So often we equate New England almost exclusively with the English. Of course, there were Dutch in Manhattan, Swedes in Delaware, Germans and Welsh in Pennsylvania, but New England was the English. Right? Mostly, but there were also a few Scots here and there. Maybe most notably some Scots taken prisoner by English and deported…
Author: Justin Durand
Second Sight
I think everyone knows what it means when someone has the second sight. Collins Dictionary says, “If you say that someone has second sight, you mean that they seem to have the ability to know or see things that are going to happen in the future, or are happening in a different place.“ A cool thing…
Including the Confederacy
Some people are proud of their Confederate heritage. Personally I don’t see it. Yes, it’s part of our heritage. Yes, those are our ancestors too. But they were traitors. And racists. Racist traitors. It’s a complicated heritage. Mark Sumner (link below) provocatively argues it’s not our heritage; it’s our shame. Ideally, we would want to…
Casting a Medieval Horoscope
In modern astrology, there are so many disconnects with our medieval ancestors. Those differences fascinate me. If the subject interests you, read John Frawley, The Real Astrology (2001). One of my all-time favorites, for the humor as well as the content. So, I’m pleased to see some detail on the subject from Seb Falk. Timely…
Visiting the Past
Memory is tricky. Modern research suggests that each time we dredge up a memory we re-write it, even if just slightly. Genealogists don’t always allow for that when we work with our own or other people’s memories. Some people even resist the idea. I’ve had people stoutly defend stories that seem implausible or even impossible…