New Hampshire Tidbits: More Ghostly and Mystical Halloween Traditions

Posted on 30 October, 2020 by Janice Brown

George Arents Collection, The New York Public Library. “The ghostly gathering.” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47da-9838-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

“The following extract from an English book of antiquities and popular customs, gives a very interesting account of the ancient manner of celebrating the day or rather night. The celebration of the day has somewhat died out but there are doubtless many in Nashua who will tonight, in some small way, take note of the fact that it is Halloween.

There is perhaps no night in the year which the popular imagination has stamped with a more peculiar character than the evening of the 31st of October, known as All Hallow’s Eve, or Hallowe’en. It is clearly a relic of pagan times for there is nothing in the church observance of the Day of All Saints to have originated such extraordinary notions as are connected with this celebrated festival, or such remarkable practices as those by which it is distinguished. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire Glossary: Pounce

Posted on 28 October, 2020 by Janice Brown

Photograph of a Pounce Box, circa 1789-1793, used by Paine Wingage (1739-1838) of Stratham NH. Gift of Dana Wingate Baker. New Hampshire Historical Society Online Catalog. Used with Permission.

“Wafers stain’d with motley hue,
Ye low, black, white, red, and blue;
Wax that holds the strongest paper,
Wax to burn in rolls or taper;
Folding knives to fit your hand,
Rulers, pounce and shining sand…” Excerpt of advertisement poem from New-Hampshire Spy newspaper, 17 June 1788, Portsmouth NH, page 64.

I was recently browsing the New Hampshire Historical Society’s Collection Catalog (online) when I came across an interesting photograph of an artifact– a “Pounce Box.” It was a surprising find for me, in that I had no idea of what it was, or how it was used. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire Tidbits: The First Settlers of Concord

Posted on 23 October, 2020 by Janice Brown

Old print of Concord from Adventures of America, Internet Archive.

Originally this story was part of one entitled: “Concord New Hampshire: A Year of Celebration in 2015.” Upon review 5 years later, and hearing many message board comments promoting fake news, I’ve decided that this topic should have its own headline.

History is a mix of real events, personal opinion and mixed messages. We’ve all heard that quote that history is written by the victors. In actuality it goes much further than that. Somehow we think that it is only recently that fake news has appeared, and it was all perfect before now. How wrong could we be?  People talk about revisionist history as if it is a terrible thing–it is not always bad to review what happened with an unprejudiced eye.

Continue reading →

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Surprising Discoveries with mtDNA

Posted on 19 October, 2020 by Janice Brown

Charles Manning, Mary Manning, Addie (Ryan) Manning circa 1936. (My grandparents, and mother).

If my mother was alive, she’d be 101 today. So it seemed the perfect time to write about her, and the DNA that she shared with me–haplogroup K1a4a1b,. I know she would be surprised with the findings of my matrilineal (female line) search. But why? Well, my mom was most proud of being three-quarters Irish rather than being one-quarter English. Continue reading →

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Newport New Hampshire’s Early Women Physicians: Freelove (Buell) Nettleton and Mabel (Nettleton) Buell

Posted on 11 October, 2020 by Janice Brown

Pen and ink sketch of colonial woman with candle, man bowing. Library of Congress.

It is not unusual in American history for the story of remarkable women to be overlooked.  Thankfully the book, ” History of Cheshire and Sullivan Counties, New Hampshire” included mention of two women healers of Newport New Hampshire.  If they had been born one hundred years earlier, perhaps they would have been accused of witchcraft, for medicine was deemed to be the domain of men.

Editor’s Note: Freelove (Buell) Nettleton [Mrs. Jeremiah] was the great-great-aunt of Sarah Josepha (Buell) Hale, the “Mother of Thanksgiving.” [See BUELL Genealogy and story of Sarah J. (Buell) Hale].

Continue reading →

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