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American History: Webster’s Dictionary
Noah Webster was not only a signer to the Constitution and a plain old wordsmith, he went far beyond and wrote the American dictionary. From what I have read it was clear to Webster it needed to be done to provide a basis for a common language for Americans to make English easier to read and write. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1758, it was Webster’s two-volume American Dictionary of the English Language that truly earned him his place in linguistic history and the reputation as the leading linguist of American English. Webster mastered twenty-six languages including Old English, Greek, and Hebrew. He finished the dictionary while working in Paris at the University of Cambridge. The book was over seventy thousand words, thousands of which were all new words.
It took 28 years for Webster to write it. By this time he was 70 years old. The colonies contained a multitude of languages. He wanted his work to make American English pronunciations and spelling to be solely the American way; dropping the British form. Webster added words unique to the colonies, many taken from the continent’s Native Americans. He added new words that were not in other dictionaries making the language unique. Some of them include Constitution, Federal and patriot.
Both Benjamin Franklin and Webster thought to make life easier in the new colonies. They knew how hard it was to spell words in English, sounds didn’t match letters for one thing and that the problem was an inconvenient English alphabet. He wanted to do this so “all persons of every rank, would speak with some degree of precision and uniformity, putting everyone on the same footing.” – Noah Webster.
Franklin did work to improve the American English language in his own way. In 1736 at age 30, he wrote a somewhat saucy reference work published titled, The Drinkers Dictionary, a list of 228 common terms for being drunk. In the end it would be Webster who was willing the complete the work on a dictionary.
Franklin would work on many other endeavors as we all have learned while Webster lovingly persevered to improve communication for the new country that would bare fruit. He would also organize the Pennsylvania militia, raised the funds to build a city hospital and plan to pave and light city streets, create the Franklin stove, and bifocals, he negotiated the 1783 Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War… and well, you know, I could go on and on about Franklin. But I won’t.
Webster did correspond with the likes of Franklin, and many others, even Washington on the topic of language. Webster, like many of the men who signed the Constitution, was extremely busy. He created his own version of an American Bible. He also worked for copyright laws, on a strong federal government, universal education, and the abolition of slavery along with the likes of Franklin and Hamilton and he helped found the Connecticut Society for the Abolition of Slavery in 1791.
Part of Webster success was due to his willing to change something when he believed it needed improvement. So in 1828, living in an apartment in Paris Webster’s Dictionary was published in North America. He had to mortgage his house to do it. Needless to say it became very influential. Webster’s legacy has continued to impact us in ways most of us would not even consider.
I’ve heard people say Webster was commissioned to write his dictionary by Benjamin Franklin. And though he was recruited 1793 by Alexander Hamilton to become an editor for a Federalist Party newspaper, I could not find history to back up that claim of a recruitment about the dictionary. When reading about Webster’s life you would have to think Noah Webster made that trip by himself.
You can read more at these links:
languagemuseum.org/noah-webster-an-american-dictionary-for-an-american-english/
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webster’s_Dictionary
https://www.merriam-webster.com/about-us/americas-first-dictionary
Franklin’s The Drinkers Dictionary:
http://www.drinkingcup.net/1737-benjamin-franklin-publishes-228-terms-for-being-drunk/
Stories From The Genealogist: Why
I’m a detective. I’m a history buff. Searching in the past requires detection skills like rooting out and sometimes solving problems. These skills I have always been good at. And I love it so much so that my main source of entertainment is mystery shows and books. I’m in tune with the amateur detectives and can ferret out a bad guy before the show is over. (Though I admit I’m not always right.)
As for searching out my family history many might ask, why would anyone want to search the past; those people we came from?
I recently found a World War I draft card for my great grandfather showing me what he looked like. He was stoutly built, with black hair and had gray eyes. And on a passenger ship from Italy that my husband’s great grandfather was dark skinned, brown eyes, and 5 feet tall.
I started searching out my family when a friend ask me to accompany her to the New Jersey Archives in Trenton, New Jersey where she was going to continue her own family tree. Her mother had started their family history before her death and my friend decide to go on with it. I helped her with her until we came to a loll in the subjects we could root around in. We where were I myself could already in the place where my family history would be found since I come from Paterson, New Jersey, and the Archive in Trenton housed some much of the states history I was in the right place to start my family tree. I always loved research. Early on in school I found that to understand a subject I have to know much more than the basics to grasp any topic. I had to ‘see’ the subject to understand it. Though dyslexia wasn’t known at the time, I believe that was my problem and a major part of how I came to be such a good researcher. So I began ferreting around in the archive to see what I could find about my family. Which started my journey into genealogy.
You can find the exact place where your family lived and what their time period was like. How they traveled. What they wore. What type of jobs they had to work. What it took to keep the family going. Did they own their house and property. Or did they rent. What size house they lived in might be found when you see they amount their property was worth which can be found on some USA government census and how many people were in the family. See how much money they made. Census were taken, depending on where you are in the country, every 5 to 10 years through the 1800s. Many countries over the last few centuries have also kept records.
With each new invention you could almost see the improvements to their lives and bring them closer and closer to us here in the present. The past is a look into how we got here. You can by searching find out the things that have happened to your ancestors. Some good, some really bad.
Research puts you in their world.
If you are lucky there are photos and documents to be found from other individuals and their family trees who might be related to you whether closely or distantly on the many genealogy sites out there on the internet, both paid and free. Schools, churches, local governments and family history books can be accessed in the areas your ancestors lived.
The one thing you must know right up front you have to look through the records yourself. This will be a must to insure you are finding your real ancestors. People do not always do research correctly. So copying from other trees and the hints from genealogy sites is not enough. You need to find and read documents yourself to verify a relationship to you.
If any of this appeals to you below are a few sites I like that you can get started.
Paid sites to start a personal family tree:
Free sites for searching and collaborative trees (meaning, anyone can change your information):
Some of many FREE SITES For Research:
https://books.google.com/ Find books and look inside them and copy and paste information you find.
www.findagrave.com Find your ancestors graves and more. Though sometimes some info is wrong there can be names and dates of their family members you didn’t know about.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/
http://www.searchforancestors.com/
Free sites to search and videos for important information (I don’t have a subscription to any of these youtube sites):
https://www.youtube.com/@GenealogyTV
https://www.youtube.com/@GenealogyGems
A Mystery to me.
I have for years been trying to decipher the signatures on two documents for the maiden name of an ancestor, Sarah Ann Day. Sarah’s last name appears on two of her sons’ marriage records though not recognizable to me at first. I couldn’t come up what the exact name for her. Was it an S like Sutsil on her son John’s marriage record? (right below). I had tried all of these: Suchel, Suchal, Sushel, Sichel or even Gutsil, Gushel and a few more. GASKILL was my last search once I analyzed the G in George, G was it.
This images is on Sarah’s son IRA’s marriage record. (Both documents seem to be filled out by the same person back in the 1880s.)
With DNA, I was able to make a solid connections with people with the name Gaskill as well as some of my other ancestors in their trees, my search was over! ~JAN
Rev. Hiram Fuller Day
Hiram Fuller DAY:
Reverend Hiram Fuller Day
Birth: 17 May 1858 - Wesley, Washington Co., Maine
Death: 18 December 1901 - Yarmouth, Cumberland, Maine
Mother: Joanna Anderson Stinchfield
Father: Elias Foster Day
Born in Wesley, Washington Co., Maine on 17 May 1858 to Elias Foster Day and Joanna Anderson Stinchfield. Hiram Fuller Day married Mary Jane McRAE and had 2 children. He passed away on 18 December 1901inYarmouth, Cumberland, Maine.
Day Genealogy. He is referenced in connection with a specific book: The Day genealogy; a record of the descendants of Jacob Day and an incomplete record of Anthony Day. The book was published by the Genealogical Committee of the Day Association in 1916.
Original book: https://archive.org/details/daygenealogyreco00daya/page/n5/mode/2up?q=Hiram
About The Day genealogy
Primary focus: The book primarily focuses on the descendants of Jacob Day and also contains an incomplete record of Anthony Day, who arrived in America in 1635.
Publication: Originally published in 1916, it was a work of the Genealogical Committee of the Day Association.
Availability: Multiple reprints and editions of this public-domain book are available from various publishers [1.g.1].
Woman stood guard with Garden Hose as she refuses to allow painters to work!
My great-uncle, Halstead J. Day and two others were caught in a battle with Mrs. Whitford over painting of her neighbor's house.
A garden hose was her weapon!
Ads from PATERSON Daily Press, Paterson, NJ 1903
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| COAL, delivered CLEAN! Lowest price of the year! ~ |
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| $4.00 a PAIR and guaranteed for 1 YEAR! Don't forget to pick up a garden hose! Just 3 cents per foot! |
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| Get a new automobile for just $650! |
A heartfelt words of sympathy from George Washington to Mrs. Stephen Day
From A Brief history of Chatham Morris County, New Jersey by Charles A. Philhower - pg. 21.
After the battle of Springfield, General Washington on his return to Morristown sent word ahead to Mrs. Stephen Day (2nd wife of Captain Stephen DAY) that he would stop off to see her on his way through Chatham. Accordingly, Mrs. Day dressed herself in a fine black silk gown with a large white scarf about her neck and awaited the coming of her distinguished visitor. A small mahogany table
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| (Not the Caldwell attack.) Battle of Long Island, an 1858 painting by Alonzo Chappel |
was placed on the lawn in front of the house, and a pleasing repast was prepared for the General. The call was made and heartfelt words of sympathy were extended to Mrs. Day in behalf of the horrible murder of her sister Hannah (Ogden) Caldwell at Connecticut Farms. Much appreciation was shown by the General for her hospitality and often afterword's it is said the Washington called at the Day Mansion. Captain Stephen Day, the husband of Mrs. Jeremiah Ogden Day was on of the staunchest patriots. He was justice of the peace under both the British and Continental rule, served in the army, and was on of the first to aid the Continentals when requisitions for supplies were made. It is said the he gave a whole beef when the first call was issued.
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| Historic Stephen Day House c. 1936 |
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Captain Stephen Day was my 5th Great-uncle. -Jan
Born about in Newark, Essex, New Jersey
Son of Joseph Day and Hannah Sargeant Day. Stephen Day commanded a company under Colonel Ford, Eastern Battalion, Morris County, New Jersey Militia, at the Battle of Springfield, Union Co., New Jersey, June 23, 1780. This was one of the last major engagement of the Revolutionary War in the North and it effectively put an end to the British "ambitions" in New Jersey. General Washington praised the New Jersey Militia in this battle, writing later, "They flew to arms universally and acted with a spirit equal to anything I have seen in the course of the war."
Hannah (Ogden) Caldwell. Hannah, wife of Rev. James CALDWELL & daughter of John OGDEN of Newark, was killed at Connecticut Farms by a shot from a British soldier, 25 Jun 1780.
Recognized by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) as a female patriot.
htps://www.americanrevolution.org/hannah-caldwell-biography/
Grave Inscription
"was killed at Connecticut Farms by a shot from a British Soldier. Cruelly sacrificed by the enemies of her husband and her country"
Historic Stephen Day House image:This image or media file contains material based on a work of a National Park Service employee, created as part of that person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, such work is in the public domain in the United States. See the NPS website and NPS copyright policy for more information.
Pvt John Craig, who died in World War 1.
Pvt John Craig, who died in World War 1.
John Craig was my 1st cousin twice removed sharing with him grandparents John Craig b. 1834 and Mary McQuillan b.1835. John was born on 26 Apr 1892 in Belfast, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland.
He was a Private in WW1 and died in battle of Flanders Belgium on 31 Mar 1917, age 25 and buried in Aix-Noulette Communal Cemetery Extension Aix-Noulette , Departement du Pas-de-Calais , Nord-Pas-de-Calais , France. He was in D Company, 2nd Battalion, Leinster Regiment. And the son of Patrick and Agnes Craig, of 22 Lady St., Cullingtree Rd., Belfast.
His father and mother received pension after his death. They are listed on the pension.
Family relationships
Family relationships
First-degree family links are those between parents and children.
Second-degree links include brothers and sisters, and grandchildren and grandparents.
At the third degree, there are great-grandparents, uncles and aunts, and nieces and nephews.
At the fourth degree, we find a person’s first cousins.
MORE in the diagram.
In short, the degree of kinship represents the number of intermediaries between two people, going back to the common ancestor, then returning to them.
A Prescription from Winston Churchill’s Doctor, 1932.
A Prescription from Winston Churchill’s Doctor, 1932.
How Poor was Poor.
How Poor was Poor.
There were times in history when urine was used to tan animal skins. AND, when a whole family would pee in one pot and the contents sold to a local Tannery.
These were poor families. Once a day they would take the pot and sell the urine to live on the money.
These people were said to be, “piss poor.” And worse than that, there were families that could not afford a pot, there for “didn’t have a pot to piss in”.
History from McGee Equine & Livestock Farrier Service, Rescue, and Rehabilitation
History from McGee Equine & Livestock Farrier Service, Rescue, and Rehabilitation
Found at: Mc Gee Equine & Livestock Farrier Service, Rescue, and Rehabilitation – The Horse Manure Problem of 1894
The 15 to 30 pounds of manure produced daily by each beast multiplied by the 150,000+ horses in New York city resulted in more than three million pounds of horse manure per day that somehow needed to be disposed of. That’s not to mention the daily 40,000 gallons of horse urine. Read the rest and check out their posts. https://www.facebook.com/McGeeEquineLivestockFarrierServiceandrescuecenter
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MY books which I wrote and illustrated under J.D. Holiday.
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