A Day In the Life: Spending Time in Summer 1771

"We tend to underestimate just how different their world was.  They lived in a fundamentally different time with fundamentally different assumptions about the world."

....................

Some people reenact because they enjoy the fashions.

Some do it to teach history.

Some do it for the firepower of the ancient the guns.

Me?
I do it for all of the above,  but mostly to experience the past in such a way that perhaps I am standing in the spiritual shoes of my ancestors,  living their life as close as I am able,  even if for just one day.

Why?

Because history is my passion.

Think about it:  when people begin to do their genealogy - their family history - most hope to find someone famous somewhere in their lineage.  I know that was something I really hoped to find.  I so wanted to learn that I was somehow related to Charles Dickens or one of the Beatles or something along those lines  (yes,  a quarter of my blood comes from Britain).

Well,  lo and behold,  I did find a famous person in my family line;  Daniel Boone's mother and my 6th great grandmother - both Quakers - were sisters,  putting Daniel in the 1st cousin category  (removed  6  times).  

However,  as cool as it is to have Daniel Boone as my cousin,  I actually get more excited about having farmer ancestors.  Yes,  my people were farmers,  as well as weavers and carpenters.

So that's sort of who I represent when I go out in my 18th century farm/work clothes.

That being said,  yes,  I do find it cool to be related to Daniel Boone,  who was raised by Quaker parents,  and I find it coincidental that he was captured by the Shawnees in February of 1778 and taken to Detroit,  the city of my birth!

But more on that another time - - - for now let's head back to summer 1771:

There's the Frontier Cabin - our 18th century home away from the 21st century!
I am so thankful we are entrusted to use it as we do.

For one day each season,  a few of us engage in commonplace 1700s daily activities,  and through it all we learn the significance of  lives once lived by the average 18th century man and woman in America.

But why only for one day and not a full weekend?

Well,  that could change,  but heading to the cabin is quite a drive for us,  and spending the night there,  though feasible,  is not going to happen;  we're all married/have significant others and it just would not be right to spend the night together there,  you know?  But we may decide to make double trips there for an upcoming weekend rather than spend the night.

We'll see.

It was just Charlotte,  myself,  and Jackie this time out. 
Due to unforeseen circumstances,  Larissa was not able to make it this time.

Notice that I am not wearing my civilian coat.  It was such a hot and muggy day
that I,  like most farmers of the period,  played it smart and came out in my
shirt and waistcoat.
The first order of the day was to weed the flax patch that was planted last May.
With all of the rain we've gotten this year,  it's been growing like crazy,  and we've
not had the opportunity to come out to do any weeding,  as you can see in
the picture below.

I am outstanding in my field - lol!!

Sciatica is an unfortunate thing to have,  but I certainly weeded
 my fair share,  painful back & legs or no! 

Charlotte joined me in the patch.  In fact,  she was the number one weeder of the day!

Charlotte was able to stand bent over much longer than I could,
though I did it for a good while.

As I mentioned earlier,  my colonial ancestors were farmers - Quaker farmers.
I am a classroom paraprofessional - a teacher's aid for special needs kids.
Our two generations are 250 years and worlds apart from each other, 
though their blood still runs through my veins.   
As a direct descendant of these 18th century Americans,  I am honored that
I can honor them in such a way,  even if for only one day at a time.   

For my first time I used a sickle.
I wish I had more  "back power"  to do this.

Since most farmers/citizens did not carry canteens for water while out in the field  (that was for the military),  they might have had,  instead,  a costrel with them.  A costrel is a sort of a flask made of leather,  earthenware,  or even wood,  usually with a means to carry it around the shoulder or waist. 

The costrel I have,  purchased from Samson’s Historical,  is just like the one seen at the 18th century Daggett House  (of course!),  for it is styled after an 18th century pattern.  And,  yes,  I used it on this day!

Jackie,  who spent most of her time inside the cabin cooking at the hearth, 
did come out for a while to help us.

Just as would have been done in the 1700s,  we all took part in completing the
chores and tasks for the day - "Idle hands are the devil's workshop."

Due to the heat,  as well as the back pain,  I did take frequent breaks.  I suppose if I were born and raised into the lifestyle it would be different.  But by taking the much needed breaks I was able to do more work throughout the day.

The temperature reached to near 90 degrees and the humidity was very high as well,  so we were all drenched in sweat and needed time just to sit and cool down. Not that inside the cabin was any cooler than outdoors.  It was just that the cross breeze from the two doors tended to make quite a difference.
Again,  another historical learning experience.

I like this shot that I took of Charlotte from inside the cabin.
It shows what one saw upon looking out the door.

Here is a portion of our weeded flax.
I hope to come out a couple more times before summer ends,
not as an official living history event,  but only to keep the flax
bed weeded.

As I had never grown flax before,  I plan to improve on it next year and plant more closer together.  And come out more often to weed.

Charlotte raked all of our pulled weeds into a pile,  of which I threw into
the field behind.
We are not just reenacting while out here - we actually do work,  that is for certain. 
And,  mentally & spiritually,  it feels so good.
We keep the amount of living historians in our cabin group down to a minimum to try and remain  'real,'  though anyone who we bring along to join us in this time-travel excursion better plan to get a little dirt on their hands - earn their dinner.  

This style of reenacting - living history - is not for everyone.  And that's okay.  It doesn't place one higher or lower than the other - it only allows for different opportunities and experiences.  But when doing something like our cabin time,  I plan to keep it as authentic as I can...it's not a full-blown reenactment,  but,  rather,  an invitation-only experiment in time,  so,  as stated,  I plan to keep the amount of participants on the lower end.  

Jackie  (top)  and Charlotte  (below)  enjoy a few minutes of relaxation before our dinner was ready.
We do not necessarily do 1st person here at the cabin,  mainly because 18th century language is quite a bit different than the period of,  say,  the Civil War,  which is much closer to our modern day in comparison.
However,  we do try to remain in immersion and make the gallant attempt to stay away from modern subjects.  It doesn't always work but we do give it a good try.

I hope to one day be able to throw in a few colonial phrases here and there during our conversations just to add some period color.  I think it could go over interestingly.

Meanwhile,  with help from Charlotte,  Jackie spent much of her day cooking the pasties for our afternoon dinner meal.  

"Say the word  “Pasty”  (pronounced “past-ee”),  and you’ll likely receive a passionate Pavlovian response from hungry folks from several regions of the U.S.  (i.e.,  Michigan,  or parts of Pennsylvania,  Wisconsin,  Montana,  and California)."

Pasties have been a popular dish on English tables for centuries.  The Oxford English Dictionary claims the earliest use of the word in English literature was in 1300.  The OED’s definition of a pasty matches most modern expectations of the dish:

a meat filling,  enclosed in a crust of pastry,  and baked without a dish.  I have traced similar definitions at least as far back as 1764.  Earlier definitions seem to be a bit more generic or obscure,  describing a pasty as  “a great pie”  or  “a pie made with flesh or fruit.”

While most 18th century recipes were for venison pasties,  other types of meats were used  (e.g.,  beef,  pork,  mutton,  and poultry).  Many period recipes also suggest marinating and aging meat for several days,  as well as beating it to a pulp with a rolling pin.  This was done to further tenderize the meat.  Beef was likely much tougher then than it is today.

So which style of pasty is most historically accurate?  They all are.  It seems the common denominator between all pasties is simply two things:  a crust and a meat filling….oops,  then again,  there were fruit pasties. 
Ok,  it seems there is ONE common denominator:  crust.

The food - all the food - was so good!

Jackie & Charlotte - enjoying our dinner.
We earned our meal.

Thank you,  Jackie,  for cooking us such a fine period dish!

Afterward she spread the ashes into the flax patch.

In watching the wonderful English farming documentaries  (Tudor Monastery Farm,  Tales From the Green Valley,  and Victorian Farm),  we see this was common practice in those days of old.

As the day waned,  we were pretty whipped...and very hot.

Another excellent day spent in 1771.  

So,  now,  we've experienced time in the fall of 1770,  where we threshed wheat,  chopped down a tree,,  and prepared a harvest meal over an open hearth.  We experienced a bitter cold January day in 1771,  making the meager attempt to keep warm with the only heat coming from the fireplace.  We have also experienced spring planting,  getting down on our hands and knees in the dirt.

And now we can add summer to our list,  with all you've read here.

(See links for each at the bottom of this posting)

Oh,  and my cabin living history group is not planning to end it;  autumn will soon be here once again,  and I have high hopes for more harvest activities and,  dare I say,  another harvest meal.

These special days are,  perhaps,  the highlight of my reenacting year.  The experience received at each is beyond anything I could have imagined or wished for. 

Living the research.

Okay,  so we might not necessarily be portraying my Quaker ancestors as Quakers,  but we are experimenting in an experience of their lives.  And,  to be honest,  don't you think I kind of look along the lines of a Quaker when I wear my 18th century farm hat?

lol

Maybe they should put my picture on a box of a pre-packaged breakfast meal...

Until next time,  see you in time.

To read about our springtime excursion at the cabin,  click HERE

To read about our wintertime excursion at the cabin,  click HERE

To read about our autumn excursion at the cabin,  click HERE

To read about flax and other textiles,  please click HERE

To read about the Daggett's and their home,  please click HERE and HERE

To read about how I try to emulate a colonial feel in my own home,  please click HERE
To learn more about a colonial spring on the farm,  please click HERE

To read about how I spent another colonial autumn,  please click HERE

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