Annapolis Royal Heritage

Project 7x52 - Week 3

2012-01-25T20:20:00.012-04:00

I was looking to do something a little bit different with week three of our Project 7x52 challenge. At the start of the week I thought about doing a set of people on the streets of Annapolis Royal in black and white. The weather was fairly grim and everyone has been bundled up so I figured that there could be some interesting images. By the time Thursday night rolled around and I had yet to get any images of people I started to rethink my strategy. Looking at the images that I had taken I noticed that there were a couple of benches. Keeping the idea of taking a set in black and white, I decided to see what sort of outdoor seating I could find in Annapolis Royal in the middle of the winter. Surprisingly, there was no lack of seats to photograph even in the middle of January.

Week 3 theme - A Place to Sit Outdoors (black and white)

1. Bench on the Annapolis Royal waterfront boardwalk with Granville Ferry in the background
2. Chairs at the Bailey House B&B on Lower St George Street
3. Bench at Petit Park.
4. Three boardwalk benches
5. Bench in front of a residence on Lower St George Street.
6. Waterfront picnic table by the O'Dell House Museum
7. Bench at the Historic Gardens.

All for now,
RGS

Our New Besom

2012-01-23T19:41:00.013-04:00

"...I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts." Isaiah 14:23 KJV

It is not often that we purchase an artifact for the Annapolis Heritage Society collections. Over the years, most of our artifacts have been donated by generous friends and members. On rare occasion a piece comes on the market that is so valuable to our local history that we make a significant effort to acquire the piece. The 1759 Horten Powder Horn and the Harris Paintings are examples of artifacts that we have pursued in recent years. The piece featured in today's post is nothing like that. This artifact, a besom, has neither a great monetary value nor a long history in our community. What then makes this strange inexpensive (it cost $10) version of a broom an interesting artifact for our collection.

What this besom provides is the possibility for some interesting exchanges with visitors to the O'Dell House Museum. Visitors are invariably drawn to strange looking artifacts. This gives our interpreters the opportunity to discuss the artifact, how it was used and relate it to the story of the community. While this is a piece of indeterminate origins, it is typical of what would have been found in our community at one point. In that way, it can be used as a representational piece to link other stories. It is also an appropriate piece to have on display in a period house like the O'Dell House Museum.

The besom is built pretty well as it appears. It is a broom made of sticks tied around a central handle. A besom is always round due to the way that the sticks are tied. The handle appears to be made of ash but I am not yet certain of the type of wood used for the brush. While birch was a common wood for the brush, this does not appear to be the case here. While they are uncommon today, besoms were a common household item before the introduction of broomcorn (Sorghum vulgare var. technicum). Even after the introduction of broomcorn, besoms were still a useful outdoor tool.

There is an added bonus with this piece in that this is the sort of broom commonly associated with witches. When the haunted house at the Sinclair Inn Museum comes back next October this piece will doubtlessly have a central role. By the way, I am hoping that ours is not the besom of destruction.

All for now,
RGS

An Archival Mystery

2012-01-22T21:27:00.006-04:00

On certain occasions I come across an archival document that poses a few more questions than it provides answers. In all honesty, this is really some of the fun in dealing with archival documents. You occasionally come across strange facts or stories and there is a certain allure to sorting out these historical mysteries. It is a privilege to take some time with a historical document to ask "what exactly is happening here?" When you ask these questions it is interesting what light they can shed on the document as well as

The document featured in this post is an excellent example of needing to pause to ask a few questions. This document comes from the Cronin Fonds held by the Annapolis Heritage Society Archives. On the surface this is a fairly standard document detailing payment from a group of people to an individual. At this point, it would make sense to provide a transcription of the document. As always, I have tried to keep the original spelling and grammar intact.

"I do here by Certify that I have received of Thomas Cronin David Holden Thomas Holden James Mussels Quinn Worster George G. Cronin the Full Remompence and Satisfaction in Cash for Injuring or Damaging or accidently hurting my house and part of My Furniture on the 26th Day of Januarry last, And I do here by Acknowledge my self fully paid and Satisfied as Witness by my hand in Granville this 19th Day of Febr 1834.
Daniel Ellis
Witness William Mussels
Present"

Why were this group of men paying for "Injuring or Damaging or accidently hurting my house and part of My Furniture"? This wording certainly intrigues me. Were they doing work around the house when something went horribly wrong? Was this some sort of feud that eventually became violent with house and property becoming injured? Personally, favorite theory is that this was a group of young men who were having a couple of drinks when things got out of hand. A few drinks, some songs, a bit of general revelry and, before they knew it, house and furniture were injured. This would not be the first or the last time that property was damaged in this manner. Sadly, the fact that January 26, 1834 was a Sunday does not help this theory. There may be an entirely different reason for the damage and resulting payment.

I do have a few paths to go down in trying to figure out this mystery. As an example,
a bit of genealogical research should turn up the general ages of the men in question. If they turn out to be 70 - 80 at the time of the incident, I would say that drunken revelry is less likely (not impossible, just less likely). There is also the possibility that as we continue to process material in the Cronin Fonds that a document will shed some additional light on this affair. Archival mysteries are a great deal of fun.

All for now,
RGS

Project 7x52 - Week 2

2012-01-19T23:18:00.008-04:00

At the start of the second week of my Project 7x52 challenge we had a couple of days of snow in Annapolis Royal. I knew that at some point I wanted to have a weekly theme of snow so this seemed like an appropriate opportunity. I was also figuring that I should take full advantage of the snowfall because this has been a very odd winter so far. I have heard more than one person remark that it feels like we are trapped in a permanent November. Within 12 hours of the end of the snowfall, the snow that you can see in these images had melted and we were back to greenish brown grass. It is certainly odd weather for the middle of January.

Week 2 theme - Snow

1. Annapolis Royal taken through a snowstorm from the back of the Granville Ferry Hall
2. One of the ornamental grasses at the Historic Gardens
3. A cannon at Fort Anne NHS
4. Another ornamental grass at the Historic Gardens
5. The snow covered face on a brass cannonade at Fort Anne. This piece is a remnant of the French regime in Acadie.
6. The Sally Port at Fort Anne
7. I believe that this is the snow covered remains of a hydrangea at the Historic Gardens.

All for now,
RGS

Annapolis Royal, now in Living Colour

2012-01-15T22:07:00.006-04:00

I am quite partial to colourized images from the 1920s. There is a certain charm in these images that someone has taken the time to personally add colour. The goal was to make a black and white image look more realistic. There was usually some blue added to the sky and a bit of green added to the grass. Clothing often took on an interesting shade. Since we are accustomed to seeing clothing of this period in shades of gray it is fun to see a dress or jacked rendered in shades of red or yellow. Sadly, by the time the Great Depression rolled around in the 1930s, there were few people who wanted to pay the extra money for hand coloured photographs so the practice fell out of fashion.

This particular image shows the trail leading around the grounds at Fort Anne. This is an interesting image because it shows the Town Hall and business district shortly after they had been rebuilt. Most of the buildings in the area across the street were destroyed in the 1921 fire. Town Hall, as with a number of buildings including King's Theatre, was designed by an English Architect named Graham Johnson. The white doors at the side of the building originally housed the fire department. This is where the library is currently located. In the foreground is a sundial that was once a fixture at the fort. This piece now resides beside the Governor's Garden at the Historic Gardens.

We have a few of these images in the Annapolis Heritage Society archival collection. Two of the images look at the area where the reconstruction of the Port Royal Habitation now stands. One of the images was taken from the water looking up at the site and the other was taken looking down from the North Mountain. They provide an interesting view of the community before reconstruction began. Most of the other images feature scenes around Fort Anne.

All for now,
RGS

Project 7x52 - Week 1

2012-01-08T19:06:00.013-04:00

As I mentioned in a post earlier this week, my Project 365 photography challenge has come to a successful end. Three of our local shutterbugs managed to capture an image every day during 2011. As the project was coming to an end, our local photographers started searching around for a new photography challenge. We all agreed that another year of taking a photograph per day was more than we really wanted. After some discussion we decided upon a new sort of challenge for 2012. We are calling this Project 7x52 because the idea is to collect seven images per week for each week of the year. Now, the question we have been asked is "how is this different from a Project 365?" The answer is actually fairly simple, we do not need to take each of the images on separate days. If we find some inspiration all of our images can be taken at the same time. If inspiration is slower in coming we can take the images leisurely throughout the week. The new project seems to have taken hold and we have been joined by some additional photographers. Since some of the photographers are not from the Annapolis Royal area we have created the new Project 7X52 group to accommodate everyone. Annapolis Royal images will still be uploaded to the link at the top of this post.

To add a new dimension to this year's project, we have decided that each week would have a theme. The themes are left entirely to the choosing of the photographer. The addition of a theme should make this year's project more blog friendly so I will try to keep my weekly activities updated. My theme for week one was "Old and New". This seemed like an appropriate choice as we were sweeping out the old and ringing in the new this week.

1. New bud on a rhododendron Nova Zembla at my house.
2. Rusted handle and hook on the old outhouse door on my property.
3. The front dormers on the new Langstaff House on Chapel Street. This is the newest house in Annapolis Royal with the owners taking residence around Christmas.
4. Granville Ferry with the first snow of 2012.
5. The remains of last year's apple harvest
6. One of the restored front windows at the Sinclair Inn Museum. This actually manages to be both old and new.
7. The 1797 Fort Anne Officer's Quarters.

All for now,
RGS

A Heritage Meeting

2012-01-06T22:49:00.004-04:00

This morning I attended a combined meeting of the Town of Annapolis Royal and the Municipality of the County of Annapolis's heritage advisory committees. While I have been a member of the County's committee for about 5 years and an adviser to the Town's committee since it was reformed a few years ago, there had not previously been a combined meeting of these two groups. I was very happy that Chairs Peter Davies (Town) and Marilyn Wilkins (County) had the foresight to call a combined meeting. In an region like ours with a limited population and limited financial resources, it makes sense to see if there are areas where we can cooperate. An ongoing flow of information between these two bodies is also something beneficial to all heritage minded people in our community. For our initial meeting we listened to a presentation on changes to the Provincial Heritage Property Act, and had a discussion of ways the groups could collaborate in the future. Hopefully this is the start of a strong new relationship on something that is of importance to both municipal units.

The image in this post is obviously the Officer's Quarters at Fort Anne National Historic Site. When I left the meeting and drove down St George Street the light reflecting off of the snow in the fort grounds caught my eye. I parked my car and walked back to get a few pictures of this iconic building. In a less tangible part of our community's history, you can see that someone has already been sliding on the rampart in front of the building. This has been a winter sliding destination for generations of local children.

All for now,
RGS

Some History to Start the Year

2012-01-03T21:45:00.004-04:00

There are few things I find more enjoyable than a fresh take on local history. Dealing in the history of the Annapolis Royal region on a daily basis, one starts to think that they have a fair grasp on the generalities of our local story. When dealing with the vagaries of history, it is always a healthy thing to get your assumptions shaken up. It is for this reason that I thoroughly enjoyed Tom Peace's presentation to a joint meeting of the Annapolis Heritage Society and The Historical Association of Annapolis Royal earlier tonight. Tom, who recently completed his PhD at York University and is currently teaching at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, was in town to discuss part of his thesis that deals with the history of the Annapolis Royal area. Specifically, he was discussing Mi'Kmaq relations with the British, French and Acadians in the wake of the 1710 British conquest of Acadia. Tom also seemed to be taking some pleasure in actually speaking in the community that he had spent a great deal of time researching in various archives.

Using census and demographic information he was postulating a different sort of relationship between the Mi'Kmaq and various colonial forces than we have traditionally believed. Among other things, he was putting forward the idea that the relationship between the French and the Mi'Kmaq may not have been as strong as common understanding would have us believe. I am not going to pretend to pull all of his research and ideas together in this blog. That would not do justice to his thoughts. What I will say is that he is hoping to pull his research together in a publication which I would highly recommend.

I would like to thank Tom as well as our friends at the Historical Association of Annapolis Royal for their assistance in organizing tonight's presentation.

All for now,
RGS

New Beginnings

2012-01-02T12:12:00.006-04:00

A new year and time for a new beginning. It has admittedly been a while since I have been regularly posting on the blog. After three years of fairly regular service, I ended up needing a break to recharge some of my creative batteries. Now that the new year has arrived, I thought that this would be a good time to get blogging again.

So, what was I doing with my time away? Well, in addition to regular work and family activities, I spent some of that time concentrating my Project 365 photography challenge. While taking a photograph per day may seem like a simple endeavor at the start of the year, toward the end of the year it managed to indeed become a challenge of consistency and creativity. Happily that challenge ended successfully on December 31 with the image of the Annapolis Royal lighthouse that I have included in this post. Project 365 was an interesting road where I managed to learn quite a few things. I should also acknowledge Trish Fry and Jane Dewolfe for also completing the 365 challenge. We now have an image bank of more than 1450 images documenting 2011 in Annapolis Royal through the eyes of three photographers (for those questioning my math, Trish did the 365 challenge twice with the second 365 representing the Historic Gardens). A copy of these images will be added to the AHS Archives. Hopefully these images can someday play the same role that the images of Charlotte Perkins, Frederick Harris, Sidney Payne and others play in documenting our community's history. Since I have not shared many of the recent 365 images on the blog, I will try to fill the backlog as time progresses.

With Project 365 complete we have decided to take on something we are calling Project 7x52. I will write more on this subject in a future post. Thankfully Project 7x52 will be much more blog friendly in the way we are planning it. This should contribute some weekly fodder and imagery to the blog.

During my sabbatical I also managed to write a couple of plays based loosely on stories from the history Annapolis Royal area. At this point the plan is for the first of these plays "Foule Papers 1721" to be presented on the O'Dell House Museum's stage this summer. In the spirit of the stories we have presented in recent years, this play is a (hopefully) comedic take on actual events. While complete, I think that the second play needs a bit of rewriting attention before I feel like giving it much public attention.

All for now,
RGS

A Haunting Afternoon

2011-10-05T22:23:00.008-03:00

It was a haunting afternoon at the O'Dell House Museum. To be more precise, it was an afternoon of putting the pieces of a haunting in place. With the help of seven grade 8 students from Annapolis Royal Regional Academy and a couple of volunteers, we spent the afternoon decorating one of the O'Dell House Museum's exhibit rooms for a Halloween exhibit. It was a great deal of fun to work with the kids and, I will freely admit, that I have never seen people more thoroughly enjoying artificial spider webs. I would like to offer our thanks to our helpers.

In many ways this exhibit is an extension of the upcoming Haunted House at the Sinclair Inn Museum. Last year we had access to a couple of interesting artifacts with ghostly histories but, for the safety of the artifacts, we felt uncomfortable exposing them to the unpredictable Haunted House. These artifacts, a rocking chair and a cradle, are both mentioned in the iconic "Bluenose Ghosts" by Helen Creighton. In the coming days I will try to write a little bit more about each of these haunted artifacts.

This exhibit is also an opportunity to display some of the more macabre artifacts in the Annapolis Heritage Society collection. The wicker body box has already become a central part of this exhibit. I must admit that I don't remember the extra appendage the last time we had this on display.

All for now,
RGS

North Hills Revisited

2011-10-04T21:19:00.013-03:00

On Sunday afternoon there was a new exhibit opened at ARTsPLACE in Annapolis Royal. The exhibit, which is titled "North Hills Revisited" features artwork created during the North Hills Museum children's art workshops this summer. Children, and a few parents, were able to participate in sculpture, portrait and printmaking workshops led by North Hills Guide Wayne Smith. Wayne, who is the gentleman in the second image of this post, did a wonderful job in teaching new techniques and sharing some of his love of the arts. This was also an excellent way to draw connections between items in the Museum's collection and the artwork created by the children. Many of the pieces were actually inspired by the site itself.

It was a great deal of fun to see the reactions of the young artists when they saw their work on display in a proper gallery setting. There were also a few excited parents at the opening. If you would like to see the work of this young crop of artists, you only have a short time. "North Hills Revisited" will run until October 8. ARTsPLACE is located at 396 St George Street in Annapolis Royal.

All for now,
RGS

Lequille Book Launch

2011-10-02T22:47:00.002-03:00

For the first weekend of October, this seemed to be a very busy weekend in Annapolis Royal. Thankfully, this weekend's lineup of events will provide me with fodder for the blog for the next few days. From an Annapolis Heritage Society perspective, one of the key events of the weekend was the launch of "Lequille: Chronicle of a Community" by Ruth Ritchie and Denise Rice.

The launch took place at Denise's house on the Cape Road in Lequille. Since I had been out on the Photowalk earlier in the day, by the time I arrived at the event I was somewhat rain soaked. Despite my dampness, I was given the job of welcoming people and introducing the guest speaker. Reg Ritchie, Warden of the Municipality of the County of Annapolis, lifelong resident of Lequille and husband of author Ruth Ritchie shared some of his memories of growing up in Lequille. He told some very interesting stories of life in a rural community where "there were sometimes more mealtimes than meals". One of the things that was very clear was that this was a community that has historically been very supportive. Once Reg was done, he handed the final word over to Ruth who spoke on behalf of both authors. She discussed some of the process in researching and writing the book and thanked everyone who made contributions. After the formal remarks the authors signed copies and people mingled and chatted.

If you are looking for a copy of "Lequille: Chronicles of a Community" they are now available at the O'Dell House Museum. Congratulations to Ruth and Denise for this fine contribution to our local history.

All for now,
RGS

Annapolis Royal Photowalk 2011

2011-10-01T22:40:00.013-03:00

Today was the day of the first Annapolis Royal Photowalk. If you have not previously heard of this event, Photowalk is an international event where photographers gather with the idea of photographing a specific route within a community. Across the globe there are 1117 photowalks being held on the first two days of October with just over 28000 registered photographers. This is the fourth year for Photowalk and, as I mentioned, the first year that it has been held in Annapolis Royal.

Due to the rain our group was a modest 10 people but, they were an enthusiastic group. During the introductions I learned that people had come from as far away as Wolfville and Clare to take part in the photowalk. We met in the open space beside Kings Theatre and proceeded across the street to photograph the Farmers Market. After the market we made our way back across the road to take pictures of the wharf and boardwalk. While one of the members of the group decided to walk in the mud at the tidal level, the rest of us walked up the boardwalk to Fort Anne. With a short stop at the Fort we made our way through the Garrison Burial Ground and back to St George Street. The group straggled back to the Pub to meet and discuss the pictures that we took. This was both an interesting way to spend a couple of hours and a good chance to see what some other local photographers are doing.

The images in this group are a sample of the images that I took today. I have a few more images in an album on the AHS Facebook page and some of the images will reside on my computer without anyone ever seeing them.

All for now,
RGS

Lequille: Chronicle of a Community

2011-09-28T21:11:00.003-03:00

On Saturday (October 1, 2011) the Annapolis Heritage Society will be launching the book "Lequille: Chronicle of a Community". This book, the work of Ruth Ritchie and Denise Rice, tells the history of this community on the outskirts of Annapolis Royal through the stories of the people, buildings and interesting bits of information they have collected. I was lucky enough to see the proof copy of the book this afternoon. It is an impressive looking tome that is filled with photographs and stories. I look forward to being able to take some time to see what stories they have collected. I did notice that there was an image of a hosta in the book which I can only assume is the work of Denise who has an impressive collection of these plants.

Now, for the particulars and details. The launch will be held at Denise Rice's House (52 Cape Road) in Lequille. The event runs between 2pm and 4pm. Copies of the book will be available at the launch for a cost of $20.00. After the launch the book will be available at the O'Dell House Museum.

The image in today's post is the engraving of the General's Bridge in Lequille by William Bartlett. Very generally speaking, the General's Bridge was near St. Alban's Church in Lequille. The engraving shows a Mi'Kmaq encampment with the bridge in the background.

All for now,
RGS

A Fresh Coat of Paint

2011-09-27T21:22:00.004-03:00

Anyone who has ventured down Annapolis Royal's St George Street in the last few months has doubtlessly seen the ongoing restoration work at the Sinclair Inn Museum. Our 301 year old building has already received a new cedar roof. After some needed repairs to siding shingles and clapboard, the building is currently getting a fresh coat of stain. When I was looking at the staging (scaffolding) that the work crew had set up around the building it reminded me that there is an interesting archival image of a painting crew at work on the Queen Anne Inn (aka William Ritchie House, aka St Andrews Boys School). After a few minutes of searching, I found the image I was looking for.

Interestingly, this image only shows the top two storeys of this impressive building. It almost creates a false impression that the workers are not particularly high off of the ground. Considering they are working with a motley assortment of wooden ladders and ropes held in place with a block and tackle, they are much higher off the ground than I would find comfortable. What I find fascinating about this image is that it clearly shows the techniques used to get a painting crew up to the top levels of this building. This image comes from the Schaffner collection held by the AHS Archives. While we do not have an exact date, I believe that this image was taken circa 1925.

All for now,
RGS

Children's Printmaking Workshop

2011-09-25T21:29:00.013-03:00

Today was the day of the final children's art workshop at North Hills Museum for this season. After having the opportunity to paint portraits and sculpt clay busts earlier in the summer, today was a day of printmaking. Instructor Wayne Smith gathered the children in the museum so they could see a few examples of prints in the North Hills collection. After a short chat about how etchings and wood cut prints were made in the museum were made, we retired to the studio (garage) to get to work on our own prints. Wayne demonstrated to the children (and parents) what we would be doing. He then gave us the task of finding an item on the museum grounds that we could draw. At this point, children scattered to locations around the property so they could find something to draw. After about 20 minutes, and a few flying chestnuts at the front of the museum later, we reconvened in the studio.

When we managed to get everyone gathered and sitting, Wayne showed us how to transfer the images onto a thin styrofoam sheet. These sheets became our engraved printing plates. When this phase was finished we brought out the paint. Considering the number of children running around with paint, this was very controlled chaos. The children each got to roll and press their images six times. There were more than a few ooohs and ahhhs as the prints were revealed. All of the children seemed to have a great time.

If you would like to see some of the artwork created during these sessions, there will be a display at ArtsPlace in Annapolis Royal from October 2 until October 8.

All for now,
RGS

Winged Heads in the Garrison Burial Grounds

2011-09-24T21:36:00.014-03:00

Earlier this week I had some time to take a walk around the perimeter of Fort Anne with my daughter. An active three year old, she quite enjoyed the opportunity to run up and down the ramparts. As we made the turn around the Courthouse and started heading back to where we started, her attention was drawn to the Garrison Burial Grounds. Through the years I have grown to appreciate cemeteries and the various historical treasures that can be found there. Lest there be any confusion, I mean the treasures above ground in the form of artistic tombstones and information. I am not big on the whole disturbing the dead concept.

I was quick to agree to a walk through the burial grounds when she asked if we "could go see those things". I figured that this would be a good chance to chat about graveyards and also to possibly get a few pictures. As often happens, I was drawn to the winged heads or soul effigies that are found in this burial ground. As a side note, my campaign to get people to call these flying deadheads has not gained much traction. These symbols are spread through many of the early cemeteries in Nova Scotia but, there is such a rich collection at Fort Anne that I figured that I should take the opportunity to collect a few images.

The oldest soul effigy in this burial ground is found on the stone of Bathiah Douglass who died in 1720. This stone, featured at the top o this post, is also the oldest grave stone found in Nova Scotia. The original winged death heads were a bit more gruesome than the later ones. The early ones feature a skull with the eyes blanked out and teeth frozen in a perpetual grin. By the 1760s the image becomes somewhat softer with the face of a cherub replacing the skull. While I like both varieties, I generally find the early ones more engaging.

Now, what do they represent? There are actually a number of concepts at work with the winged death head. One of their primary purposes is to remind the viewer of the inevitability of death. They are a reminder that death can come quickly. The heads are also a symbol of the soul mounting toward heaven.

This is not a complete collection of the winged death heads at the Garrison Burial Grounds. Some of the stones have been damaged by ice through the years and have lost their faces. These parts are stored in the museum at Fort Anne. I also ran into the problem of my walking companion getting impatient with how slowly I was taking pictures. Oh well, a good excuse for a future trip.

All for now,
RGS

Whale Oil Cauldron

2011-09-14T21:08:00.006-03:00

Why is it that whenever I am smitten with an artifact that they tend to be really large, heavy metal objects. Another thing that they have in common is that many of the items are remnants of the age of sail. While it is odd, I will freely admit that I have admired a number of different anchors through the years. While there is something about the durability of these objects that appeals to me, it is probably more the romance of the age of sail. These are tangible links to the sailing ships which once frequented the waters around Nova Scotia. Knowing this, I was not at all surprised that a large metal cauldron caught my attention.

A few weeks ago the metal cauldron shown in this post appeared in front of the Traditional Marine Outfitters store on St George Street in Annapolis Royal. While it may not appear to be particularly large in the photograph, the cauldron has about a five foot diameter. This is a large pot that would be an excellent prop in any production of Macbeth. Immediately as I drove by I knew what this was not a cauldron used for on stage witchcraft but a very different sort of vessel. I Stopped into the store to confirm my thoughts.

While Nova Scotia currently has an active eco-tourism market in whale watching, we have not always been so friendly to these aquatic mammals. The lady at the store confirmed that this was a cauldron used in the whaling industry on the south shore of Nova Scotia. Large chunks of blubber were put into pots like these so the fat could be rendered into whale oil. While I am sure that the whale population is happiest that this type of pot is a thing of the past, it still makes for a fascinating artifact.

All for now,
RGS

Covering up the Past

2011-09-13T23:11:00.001-03:00

We have had an interesting summer at the Sinclair Inn Museum. Those who have wandered up St. George Street have doubtlessly seen the scaffolding along the parking lot side of the building. This has been in place to allow the roof to get a fresh new batch of cedar shingles installed. As the season goes along, you will also notice some other aspects of this project as rotten clapboard and shingles are replaced, wooden windows are restored and the whole place gets a fresh coat of paint. This is a lot of work just to make our building look old again.

One of the parts of the project that may have been missed by the general public was the removal of a layer of silt in the basement. This silt had accumulated over time and was causing some drainage problems in the basement. When the silt was removed (about 30-50cm deep) we discovered some very interesting things. Buried under the silt was a series of wooden sleepers. The wood was wet but otherwise in good condition. Wondering what we were dealing with we sent a section of the wood to Mount Allison University for Dendrochronology testing. The date of the wood came back as 1708 which is contemporary with the construction of the Soullard (front) section of the building. Perhaps even more interesting than the wooden sleepers was a burned section (seen as gray in these images) below the sleepers. This section included a few interesting things like burned roofing slate. Were these the remains of a building that predates the Sinclair Inn?

Since we do not currently have the budget to do a proper archaeological investigation of this burned layer, a decision was made to recover the basement with a new layer of soil to protect the wooden sleepers and any other artifacts near the surface. I suppose that calling our infill a layer of soil is too simple. First there was a layer of landscaping fabric laid down to mark the level that was untouched. This was followed by a layer of sand and a layer of sand mixed with bentonite. This should create an anaerobic barrier which will protect the artifacts which will be excavated at some point in the future.

Today I also reconfirmed that those who dig in the ground can sometimes have an intriguing sense of humour. When we lit the basement to take some final photographs I learned that one of our crew had left a partially exposed plastic skull in the basement all summer. I wonder how many tourists discovered this skull through the summer.You can see it in the top image.

All for now,
RGS

Natal Day Opening Ceremonies 2011

2011-07-31T23:52:00.012-03:00

Well, I am a couple of days late with this one but, I am going to make an attempt to getting back to a regular schedule of blog posts. Our presentation of "Naked at the End of the World" opened earlier today at the O'Dell House Museum. Now that rehearsals will not be dominating every night I may have some time to send a few thoughts this way. More on the play in an upcoming post.

On Friday night the Annapolis Heritage Society was responsible for hosting the opening ceremonies for Natal Day weekend. This is the second weekend that we have hosted this event. Like last year, I think that we pulled together an effective start to the weekend. A procession of antique cars containing Natal Day princesses was led from the Annapolis Royal Regional Academy to the Farmer's Market by piper Andy Kerr. When they reached the market the princesses disembarked and took their places on the stage.

The theme of this year's Natal Day celebrations is the 200th anniversary of the Annapolis Royal Volunteer Fire Department. If there was ever a doubt about the good work done by this group, fate intervened to provide us with a reminder. The firefighters were originally scheduled to march in the procession. Just as the procession was getting under way there was an emergency call and the firefighters jumped into rescue mode. Evidently five people were plucked from the water of the Annapolis Basin.

Back at the Farmers Market, Town Crier Peter Davies was officially declaring Natal Day Weekend open. We received greetings from Phil Roberts, Mayor of Annapolis Royal and Reg Ritchie, Warden of the Municipality of the County of Annapolis. Each of the princesses then introduced themselves as did Queen Annapolis Royal 2010 Carrie Murray. That concluded the official ceremonies and all that remained as a community dance in the market square. I must admit that it was quite a bit of fun to see all of the local children dancing.

All for now,
RGS

Rehearsals at the End of the World

2011-07-19T23:00:00.004-03:00

It has been a busy few weeks around the Annapolis Heritage Society. In addition to our normal summer activities, we have been busily preparing a new piece of historical fiction to premiere on the O'Dell House Museum's backyard stage. The latest in our very successful Tales from a Tiny Perfect Town series is entitled "Naked at the End of the World". Like our other plays, this one takes certain truthful elements of our local history and winds a fairly elaborate tale. Playwright Kent Thompson as woven an intricate plot involving a shipwreck, a duel, the Duke of Wellington, cross dressing, painter Francisco Goya, a tea party and elements of historical fact. While I am close to the product, this may be the funniest play that we have yet mounted.

While I was originally scheduled to have a role behind the scenes, it appears that my natural talents (as a ham) have risen to the surface. I now have a non-speaking role. They can try to keep a muzzle on me but, I will make my presence known. This has meant that my evenings, already filled with children's soccer, have been further filled with nightly rehearsals. Sadly, this has meant that my blog updates have been somewhat less frequent.

Our image today shows Isaac Keoughan as Major Joseph Norman. Trapped in a bombastic marriage, Major Norman has been drinking to forget his troubles. Sadly, his troubles only increase when he stumbles upon two wet actresses (one dressed as a soldier and the other in a blanket) in a waterfront warehouse. Things deteriorate when his wife, supposed former mistress of the Duke of Wellington, comes looking for him.

Showtimes and locations

O'Dell House Museum
July 31 at 2pm,
August 1, 7, 14, 21 at 7pm

Rebekah Hall - Bear River
August 13, 20 at 7pm

All for now,
RGS

Where Have I Gone?

2011-07-15T09:22:00.003-03:00

Hi folks. I have had a couple of recent questions about where the blog has gone. Have no fear, I have not abandoned it. I seem to be going through a fairly busy phase with our upcoming production of "Naked at the End of the World" at the O'Dell House Museum among other things. Hopefully when we get through our evening rehearsals (or the grass stops growing at home) I will be able to get back to more frequent updates.

All for now,
RGS

Canada Day Fireworks

2011-07-01T23:34:00.004-03:00

On July 1, 1867 the British Parliament passed the British North America Act. This act of parliament officially joined Upper Canada (Ontario), Lower Canada (Quebec), New Brunswick and Nova Scotia into the new Dominion of Canada. On this same day, John A. Macdonald was sworn in as the first Prime Minister of Canada. To support the government there was a civil service of 30 people.

144 years, and a marginally larger civil service, later it was a busy day of celebrating Canada's birthday in Annapolis Royal. Unfortunately, this was also a working day for the author of this particular blog so I was not able to attend many of the events in town. I missed the street dance, I missed the flag raising, I even missed the free hot dogs and cake at Fort Anne. What I did manage to see were the fireworks at Fort Anne. These fireworks were a bit of a bonus because in Annapolis Royal we normally have firework displays on Natal Day weekend in August. As usual, it was a good display and everyone went home happy. In case you happened to miss the fireworks, here are some highlights. Happy Canada Day.

All for now,
RGS

International Gathering of the Clans - Part 2

2011-06-28T22:49:00.022-03:00

The weekend that has just passed saw the official opening of the International Gathering of the Clans in Annapolis Royal. The streets of this old town were reverberating with the sound of bagpipes on many occasions over the three days that the Scots were in town. For those of us who like the bagpipes, this was a wonderful occurrence. For those who do not like the pipes, I hope that they could find a place to enjoy the fun somewhere out of earshot.

The images in this post were gathered at some of the weekend's events. They include the official opening and activities at the Legion on Saturday. For those who are wondering, these events were originally planned for Fort Anne but they were moved inside when the weather looked uncooperative. Despite the weather, Mayann Francis, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, graciously opened the celebrations and cut the cake. The cake itself was appropriately decorated to look like a Nova Scotia flag.

Other events in this collection include the Scotch and Thistles evening at the Historic Gardens and the tree dedication at the O'Dell House Museum. The oak tree at the museum will be the lasting symbol of the International Gathering of the Clans coming to Annapolis Royal. We have already started to refer to this tree as the Scots Oak. One of the organizers told me that she hopes that it grows strong and tall so that many future events can be held in its shadow. That sounds like a pretty good aspiration.

I would like to thank all of our community partners as well as the Federation of Nova Scotia Clans and the International Gathering of the Clans organizers for their roles in this event. Hopefully we can host part of this event when it comes back four years from now.

All for now,
RGS

International Gathering of the Clans

2011-06-23T21:48:00.013-03:00

It looks like we will once again be having a busy weekend in Annapolis Royal. For those of us who like the pageantry of kilts and bagpipes or the gentle taste of haggis and whisky, this should be a highlight of the summer. From June 24 -26 our community is hosting the opening ceremonies for the 2011 International Gathering of the Clans. This should be a good weekend with events being held throughout the town.

On Friday things get underway with a kilted golf tournament at the Annapolis Royal Golf Club. This will be followed on Saturday morning with a pipe band street parade along St George Street. From there the action moves to the Legion where Birgitta Wallace-Ferguson will be discussing her archaeological discovery of the remains of the 1629-1632 Scottish settlement of Charles Fort in Annapolis Royal. After this presentation there will be Scottish cultural activities at Fort Anne throughout the afternoon. The furry haggis toss may well be the highlight of the afternoon. The day finishes with an event called Scotch and Thistles at the Historic Gardens. On Sunday morning there will be a Kirking of the Tartans at St Luke's Anglican Church followed by a tree planting and dedication at the O'Dell House Museum in the afternoon. Since we are hosting the tree planting, I would obviously encourage everyone to attend the dedication and see the museum's new oak tree.

The photographs in this post are of the National Historic Site monument to Charles Fort. Located on the site now known as Fort Anne, Charles Fort was established by Sir William Alexander (the younger) in 1629. His appearance in the new world was part of an attempt to establish a Scottish colony based on a Royal charter of 1621. An original copy of the charter is on permanent exhibit in the museum at Fort Anne. It is this document, written in Latin, that gives the name to Nova Scotia or, as the English would say, New Scotland. While the settlement only lasted until 1632, this marked the beginning of a Scottish presence in Nova Scotia.

All for now,
RGS

John Ritchie House, Lequille - Part 1

2011-06-22T21:15:00.020-03:00

It feels like it has been a while since I have written about a local building being torn down. For those of us concerned with the preservation of our local built heritage, that is a very good thing. It is always hard to see a building that has graced our landscape for an extended period of time get pulled down. Well, my peace of mind came to an end on a rainy day at the end of last week.

Just off of Highway 201 in Lequille sits a small saltbox style house. I have driven by this house countless times as I make my way through the community. I have frequently thought that I should stop and take some pictures because it was obviously an early building. With the saltbox style and timber-framed construction, this had the potential for being a stunning restoration project. While there was potential, the house had been gutted a number of years ago and was essentially sitting in a much deteriorated form.

When I turned the corner onto the 201 and saw this building without its windows and clapboard sheathing, I knew that this was something I needed to immediately document. Camera in hand, I hopped out of my car and went over to see the men working on the house. I politely asked if I could take some pictures. They probably thought that I was nuts because I was wandering around in a torrential rainfall photographing a building that had sat in the same location for 200 years but, I am glad that I got the pictures.

In the coming days I will have more pictures of this house to share. I have an excellent collection that I photographed this morning which will be used in another post so that the deconstruction process is more evident. I will also try to provide some history of the building as well as what I have learned about the future of the frame.

All for now,
RGS

Staff Training

2011-06-14T21:46:00.014-03:00

On an early morning toward the end of last week I piled into my car with the Annapolis Heritage Society's summer employees for a trip to Freeport. With a Coffee in my hand, we made our way through Digby and headed down the neck. While it would have been nice to spend a day of exploring Digby Neck and Long Island, ours was a trip of education rather than edification. We were on our way to the Digby Annapolis Museums Committee (DAM Committee for those who enjoy a good acronym) summer staff training day. When we pulled onto the boat at the appropriately named East Ferry, we met the staffs from the Admiral Digby Museum and the Annapolis Valley McDonald Museum. Together we made a convoy down the length of Long Island to Islands Museum Archives in Freeport.

We have organized this combined training session on a number of occasions through the years. The general idea is to provide our summer employees with a day where we can discuss topics like deportment, artifact handling, a history of the area, and how to handle research requests. The benefit of a combined session is that we can draw upon the combined experience of all of the Curators in the room. This type of training day also allows the students to meet some of the other people who are spending their summer working in a local museum.

In the top image you can find the AHS summer staff for 2011. Alisha McCorriston, who is sitting on the left, has just begun her while Isaac Keoughan is now in his second summer. You will be able to find these two working at the O'Dell House Museum, Sinclair Inn Museum as well as in the AHS Genealogy Centre and Archives. Please pay us a visit to see if the lessons from this training day had their intended effect. The remainder of images in this post were taken in East Ferry while we were waiting for the boat.

All for now,
RGS

Heritage In Unusual Places - Highlights

2011-06-12T22:29:00.011-03:00

It has been a busy Heritage in Unusual Places weekend in Annapolis Royal. We have had tours, concerts, opportunities to meet local craftspeople and a few surprises. Since I have been in program delivery mode, I have not really had the opportunity to digest all of the events. We had a very successful launch for the most recent book of poetry by the late Eugene Hamm. "Last Words" is a collection compiled from previously unpublished manuscripts. Combined with a new section of our Eugene Hamm wood carving exhibit, this was a nice celebration of his life and talents.

Saturday saw the introduction of Wilfrid Cartier, a new character created by the Annapolis Heritage Society. Portrayed by Isaac Keoughan, Cartier is a combination of traveling medicine show and gentle history lesson. This weekend he was selling peace, order and good government but, I believe that suffrage and the temperance movement are in his future.

After this weekend one thing is for certain. I have decided that I need to write a full post on Jon Gray at some point in the future. Jon's shoemaking shop was one of the open house destinations in today's schedule. I was truly impressed by the quality and beauty of the shoes crafted by Jon. The images in this post were all taken this weekend. When I get a chance to gather my thoughts I will post a more complete review of the weekend.

All for now,
RGS

Another Helping of Hamm

2011-06-07T22:44:00.010-03:00

As part of the upcoming Heritage in Unusual Places festival, we will be holding a combined book launch and exhibit viewing at the O'Dell House Museum on Friday, June 10 at 8:00pm. Both the launch and the viewing feature work by the late poet and wood carver Eugene Hamm. For the better part of a year we have had an exhibit at the museum entitled From a Humble Block of Wood which features some of the multitude of carvings done by Mr Hamm. This week we are bringing out the remainder of the collection for a short showing we have dubbed A Second Helping of Hamm. For the remainder of the month of June the two front galleries on the second floor of the museum will be dedicated to the work of this impressive folk artist.

In addition to his carvings, Eugene Hamm was also a prolific poet. During his life he published 22 volumes of poetry plus a children's book entitled Wanderina. Members of Mr Hamm's family have gathered unpublished material written toward the end of his life to produce a new volume called "Last Words". Friday night will be the official launch for this book. Please join us for this celebration of the talents of a very creative and highly productive individual.

All for now,
RGS

Heritage In Unusual Places

2011-06-05T22:21:00.005-03:00

I am doing something that I rarely do with this blog but, it seems to be the appropriate treatment to introduce this topic. Next weekend will be the inaugural Heritage in Unusual Places festival in Annapolis Royal. There is going to be a full weekend of heritage based activities taking place in many different locations around the community. While I don't usually include a press release in the blog, it seems to capture some of the spirit that we are hoping to create with Heritage in Unusual Places. A PDF of the full schedule can be found in the hyperlink at the top of this post. As the week goes along, I will doubtlessly be giving additional information on individual elements of the weekend. By the way, thanks should be given to Jim Todd for the great artwork for the festival.

All for now,
RGS
*******************************

Have you ever experienced Heritage in Unusual Places? This will be the question as a new festival is unveiled in Annapolis Royal from June 10th to 13th. While Annapolis Royal has a reputation as a heritage-minded town, there are still some stories that are not told on a regular basis. “People are quite familiar with coming to a museum to learn about their heritage” says Ryan Scranton, Executive Director of the Annapolis Heritage Society. “While we love to see people come through our doors, we are not the only keepers of heritage in our community. Heritage also resides with the traditional trades and craftspeople, with musician, story tellers and other caretakers of our intangible history”.

The Heritage in Unusual Places Festival will feature opportunities to experience heritage in places people do not normally think to look. A handful of guided tours will provide peeks into forgotten elements of the Annapolis Royal region’s history. These tours will explore the history of fires in Annapolis Royal, the secrets of the Granville Road, the Bay of Fundy shore and the horticultural heritage of our region. There will also be opportunities to visit facilities like the Annapolis Royal Boat Haul-up and John Gray Bespoke where fine handmade shoes are crafted. These are prime examples of people who make their living using traditional skills and techniques.

“We will also be introducing a new character to the streets of Annapolis Royal during the festival” said Scranton. “We have created a person called Wilfrid Cartier who we are calling an ‘Uncle of Confederation’. He will be making a number of spontaneous appearances through the weekend but, the plan is to have him become a regular feature in Annapolis Royal this summer”. Patterned somewhere between a traveling salesman and a carnival barker, Cartier, who is played by Isaac Keoughan, will be selling various historical concepts. “During the festival he will be trying to sell Peace, Order and Good Government but, we plan to have him branch into temperance, women’s suffrage and other topics as the summer progresses”.

A Visit to the Historic Gardens

2011-06-04T22:29:00.021-03:00

After my trip to the Annapolis Royal Farmers Market this morning, I met Trish Fry, Manager of the Historic Gardens and a fellow photographer, for a trip through the Gardens. It is fun to wander through this sort of facility with another shutterbug because they tend to look at the world in a unique way. I have found that people who spend a great deal of time with a camera tend to develop a very good eye for detail. These people often see things that could easily be overlooked by those going about their daily lives. I know that I certainly look at the world a bit differently when I have a camera in my hands.

While I have said it before, we are incredibly lucky to have a facility like the Historic Gardens in Annapolis Royal.

All for now,
RGS

Soccer at Fort Anne

2011-06-02T22:57:00.008-03:00

While there are many things that make living in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia interesting, I must admit that there are still occasions that I am left in disbelief. Tonight was one of those occasions. Because the regular soccer field at the high school was waterlogged, tonight's practice was held at Fort Anne National Historic Site. Where else would a children's soccer practice be held in the middle of one of the country's most significant historic landscapes? There we were in the middle of the Parade Square surrounded by the glacis painstakingly built by soldiers so many years ago. Instead of the noise of guns and military drills that would have once graced the Fort grounds, the sounds that we heard tonight were those of excited children.

Tonight's photographs remind me of some of the historic images of Fort Anne that are held by the AHS Archives. These black and white images show people playing cricket and baseball at the Fort. While the choice of sport has changed, it is very nice to see the Fort still used as a venue for community recreation.

All for now,
RGS

Granville Ferry Fire Hose Reel - 1893

2011-05-30T22:48:00.016-03:00

A couple of weeks ago I needed to make a trip to Yarmouth. Since it was only a quick trip to pick something up, I decided to extend my stay by a few minutes and pay a visit to the Firefighters Museum of Nova Scotia. If you have not had the chance to see this museum, I would highly recommend taking the time for a visit. From horse drawn wagons and leather fire buckets to steam powered engines and even fairly modern trucks, there are a wide variety of machines used to fight fire on display. There are also impressive collections of everything from safety equipment to firefighting ephemera on display.

While they have a very impressive collection of equipment at the museum, there was one piece in particular that I wanted to see. For some time I have known about a hose reel from Granville Ferry in this collection. Knowing that the Annapolis Royal Volunteer Fire Department are commemorating their 200th anniversary in 2011, I figured that these pictures may be useful at some point. I was directed to a room off of the upstairs exhibit gallery and allowed to take a handful of pictures.

The hose reel was made in 1893 and served the community of Granville Ferry. The piece is essentially a friction roller for the fire hose carried by two large wagon wheels. There is a tongue at the front but it appears to be a piece that would be pulled by two humans rather than a horse. There is an open tool box and two nozzles which are made of leather and brass.

This is certainly a case where I wish that the artifact could tell some of its own stories. Where was the hose reel kept in Granville Ferry? Where were the fires that this artifact helped to extinguish? Who were the people who pulled it? Even without these stories, I was happy to see this important artifact.

All for now,
RGS

Historic Gardens Dinner & Auction

2011-05-29T22:47:00.001-03:00

Tonight was the night of the annual fundraising dinner and auction for our friends at the Historic Gardens. This is usually a fun night with a great deal of community support for the Gardens. As always, the evening opened with various games of chance and a silent auction. Plant material and donations from local businesses were both the prizes in the games as well as the items in the auction. After a welcome by Peter Davies, the Annapolis Royal Town Crier, everyone sat down to a lovely chicken dinner.

Greg Kerr, Member of Parliament for West Nova was the Master of Ceremonies for the event as he has been for many years. Highlights of the auction always include Greg's attempts to read the Latin names of plants and his ongoing banter with auctioneer Blaine Henshaw. There was an unexpected twist this year involving Greg and a mannequin. Perhaps I should just let the picture tell that story.

All for now,
RGS

HMCS Cornwallis

2011-05-26T21:56:00.006-03:00

A curatorial friend of mine recently sent me a collection of photographs that he purchased when he was attending a Boatswain course for the sea cadets at HMCS Cornwallis during the summer of 1961. For those of you not familiar with our local geography, the former HMCS Cornwallis Naval Training Base was located down the Annapolis Basin from Annapolis Royal between the communities of Clementsport and Deep Brook. Officially commissioned in 1943, the site quickly grew. At its peak, HMCS Cornwallis had more than 11 000 officers, enlisted and recruits. This volume of people made the base the largest Commonwealth naval training facility. Sadly HMCS Cornwallis was decommissioned in 1995 but, many of the buildings have found new life as the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre, the Annapolis Basin Conference Centre, HMCS Acadia (Sea cadet training) and an industrial park.

As I was flipping through the images, a number of them caught my eye. Indeed there were images of a few facilities that I never realized existed at the base. This particular image drew my attention because it seemed to be such a quintessential room from the early 1960s. The photo is labeled as the "main hall recreation area / dance hall". From the decore, I could not imagine this room being anything else. The checkerboard shadows are really very interesting.

As time moves along I will share more of these interesting archival images. I would also welcome any stories about HMCS Cornwallis from those who lived at the base.

All for now,
RGS

Update

2011-05-20T17:49:00.004-03:00

I'm having some computer issues at home so it may be a few days before I can get back to making regular posts. In the mean time, I am amassing a nice little backlog of topics including a trip to Delap's Cove, the construction of a new costume and some great pictures of the Annapolis Royal area as the visitor season is getting under way. I will be sure to get tome images of the first outdoor Farmers Market tomorrow morning.

All for now,
RGS

Medicine to Drinke

2011-05-14T20:32:00.007-03:00

Why is there always sheep dung? What was it about that particular substance that made it so appealing to early physicians? Was it the need to have an unpleasant treatment to psychologically convince the patient that they were getting a cure for their ailment. Does sheep dung have particular properties that make it suitable for compresses? It certainly could not boast any antiseptic qualities. Having had the opportunity to shear sheep in the past, I can testify that I can think of very little benefit that can come from sheep dung outside of the garden. In the garden it is a wonderful substance but, I can think of very little to recommend it as a medicine. Yet, in many old remedies like the one transcribed in today's post, sheep dung is an integral ingredient.

While this remedy is called Medicine to Drinke, I think that there are at least two remedies at work. The first remedy almost sounds like an interesting cocktail. The allycompain mentioned in the list of ingredients is certainly elecampane which grows wild in our area. In fact, we have some of these tall yellow flowers in the back yard of the O'Dell House Museum. The root of this plant has been used medicinally for centuries and bears some expectorant qualities. The root appears to be steeped in half of a pint (paint in the transcription) of molasses and 8 glasses of gin. Since the root apparently has an anise flavour, this may actually be a pleasant aperitif. At worst, it might make some of the other parts of the remedy more bearable.

This prescription comes from the Cronin fonds held by the Annapolis Heritage Society Archives. I have found at least one other equally questionable prescription in the documents. As I always do when transcribing, the original spelling and grammar are left intact. I must admit that I do not know who the gentleman in the photograph is. Although he is an unidentified photograph in our collection but, he had a somewhat medical bearing that I felt added to this post.

All for now,
RGS

************************************************
Medicine to Drinke

allycompain ½ paint molasses 8 Glafses jin in a bottle and fill it up with the allycompain liquor

Punkin sees and flax seed ½ paint, punkin seeds one hand full,

Casteel soap 1 ounce & Parsley the parsley stewed to liquor

Warm Watter for Drink with some meal or bran

To forment plaster, sheeps Dung with the hymlock & Juniper Liquor wet it with vinear

Rub Frequently with fresh butter the sore

Anoynt in the Seabord & yd with the ointment left

After Washing it with Casteel soap& warm water

Wet or wash the Bowl with Soap Suds & grease it a little.

Caught in the Act

2011-05-13T22:13:00.009-03:00

Over the past few weeks we have been finding large sections of roof shingles torn off of the Sinclair Inn Museum. At first we were mystified as to what was causing the damage. It is certainly not normal for wooden shingles to suddenly deteriorate in large patches like this so, something external was causing the damage. Because water was getting into the building we had a local contractor put up a tarp and we hoped that this was a one time incident. Of course these things are never one time incidents.

Earlier today I was in the building and I heard the distinct sounds of a very angry animal. To be exact, I actually heard the sounds of an upset mother and a number of very small voices. I figured out where the noises were coming from but, not wanting to encounter an animal defending its young, I decided to go about my business and come up with a plan. I made my way next door to chat with Harry Jost who is a longtime member of our Sinclair Inn Museum Committee. Harry informed me that the roof had been damaged again overnight. Whatever this intruder was, it was decidedly unwelcome.

A little later in the day I was alerted that a raccoon was sitting on the roof beside the chimney. I arrived in time to see her pick up one of the babies with her mouth and crawl up the chimney and into the museum. If you look at the series of photographs closely you can actually see the baby in her mouth. I left the museum with our Halloween music playing and strobe lights flashing in hopes of making the place a little less comfortable. Hopefully she will decide that the neighbours are miserable and move the family to a new home. Knowing that this will probably not work, we are also trying to arrange for a live trap to relocate this family to a better home.

All for now,
RGS

North West Rebellions Medal - 1885

2011-05-11T21:06:00.001-03:00

While we have a deep and rich history in Annapolis Royal, we have some artifacts in our community that relate to historic events from other parts of Canada. The artifact featured in today's post is just such an artifact. From May 9 - 12, 1885 a battle was fought between the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan under their Metis leader Louis Riel and the Dominion of Canada. Riel and Gabriel Dumont and fewer than 300 Metis and First Nations warriors faced a force some 800 strong led by Major General Frederick Middleton. Middleton's overall force included one battalion from Nova Scotia.

In general terms, dissatisfaction had been brewing for some time between the Native and Metis populations and the Dominion of Canada. The Battle of Batouche is really part of a larger series of events known as the North West Rebellions. The North West Rebellions, in turn, are really the second part of the Red River Rebellions of 1869 -70. Tensions had not abated from this time. Among the issues were the expansion of agricultural settlements across the prairies, unrepresentative government, disappearance of the buffalo. White settlers who had purchased land along the proposed Canadian Pacific Railway route between Winnipeg and Edmonton were also upset when Prime Minister John A. Macdonald changed the route to run through Regina and Calgary. In an attempt to influence the Canadian government, Riel, Dumont and others established the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan.

Despite some early victories by the Native, Metis forces at Duck Lake, Fish Creek and Cut Knife, Batoche was the decisive battle for the Dominion of Canada. Riel surrendered after Batoche and was eventually (and controversially) hanged for treason. At the end of the conflict medals were awarded for those serving for Canada. The front of the medal bears the likeness of Queen Victoria while the back reads "North West 1885 Canada). This particular medal has recently been transferred to the Annapolis Heritage Society as part of a large military collection. It was awarded to a Corporal Brown of the Nova Scotia battalion to serve under Major General Middleton.

All for now,
RGS

Archival Mother's Day

2011-05-08T23:11:00.012-03:00

As it was in many houses, today was a big day in our house. Breakfast was served in bed, handmade gifts involving pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks were presented and flowers were purchased. Yes, these are the hallmarks of Mother's Day. The day of the year dedicated to thanking all hardworking mothers for their sacrifices, guidance and love. Could we ever find enough pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks to pay proper tribute?

I decided to take a look through the AHS archival collection to see if I could find any interesting images of mothers. While I am sure that many of the women in the pictures I was looking at were mothers, I had a fairly rigid idea of the type of image I wanted to find. I wanted images of a women interacting with their children. Now, these images could easily be Aunt Jane or the lady from down the road playing with the children but at least they present a maternal appearance. Although they come from different collections, these images were taken circa 1900. I find to interesting to think how drastically the role of women within the household has changed from the time that these image were taken. I hope that the mothers in your life had an enjoyable day.

All for now,
RGS

Faerie Houses Part 5

2011-05-07T22:26:00.003-03:00

It looks like the Faerie folk have been back to Annapolis Royal again. Actually, they have been quite regular in their pattern of expanding their territory every Friday night. They have, in fact, been more regular than I have been since I have not photographed the houses which appeared at Bainton's Tannery and at the playground on lower St George Street last week. I did see photographs of these houses and I was once again impressed with the quality of their construction. This week houses have appeared at the Royal Bank, under the large magnolias at the Historic Gardens and at the Delap-Savary House on St. George Street. I did not know about those at the Delap-Savary house until later in the day so I have not yet had the opportunity to take a photograph.

I continue to be impressed by the faerie's ability to theme their construction to the to the type of business they are colonizing. Houses made of old leaves of books at the library, duct tape at the hardware store and now play money at the bank. Today's houses were also placed in a prominent spot under the large magnolias at the Gardens on Magnolia Festival weekend. Say what you will about our faeries, they are a creative lot who seem to be paying attention to events in town.

Over the last couple weeks I have seen a strange new being appear at the Farmers Market at the Historic Gardens. Having never seen a faerie before, I am not sure what physical form I should be looking for. I snapped a photograph of this creature in hopes that it may be one of the faerie folk.

All for now,
RGS

Not Quite the Image of the Day - Part 4

2011-05-05T21:40:00.024-03:00

Another month has clicked by in our Project 365 challenge. Looking over images that I have taken over the past month it is hard to believe that we had snow in the beginning of April. Now that the flowers have started to bloom and the community is transitioning into its warm season mode, thoughts of snow are quickly receding into the back of my mind. I must admit that I like the juxtaposition of the snow at the top of this post and the flowers at the bottom. Bring on the warm weather.

Once again, this collection of photographs are those that were not chosen as the image of the day on their particular day. Project 365 continues to be an interesting challenge. It has been nice that Spring has brought a new palate of colours because I was tiring of shades of white, brown and gray. It has also been fun to try to look at the community with a fresh set of eyes every day. While it may be a truism, I have realized that you see a lot more details when you are looking for them. If you are interested, feel free to browse the pool of Project 365 images taken by our three photographers.

All for now,
RGS

A Visit to James House Museum

2011-05-04T22:53:00.008-03:00

A little bit earlier tonight I was at James House Museum in Bridgetown to speak at their Annual General Meeting. In a mix up that seemingly only I could achieve, I had managed to get the date for the event wrong. I had arranged to have a wonderful presentation where someone gets dressed into a period costume and shows how each or the individual layers works. I have seen this presentation before and I know that it is a terrific way to learn little bits of history that I would never otherwise have even considered. This sort of presentation has given me a greater appreciation of historic clothing and I am someone who has work a costume off and on for at least the last 15 years. That was what was supposed to happen.

At about 11:30 this morning I called Fran Lourie, Curator at James House Museum, to confirm what time we were to be there tomorrow evening. After a pause Fran told me that we were expected tonight. This was my turn to pause. I knew that the lady presenting with me was not available tonight and our planned program had just fallen apart. After a short but uncomfortable silence I explained my problem to Fran. During that time I quickly calculated that I had about 7 1/2 hours to come up with some sort of presentation. Usually this would be more than enough time to prepare a short speech but, I had a couple of meetings mixed into my afternoon. I was having visions of standing in front of the audience with nothing more than a glib smile. Thinking for a minute, Fran suggested "why don't you talk about the stuff you do with computers".

Ahh, a possible solution to my problem. While I would not claim any large scale expertise in the world of social media, I am perfectly capable of discussing how the Annapolis Heritage Society uses social media and what benefits we derive from it. After all, I have at least been keeping this blog alive for almost three years. Some plants have not fared so well in my care. So, with the time between my meetings I was able to pull together some thoughts and a rudimentary power point.

All things considered, I think that the presentation went fairly well. I was planning to speak for about a half hour. After an hour and 15 minutes people were still asking questions and seemingly engaged in what I was saying. The photographs in this post are of artifacts at James House Museum. Made in 1901, this is perhaps the most beautiful rocking horse I have ever seen. The belt features Canadian regimental insignia from WWI.

All for now,
RGS

Pretty, Pretty Flowers

2011-05-03T08:42:00.014-03:00

Since I usually try not to bring my personal politics into this blog, in the wake of the Canadian election last night I have decided to present a collection of flower photographs taken at the Historic Gardens on the weekend. This seems the safe alternative since any other treatment of the events from last night would quickly move toward the realm of unintelligible ranting. As such, I am looking at flowers. Pretty, pretty flowers.

All for now,
RGS

Court House Magnolias

2011-04-30T20:36:00.012-03:00

For a number of years there has been a concerted effort to plant magnolias around Annapolis Royal. A group of diligent enthusiasts has raised the profile of the plant within the community and they have popped up on many public and private properties. Obviously, the most diverse collection is at the Historic Gardens but, magnolias are found throughout Annapolis Royal.

One of the more interesting groupings can be found in front of the Annapolis Royal Court House. Located at the main intersection of the community, this is a prime location to see the flowers. Earlier today I took a few minutes to get some pictures while the blooms are at their peak. The backdrop of the 1837 Court House makes this a very appealing location for taking pictures. I am quite fond of the ones that feature blossoms with a faded image of the building in the background. If for no other reason it is worth stopping for the opportunity to stand in the middle of the blooming trees. The smell of the flowers is almost overwhelming.

The Court House is also an ideal location to see magnolias if you have qualms about walking onto someone's private property to see flowers. Another option for seeing the blooms would be to take part in next weekend's Magnolia Festival. There are events including garden tours, a rare and unusual plant sale, magnolia talks and tours. You may even catch me pouring wine for the Wine and Magnolias event at the Historic Gardens on Friday evening.

All for now,
RGS

Champlain goes to School

2011-04-29T21:51:00.005-03:00

When I was dropping my son off at our local elementary school this morning a piece of public art caught my eye. I must admit that I have admired this particular piece of art for some time but, I have never had a camera with me to take a photograph. When you walk into the main foyer at Champlain Elementary School in Granville Ferry you are greeted by a charming gentleman clad in a early 17th century costume. He sits in a small boat accompanied by a black cat and a mouse that rests on the brim of his hat. Perhaps greeted is too strong of a word because this particular gentleman and his companions are made of papier mache.

The gentleman in question is, of course, a likeness of Samuel de Champlain for whom the school is named. When you look around the walls of the foyer you see that Champlain also has cod, a sea serpent and a large sun wearing a pair of shades as papier mache companions. The artwork was created by local papier mache artist Rion Microys with help from students at the school. This really is a very impressive installation. In addition to being a set of very cheerful images, I have frequently seen both children and adults interacting with the artwork. The bench surrounding the boat almost acts as a magnet for people. How nice to be able to have a conversation or to gain an education under the watchful eye of the Father of New France. I will get photographs of the other elements for a future post.

All for now,
RGS

Foggy Morning

2011-04-27T22:07:00.010-03:00

On my way to work this morning I noticed that there was an interesting fog hanging over the Annapolis Basin. Realizing that there was the potential for an interesting picture, I turned the car into the parking lot across from the old Granville Ferry Anglican church. Within a couple of minutes I was able to snap a handful of pictures that show about 250 years of development on the Annapolis Royal waterfront. The earliest building (Bailey, Murray, Bonnett and Robertson Houses) date to the arrival of the New England Planters in the 1760s or United Empire Loyalists in the 1780s. These houses served the desperate crowds who were fleeing America in the years following the American Revolution.

The O'Dell House Museum, Pickles & Mills Building, old Post Office and the McCormick Store all date between 1860 and 1900, a period known as the Golden Age of Sail. These buildings were built at a time when Annapolis Royal was a significant port. Ships from around the world would have tied up to one of the many wharves along the waterfront. King's Theatre was built in the aftermath of two devastating fires in 1920 and 1921. Through live performances and movies, this building has served as an essential part of the cultural life of our community for almost 100 years. It really is amazing what you can find on a foggy morning.

All for now,
RGS

Faerie Houses Part 4

2011-04-25T21:43:00.008-03:00

Another Saturday in Annapolis Royal and another visit from our faerie folk. I am actually starting to look forward to Saturday mornings, not only for the Farmer's Market, but to see where our creative faeries will have built. This week they were back at the Historic Gardens for another round of building. I have heard that a more urban crew has taken up residence by the Home Hardware building but, I have not yet had the chance to investigate this sighting. If you are interested in seeing any of the houses, Trish Fry has taken the time to load GPS coordinates for each of the sites.

All for now,
RGS

The Great Egg Hunt

2011-04-23T21:40:00.016-03:00

In recent years the Saturday of Easter weekend has become one of the busiest days of the year in Annapolis Royal. The day is truly packed with activity. Everything began with a pancake breakfast with the Easter Bunny at the Legion. From there the activity turned to the Historic Gardens where, in addition to the Farmers Market, another crop of faerie houses has appeared. More on the faerie houses in another post. Events ranging from crafts and cookie decorating to a bike rodeo, geo-quest and an Annapolis Royal version of the Amazing Race spread out through the day. If asked, I would freely admit that my favorite part of the day is the egg hunt at Fort Anne National Historic Site. There is such a wonderful uncontrolled energy as the children burst through the gate and descend on the fort grounds. While the younger kids head to the parade square, the older ones run up and down the ramparts looking for eggs. It is somewhat like a miniature army arriving to plunder the fort.

A constant through most of the events was a certain large white rabbit. I was quite amused by the image at the top of this post because it appears that the Easter Bunny has its own security detail. I suppose if you are running around with baskets full of chocolate in the middle of a crowd of hungry children that there may be a certain degree of danger.

Whole hearted thanks and congratulations go to Paula Buxton and her crew of volunteers. They should be proud of this event and the place that it has quickly come to hold in the hearts of local children.

All for now,
RGS

Night on the Annapolis Basin

2011-04-22T21:30:00.002-03:00

The other night when I was on my way home from the Volunteer Appreciation evening, I stopped to snap a photograph of Granville Ferry from the parking lot of the O'Dell House Museum. Those of you who have been reading for a while will know that this is a fairly common activity. I have taken an almost comical number of photographs of this view. Since there was an thin fog hanging over the basin, I decided to see if I could get an interesting image. If you are not familiar with our local geography, this is the image at the bottom of this post.

As I was driving home, I happened to look back across the water at Annapolis Royal. While I frequently photograph the view looking north across the Annapolis Basin, I have far fewer images looking south from Granville Ferry. I pulled into the parking lot at the Granville Ferry Community Hall and found a likely looking rock to use as a tripod. I managed to get a couple of pictures before I startled someone coming to get their mail from the boxes beside the Hall. While I really enjoy the image of the boats tied to the wharf at low tide, it is a pretty image from both sides of the Annapolis Basin.

All for now,
RGS

Volunteer Appreciation Evening

2011-04-20T22:56:00.004-03:00

Tonight was the annual Annapolis County Volunteer Appreciation Awards at King's Theatre. This is always a somewhat humbling event. Over the course of the evening we get to hear about the volunteer accomplishments of 30-40 individuals. Of course these people represent a much wider network of volunteers across the county. From health care and community service groups to churches, sporting groups and environmental organizations, volunteers make our community a better place to live.

I think that the spirit of the evening and of the volunteers themselves was best summed up by Barbara McArthur who was named Annapolis Royal's community volunteer of the year. After the MC read her impressive resume of volunteer work she stepped forward to say "I never thought I did that much". This is the spirit of our volunteers. People who are helping because they want to help. Featured in the photograph is the Annapolis Heritage Society's 2011 Volunteer of the year Denise Rice as she accepts her award from Phil Roberts, Mayor of Annapolis Royal. Thanks to Denise and all of the volunteers who allow AHS to continue to preserve, protect and promote our heritage.

All for now,
RGS

Through the Sally Port

2011-04-18T21:17:00.004-03:00

If I were asked to come up with a single iconic image of Annapolis Royal I would probably need to think for a few minutes. What image could represent Annapolis Royal and only Annapolis Royal? It would need to be unmistakable to those who know the community and yet provide some insight for those who do not yet know the area. When you think about the town, we have some very impressive scenery. From the large Victorian buildings on Upper St George Street to the Historic Gardens and the waterfront, there are sights that would easily make other communities jealous. The more I think of it, there is a scene that reaches the iconic status for me. This is the view at Fort Anne National Historic Site looking through the Sally Port with the Officer's Quarters framed in the tunnel.

As I look through the AHS archival collections, I see multitudes of photographs taken from this spot. This view of the Sally Port has been used for post cards, school photos, birthday parties, public festivities and many family vacations. I will freely admit that I have taken photographs of this view many times. There is something about the way that the three chimneys of the 1797 Officer's Quarters fit so perfectly in the frame that adds to the charm of the scene. Since the advent of photography, people just seem to naturally want to pose in this spot. In this version of the image, we can see some men playing a game of either cricket or baseball on the parade square. In this circa 1895 photograph you can see damage the the brick work that has been restored today.

All for now,
RGS

Faerie Houses Part 3

2011-04-17T20:12:00.015-03:00

Another Saturday and another crop of faerie houses have appeared in Annapolis Royal. This week the faerie folk have colonized the O'Dell House Museum, the old train station and a tree in front of St Luke's Church. They have actually become a bit more declarative by leaving a couple of tiny signs that read "Do you believe in Faeries". I was interested to learn that they are using the older, and honestly more interesting, spelling of faerie rather than fairy as I had used. I have decided to go back to the previous posts and amend the spelling.

Once again there is a mixture of hanging and land based houses. They have also created a festive circle of mushrooms in front of the museum. Until I hear differently, I am going to refer to this as mushroomhenge. I was also impressed with the house built in front of the museum. With a large shed dormer on the roof and an entry portico featuring columns and a pediment, the faeries have clearly been seeing and adapting at some of our traditional Annapolis Royal building styles. While the origin of these houses remains a mystery, they are fun to find on Saturday mornings.

All for now,
RGS

Ghosts of Fundy

2011-04-16T20:46:00.009-03:00

Today was the long anticipated launch of the book Ghosts of Fundy and Fatalities of the Sea by Frank Taylor. Since I know how much effort that Frank has put into compiling this book over the last decade, I was very happy that we were able to give this book a proper launch at the Port Wade Community Hall. For years Frank has been bringing me excerpts of the book, interesting things that he has found in his research or the odd question. In turn, I have tried to pass along articles of stories of interest as I stumble across them. After years of dogged collecting, I was glad that we could have this launch in a room filled with Frank's friends and family. I must admit that I was also quite impressed with the cake which bore the image of the City of Monticello as it slipped beneath the waves. This is the same image that is found on the cover of the book.

The book itself tells the stories of Bay of Fundy sailors who have lost their lives at sea. Additionally, you will find stories of local sailors who slipped beneath the water in foreign seas. If you are looking for copies of Ghosts of Fundy, they are available at the O'Dell House Museum for $35.00.

All for now,
RGS

Keji in the Spring

2011-04-13T19:57:00.014-03:00

Back on the weekend I decided to pile the kids and dog into the car and head to Kejimkujik National Park for a tromp around in the wilderness. The never ending specter of report card writing kept it from being a complete family trip but, I am sure that more report cards were completed because we were out of the house. Nonetheless, we packed everyone in the car, made a stop in Lequille for the requisite snacks and made our way to Keji.

I think that my favorite part of the afternoon was coming upon the Mi'Kmaw encampment site that is used for programming during the warmer months. While I knew that this site was at Keji, I had not previously been to it so I was a little bit surprised to see it appear as we walked along the edge of the lake. Sitting there was a replica birch bark tee-pee and a fire pit. We walked over to the site and I was immediately impressed by the strength of the people who once lived in these structures. Winter would be much more of an ordeal in this type of building than even in the draftiest of modern houses. The thought of spending a winter in a tee-pee is almost unfathomable to a modern sensibility. It made me wonder what the first Europeans would have thought when they saw this style of construction.

Since there was nobody in the area other than ourselves, we almost felt that we had come upon an ancient abandoned campsite. This was compounded by the knowledge that we were within walking distance of the petroglyphs which depict Mi'Kmaq life in the 18th and 19th centuries. A few years ago I was fortunate enough to be on a tour that went to the petroglyphs. These stone drawings are very moving and are certainly one of the attractions of Keji.

After leaving the encampment we continued to wander along the lake until we found a tree that had been chewed by a beaver. We had a goof chat about why beavers chew down trees and what they do with them. As always, we had a grand time a Keji and are waiting for our next chance to visit.

All for now,
RGS

Faerie Houses Part 2

2011-04-10T22:37:00.011-03:00

Well it has happened again. Last Saturday a number of fairy houses appeared at the Historic Gardens in Annapolis Royal. Well, the faerie folk must have enjoyed the neighbourhood because a number of other houses have popped up around the community. The houses in this collection were found outside the Legion and in front of ARTsPLACE. I assume that these fairies were more of the winged variety because because their houses were hung from trees. Those at the Historic Gardens were largely land based. I have also been told that some literary faeries have made their homes outside of the library but, I did not know this until I was safely back in my own home. I have no idea where this is going but I hope that more of these tiny houses appear around Annapolis Royal.

All for now,
RGS

Woodlawn Cemetery

2011-04-09T21:03:00.013-03:00

Earlier this afternoon I found myself with a few free minutes to locate my Project 365 image for today. I was in town attending a Saturday morning planning meeting for the upcoming International Gathering of the Clans event which will be held in Annapolis Royal on the weekend of June 25. When I left the meeting I started looking around for something new to photograph. Realizing I needed to put some gas in the car, I decided to head toward Lequille to see if there was something photo worthy. As I was driving down the road, I noticed that the entrance to Woodlawn Cemetery was accessible. The snow which had blocked the entrance had melted and the gravel road that circles the cemetery looked passable so, in I went.

I enjoy Woodlawn cemetery as a landscape. With gently rolling hills and mature trees, this is a wonderful place to wander. Today was a very nice day to wander because there was not another (living) person in sight. The cemetery is also back from the road so you are not disturbed by traffic noise. I was free to walk around, admire the tombstones and appreciate the tranquility. On a warm spring afternoon it was nice to listen to the wind and the birds. I also looked for places that the French Governor Jacques-Francois de Monbeton de Brouillon's heart would have been buried after he died returning to Port Royal in 1705. While British soldiers evidently found his heart in their search for gold after capturing Port Royal, I was not as fortunate in my search.

One of the things that I like about this cemetery is that it gives a physical presence to many of the names that I deal with on a daily basis. Whether interpreting the history of our community to museum visitors or helping researchers in the AHS Genealogy Centre, I am constantly referring to who lived in Annapolis Royal long before I was born. At Woodlawn I am able to see the graves of members of the O'Dell family who lived in our building before it was a museum. I can see the final resting places of community leaders, notable characters and regular citizens. I find it interesting to see which family names are buried together in plots and to reconstruct the relationships that would have existed. Who knew that I would discover so much when I left my meeting.

All for now,
RGS

Bee Division

2011-04-05T21:14:00.005-03:00

In my ongoing desire to hasten the arrival of spring, I went looking for a springlike image in the AHS archival collection. I came upon this image of a group of people gathered around bee hives in the Sidney Payne collection. While the image may have been taken later in the season, I mentally associate bees with apple blossoms and the arrival of warm weather. As I listen to the wind howling outside my window, I am happy for any excuse to think of warm weather.

The writing on the side of the truck reads "Bee Division". Based on the photographer's career with the Dominion Entomology Laboratory, I would assume that this is some sort of consultation or inspection of the hives. The role of this group in improving crops and agricultural produce can be seen in the slogan on the back end of the truck which reads "Produce more Honey". The people, including a woman in a very stylish cloche hat, are examining one of the frames the bees with honey. What appears to be a smoke canister, used to control the bees, is sitting on top of the hive. I would hope that it was an active smoke canister since I am not sure that either a cloche hat or a fedora are adequate protection should the bees take exception to the interference with their hive.

This image was taken by Sidney Payne (1882 - 1964) who worked at the previously mentioned Dominion Entomology Laboratory on Grange Street in Annapolis Royal. This was housed in the building that has since been used as a library and is currently operated as a spa. While I am having trouble exactly placing the location of this image, it appears to be near the area now used as the duck ponds at the French Basin Trail. The community of Granville Ferry can be seen in the background.

All for now,
RGS

Faerie Houses?

2011-04-02T20:31:00.014-03:00

There are strange things afoot at the Historic Gardens in Annapolis Royal. I arrived at the Gardens this morning with plans of going to the winter Farmers Market. As a plug for the Market itself, the Gardens have been hosting the Saturday morning Farmers Market in their gift shop through the winter months. This is a wonderful way to get some fresh local produce, eggs and baked goods throughout the winter months. So, with visions of fresh fish and linzer torte in my mind, I made my way to the Gardens' entrance.

Before I got the the breezeway a couple of different people had asked me if I had seen the faerie houses yet. Answering no, I was told to take a look around the courtyard. With some confusion, I made my way toward the gift shop where a group of children were pointing at one of the flower beds. When I moved closer I saw a rather elaborate yet minuscule construction surrounded by some red toadstools. This was the first faerie house. From the looks of things this was the house of a woodland faerie since all of the materials used in the construction could be readily found in nature. Birch bark, pine combs, sticks and evergreen boughs were the construction materials. Looking around I noticed a number of other fairy houses.

With confusion racing through my mind, I made my way over to Trish Fry, the Gardens' Manager, to ask what was going on. In addition to being in a position of authority at the Gardens, Trish is the resident expert on all things tiny. I figured that she would know what was going on if anyone would. She told me that she was as surprised as everyone else. The houses had appeared overnight and nobody was sure where they came from. It seems that there is a mystery at the Historic Gardens.

All for now,
RGS

April Fools Snow

2011-04-01T23:17:00.011-03:00

Ok, I can take a joke as well as the next person. Depending on who the next person is, I may even be able to take a joke better. Quite honestly, snow on April 1st is not funny. It is not mirthful, snicker inducing or even clever. After a long winter and a groundhog in Shubenacadie who promised that winter would be over early, snow on the first day of April is almost mean. Just yesterday I had the windows and doors open at home so we could let some of the stale winter air blow out of the house. Today we were back to sealing up the windows and watching helplessly as the snowflakes fell. By this time in the year, I would like to wait about nine months until I hear the term nor'easter again.

If this were an early winter storm it actually would have been quite pretty. Big, lazy snowflakes were falling gently to the ground. Sadly it was not appreciated today. The first four images in this post were taken at 11am when the snow had just started to fall. These show the Annapolis Royal Wharf and Granville Ferry from the O'Dell House Museum's parking lot. The final image was taken from Riverview Drive looking over the Allains River marsh at 5:00pm. Looks like the landscape is back in with for at least one more day.

All for now,
RGS

Not Quite the Image of the Day - Part 3

2011-03-31T22:24:00.019-03:00

Another month has passed and I have been busily snapping photographs for our Project 365 challenge. So far things are going well. Three months have passed and I have not yet missed a day of taking and posting an image. There have indeed been a couple of days where I have struggled to get a good picture but, for the most part they have worked out. There have also been a few of the images that have strained to meet the Annapolis Royal criteria that we had established but, hopefully I have been able to provide a spin that makes the questionable images palatable.

The images in this post are some of the images taken during the month of March that did not get selected as the image of the day. As in previous months, I sometimes had a very difficult time choosing which image was the single image for the day. With the exception of the bottom two images which were taken at Ross Farm Museum, the remainder of this collection was taken in the general Annapolis Royal area. The locations range from the Tidal Generating Station and Fort Anne to a luncheon at St Luke's Church and the Victoria Beach Wharf. Do you think that you can name all of the locations?

All for now,
RGS

Routes to your Roots

2011-03-29T20:57:00.005-03:00

I am pleased to announce that the O'Dell House Museum / AHS Genealogy Centre Routes to Your Roots video was launched earlier today. If you remember as far back as October, a couple of people from the Council of Nova Scotia Archives arrived to record a video. Phil Neville, who is seen staring very intently into the camera, and Susan Gilson had the enviable task of traveling around Nova Scotia to record short videos at each of the archives participating in Routes to your Roots. Perhaps not as enviable was the task of piecing together all of the flubbed and outtakes If you have not yet seen it, this is an excellent resource for those looking to research their Nova Scotian ancestors.

The video, which uses the late Jeanne Doucet Currie's l'Ordre de bon temps as the theme song, opens with some of the scenery around Annapolis Royal. As we cruise down St George Street, we are taken to the O'Dell House Museum. Here we take a look at the exhibit rooms before heading to the Annapolis Royal Court House to see the AHS Archives. After a review of the archival and genealogical holdings of the Annapolis Heritage Society we see some additional scenery and fade into the credits.

Thanks to the Council of Nova Scotia Archives and the Province of Nova Scotia for this production. In case you missed my more subtle link above, the link to the video is HERE. Let us know what you think.

All for now,
RGS

Hung out to Dry

2011-03-27T20:34:00.006-03:00

Today was the first day of the year that we were able to hang a load of laundry outside on the clothes line. Now, there have been a few days this spring where the weather has been nice enough to dry clothes but, I guess that laundry was not the priority on those days. Since today was laundry day, the sun and wind seemed to call out for the clothesline. I am always happy when one of the electricity devouring machines in our house can lay dormant.

If I were asked I would probably put forward the view that clothes lines are a totally under appreciated heritage resource. The evolution of this sort of device would go as far back as when humans moved beyond drying their laundered garments on nearby rocks. This centuries old technique allowed clothing to dry quickly while giving them a wonderfully fresh smell. The lack of heritage consciousness about clotheslines is an excellent example of how everyday domestic activities can often be overlooked. To many people throughout history, the successful completion of the weeks laundry was of far more consequence than the manoeuvrings of politicians or the military. Sadly, the views and stories of these individuals are rarely recorded. Whenever I am hanging out the clothes, I briefly get the feeling that I am taking part in an activity that would be familiar to generations before me.

On another note, a few years ago there was a book published that discussed clothes lines. The book espoused a theory that a good clothes line was organized by type, size and colour. Essentially, all of the blue shirts would go together arranged from smallest to largest before moving on to the next colour. The same would happen for pants, socks and other things that needed drying. I am sure that boxers, briefs and other assorted undergarments were hung in a special place of shame so that the neighbours would never see them. The author had actually taken the time to drive around and give grades to clotheslines. Despite my fondness for clotheslines, I recoiled in horror at the concept of this book. The imposed order and social judgment sent me reeling. I have since decided that clothes will be hung on my line in the order that the come to the top of the basket. Anarchy rules at our house!

All for now,
RGS

P.S.
This post was online for a couple of hours and I received an email from my mother. Often the voice of reason to my bombast, she offered the following.

"Both of your Grandmothers hung things grouped together. In fact, I remember Mom having me take clothing off the line and rehang the clothing in the correct way. All of the towels went together, shirts always hung by the bottom were together, pants always hung by the top were together, all undershirts together, followed by underwear, etc. To this day, I can not hang out clothing without at least making an attempt to have the line look orderly and when I pass a clothes line I always notice how the clothing is hung. I am sure there are lots more people who grew up with exactly the same training still doing the same thing."

The Queen's Luncheon

2011-03-25T22:32:00.008-03:00

Earlier today I attended a luncheon to raise funds toward sending Queen Annapolis Royal, Carrie Murray, to the Queen Annapolisa pageant at the Apple Blossom Festival. In addition to being a genuinely nice person, Carrie has been a student employee and volunteer at the Annapolis Heritage Society so I was very happy to be able to support her in this effort. The actual effort was made much easier by having a delicious lunch prepared by Paula Buxton of Leo's Cafe. I consider eating chicken breast stuffed with sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese and a triple chocolate mousse for dessert to be a fairly easy contribution toward a good cause. Add to this the chance to chat with some folks from around the community and I would call this a successful event.

Our speaker for the luncheon was Stephen McNeil, leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party and MLA for Annapolis. His topic for this event was his mother Theresa McNeil. While I never had the opportunity to meet her, Theresa McNeil casts an impressive shadow in our community. If being the mother of 17 children was not enough, after the unfortunate death of her husband in 1973, she made her way into the workforce to support her family. A few years later she was appointed as the first female High Sheriff in Canada. To this day her portrait hangs in the Annapolis Royal courthouse. She is possibly the only non jurist or member of the Royal family to hold this honour. Stephen held the audiences undivided attention as he told stories of the good work that his mother has done and her kindness of spirit. She definitely is someone whose life should stand as an inspiration.

All for now,
RGS

The Haul-up in Spring

2011-03-23T21:44:00.011-03:00

With the snow melting I been presented with some photographic opportunities that did not exist while the ground was covered. This has been a great help to the Project 365 challenge that a handful of us have undertaken. It is refreshing not to have a snowbank in virtually every image. Not only has it been nice to get some colourful images of flowers at the Historic Gardens but, the melting means that some of our other facilities are becoming accessible. Earlier today I took a few minutes to wander around the Annapolis Royal Haul-up. Even though there is not a boat on the slip, the textures and colours are still interesting. If you have never had the opportunity to see the Haul-up in action, I would highly recommend taking the time to watch them "change boats". It is fascinating to watch as a 45 foot scallop boat emerges from the water.

The Haul-up is also a tangible reminder of our community's historic connections to the sea. The sound of a caulking hammer driving oakum between the planks on a boat is the same today as it would have been when the French first settled on our shores in 1605. This is a sound that was passed down through the shipbuilders of the golden age of sail in the nineteenth century. Even though it was quiet today, you could almost hear the ghosts of the generations who made their living on the Annapolis Royal waterfront.

All for now,
RGS

The Water Wagon

2011-03-22T23:00:00.004-03:00

Perhaps the middle of March is not the time to worry about dry, dusty streets but, there is something about this image that caught my attention tonight. In the days before the roads in Annapolis Royal were paved, the water wagon would be used to wet the streets. Wagon wheels, early automobiles, horses and oxen could raise quite a cloud of dust on warm summer days. With a bit of water the dust was kept to a minimum. The Town of Annapolis Royal's water wagon was operated James Lewis and Son. This photograph, taken on Upper St George Street around 1925, shows James Lewis Jr. driving the wagon.

All for now,
RGS

Waiting for a Soldier

2011-03-20T22:13:00.006-03:00

Occasionally I come across an image in the AHS Archives that potentially tells a story far deeper than the information we actually know about the photograph. The picture in today's post is a perfect example. This photograph is unfortunately unidentified. We do not know who the lady sitting in the chair is. We do not even know where she is sitting. This image exists in a state of archival limbo known as the miscellaneous file.

At first glance this looks like a simple portrait of a young lady from the early part of the twentieth century. If you look closely at the image you can start to discern an interesting story. Sitting on the table is a framed portrait of a soldier. Judging by both her clothing and what I can see of his uniform, I feel safe in saying that this image was taken during the first World War (1914-1918). What I enjoy about this image is the way she is posed with one elbow resting on the table and her knuckles against the side of her head. A very slight smile graces her face. There is something about this pose that implies that she is patiently waiting.

What is she waiting for? Why the return of the soldier whose photograph is in the frame on the table of course. Was he in training? Was he fighting in the trenches of France or Belgium? Did he have a copy of this image that he kept safely pressed into a book or tucked into a pocket? Did he ever return home? Sadly we do not have an answer to these questions.

All for now,
RGS

What Could Have Been

2011-03-19T21:00:00.006-03:00

A couple of nights ago our family took a trip to Halifax. As I was looking out at the night view from the window of our 7th floor hotel room, I started thinking about some of the similarities of this view with Annapolis Royal. Those of you have been reading this blog for any length of time will know that the view across the Annapolis Basin to Granville Ferry is a frequent source of inspiration. Like Annapolis Royal and Granville Ferry, Halifax and Dartmouth are functionally one community divided by a body of water. The longer I watched the Halifax waterfront, the more I started to wonder what would have happened to Annapolis Royal had the capital of Nova Scotia not moved to Halifax in 1749.

Through the Acadian period and under the British until 1749 Annapolis Royal had served as the Capital of Acadie and Nova Scotia. With the founding of Halifax a certain amount of official attention was drawn away from Annapolis Royal. While the garrison remained at Fort Anne until 1854, this was increasingly a port of secondary strategic importance. As it should, Halifax grew and prospered as the capital. A provincial capital means growth and development. If only to accommodate the housing and living needs of the bureaucracy, a capital tends to be a fairly large community. Add to this the industries and merchants who want to be close to the seat of government and the community grows larger. Of course a capital must have grand buildings to house a legislature and and other public functions. In no time at all you have developed quite a large community.

To be clear, this was really more musing on what could have been rather than what I would like to see. While the population of Annapolis Royal is currently similar to what would have been found in the 1750s, I am perfectly content with the view from the Annapolis Royal waterfront. I still find it interesting to wonder how different this view would be if the capital had not moved.

All for now,
RGS

View from the Causeway

2011-03-15T21:11:00.008-03:00

Living where I do I tend to cross the Annapolis River Causeway at least two times per day. From the tidal generating station and mackerel fishing to the flying foam and large mysterious bumps just before you reach Annapolis Royal, there are some interesting things that happen along the causeway. One of the things I always enjoy about going across this structure is the chance to have a look at the scallop boats which are moored there. These are among the boats which venture out into the Bay of Fundy to fish for the famous Digby scallops.

While these boats add to the scenery of my drive, they are also quite interesting to watch. In the dead of winter you can see crews rowing out to their vessels. I always marvel at how cold this work must be. When they return from the bay you can see the odd scallop shell fly out of an opening on the side of the boat as the crew shuck their catch. Far more than scenery, these are hardworking members of our community.

Having spent years watching this spot I know that the water is rarely ever glassy calm. Between the wind and the tidal currents there is usually some disturbance on the surface of the water. This morning when I saw the reflection of the boats mirrored in the water I decided that it would be a good idea to pull the car over to get some pictures.

All for now,
RGS

Landmarks of the Granville Road

2011-03-13T22:57:00.013-03:00

It was a beautiful late winter day in the Annapolis Royal region. It was the kind of day that was filled with the warmth and hopefulness of spring. A day where you can safely take a drive with the car windows rolled down for the first time in months. In fact, that was exactly what I did. Piling our resident three-year old into the car, we headed down the Granville Road to see what was going on. We decided to stop at a few of our favorite landmarks as we went down the road. I am sure that very few of the regular readers of this blog will be surprised to learn that the landmarks that were drawing our attention were heritage buildings.

We first stopped at the Port Royal Lighthouse. Due to an ongoing project at work, I have learned that this is officially called the Schafner Point Lighthouse although few locals would know it by this name. After watching some ducks along the shore and snapping a few pictures we headed down the road. Our next stop was at Christ Church Anglican in Karsdale. This Loyalist era building was built in 1791. This is now one of the oldest surviving churches in the province. The accompanying burial ground features some lovely examples of early Nova Scotia tombstones. This is a wonderfully peaceful landscape for wandering and wondering about the lives of those who once lived in our community.

After our stop at Christ Church, we continued down the road to the Victoria Beach Wharf and Lighthouse. My companion was interested in seeing more ducks so, I figured that this would be a good location. Since one wing of the wharf is currently under construction we wandered out the other side. Peering across the Digby Gut wed did indeed see some ducks. A small flock of eiders were flying low above the water and an unidentified group were a little further off shore. We left the wharf and walked part way up a steep hill so I could snap a few pictures of the Victoria Beach Lighthouse. This is the shorter of the two lighthouses featured in this post.

Due to one of us starting to get a bit grumpy, we decided to turn and head for home at this point. When my traveling companion fell asleep I decided that I could sneak off the road to get a few pictures of the Port Royal Habitation to complete my built heritage landmarks. The 1939 reconstruction of the 1605 settlement of deMonts and Champlain is always a worthwhile stop. All things considered we had an enjoyable afternoon.

All for now,
RGS

Spring Blooms

2011-03-12T22:24:00.008-04:00

After a few months of taking pictures of snow, frost, snowflakes, snowbanks, ice and generally frozen conditions, it is very nice to start to add a few more colours to the palate. While it is not yet the full onset of spring colours, I was very happy to see some plants in bloom when I was at the Historic Gardens' winter farmers' market this morning. We had a few minutes to stroll into the Gardens before the rain started and I was happy to see both witch hazel and snowdrops in bloom. While the individual blooms are small, the yellow and red of the witch hazel almost stood out like a beacon on the landscape. If you are feeling the need for some early spring colour, it is worth a trip to visit our friends at the Historic Gardens.

All for now,
RGS

Fort Anne History and Images

2011-03-09T19:33:00.017-04:00

Now I may be verging dangerously close to personal opinion but, I would argue that Fort Anne National Historic Site is the most important historical landscape in Nova Scotia. I say this in full knowledge that important sites like the Fortress of Louisbourg, Grand Pre and the the Halifax Citadel can be found around Nova Scotia. I do not want to take anything away from other sites and the important stories that they tell. I am simply convinced that the various layers of history represented at Fort Anne are unsurpassed for their cultural significance. In all honesty, it would not take very much to convince me that this is is one of the two or three most important historic landscapes in Canada.

This outcropping of land, a moraine created by glacial debris during one of , sits at the convergence of the Annapolis and Allains Rivers. For thousands of years before Europeans arrived this land was used as a seasonal encampment by the Mi'Kmaq and their ancestors. This site provided easy access to the seaside resources of the Bay of Fundy as well as the inland waterways of Nova Scotia. After the arrival of the French in 1605 this area was used as agricultural land. This is where the inhabitants of the men were tending their crops when Samuel Argall arrived to burn the Port Royal Habitation in 1613.

When Sir William Alexander the younger arrived to establish Nova Scotia in 1629, this is the site that was chosen. While there was conjecture as to the location of his fort, archaeological work in the 1990s as well as the archival discovery of the Guthry Letter established this as the location of the Scottish Charlesfort. After the English returned the land to France in 1632 this outcropping became the center of the ongoing life in Port Royal and Acadie. This is where much of the conflict between Charles d'Aulnay and Charles LaTour for the control of Acadie plays out in the 1630s and 40s.

In the 17th and 18th centuries this now peaceful location became a key piece in attaining the colonial dreams of both England and France. Due to their aspirations of controlling eastern North America, this fort is the most fought over location in what is now Canada. 13 battles take place here with the fort changing hands seven times. It is here that the crucial 1710 siege takes place which marks the end of French rule in Acadie.

This was, interchangeably, the seat of government for the French colony of Acadie and the British Nova Scotia until the founding of Halifax in 1749. This site saw the growth of the Acadian population and sadly became one of the sites for the 1755 deportation. In the second half of the 18th century this site witnessed the arrival of the New England Planters and the bedraggled United Empire Loyalists. There was even a privateering raid on the Fort during the American Revolution. Local citizens were herded into the earthenworks surrounding the fort while the town was ransacked. The Americans left with goods including the glass for the windows of St. Luke's Anglican Church, the belt buckles of the townsfolk and a couple of hostages. In the 19th century the Fort's Queen's Wharf becomes a strategic location for the developing mercantile economy of Nova Scotia. Ships were not only built on the waterfront but the wharf received goods from around the world.

Today Fort Anne exists as the oldest National Historic Site in Canada. Fort Anne is currently a place for recreation, home to a wonderful museum and the site of many of our community's civic events. Even in this vastly condensed version of the site's history, I feel fairly secure in my belief in the importance of this historic landscape.

All for now,
RGS

White Tailed Deer

2011-03-06T20:20:00.013-04:00

Depending on who you ask I am sure that you would get a variety of opinions about the white tailed deer in Nova Scotia. If you are someone who enjoys watching wildlife, these are indeed a majestic creature. To a hunter, deer are the source of much thought, planning and effort. Every fall I see a small orange clad army parade past my house to take up encampments in the forest. On the other hand, if you have had the heart pounding experience of slamming on the car brakes as one of these animals crosses the road late at night you may flinch when you see a deer. Worse yet if you did not manage to hit the brakes early enough.

Perhaps the group who would take the least joy in seeing a deer wandering across their property would be gardeners. To a hungry deer a garden must look like a smorgasbord waiting to be devoured. I hear tales of deer resistant plants but, in a particularly snowy winter deer are liable to eat almost anything. When this herd of seven deer crossed our property today one of them stopped to munch on the branches of a cedar tree. I would assume that this is not the best of meals but, I am not a deer.

There also seems to be a growing assortment of products to keep deer out of a garden. When working at a garden trade show in Yarmouth last year I found a booth selling actual wolf urine to use as a deer deterrent. I suppose that the theory is that the deer will smell a predator and stay away. Being of delicate temperament, I chose not to ask how the urine was collected. The mental image of a partially feral human running with the wolves bedpan in hand was enough for me. The unfortunate part about this product in the enclosed space of the arena was that when some unfortunate soul would open the sample an ungodly smell would fill the air. Let me tell you, there is nothing like being repeatedly hit by the smell of wolf urine in the middle of a conversation.

In Annapolis Royal our friends at the Historic Gardens have perhaps had the most experience with deer. Through the years they went through any number of deer abatement techniques. I even remember unconfirmed stories of feces from the cougar at the former Upper Clements Wildlife Park being used around the site. Unfortunately for the Historic Gardens the deer were destroying the product that kept them in business. Without plants and flowers the gardens would, surprisingly, be far less interesting to visit. After finding seven deer feasting in the Governor's Garden one morning the Gardens applied to the Town of Annapolis Royal for help building a tall perimeter fence.

Like the post I recently made on the ring-necked pheasant, the white tailed deer is an introduced species that has thrived in Nova Scotia. Evidently deer were released in the Digby and Halifax regions in the 1890s. This would be contemporary with the busiest days for guided hunting and fishing in Nova Scotia. With an increasing number of "sports" arriving from the New England states, the introduction of deer probably seemed like a natural way to increase hunting opportunities. Of course, the deer thrived and soon spread to all parts of Nova Scotia. Tulips have not been safe since.

All for now,
RGS

Dennis and Lucy - 1826

2011-03-04T20:34:00.007-04:00

Archival documents can tell us many things. In a general sense they can provide dry statistical evidence about life many years ago. They can also illuminate, amuse, bewilder, excite and educate. At their best, archival documents can provide a glimpse into the lives of those who have gone before us that changes the way we look at life. The two documents which have been transcribed for this post are examples of my favorite sort of archival material. The sort of document that shifts your perspective.

These letters provide a glimpse into the life of a 19th century family that we are almost never permitted. When looking at the relationships of those who have gone before us, there is a tendency to think that everything was peaceful and cordial. These letters by Dennis McGrath (or McGraah as he signs his name) about his second wife Lucy quickly expose any myths of domestic tranquility. These are people with lives every bit as nuanced and complicated as our lives. There is a great deal of anger and emotion shown here. In fact, the first document could really be classified as a rant. The vehemence with which seemingly petty complaints (sitting up until 9 pm) are expressed is staggering.

Dennis McGrath, a native of Ireland, came to Lower Granville, Nova Scotia in the 1780s. After the death of his first wife he married the widow Lucy Crow in 1811. Evidently problems had been brewing for some time before these letters were written in 1826. As always, the original spelling and grammar has been maintained. I would like to thank Ian Lawrence for this transcription.

The couple sitting in today's post are not Dennis and Lucy McGrath. I figured that I needed an archival picture of a married couple and John Milledge and Isabella Harris fit the bill. I hope that their marriage was happier than the one in these documents.

All for now,
RGS

1826
The pedigree of a woman that aught to be a friend. I thought her to be a fine woman by her talk, fair proposals and fair promises, joined and confirmed the bargain but soon found a hornet in room of innocent bee, trudged a slow pace, her setting up untill 9 o’clock short nights in the month of June nitting cotton stockings for her girls that she scattered, about Wilmot and elsewhere, and sleeping untill about 9 o’clock Every morning till my two poor motherless girls would milk put it away and get break, then the lady would get up sweep her parlour wash her fine hands with fine scented soap fine towell, then get breakfast in the nicest manner for her self and for her dear pet, Next set in her room about two weeks afor every Wilmot & Ayelsford voyage preparing her dress to see her friends Meet Gallants and look for third husband fool or Cuckold as she is very capable of meaking me, Did not bring a cow did not milk a cow did not churn one pound of butter, but when the poor husband so called is back was turned, off to the Indians with the little butter the two girls Milked Churned & put up, trotted off with it like a leam duck to buy Combs & fine things for her Girls that she scattered abroad, when I found fault in a mild manner with her Extravagant Mode or way of living in using butter milk & Meat to Excess she told me that four cows was little Enough to give a small family butter and milk Enough, I told her that I informed her of my Circumstance at our Coming to gether and at our first acquaintance and she told me that she would use all the Prudence that she was Capeable of and that she had Every Reason and Confidence that She would Retrieve with her Industry & Prudence together with her £12 per year dower & Considerable furniture that she would bring & discharge in a reasonable time what debts We owed in lieu thereof my girls spinning scrubbing and at all other heavy & Dirty work, her Pet Running true the fields picking strawberry Run in the Milk Room skim all the Morning Cream & devour it all day so that one of my Girls had often to lock the Door to keep her out.

Saint John, N.B. June 28th, 1826
Lucy,
I take this favourable opportunity of letting you know that I have not only arriv’d safe in Saint John but also enjoys health & pleasure after all the dangerous attempts you made to distroy both myself & property but after all enough remains still in my possession to make me Comfortable with a handsome middleaged woman who keeps me clean & neat. Your silk cloak & spencer I have got here but intends giving them to you with many other Articles of realize. I would at all times wish to see you and Should afford you every Consolation were it not for the ill tratement I receiv’d from you & your daughter many times depriving me of the small realize of one Cup of tea or milk with my breakfast and was often oblig’d to take water which was a grievous thing to a man of my age after so many years toil and labour, putting a Comfortable Property together and then for it to be distroy’d by a person who I took to be a wife for to take care of it for her self and family. However I could at the present time Collect as much as would settle me and you for life happy Strong and fat in spirit and fun.
Denis McGraah S.P.

On the 8th of June I had the same pleasure is had the 3 night the fire was in St. John. You know what I mean.
Denis McGraah

Mr. Croneen You (-------) what you & I was talking about. The Person is all willing provide for me come over (Read it for her if you please) Denis McGraah. Mr. Cronin, be so good as to let me know as soon as possible how you and family is. Be also kind enough to read this letter for Mr. Merritt and family before Lucy gets it.
D. McG.

Estate of Mary Croscup - 1828

2011-03-01T21:56:00.010-04:00

The Cronin Fonds held by the Annapolis Heritage Society's Cronin provides great deal of information about the lives of people living on the Granville side of the Annapolis Basin in the years around the turn of the 19th century. The documents include letters, journals, business transactions, legal papers and many other types of historically interesting material. Taken as a whole we can see the ongoing interactions of people living in a small community.

This transcription of the Estate of Mary Croscup is an excellent example of the historical value of documents within this collection. Mary Croscup, wife of Ludwig Croscup, died on the 15th of April 1828. As is common, her possessions were listed at the time of her death. This gives us an intimate portrait of exactly what the worldly possessions were for this member of the Lower Granville community.

As is my normal practice, I have kept the original spelling in the transcription. Interestingly, the word apparel is spelled incorrectly twice with two different spellings. Since the formatting of this blog does not seem to like columns, I have inserted a dash in each line between the items and their price. The price is registered in pounds sterling.

The photograph in today's post is in no way associated with Mary Croscup. At best this is a typical view of a schooner in the Annapolis Basin that would have been familiar to Mary. This image was taken by Annapolis Royal photographer Frederick Harris some time around 1900.

All for now,
RGS

Back
Inventory of the Moveable estate of the late Mary Croscup
Monday Jan.y 19th 1829 Devided the within articles

Front
Inventory of the Movable Estate of the Late Mary Croscup Widow of the Late Lodawick Croscup Deceased. Taken by the under named Subscribers Granville 15th Ap.l 1828
Due on a note of hand against Major Gesner - 14 “ 6½
W Dillons do, on Demand dated 14th May 1829 - 2 5 “
3 Quilts 20/s 2 old small blankets 2/6 s - 1 2 6
2 beds a bolster and 2 pillows 45 / ~s - 2 5 “
4 old sheets 10/ 2 old chests at 7/6s - 1 5 “
1 chest drawers 35/s 1 old bedstead 5 /s - 2 “ “
1 bedstead 9/s 1 copper teakettle 3/s - “ 12 “
1 iron do. 3/s 2 brass candle sticks 3/9s - “ 6 9
1 small bed and old curtains 20/s - 1 “ “
1 iron pot 2/6s 4 pewter dishes 10/s - “ 12 6
6 do. Plates 7/6 11 earthen do. 1/10s - “ 9 4
1 chair 1/ 1 sheep 10/~s - “ 11 “
6 silver teaspoons 12/6~s - “ 12 6
The following articles at Mr John Quereaus
1 little wheel 10/ 1 table 7/6 ditto 2/6 - 1 “ “
3 Chair 3/ 1 Small dish kettle - “ 5 “
1 pair andirons 7/6 1 shawl 2/6 - “ 5 “
Wearing aparrel to ? Quareau & Lambertson - 3 “ “
31 19 1½
Deduct for the wearing apperal £3 “ “ & W.J. Dillons note - 5 5 ~
£26 12 1½
Two sheep at Mr John Croscups - “ 19 ~

Late Victorian Men - Part 3

2011-02-28T21:21:00.012-04:00

Last spring I wrote a short series of posts featuring portrait photographs from the late Victorian period. Since it has been a while since I visited this topic I figured that this cold and rainy night would be good time to dip into the big bag of Victorian portraits. To quell the obvious alarm rising in the minds of my archival brethren, let me assure you that this is a metaphorical bag of portraits. All of these portraits come from the Annapolis Heritage Society archival collection.

I quite honestly enjoy these images. The faces are familiar yet the clothing and hair styles are wildly different from what you would expect to see on the streets of Annapolis Royal today. Admittedly, I would be thrilled to see an impressive set of mutton chops walk through the door at the O'Dell House Museum but, I am not expecting it any time soon. Nevertheless, there is an appealing dignity in these images.

All for now,
RGS

Not Quite the Image of the Day - Part 2

2011-02-27T21:38:00.019-04:00

If for no other reason Project 365 has been useful in forcing me to get my camera out to take some pictures on days I may have easily decided to leave it in the bag. In some ways I find that I pay more attention to the scenery around me when I know that, at some point in the day, I need to snap a few pictures. I have found myself scouting out potential locations and mentally filing them for a time when a photograph does not naturally present itself. By the end of the year I may need to call upon these locations. From a perspective of documenting the ongoing activities of Annapolis Royal the more pictures and locations the better.

I have equally found myself amassing a collection of images which have not been used as the 365 image of the day. Thankfully there is a blog to soak up some of these excess pictures. These are not necessarily bad pictures but, for one reason or another, were not selected for their particular day. In some cases I have actually liked one of the culled images more than the selected image but, the actual 365 image may have been more representative of what was happening in the Annapolis Royal area on that day. In other cases I may have used a similar photograph in the official list already. The collection of images in this post were taken during the month of February.

All for now,
RGS

Historic Gardens are Number 1

2011-02-23T22:17:00.008-04:00

There are a couple of reasons for today's post. Primarily this is a way to say congratulations to our friends at the Historic Gardens who are rated as Nova Scotia's top destination on the travel website TripAdvisor. The secondary reason is that I appreciate the excuse to post images of flowers in the middle of February. This splash of colour seems very cheerful while we are still in the grip of winter.

I have said on many occasions that those of us who live in the Annapolis Royal area are incredibly lucky to have a facility like the Historic Gardens. There are very few places where you can leisurely wander through beauty and history as you can at the Gardens. This is indeed a world class facility nestled in our little town. Congratulations to the staff, board and volunteers of the Historic Gardens for this much deserved recognition.

All for now,
RGS

Heritage Days 2011 - Monday

2011-02-21T20:38:00.013-04:00

Today was the final day of our Heritage Days 2011 festivities. We ended up back where we began on Friday night with a presentation on archaeology at St Luke's Church Hall. This time Rebecca Duggan, an Archaeologist for Parks Canada was discussing the archaeology of Fort Anne. This was a very interesting presentation (complete with a number of 17th and 18th century maps of Port Royal / Annapolis Royal I had not previously seen).

I was also interested to see the box of archaeological artifacts that she had brought with her. I am very happy whenever someone comes bearing a box full of Annapolis Royal artifacts. The box contained objects ranging from pre-contact Mi'Kmaq ceramics and clay pipes to a metal lock and a wonderful 18th century wine bottle. I always find it exciting to see artifacts that were used in our community hundreds of years ago. From the way people in the audience rushed to the display table at the end of the proceedings, I guess that I am not the only one.

All for now,
RGS