We first met Andrew Ellicott in my earlier article on Benjamin Banneker. A commissioned officer in the Maryland militia, by the time Ellicott was given the job of surveying Washington DC, he was a highly accomplished surveyor having gained experience by working on the survey which extended the Mason-Dixon line westward to its originally intended terminus …
Author Archives: Michael Carver
Oh yeah, Metric Units Are Just Too Complicated
Lets just take a look at how simple the British Imperial System that everyone loves is: British Imperial and U.S. Customary systems of weights and measures Standard Measuresshort ton20 short hundredweight, or 2,000 poundslong ton20 long hundredweight, or 2,240 poundsshort hundredweight100 pounds, or 0.05 short tonlong hundredweight112 pounds, or 0.05 long tonpound16 ounces, or 7,000 …
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Ask your Tavernkeeper
Perhaps its just that sort of week for me but its definitely 5:00 HERE so here are some terms to take with you to your local watering hole to show you understand the drinking habits of we merry 18th Century barmen… Bene Bowse — good beer, or other strong liquor Bingo — brandy or other …
Spy vs Spy: George Washington’s and King George’s Spies (#12)
Tavernkeeper is the ideal cover — Jonas Hawkins and Austin Roe Jonas Hawkins ran a general store in Stony Brook New York. He and his wife made a number of trips into New York City to purchase dry goods and other items for their general store and this cover allowed him to gather information on …
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Historical Tidbits — THE QUEBEC 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 22, 1774 – THE QUEBEC ACT established the Royal Province of Quebec and expanded its territory into much of what is now southern Ontario, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, …
Weird Celtic Holidays? Maybe but Maybe not.
Summer (in the Northern Hemisphere, for those of you in the real south, this will be winter but the timing is the same) officially begins this year June 20, 2025 at 9:42 pm. This is when the when the sun is at its zenith along the northernmost path in the sky. Of course, it’s felt …
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Spy vs Spy: George Washington’s and King George’s Spies (#11)
Master Courier — Caleb Brewster Caleb Brewster was born in Setauket, New York and signed on to a whaling boat as a young man. A personal friend of Abraham Woodhull, he was an expert seaman and especially familiar with the many intricacies of the northern Long Island coastline, as well as the 18-mile stretch north …
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Dog Days of Summer
The first day of summer arrives with the solstice this year on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at 10:58 a.m. EDT. The summer solstice is the time at which the sun reaches its maximum declination. More practically for most of us, the summer solstice is the longest period of daylight in the year. The term “solstice” …
Beer is Good for You
Okay this is weird but as the Regimental Brewmeister I feel compelled to inform you that the Mayo Clinic has suggested (not proved but only suggested) that may be preventative for Alzheimer’s Disease. For those of you who may have forgotten (pun intended), Alzheimer’s often causes memory loss and personality changes. It generally afflicts the …
Spy vs Spy: George Washington’s and King George’s Spies (#10)
The Petticoat Code — Anna Strong Anna Smith Strong was Selah Strong III, a leading Patriot judge, and their family controlled one of Long Island’s manors. In 1778 her husband was arrested and confined on the British prison ship Jersey in New York harbor for “surreptitious correspondence with the enemy.” Although Anna’s wealthy Tory relatives …
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Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 