Edmund Halley, the famous astronomer. also designed the world’s first diving bell

Although best known for his proof that comets follow regular orbits around the sun, Edmond Halley was also an inventor. Halley invented and tested one of the world’s first submersible.  In this diving bell as many as four men could descend beneath the surface of water and spend hours observing life on the bottom or …

Historical Tidbits — Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge

When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. February 27, 1776            Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge The royal governor of North Carolina, Josiah Martin, began to muster the Loyalist militia in order to suppress the unrest including …

The Regimental Brewmeister will be at Center City Philly as part of “Once Upon a Nation” run by Historic Philadelphia

I will be in Independence National Park all day on June 1st, 13th, 15th, 19th and 27th as part of the “Once upon a Nation” program run by Historic Philadelphia. I am portraying David Rittenhouse and will be happy to discuss Solar observations in the 18th Century, the US Mint, and any other revolutionary issues you …

Spy vs Spy: George Washington’s and King George’s Spies (#16)

“M” — John André In the James Bond films, the spymaster is never known by their name, only their codename. In 1777, Britain’s master spy was John André. John André was a British Major officer on the staff of General Henry Clinton (Commander in Chief of British Forces in North America).  In 1774, André was …

Historical Tidbits — The Revenue Act

When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. June 26, 1767 The Revenue Act — placed taxes on glass, lead, painters’ colors, and paper. It gave customs officials broad authority to enforce the taxes and punish smugglers …

Swearing and Profanity in 18th Century England

Well, sometimes you just have to let someone know what you think and polite words don’t work. We’ve all been at events when we wanted to let loose on one or more of the “brilliant” attendees who “know everything.” Well, its just a matter of speaking the right language (Ik mompel gewoon in het Nederlands …

The Regimental Brewmeister will be at Center City Philly as part of “Once Upon a Nation” run by Historic Philadelphia

I will be in Independence National Park all day on June 1st, 13th, 15th, 19th and 27th as part of the “Once upon a Nation” program run by Historic Philadelphia. I am portraying David Rittenhouse and will be happy to discuss Solar observations in the 18th Century, the US Mint, and any other revolutionary issues you …

Spy vs Spy: George Washington’s and King George’s Spies (#15)

The Spy who Loved Me… — Peggy Shippen Margaret “Peggy” Shippen was the second wife of American General Benedict Arnold and perhaps the highest-paid spy in the American Revolution.  The Shippen family was a prominent Philadelphia family with Loyalist tendencies.  During the British occupation of Philadelphia, Peggy Shippen was courted by British Head of Intelligence, …