Contagious Genealogy: A Pandemic

Have you ever heard of this commemorative holiday? It’s also known as the Glorious Twelfth, and is celebrated in Ireland each year to honor the Protestant king William III (the former Prince William of Orange)’s victory over the Catholic king, James II, at the Battle of the Boyne in the year 1690. During that year, the battle actually took place on the 1st of July, however, since that time, our calendars have changed from using the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, thus shifting the observation date to the 12th of July.  James II’s reign was the last time a king of the Roman Catholic faith has ruled as monarch over the kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland. It should be noted that modern analysis of documents from that time suggest that soldiers of both Catholic and Protestant beliefs fought on both sides. Historically, this day has seen its fair share of violence on the streets of Ireland (particularly during the ‘Troubles’ of the 1960s-1990s), as it’s a quite contro...

  JANUARY 06, 2021 I’m challenging myself this year with the #52Ancestors project, where I tell a story about a different ancestor each week, for 52 weeks, based on prompts set by professional genealogist and host of the “Generations Café” podcast, Amy Johnson Crow. Charles Henry Miller, ca. 1870s, St. Lawrence County, New York or Boone County, Iowa. Week 1: Beginnings   If there’s one subject in my ancestral tree who knows about starting fresh, it’s Charles Henry Miller. Charles was born circa 1798 in Ireland. Though considered a native of Belfast, it’s thought the family originated in Ballinasloe and were uprooted to Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, not much is known of his time there. It’s claimed he was married with three children, two boys and a girl, whom, as of yet, have gone unidentified. The reason for the mystery relates to his religious, and somewhat controversial, affiliation.   Those familiar with Ireland’s history, are well aware of a tense and torrid relati...