When Irish immigrants stepped off the end of the gangway in the mid 1820’s and onto Bytown’s Upper Canada soil, they were undoubtedly relieved that their harrowing journey was over. Left behind was the menace of tyranny. Before them lay the possibility of land ownership and hopes for a prosperous future. Continue reading “Malaria Devastated Bytown’s Irish”
A couple of years ago, I became interested in learning about my ancestry. I was aware that my heritage consisted of English, Irish and a bit of Scottish was suspected in the mix. Some snowy winter weekends spent on the laptop led me down a unexpected path to German ancestry as well. Continue reading “German Pioneers on the Canadian Prairie”
Standing on a Californian beach staring at the horizon where the ocean meets the sky, does cause one to reflect on the power that nature wields. What an incredible leap of faith, that people over the centuries ago built vessels to sail and row into its infinity. After all, how could they know how far the waters stretched or if indeed the world would end at an abrupt cliff and plunge them into some version of hell. Continue reading “Delving Deeper — Vikings in California?”
Our local library provides its patrons with access to digitally archived photos that document our town’s history. It’s where I found this photo of a couple taken in 1910. I do not share any connection with them except that their house, which still exists today, is located a few blocks from my own. The architecture of the house, built in 1845, has always intrigued me. There is a complexity of angles where the gables meet the roof and precision in the handcrafted trim details. Continue reading “Delving Deeper — The Gothic Revival Cottage”
The vegetable garden! Oh, how I relish the planning of it each year. During the final weeks of winter, when the skies are grey and the weather, inclement, my mind reaches for spring and the renewal of life that it brings. This is when I remember cucumbers hanging from the vine, the red blossoms of the runner beans, and eating sun-warmed cherry tomatoes from the vine. Continue reading “The Pioneer Garden”
Men wielding oak clubs? Ladies of ill repute? Drunken disorder? Social chaos masterminded by one kingpin? It’s the stuff that Hollywood movies are made of — but it happened in Canada. As a matter of fact, this Wild West was playing out in Bytown when my Irish ancestors arrived in 1831. When they left the area eight years later, could they have been trying to escape the lawlessness of these events known as the Shiner’s War? Continue reading “The Shiner’s War”
Catharine Parr Traill’s letters and journals are the source of much that we know today about the experience of the earliest Canadian settlers. Although she was born to a noble family in Britain, once emigrated to Upper Canada, she fell in love with the land and the way of life. She and her husband faced many hardships and successes, each of which she documented in the detailed correspondence sent to friends and family.
(Please enjoy this Wellspring Podcast of A Traill in the Woods)
The henhouse. The chicken coop. The roost. What do I know about chickens? Not as much as I thought I did. For instance, I’ve always believed there was a rooster strutting through every barnyard flock of chickens. Turns out I was wrong on that account. If you want eggs for breakfast, you only need hens. But, if you want a brood of chicks, you’re going to need that rooster too — and perhaps some ear plugs. I’d also imagined that roosters sallied forth and crowed once at sunrise, then hung it up until the next day. Not so — they’ll crow intermittently throughout the day. Continue reading “In the Henhouse”
So, I’m Irish. More accurately, I’m about 25% Irish. My maternal grandparents’ last name was Lindsay. Although I’ve known this my whole life, it’s only been in the past year that I’ve become curious about my forefathers and mothers.
Through a popular genealogy website and some internet research, I’ve been able to learn some interesting history. The documents and history I’ve been able to uncover so far has sparked my writer’s mind. Continue reading “So, I’m Irish”