Leap Day, 2016

We started this blog in September 2010. So, this will be our second Leap Day. However, it might be interesting to see what was going during each of those earlier times.

John and his friends

2010 Two years into the 4-year cycle. The first few posts covered The kids, Related families, and Gardners.

2012 In February 2012, we were asking this question: Where was Thomas? At some point, we will mark his various locations on a map. It is of interest that we do not know where he is: Where is Thomas? One place where he was, both alive and deceased, is the Gardner burial plot. However, many bodies were moved from that location in order to build a road.

2016 In February 2016, we had finished several papers for The Essex Genealogist and were putting together The Gardner Annals, Vol. III. We started to look at the settlement of Virginia and get acquainted with the western movement. The Massachusetts Magazine was given a lot of attention over several months: Dr. Frank's monographs on the Siege of Boston. The Magna Carta was celebrated in June of 2015.

2020 In February 2020, we started to look at other cemeteries in Salem. For example, the Howard Street Burial Ground was started earlier. Giles Cory was buried in the area. The official start was before that of Harmony Grove. We were still looking at Gardner places. Turns out that Gardner River has some bit of  history associated with it which we are still researching. 

2024 ...

Remarks: Modified: 03/06/2021

03/01/2019 -- And, much more. Lots of activities over the years and months. Building an index of images on our portal to truth. 

03/06/2021 -- We missed this last year and are catching up. 

Selfie day

Well, I missed this: http://www.geneabloggers.com/conferencekeeper-geneabloggers-proclaim-february-1-as-genealogyselfie-day/. February 1 (henceforth?).

So, now, before the good old ground hog puts his head out of his hole, will will have to watch out for self-absorbed genealogists stepping on his head?

Well, at least, we have a general place to look to find what is going on. Index, so to speak.

I have never taken a selfie. Don't really intend to. But, hell froze over for the Eagles.

Would Thomas do that? Seems to me that some manias are just modern representations of old-time issues.

Calling on all Gardner bloggers to post their selfie or equivalent.

Remarks: Modified: 02/06/2016 

02/06/2016 --

Thomas and Margaret, archetypal pair

We are now into our seventh year. The first few were involved heavily with research, trying to pull together disparate pieces. That is, continue the work of Dr. Frank after a lapse of about 100 years. One method to evaluate progress was a load of successful applications submitted under the context of the Hereditary Society Community.

Then, there was some effort at publishing findings. This effort is in an infant stage. The thrust of the first papers dealt with misinformation. However, that is a subject that will continue to need some attention.

Now, after all of that work, and stepping back, we can start to generalize. So, watch out. We will be applying expertise from various fields (interdisciplinary approach) to contribute to the coming 400th anniversaries in order to paint a picture that ought to make sense to Americans and, hopefully, help further the discussion toward more rational frameworks (in general).

We have mentioned this before, as Thomas and Margaret stand out. If we take Thomas as a focus, for now, let's see where this can go. Not that we are forgetting Margaret, but she will be even a larger subject for various reasons.

In short, we can propose Thomas as an example of an archetype (see the early backbone series, for one). Yes, of course, this statement alludes to the work of Jung (and, we'll discuss this). Too, we'll get more specific in all areas.

Part of the reason that we can do this is the Tabla Raza characteristic (see comment on history being silent), almost, which is due to the sparsity of data. Lack of information is not bad as it may sound; for one, it forces the issue of trying to interpolate (and extrapolate). We have a whole lot to talk there as my forte is modeling, measurement, metaphors of mathematics, and such.

That is, the experience was with real stuff that works against the constraints of nature (okay, engineering) which type of experience is willy-nilly being applied (misappropriated?) by business, the web (and its muddy cloudíness), and an errant STEM (run amok). So, we can use a broader scope to argue for more sanity.

All along, this was apparent; we are finally to where we can be more academic than anecdotal. It is our hope that Gardners and friends will help Gardner Research get Thomas and Margaret back into their proper places in American (and civilization's) history.  

And, one of the main media sources is the web (which, at some point, will have a more tame flavor).

For now, using an image from another blogger.

Comment: Not everyone is Jungian in leaning. Nor, has anyone shown to everyone's satisfaction that metaphysical notions (however slightly alluded to) are necessary. Our intent is to offer properly supported conjectures (along several lines) in order to foster discussion and further work. This is a point-in-time effort worked under the same provisos as we see with science, in general. Having said that, though, does not mean that a few toes, now and again, won't feel our heel. Let's get our heads out of the STEM-sand (all sorts of things to discuss here). 

Remarks: Modified: 01/22/2016 

01/22/2016 --

Nantucket sendoff

Today, I got a chance to peruse Philbrick's book and get a feel for it. I liked the layout of the Chapters. For each, there is a nice bit of reference material and comment. The index was quite nice. There were three Gardners mentioned that we'll look at further: Eben, Ferdinand, George Washington. Several other families are included, such as Coffin, Chase, and more. Philbrick, himself, is no doubt a Gardner cousin. The book looks as if it will be a great read. Too, it will be on many reference shelves. Philbrick included photos of artifacts related to Nantucket's whaling experience.

I picked one area to read that covered the preparation and departure of the Essex. Philbrick detailed the cargo. A whaler carried many barrels for oil; too, it had material on board with which to make more barrels as needed.

How many? He mentioned that one whaler (captained by GWG, above) came back with 2,000 plus barrels and may have set a record. Others got a few hundred barrels of oil despite being at sea a couple of years. All in all, Philbrick does a nice job of explaining what was involved with whaling.

It took several days to load the ship using smaller vessels. That is, the ship was provisioned off-shore. That must have been an interesting bit to watch. Then, there was the work of assembling a crew. Of course, Nantucketers were preferred. But, the crew also came from elsewhere.

As an aside, some were African American slaves. Philbrick noted that the Indian population that was suitable to being enslaved had diminished. Now, for all of Nantucket descent, remember that many of the perpetrators this enslavement were of Quaker descent.

Many times, the majority of the crew were "green" hands. And, the ship was not simple to handle with its complicated rigging and such. Of course, getting asea would be way to start to get experience. To do that, one had to get away from shore.

So, to the theme. As the time came for departure, Nantucketers would gather to watch. What other entertainment would there have been? The Captain had to be on deck during this event. Philbrick describes the scene as somewhat chaotic. Granted there were experienced people on board, but the whole crew was involved, hence on-the-job training for the greenies would have been the order of the day. Philbrick writes well of the hot-seat experience for the captain. That humiliation would have continued until the ship was out of sight of those with long glasses.

I don't know if the movie touches upon this subject, but lots of comedy skits might come to mind. In any case, it wasn't long before the Essex ran into a storm and suffered damage. So, that crew got a whole lot of experience in very short order.

Now, Eben Gardner was first mate on the Two Brothers which Pollard took charge of after the Essex. Ferdinand Gardner was involved with handling the affairs of the Globe after it ran aground. The Essex was able to pick up some supplies from him. The Essex had lost whaling boats in the storm mentioned above. George Washington Gardner's success at his whaling venture set the stage for subsequent whaling.

This book, and the event, ought to get a little more attention from us.  

Remarks: Modified: 01/20/2016 

01/20/2016 --

Summary, 2015

We had 46 posts, last year.

All of the "Last 30 days" reads are of this year's posts.

Top 5 posts 

Recaps: 2019, 2018, 2017 (missing), 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011. 

Remarks: Modified: 12/29/2019

12/15/2018 -- Added links to recaps from the beginning.

The Gardner Annals, Vol II No 2

This post introduces the fourth issue of The Gardner Annals (Volume II, Number 2). This issue concludes the look at the life, and Gardner ancestry, of Frank A. Gardner, M.D. Included are ahnentafel charts (sourced) for his paternal grandparents.

Research continues on The Massachusetts Magazine. Also, there is a brief review of a recent book, Through One Family's Eyes.

The Gardner Annals supports the interests of the Thomas Gardner Society, Inc.'s purpose: to honor the accomplishments of the Cape Ann party and to promote, and to sponsor, scholarly research of a cultural, biographical, historical, and genealogical nature, with an emphasis on, but not limited to, the origins and the lives of New England immigrants.

Submissions of articles for consideration are encouraged: algswtlk[at]aol[dot]com.

Remarks: Modified: 12/17/2015 

12/17/2015 -- Remembering Dr. Frank: 13th Continental Regiment (from the TMM).

Captain Pollard

Nantucket has played a major role in several areas. Gardner is one of the original (1/2 so) families.

With the recent release of Ron Howard's movie, a few links to related detail might be in order. The book that motivated the movie can be browsed via Google.

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex (2000) Nathaniel Philbrick 

George Pollard, the captain, of the Essex was a Thomas Gardner descendant as were, probably, a lot of the crew. George's experience was an inspiration for Melville's Moby Dick.

The next ship commanded by the captain, the Two Brothers, had Eben Gardner as 1st Mate.

The Smithsonian Magazine had an article, recently: How Nantucket Came to Be the Whaling Capital of the World.

Remarks: Modified: 03/19/2021

12/22/2015 -- While researching for additional material concerning the book (see review in Article III of The Gardner Annals, Vol. II, No. 2), I ran across the child actors who were in Moby Dick with John Barrymore. Jay Berger was the nephew of one of the in-laws mentioned in the book. These types of circles make for interesting stories and can be found everywhere.

01/20/2016 -- Nantucket sendoff.

10/26/2018 -- Add this to the image index: TGSoc.org

03/19/2021 -- Essex Disaster via the Nantucket Historical Association.