Duchess Irish Domain

Bayfield, CO - With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, Who Was St. Patrick? We know that St. Patrick was the patron saint of Ireland and one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But his life remains somewhat of a mystery. They say that many of the stories traditionally associated with St. patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false. These stories are products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling.

St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala.) During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)

The First St. Patrick's Day Parade

The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland but in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers reconnect with their Irish roots, as well as fellow Irishmen serving in the English army.

Wearing Green Around the World

Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada and Australia. Although North America is home to the largest productions, St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in other locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore and Russia. Was the wearing of the Green because of the "Green Machine" as stated below?

Up until the mid-19th century, most Irish immigrants in America were members of the Protestant middle class. When the Great Potato Famine hit Ireland in 1845, close to a million poor and uneducated Irish Catholics began pouring into America to escape starvation. Despised for their religious beliefs and funny accents by the American Protestant majority, the immigrants had trouble finding even menial jobs. When Irish Americans in the country's cities took to the streets on St. Patrick's Day to celebrate their heritage, newspapers portrayed them in cartoons as drunk, violent monkeys.

However, the Irish soon began to realize that their great numbers endowed them with a political power that had yet to be exploited. They started to organize, and their voting block, known as the "Green Machine," became an important swing vote for political hopefuls. Suddenly, annual St. Patrick's Day parades became a show of strength for Irish Americans, as well as a must-attend event for a slew of political candidates. In 1948, President Truman attended New York City 's St. Patrick's Day parade, a proud moment for the many Irish whose ancestors had to fight stereotypes and racial prejudice to find acceptance in America.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, March 17th! View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

This Day In History (March 14)

America - On this day in history, March 14, 1900, Congress rectified the Gold Standard Act. President McKinley signed the Financial Bill using a new gold pen.

Washington, March 14 -- At fourteen minutes before 1 o'clock this afternoon the President affixed his signature to the Financial bill, thus making it a law of the land. Mr. Overstreet of Indiana, who had the bill in charge, arrived at the White House about five minutes before that time, and was shown into the Cabinet room, where he was joined by the President, who after inquiring if the bill had been compared with care affixed his signature to it.

At the same time he recalled to those who stood by the fact that many of the important financial bills which had been passed by Congress had been approved on the 14th of the month. He spoke of the Sherman act, the Resumption act, and now the bill which was before him. In signing the bill the President used a new gold pen and holder, which Mr. Overstreet had brought with him for the purpose.

On this day in history, March 14, 1879, Albert Einstein, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist and one of the great thinkers of the ages, was born. Following his death on April 18, 1955, his obituary appeared in The Times

Also On This Date, March 14:
1743 - The first recorded town meeting in America was held, at Faneuil Hall in Boston.

1794 - Eli Whitney received a patent for the cotton gin.

1883 - Political philosopher Karl Marx died at age 64.

1900 - Congress ratified the Gold Standard Act.

1939 - The Republic of Czechoslovakia was dissolved, opening the way for Nazi occupation.

1951 - United Nations forces recaptured Seoul during the Korean War. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

NW Okie's "The Good Old Days"

Bayfield, CO - [The image on the left is the CRAIG family Crest we found online while searching our CRAIG ancestors.]

While the temperatures in the SW Corner of Colorado, San Juan mountains have been in the the mid-fifties, we hear from Perry, Oklahoma and Roy that he has yell daffodil (Jonquils) in bloom and more of them about to be. Here isn Southwest Colorado we are slowly melting the snow on the mountains and the creeks, streams are running rapidly.

WOW! Where does the time go when you get hooked on genealogy research? It seems like one things leads to another and the hours only seem like minutes that pass by too quickly. I have been looking for some Irish ancestors since St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner. I think most of my Irish that I have found are only Scotch-Irish (the term of Scotch-Irish was invented in America).

For instance, the CRAIG ancestors on my paternal side of the family that married into the WARWICKs. Some of the CRAIGs were born in Ulster, Donegal, Ireland, BUT . . . their ancestors were from Scotland. I am still trying to verify some of these CRAIG's, and have listed the lineage that I have come up with so far.

* William Craig (1662 - 1744), 8th great grandfather
* William Alexander Craig (1685 - 1759), Son of William Craig
* Robert Thomas Craig (1712 - 1788), born in Ulster, * Donegal, Ireland, Son of William Alexander Craig
* Robert CRAIG (1741 - 1804), born in Augusta, Virginia, Son of Robert Thomas Craig
* Nancy Agnes CRAIG (1776 - ) born in Green Bank, Pocahontas county, Virginia, Daughter of Robert Craig
* Robert Craig WARWICK (1801 - 1845), Son of Nancy Agnes Craig
* William Fechtig WARWICK (1822 - 1902), Son of Robert Craig Warwick
* John Robert WARWICK (1857 - 1937), Son of William Fechtig Warwick
* Constance Estella WARWICK (1882 - 1968), Daughter of John Robert Warwick
* Gene M MCGILL (1914 - 1986), Son of Constance Estella Warwick
* Linda Kay MCGILL, daughter of Gene M McGill

The Surname CRAIG

The surname of CRAIG is a local name, meaning "at the craig" from residence thereby. Local names usually denoted where a man held his land and indicated where he actually lived. As the name appears in early Scots records in many parts of the country it must have originated from more than one locality.

The surname is very numerous in Counties Antrim, Derry and Tyrone. In the 15th century there were three families "of that Ilk." Johannes del Crag witnessed a charter by William the Lion. John of the Craig "with his band of 300" played a decisive part in the Battle of Culblean on 30th November 1335.

Over the centuries, most people in Europe have accepted their surname as a fact of life, as irrevocable as an act of God, however much the individual may have liked or disliked the surname, they were stuck with it, and people rarely changed them by personal choice. A more common form of variation was in fact involuntary, when an official change was made, in other words, a clerical error. Among the humbler classes of European society, and especially among illiterate people, individuals were willing to accept the mistakes of officials, clerks and priests as officially bestowing a new version of their surname, just as they had meekly accepted the surname they had been born with.

In North America, the linguistic problems confronting immigration officials at Ellis Island in the 19th century were legendary as a prolific source of Anglicization.

A notable member of the name was John Craig (1512-1600) the Scottish reformer. He lost his father at Flodden in 1514. He was educated at St. Andrews, he joined the Dominicans there but fell under the suspician of heresy, and after a brief imprisonment in 1536, he went to Rome. He gained admission to the Dominican convent at Bologna.

Sir Thomas Craig of Riccarton born in 1538, was the Scottish writer of feudal law. In 1573 he was appointed justice-depute of Scotland and in 1573 of Edinburgh. The arms for Craig were registered in Riccarton, Scotland 1818. The associated arms are to be found in Sir Bernard Burkes General Armory 1884. Ulster King of Arms 1884.

Good Night, and Good Luck hunting your Scotch and Irish ancestors! View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Ah! Those Were the Days

Alva, Oklahoma - Feature #5943 -- Ah! Those were the day's my dear mother Ruby Barker Riggins saved that issue for her son who went south. I discovered it years later. That's my graduating class and Lee and E. J. were dear friends of mine, since departed. I was a classmate of Lee's from the first grade at Washington Elementary School. ~Bill Barker

Feature #5943 -- "Since my older brother was in that class, I remember these two very well. I also remember the good old days on the square, including Blakemore's and the B&B Bar and Grill (there was a bar in the back half of the building). Chris and Loren Brehmer (father and son) purchased the B&B later. We sometimes had fish fries there when we could get the cooks to deep-fry our catch and serve it with french fries. I also remember when Safeway was in the east block on the north side of the square.Ahhhh . . . , the memories, memories. The downtown was alive then." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

In Memory of Dixon Palmer

Anadarko, Oklahoma - Dale Talkington sent us this obituary of Dixon Palmer last week. You can read more of the Obituary at NewsOK.

ANADARKO [The Daily Oklahoman, March 4, 2011] - Dixon Palmer, an artist, dancer and tepee maker, died Thursday, Kiowa Black Leggings Society spokesman Patrick Redbird said. Palmer, 90, died in Anadarko. He was known for making replicas of historical tepees, and his work was featured at the Southern Plains Indian Museum in Anadarko.

In a 2003 interview, Palmer said he had made nearly 300 tepees during his life. His work was inspired by family. Dixon Palmer was self-taught in the art of tepee making.

Redbird said Palmer was a leader of the Black Leggings Warrior Society. Palmer also appeared at events across the state, including a 2002 graduation ceremony at the University of Oklahoma.

Palmer made a tepee that was exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution. His tepees also were housed at museums in Indiana and Minnesota and at the University of Miami. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Scotch_Irish Ancestors

Alva, Oklahoma - Feature #5949 -- Maxine Tomlin Lansdown comments, "You ask if anyone had Scotch-Irish in their ancestral family. My great Grandmother came to America from Aberdeen, Scotland at the age of 14. I figured she came in about 1861. It was told to me that she was an orphan and she came to American with her Uncle's family. They settled in Nebraska." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Wolco, OK

Kemper Military, Missouri - Feature #4782 -- Nadine Waltman Harmon says, "James (Jimmie or Jimmy) Berry Oakley, class of 1939 at Kemper was my neighbor in Wolco, Oklahoma. His younger brother William (Billy) was my classmate. His father and my father were Superintendents of the WOLCO (Wolverine) Oil co. which later became part of SHELL. I have written considerably about Wolco. Glad to see you are interested." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Discover People & Places of Your Irish Ancestors

America - Do you want or have the desire to discover the people and the places your Irish ancestors called home? Do you have an Ancestry.com account or want to start one?

Ancestry.com website says, "Search the definite online collection of 19th century Irish records. Some of the most important surviving 19th century Irish collections, which include comprehensive records covering the critical periods prior to and following the Irsh Potato Famine, have just been added to or enhanced at Ancestry.com.

You can start searching the definitive online collection of historical Irish records by clicking this LINK.

IMPROVED - Griffith's Valuation, 1848-1864 - Over a million new records double the size of this collection, and new images make it an even more valuable genealogical resource. Start here, then follow the links to see related maps and photographs.

IMPROVED - Tithe Applotment Books, 1823-1837 - A new addition, this collection gives you detailed maps of the townland or parish where your ancestor lived.

NEW _ Ordnance Survey Maps, 1824-1846 -- This collection has been updated to include the whole of Ireland, offering a census substitute of pre-famine life.

NEW - Lawrence Collection of Photographs, 1870-1910 - With over 40,000 images, this new collection can show you the land and the lifestyle of the Emerald Isle. You can search ALL Irish collections at this LINK. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

30,000 Names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French & Other Immigrants In Pennsylvania

America - This Collection of 30,000 Names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French & Other Immigrants In Pennsylvania, by Prof. I. Daniel Rupp, author of several historical works, is a statement of the names of ships, whence they sailed and the date of their arrival at Philadelphia. It is chronologically arranged, together with the necessary Historical and other notes. You can view the appendix containing lists of more than one thousand German and French names in New York prior to 1712. Parts are in German, but there is also a translation into English for those who do not read German.

On page 47, it begins with "Names of German, Swiss and other Immigrants" and states, "At a meeting of the Board of the Provincial Council, held at the Court House in Philadelphia, Sept. 21, 1727, one hundred and nine Palatines appeared, who, with their families, numbered about four hundred persons. These were imported into the Province in the ship William and Sarah, William Hill, Master, from Rotterdam, last from Dover, England, as by clearance from the officers of His Majesty's customs there. The said Master being asked if he had any license from the Court of Great Britain for transporting those people, and what their intentions were in coming hither, said that he had no license or allowance for their transportation other than the above clearance, and that he believed they designed to settle in this Province. -- Co. Rec. III. 283."

Immigrants were usually qualified at the Court House, occasionally elsewhere. October 15, 1766, at the dwelling house of John Lawrence, Mayor of Philadelphia. January 13, 1767, and October 6, 1767, at the Office of Thomas Willing, Esp. December 8, 1773, at the house of Peter Miller, Esq., in Philadelphia.

All male persons above the age of 16 years repeated and subscribed their names, or made their mark, to the following Declaration:

"We subscribers, natives and late inhabitants of the Palatinate upon the Rhine and places adjacent, having transported ourselves and families into this Province of Pennsylvania, a colony subject to the crown of Great Britain, in hopes and expectation of finding a retreat and peaceable settlement therein, Do solemnly promise and engage, that we will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His present Majesty, King George the Second, and His successors, kings of Great Britain, and will be faithful to the proprietor of this Province; and that we will demean ourselves peaceably to all His said Majesty's subjects, and strictly observe and conform to the Laws of England and of this Province, to the utmost of our power and the best of our understanding." What follows in the next pages are lists of the German and Swiss immigrants.

On page 420, there is an Addenda A that reads, "The Schwenckfelders are called after Caspar Schwenckfeld von Ossing, a Silesian Knight, and counselor to the Duke of Liegnitz, Prussia. Schwenckfeld was a contemporary with Luther, Zwingli and other Reformers, and had his adherents, who were tolerated by the German Emperors, in the arch-dukedom of Silesia, especially in the principalities of Taur and Liegnitz, for nearly two hundred years. They, like many others, had to endure persecutions in 1590, 1650, 1725, when they were compelled to seek shelter in Upper Lusatia, Saxony, under the protection of the Senate of Gorlitz, and also of Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf, who had them under his protection about eight years, when they resolved to emigrate and seek a home in Georgia; but on arriving in Holland they were persuaded to go to Pennsylvania. Some came over in 1733, but the greater part in 1734." (See pp. 90, 94, 95, 96).

On page 429, it gives names of first settlers at Germantown and vicinity, from 1683to 1710. Names having an asterisk(*) attached were naturalized by an Act of assembly, 1708-1709.

Francis Daniel Pastorius*, Isaac Dilbeck*, Jacob Schumacher, Tunes Kunders*, Georg Wertmuller, Arents Klincken. There is more lists of of Germantown settlers on page 430 of this same book.

On page 479 of this online ebook, there is an "Interprettion of Baptismal Names" occurring in the "Collection of Thrity Thousnad Names." Check out the link above to see if your ancestor is listed. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Fort Sill Indian Agency Cemetery

Fort Sill, Oklahoma - Dale Talkington sent us this link to Rosemarie and Wahnne Clark's website that they setup to restore and preserve an old Indian burial site at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The Clarks would like to have your reaction and comments about their labor of love. The Indian Agency Cemetery began on a grassy knoll midway between the original Fort Sill Military Reservation and the nearby Kiowa-Comanche Indian Agency as early as 1870. It is located on Fort Sill's Henry Post Army Airfield. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

The Scotch-Irish: The Thirteenth Tribe

Scotch-Irish - The term Scotch-Irish in Britain is virtually unknown. Only the Protestant communities of Northern Ireland would generally recognize what is meant, though few would accept the designation for themselves, preferring to be described as British or Ulstermen. It was in NOrth America, where the term was invented, that one would be likely to encounter an immediate recognition. many of the descendants of the original Scots-Irish settlers would happily wear kilts and tartan on commemorative days, though this would have been a shock to their ancestors, who took particular trouble to distance themselves from all things Celtic and Gaelic. In 1603, the same month that James VI of Scotland began james I of England and Ireland, the earls of Tyrone and Tyrconnell, chiefs of the O'Neills and the O'Donnells, the leading families of the ancient province of Ulster, surrender to the English.

The Nine Years War, the latest in a long line of struggles to arrest the steady expansion of English power in Ireland. It was in Ulster that Celtic Ireland had made its last stand against a foreign invader, all the more unwelcome because he now came garbed in a cloak of militant Protestantism, a direct challenge to an ancient Catholic tradition. It was a bitter struggle, and Ulster had been devastated.

The Ulster Presbyterians had endured-and survived-past waves of religious discrimination, and would most likely have continued to thrive in the face of official hostility.

For more reading on The Scotch-Irish: The Thirteenth Tribe use the link. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe