, 2016
The Olde Guard
In 1973, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) celebrated its 100 anniversary, but did you know, prior to 1920 and 1904 Canada’s “Mounties” went by two other names — as well as a merger?
It was 1873, when Canada’s federal police force, the North-West Mounted Police was established.
The first change was in 1904, when King Edward VII, son of the late Queen Victoria (who died 1901), permitted the designation of “Royal” to be added to “Nort...
