Oh the things you will find when researching your ancestory

If you are a poor writer like myself researching your ancestors takes quite a bit of searching, letter writing, begging and travel to uncover the vast mysteries that are your ancestory.

In another post I mentioned that my mother loaned me a notebook full of research about my ancestor John May.
This research was done by my mother's cousin.
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate her tireless effort to provide this information for all of her relatives.
You have to remember that she did this research before the internet.

I have uncovered many interesting things and people.
I have discovered for instance that one of my ancestors on the Ely side was Oliver Cromwell, the ironic thing about that was that his decendant married John May's son who was of Irish decent.

Also on the Long side the ancestor of interest is Martha Dandridge later to be Martha Washington.

These pieces of information gave me pause as I thought of the connections.
That was until I found where my Maryland and Georgia ancestors were slave owners.

When I found this information I could not believe it.
Tears came to my eyes and I felt sick to my stomach.
I found this information in a will and testament.
The language was deplorable and the promise to bequeth a human being as a gift to ones relative struck me as simply outrageous!

My whole life I have been a loving person who accepts all races and ethnicities and made my way through life believing that my ancestors never owned slaves.
That simply was not true.

I feel that everyone needs to know where they come from.
In saying that I know where I came from, but that does not change where I am going.

Holiday greetings from my big Irishish family

Today I pulled out all of my Christmas decorations and as I pulled out the old bulbs and bent Christmas cards from years gone by Icould not help but feel nostalgic.

The smallest box in the bunch is a box that holds the most precious of Christas decorations.
This box hold the Christmas decorations that my children made at school for the past twenty one years.

Every year I am amazed how the construction paper and glitter holds on to the glue as if saying," Because you keep us year after year we continue to shine and make you smile and cry. "
I look at the tiny ornament of Noah's ark with the tiny giraffe poking his head out.
I have had that ornament since my son who is now 21 was a baby.
I was working as a hairdresser and one of my customers gave it to my son for his first Christmas.
I can still see his little chubby fingers pointing at the ornament and the look of wonder that I never wanted to see leave his face.

I unpack the ornaments that my husbands son made in first grade.
His smiling face looking out from our tree.
I placed these ornaments on our first tree together before meeting him in person.

As I make this Christmas a traditonal one at my house I can't help but wonder how My ancestor John May and his family spent this blessed holiday.

Perhaps the beginning of the Christmas holiday would start with a ring of Holly placed on the front door.
This traditon originated in Ireland because of the availability of Holly in the area and this made it possible for the poor to adorn their door with holiday spirit.

Four weeks leading to Christmas (Advent)The annual event of cleaning house takes place which included white washing the outhouse.

On Christmas Eve it has been tradition in Ireland for centuries to place a lighted candle in the window of a house for many purposes, the most common through the ages is in a symbol for Joseph and Mary as they traveled looking for shelter.
During the times that Catholics were forbiden or even killed for practicing their faith a candle in the window indicated a safe place for a priest to perform mass.
Another element of the tradition is the youngest daughter named Mary extinguishes the flame on the candle.

Another Christmas Eve tradition is that of the Laden Table.
After the evening meal is cleared away before leaving for midnight mass the table is set again with a loaf of bread filled with caraway seeds and raisins, and a pitcher of milk.
The door to the house is left unlatched this night to invite Mary and Joseph or any guest or weary traveler.
A typical Irish Christmas table could be filled with a nice fat Goose, with plenty of Potato and apple dressing.
For dessert Plum pudding or sweet cake.

December 26, is St. Stephens day which is named for a christian martyr which would bring the leftovers from the Christmas meal and give to the poor.
Spiced beef is usually served on this day.
Another tradition evolves around the wren and the " Wren boy procession"
where families would dress in old clothes and blacken their faces.
They would go from house to house carrying a stick with a holly branch and a dead wren attached.
This tradition comes from a story from ancient times where the wren betrayed locals who were trying to ambush the soldiers coming to take their village.
The Christmas holiday does not end until January 6 which is also known as Epiphany or " Little Christmas" .
This is when all the decorations come down and not a minute before to avoid bad luck.
January 6 is the day that the wisemen came to stand near the crib of baby Jesus.,
" Little Christmas" is also known as Womens Christmas.
This is the day that the women have the day off from all the preparations and cooking.
The food that day consists mainly of baked goods such as scones, cream, Jam, gingerbread, iced sponge cakes and pots of Tea.

Among the many traditions that struck me the most was a favored Christmas song on everyone's lips this time of year.
" The twelve days of Christmas " Is said to of originated in Ireland when it was a crime to practice the Catholic faith in any fashion.
Music has always been an huge part of Irish/Gaelic life and it came naturally to create a song to teach young children "catechism".
The songs gifts are hidden meanings to the teaxching of faith,
The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God, The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person.
A Partridge in a pear tree= Jesus Christ, the son of God
Two Turtle doves= The old & new testaments
Three French Hens= Faith, Hope & Charity, the theological virtues
Four Calling Birds= The four gospels and or the four Evangelists
Five Golden Rings= The first five books of the Old Testaments
Six Geese a Laying= Six days of Creation
Seven Swans a swiming= The seven gifts of the holy spirit, the Seven sacraments
Eight maids a milking= The eight Beautudes
Nine Ladies dancing= The nine fruits of the Holy spirit
Ten Lords a leeping= The Ten Commandments
Eleven Pipers Piping= The eleven faithful disciples
Twelve drummers drumming= The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles creed.

In closing, I am proud of my Irish roots and treasure each of these traditions.

The seed is where the life begins

My husband and I recently experienced the birth of our first grandchild.
The event has been one of the most amazing things in the world.
I began to think about the people that came before her.
The seed that grew to be the person we now know.
Both parents have Irish lineage plus other ethnicities.
I took a small break after our son's baby was born.
I helped out in the way that grandmothers generations before me have done.
The little things a Grandmother can do to ease the panic that takes place with young people
and babies.
So now that the little seed is older and sleeping better Mommy is finding her way and needs the
Grandmother less and life begins.
So I am back at the helm and diving into my research for this book.
I have also been trying to wrap my mind around the process of the Flax Growing that produced the
beautiful linen and damask.
As I research this subject I have found that the whole thing was a grueling, back breaking
process in which the entire family had to be involved in some way.
I would imagine that this made the family close in some ways as I'm sure they worked close and
for long periods.
The flax seeds themselves were strange looking but oh so valuable to the Flax Farmer.
The beautiful results begin in such rudeamentary origins yet their yield is useful and beautiful

Smelly but tastes good

I could not complete this research without finding out what types of food might have been cooked and eaten by John May and his family and friends.

I believe my ancestor to have been of a fairly modest income and after researching I found that meant a smaller cabin with modest furnishings.

The food prepared in these smaller cabins was very simple as the size of the home prevented the cooking from being very complicated.

One recipe that caught my eye was the Potato, Cabbage soup with Ham.

The main ingredient potato was first grown in Wicklow Ireland. It was Oats and not potatoes that were the main crop but made a good back up for the difficult Oat years.

In the 1770s the " Irish Apple" became popular for its floury taste.

The health benefits of the dish really make up for the smell plus it's DELICIOUS!!!!!!!

The Cabbage is richer in vitamin C than oranges and is rich in fiber and iodine.
The potatoes are high in Potassium, Also a compound that has been shown to lower blood pressure.
Potatoes are also high in vitamin C and Fiber.

I chose this Saturday to make this dish. I gathered the ingredients and put them on the stove and I was instantly thrown back to the time of my ancestors.

As my family and I enjoy the wonder soup I think of John May and wonder if he enjoyed this popular Irish meal. Perhaps he would of enjoyed a loaf of Barmbrack bread with the meal and probably enjoyed a cup of tea while finishing off with Lemon and Vanilla curd cake for dessert.
I wonder if the stories he shared at his dinner table even vaguely resembled the stories at mine.


Irish soup of Cabbage and Potatoes with Ham

1 Large Head of Green Cabbage cut into wedges.
1 large onion sliced in large chunk size pieces.
1 stick salted butter (Only use real butter)
5 or 6 Yellow Yukon or Red potatoes depending on your taste.
Kosher salt to taste
Cracked Black Pepper
2 Cups chopped ham or thick bacon
Start with washing the cabbage and potatoes.
Then peel potatoes and cut into bite size chunks.
Peel the outer leaves of the cabbage and cut into wedges.
Place the potato wedges and cabbage in large pot and cover with water.
Add onion and butter and cook for about 2 hours.
You can cook your ham or bacon with the cabbage and potatoes or on the side.

Irish music for the masses

While my son was home on leave he introduced me to a band he had seen while in Los Angeles. The name... Drop Kick Murphy's. I instantly loved their sound and have been exploring more Irish music. My son loves all things Irish and will tell anyone that will listen. Recently while on a humanitarian event in Thailand he visited an Irish pub along one of the beaches there. He said the guys that ran it were from Belfast and they spent the evening telling him stories of their youth. When he told them his mother was a writer and that his Irish lineage traces back to county down, well you can guess the next guiness was on them.

I cannot help but wonder what my ancestor John May would think of the Drop Kick Murphy's, Flogging Molly and other great bands that perform great Irish or Irish like music. To this unseasoned music lover the bagpipes make my eyes water.

This post is for you John May I hope you enjoy this and have peace knowing that the people that came after you are learning how you lived, what you loved and what made you happy in your short, difficult life. I hope you enjoyed music and took some measure of joy from it.


Slainte Sa lan che (Cheers)

Thoughts about my Granny's linen tablecloth

When I was a little girl every Sunday or maybe it just seemed like it,My parents and I would go to church with my Granny at the Cathedral catholic church and then we would all meet up at my Granny's house for Sunday lunch.

My cousins and I would run in and out of my Granny's tiny little house and do as much damage as possible to our " good clothes ". My Granny would serve up hams, baked chicken, and of course her famous mouth watering Roast. My Aunts would help with the side dishes and my mother always did the dishes and set the table. The men would sit around and discuss city politics and cars. My uncle would complain about his crew at work and my Dad would sit and listen to my mother's family loudly bond in their own strange way that some families do.

When the meal was ready my Granny would come into the dining room a pull her pristine white linen tablecloth out of her beautiful buffet and spread the tablecloth on her table. She always gave the table a few swipes as to smooth any wrinkles out.

I would watch as the look on my Granny's face changed. She seemed to be pleased with herself as if everything was perfect after the tablecloth went on. Maybe she was thinking of times gone by when her children were young or when my Grandfather was still alive. Or maybe she was just pleased that she owned a fine linen tablecloth.

I lost my Granny several years ago.
She died while I was involved in a series of bad decisions about my life. I miss her every day and the wisdom she possessed so effortlessly. I can honestly say that I did not appreciate that fine linen tablecloth that I would wipe my grimy little hands on.

Today I am thinking of that tablecloth and pondering the life of John May.
His involvement with the Linen process seemed to be so unmistakably significant.
I believe that I have pinpointed the area of Drumgath and possibly Rathfriland in county down Ireland as the area that he grew Flax.

Irish linen in my opinion makes the most beautiful tablecloths. The process of making linen before 1830 was labor intensive. Many times the process of growing the Flax seed to make linen was a family affair because it took everyone to process the Flax.

Men usually planted the seed while the women, girls and older women picked weeds and helped with the harvest. Harvesting was a very delicate process because it's important to retain as much of the stem as possible. The stems were bundled up and the women would carry them to fields to spread out and dry in the sun. After the stems were dried the seeds were removed for future harvests or fed to the cattle or made into linseed oil. The next step was called Retting which was mens work as it was not very pleasant. The stems were placed in a pond or dammed are of a waterway. The decomposing smell of the plants was a smell that was very distinguishable in the rural areas. This process helped to separate the valuable fibres from the core of the stem. In 10 days the heavy soaked stems were removed from the pond.

The next step in the process is called Scutching & Hackling where the stems are laid out in the field to dry. After they are dried the men would beat the stems with a wooden mallet or blade to sperate and clean the flax fires, the end result was a tangled bunch of fibres. Then the hackling began with a tool that would basiclly comb the fibres and making them soft and ready for spinning.

Spinning was the next step was always done by the women. This is where the term "Spinster" came from. The spinning was done on a low Irish wheel which was kept in motion by a foot treadele and produced bobbins of yarn and then taken and boiled in soapy water and then dried.

The yarn was Transferred to a loom to be woven into a cloth that was a brownish color. The weaving process for the cloth was done by men.

The tradional method of bleaching was to boil the cloth in a solution of water and ashes, seaweed, or fermented bran. The cloth was risnsed and spread over grass to dry in the sun. After drying it was steeped in buttermilk, rinsed and the process repeated several times.

The last step is Beetling which involves pounding the cloth with a mallet to close up the weave. This last step in the process is what gives Irish linen its dense sheen.

I think of my Granny's beautiful smile and contagious laughter and all the great meals and holidays spent at her little house. When I think of all the spills on that beautiful linen tablecloth yet she brought it out meal after meal. Maybe she thought we were worth it.

Now that I know how hard John May and his family worked in the linen process I have even more respect for him. I am facinated by his drive and I hope to channel some of that for the completion of this book.

The Flax growers bounty list explains so much!

The first thing I wanted to get clear in my mind was where exactly John May came from.

I know from the previous research done by my mothers cousin that John May came from Diocese downs.

I found out online that Diocese of downs which presently covers part of county down and part of Armagh.

It is divided into 79 parishes with 115 churches.

After several failed attempts at locating the town where
John May lived while in Ireland I stumbled across a huge piece of the puzzle.

I typed in John May + county down and the puzzle was uncovered and then some.

I found John May from county down town of Drumgath listed on
The 1796 Flax Growers bounty List.

This list served as such a huge break in the research
because of the fact that my ancestor left Ireland before 1864
when The General Civil Registration was organized.

The Flax growers bounty list, or The Spinning Wheel Premium Entitlement list was created in 1776 to publish the list of approximately 60,000 individuals who received the right to plant Flax seed.

This list was created in response to special initiatives by the Goverment to encourage the production of linen.

Those on the list that planted one acre were awarded four spinning wheels while five acres of flax plant was rewarded a loom.

Drumgath is one of the smallest parishes of the diocese of Dromore.

It includes thirteen townlands and includes the small market town of Rathfriland
which includes most of the countryside.

The Parish was established by the Synod of Kells in 1152.

The Synod of Kells were a culmination of the Pre-Norman church reform movement.

This reform legislated such things as payment of Tithes and re-assignment of
Irish Dioceses to four provinces Dublin, Tuam, Armagh and Cashel.

Before the Synod of Kells the area was ministered to by Monks.

It is believed that there was a monastary around the site of the old
Drumgath cemetary.

In 1764 a woman found a bell that dates back to the ninth or tenth century and which was of common type to be used in Irish monasteries until the year 1000.

Even though this piece of the puzzle is huge I still have many more to uncover.

I can't help but wonder if John May was so successful in 1796 in the linen process why would he leave his mother country and travel to America and then
marry Mary Ann Riley in 1804 Ste. Genevieve Mo.

My next puzzle piece will be to find the ship he sailed on to America and when.