Famous Horses in History—Hollywood Dun It by Donna Schlachter with Giveaway

From McQuay Stables website

Last month, we learned about one of the foundational sires of the Thoroughbred line of horses, and this month, we’ll talk about a famous American Quarter Horse named Hollywood Dun It.

Born in 1983, some may consider he doesn’t quite qualify as “historical”; however, that was more than 40 years ago (how quickly time goes). Plus, he accomplished several notable feats important to the American Quarter Horse lineage. His sire and dam were horses of renown in the American Quarterhorse breed.

Dun It, as he was known by, was bred be Gwen Steid of Illinois, and later purchased by the McQuays of Texas. Tim McQuay was a trainer, and he surpassed $2 million in earnings in the National Reining Horse Association.

A "Big Stop" Reining Horse movement -- From McQuay Stables website

 

Dun It’s first championship came early on when, as a three-year-old in 1986, Tim McQuay rode him to the Reining Horse Open Futurity Reserve Champion. Reining is a western riding competition for horses where riders guide their horse through a pattern of circles, spins, and stops. All movements are perfomed at a lope, known around the world as a canter, or a gallop. Crowd-pleasing moves include the Sliding Stop, the Rollback, and Spins, among others. The next year, he was named Reining Horse Open Derby Champion and Reining Horse Open Superstakes Champion. Overall, he won more than $65,000 as a reining horse.

This fine horse loved people, according to the McQuays. Visitors came daily. When asked why they took the time to travel, most said either because of his winning spirit or his proliferation of offspring, but most agreed it was his personality. Dun It was a “people” horse who enjoyed monkeying around with a crowd.

From McQuay Stables website

 

Dun It was retired to stud in 1988, and he produced many offspring, many who went on to win large purses in their own right, including six that won more than $100,000 in Lifetime Reining Horse winnings. Dun It was the first sire to produce foals with earnings of $3 million and then $4 million. And he became the second stallion to reach $6 million in stud fees even after his death.

His offspring have also performed well in other disciplines such as working cow horse and barrel racing. They are known for their attractive looks and extreme trainability, and include both Quarterhorse and Reining Horse World Champions.

In 1998, Breyer Horse Creation, a company that specializes in making plastic models of animals, especially horses, created a model of Dun It. Sales were so good the item became a collector’s item and was taken off the production line.

From McQuay Stables website

 

Dun It was inducted into the National Reining Horse Association of Fame in 2000, and in 2012, into the American Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame.

From McQuay Stables website

 

When Dun it died in 2005 at the age of 22, he was suffering from several health conditions, and the McQuays felt the compassionate thing was to euthanize. Tim McQuay said it was a difficult decision, as Dun It had been part of their family for over 20 years, and that their daughter—and even they themselves—had grown up with Dun It.

From McQuay Stables website

 

However, Dun It’s good looks and personality live on in the thousands of foals he sired. The next time you attend a county fair, state fair, or western event, keep an eye out for the dun-colored Quarterhorses performing in the ring. One of them could be Dun It’s grandson or granddaughter.



Leave a comment: Leave a comment and cleverly disguise your email address, for example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com, and we will draw randomly for a winner of a print or ebook version (winner’s choice) of Hearts of Midway.

About Hearts of Midway: Missing cattle. A sheriff's daughter with a nose for mystery and a penchant for wearing trousers. And a Pony Express rider with a secret.

Learn more here: https://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Midway-sheriffs-daughter-bargained-ebook/dp/B0CYXRF4WF

About Donna:

Donna lives in Denver with husband Patrick, three housemates, and two cats who rule the roost. As a hybrid author, she writes squeaky clean historical suspense and contemporary suspense. She has been traditionally and indie published more than 60 times in novellas, full-length novels, devotional books, and books on the writing craft. Donna ghostwrites, edits, and judges in writing contests. She is also a Certified Book Coach, helping authors move their book projects forward. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both. In her spare time, she paints like a whirling Banshee Bob Ross-style in oil on canvas, minus the Afro.

Website: www.DonnaSchlachter.com

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Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Dun_It

https://www.mcquaystables.com/in-memory-of-hollywood-dun-it/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reining

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breyer_Animal_Creations

From American Heiress to English Countess: The Story of Eloise Breese

by Kimberly Keagan

Last month, I introduced you to Eloise Breese, a wealthy young American from New York who captured the heart of Lord Willoughby de Eresby, heir to one of England's oldest aristocratic titles.

You might remember that his parents, the Earl and Countess of Ancaster, were known for their rather exclusive social circle. The Tatler described his father as the "inaccessible Earl" and suggested that his mother could make a social climber feel as though her family tree dated back to the glacial period!

Well, whether or not his parents had reservations, the wedding went ahead, and it was quite an affair.

On December 6, 1905, Eloise Breese married Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby (quite a mouthful, isn't it?) at St. Margaret's Church in Westminster, London.
                                                

St. Margaret's Church in Westminster, site of the wedding. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

    Top: Eloise and Willoughby, 

Bottom: Eloise's Wedding Dress (The Daily Mirror, Dec, 5, 1905)

 

Eloise was twenty-three, and her groom was thirty-eight.

Newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic covered the wedding, including the extravagant gifts the couple received. The Grantham Journal devoted two columns to the presents alone! Among them were a tortoiseshell umbrella handle from Mrs. Waldorf Astor, ivory boxes from Mr. and Lady Evelyn Guinness, a diamond and topaz brooch from Lord and Lady Barrymore, and a silver cigar box from the Duke of Connaught. Princess Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden presented Copenhagen china vases, while Eloise's mother gave her a diamond tiara.

And those famously exclusive in-laws? The Earl and Countess of Ancaster presented their new daughter-in-law with diamond and pearl necklaces, pearl earrings, three diamond brooches, and a complete chest of silver plate.

Not a bad welcome to the family!

The Countess of Ancaster

Five years later, on Christmas Eve in 1910, the Earl of Ancaster passed away. Gilbert inherited the title, becoming the second Earl of Ancaster. And Eloise, the American heiress from New York, became a countess.

Along with the title came three magnificent country estates: Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire, Normanton Park near Stamford, and Drummond Castle in Perthshire, Scotland. Imagine having three grand country houses to choose from! Of course, maintaining such properties required enormous resources, and life as a countess came with responsibilities as well as privileges.

Grimsthorpe Castle

Normanton Park

Drummond Castle

 

Still, it's quite a change from New York society to the ancient halls of an English castle.


Life Beyond the Wedding

Eloise and Gilbert had four children, two sons and two daughters. Their eldest son, Gilbert James, eventually married Nancy Astor, daughter of Waldorf Astor, the second Viscount Astor.

Meanwhile, Gilbert enjoyed a distinguished public career. He served as a Conservative member of Parliament, commanded the Lincolnshire Yeomanry during the First World War, and later served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Gilbert died on September 19, 1951, at eighty-four. Eloise survived him by a little more than two years, passing away on December 12, 1953. They had been married for nearly forty-six years.

More Than a Title?

When we read about American heiresses marrying British aristocrats during the Gilded Age and Edwardian eras, it's easy to assume every match involved an exchange of American money for an English title. Certainly, some marriages were arranged with precisely those advantages in mind. But I keep coming back to that little detail from The Tatler in last month's article. According to the magazine, Gilbert had been so devoted in his attentions to Eloise that he couldn't be tempted elsewhere.

Was theirs a love match from the beginning? We may never know for certain.

What we do know is that the young American who attracted so much attention in the British society pages spent nearly half a century married to her English lord. I rather like imagining that the formidable Earl and Countess of Ancaster eventually discovered their American daughter-in-law was a welcome addition to the family.

After all, even the most distinguished family tree has room for a new branch!

Sources: https://www.podles.org/dialogue/eloise-breese-countess-of-ancaster-4082.html; Newspapers.com.

Kimberly Keagan is a former investor relations consultant and corporate financial writer (not very romantic) who now crafts historical romances filled with strong heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, faith, and a touch of humor. Her debut novel, Perfect, released in May 2025. The fifth book in her Hearts on Display series releases September 9th. When not reading or writing, Kimberly enjoys baking, gardening, watching sports, and researching her family tree. Grab a free copy of her novelette, All Along, by subscribing to her mailing list here.

 

 

 

 

Sea Shanties by Cindy Regnier

 Ever heard of a sea shanty? Of course you have. I remember singing them in vocal music in grade school. That’s where I learned it wasn’t an old shack sitting out on the ocean. Sailors sing and it’s been a part of that lifestyle as long as anyone can remember. But do you know the origin of sea shanties and how they are used? Let’s find out.

Songs that we would call sea shanties date back to at least the mid 1400s. They originated to accompany the work on board a ship. That’s the difference between a sea shanty and other sailor songs. A true shanty is a call and response song that sailors used to keep a rhythm with tasks that required all hands working together. It allowed them to coordinate the movements that were required in physical tasks such as hauling ropes and raising sails. Apparently they also helped relieve the boredom that often accompanied long, repetitive duties aboard a ship. 

Capstan

Ships of the day often had many variations in ethnicity of their crews so sea shanties are a mixed form of music and genres depending on the culture of the ship. One of the most popular trade routes of the 19th century was Liverpool to New York – two cities with large Irish immigrant communities. Therefore, we find a distinct Irish influence on many of the shanties and even today they are often song by Irishmen.

OK, but why are they called sea shanties? That term first came about in the 1800s, likely from the French word ‘chanter’ which means to sing. It is also linked to the English word ‘chant’ which also originates from the French word. North-American lumberman songs often began with the line ‘Come all ye brave shanty-boys’.

Hauling 

 As mentioned before, the shanties were often call and   response songs, with one singer known as the   ‘shantyman’ leading while everyone else replied with the   chorus. They generally have a regular and heavy rhythm with a constant tune and tempo but there could be dozens of verses, sometimes made up on the spot by the shantyman.

 The shantyman was hired for his seamanship, not musical talent. He was a crucial part of the crew and usually made a higher wage than the rest of the sailors. He stood at the lead position on the rope, while the sailors crouched along the rope behind him. The shantyman sang a line and the group responded in chorus, heaving on the rope at a given point in the tune. He chose the songs by the task at hand, making sure they had the right speed and rhythm for what was to be accomplished, then improvised verses, allowing the song to go on for as long as needed. If shantyman could rhyme his verses, all the better. A well-chosen song could make a big difference to the job at hand. 

Hauling with a Shantyman

Shanties are of different types as well. The capstan and pumping shanties are used relatively easy but continuous effort like cranking the windlass. Long haul (On a ship, hauling is the nautical term for pulling or tugging on a rope, line, or sail to operate the vessel) or 'halyard shanties' are for longer periods of pulling like hoisting sails. where the crew could rest a moment while the shantyman showed off his lyrical skill. 'Short drag' shanties were designed for short, hard bouts of pulling.

But, the arrival of steamships brought an end the days of the tall ships and the need for raw manpower. And so, by the turn of the 20th century, the sounds of the sea shanties were seldom heard. It would seem that sea shanties have made somewhat of a comeback in recent years, though. Have you heard any recently or do you remember any you may have learned as a child? 

Scribbling in notebooks has been a habit of Cindy Regnier since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born and raised in Kansas, she writes stories of historical Kansas, especially the Flint Hills area where she spent much of her childhood. Her experiences with the Flint Hills setting, her natural love for history, farming and animals, along with her interest in genealogical research give her the background and passion to write heart-fluttering historical romance.

The Women of the Postage Stamps—Part 9

By Jennifer Uhlarik

 

Hello, dear readers! It’s time for your next installment of the Women of the US Stamps. So far, we’ve covered 100 years, plus a few, of women who have been featured on American stamps, and today, we pick up in 1991.

 

Our first honoree is Fanny Brice. Have you heard of her? She was born in 1891 in New York City, one of four children of saloon owner parents. At the age of 17, she dropped out of school to perform in a burlesque revue, and just a couple of years later, went on to the Ziegfeld Follies, where she performed two different times—once in 1910-1911, and again from 1921 into the 1930s. She recorded some of her signature songs for both Victor and Columbia Records, and also had an illustrious career in radio. She was best known for her comedy sketch character, Baby Snooks, whom she played for many different radio variety shows across many years. Her life became the basis for the stage play/movie Funny Girl.

Next is Harriet Quimby, born in Michigan in 1875. After her family moved to California around 1900, Harriet had a short-lived career in theater, but soon decided it wasn’t the right fit for her. Instead, she became a journalist in San Francisco and eventually moved to New York to be a theater critic. During a nine-year period as a journalist, she published over 250 articles. But all that took a back seat when she attended an aviation show in New York and decided to get her pilot’s license. In 1911, she became the first North American woman to ever garner such an honor, and in 1912, she accomplished another first—becoming the first woman to fly across the English Channel. She was known to fly in a purple satin flying suit, which also led to her becoming the face of the Vin Fiz Company’s grape soda ads. She spent the remainder of her brief life flying in competitions and acting as spokesperson for women in aviation. In 1912, during a flight, her 2-seat airplane suddenly and inexplicably pitched forward, throwing her passenger from his seat. Unable to regain control, Quimby was also ejected from the plane, and both she and her passenger fell to their deaths while the plane gently glided to the ground and flipped over in the mud. In 2004, this aviation pioneer was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

Our third honoree for today is Dorothy Parker. This literary critic, poet, and fiction author was born in 1893 in New Jersey. Both her mother and step-mother died before she graduated high school, and her father died soon after that point. Parker took a job early on as a piano player for a school of dance and spent her spare time working on poetry. Within a year, she was hired by Vogue as an editorial assistant and moved on to work at Vanity Fair. She was a founding member of the Algonquin Round Table, a collection of writers, comedians, novelists, and more, who liked to lunch at the Algonquin Hotel to tell jokes and share stories. It was this that helped launch Parker into the big time, as many of her friends from this association would publish her funny jokes and conversations. Her witticisms became her calling card, though in her own writing, it often got her into trouble, as many of the people she wrote about in her articles felt her jokes were too abrasive. In 1926, she published her first book of verse, Enough Rope, in which is the famous line “Men seldom make passes/At girls who wear glasses.” She also went on to publish a collection of her short stories in 1939, titled Here Lies. She lived to be 73.

 

Our final lady of the postage stamps for today was born Victoria Patterson Hensley, but that’s not the name you would know her by. Do you know who she was? Let’s see if you can guess. She was born in September of 1932, in West Virginia, though the family moved many times in her early years, due to her father’s work as a blacksmith—they went wherever he could find steady work. When this young lady suffered a throat infection and rheumatic fever at the age of thirteen, she credits the illness of launching her into her future career. The throat infection altered her voice, so that after she had recuperated, she had a booming contralto singing voice. Soon after, she began singing with her mother in church and taught herself to play piano. Her official start in music came when, at the age of fourteen, she showed up unannounced to a local radio station and asked to audition to sing live on air. The DJ gave her the desired audition, and he was impressed enough to say that if she was brave enough to sing live over the air, he was brave enough to let her. This talented woman spent five years traveling and singing with various groups and in vocal competitions, waiting for her break. Her first recording contract with 4 Star Records didn’t net the desired results—but she continued to try, eventually landing a recording contract with Decca Records and a place with the Grand Ole Opry. Have you figured out who she is yet? It’s singer Patsy Cline! She spent eight years wowing audiences with songs like “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces,” and “Sweet Dreams” among many others. Unfortunately, her life was cut short in 1963 when the small plane she was a passenger in went down ninety miles from its Tennessee destination, due to bad weather.

 

It’s Your Turn: Which of these ladies have you heard of before, and which do you find most inspiring? Why?

 

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered western novels at twelve when she swiped the only “horse” book from her brother’s bookshelf. Across the next decade, she devoured westerns and fell in love with the genre. While attaining a B.A. in writing from the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. She has finaled in and won numerous writing competitions and appeared on various best-seller lists. Besides writing, she’s been a business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, a historical researcher, a publisher, and a full-time homemaker. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband and fur children.

 

Available Now: Love and Order: A Three-Part Old West Romantic Mystery

 

Wanted: 

Family, Love, and Justice

One Old West Mystery Solved Throughout Three Short Romantic Stories

Separated as children when they were adopted out to different families from an orphan train, the Braddock siblings have each grown up and taken on various jobs within law enforcement and criminal justice.

 

Youngest child, Callie, has pushed past her insecurities to pursue a career as a Pinkerton agent. Middle child, Andi, has spent years studying law under her adoptive father’s tutelage. And the eldest and only son, Rion, is a rough-and-tumble bounty hunter. 

 

When the hunt for a serial killer with a long history of murders reunites the brother and sisters in Cambria Springs, Colorado, they find themselves not only in a fight for justice, but also a fight to keep their newly reunited family intact. How will they navigate these challenges when further complicated by unexpected romances?

 

 

How Pottery Saved a Ski Resort

By Terrie Todd

If you were a bride in Canada during the 1960s or 70s, you could reasonably expect to receive one or more of three items for a wedding gift: a silver platter or candlesticks, fancy glassware, or a piece of Blue Mountain Pottery. Having married in 1948, my mother did not receive any Blue Mountain, but she began to collect the lovely pieces decades later when their popularity soared. How her passion began, I’m not sure. Probably with a gift, like most collectors’ items. What I do know is that Mom never knew the rich history behind this unique product.

 

Just a few BMP pieces in its most popular color

Jozo Weider, an immigrant from Czechoslovakia, began a ski resort in the Blue Mountains near Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. A natural entrepreneur, Jozo was always on the lookout for ways to keep his ski hill lucrative by supplementing income with skiing lessons, a gift shop, and farm products like eggs, chickens, and apples. 

Jozo Weider

Meanwhile, a young Czech ceramics artist named Dennis (Zdenek) Tupy had spent a year in a German refugee camp after refusing to participate in World War II. In 1957, as part of the post-war resettlement, Dennis was offered free passage to Canada in exchange for one year of labor on a Canadian farm. During this time, he slept in a barn, which he shared with the family’s milk cow. 

When Jozo Weider heard about his fellow countryman, he visited the farm, posing as an Immigration Officer. “He’s got to come with me,” he told the farmer. He hired Dennis as a dishwasher at his ski resort, and they became fast friends. After being promoted to brush-clearing, Dennis stepped in some heavy clay that had been turned up for a new ski hill. Scraping it off his boot, Dennis commented that it resembled the clays he had worked with in Czechoslovakia. Always alert for opportunities, Jozo provided Dennis with what he needed to begin experimenting with the clay.

Dennis Tupy at work

Because the Blue Mountain Pottery Ltd. began as an offshoot of the ski hill, some of the original staff doubled as ski instructors. While working at a potter’s wheel, they might be called away to teach an impromptu ski lesson. Soon, the company had grown enough to employ the winter ski hill staff year-round. Blue Mountain Pottery was known for its glazes. The initial glaze used was a deep blue-green, combined with a darker glaze. This combination gave each piece a unique appearance during the firing process.

Sourcing both the clay and the glazing materials locally made Blue Mountain Pottery unique and, eventually, world-renowned. At its peak, the company employed 800 people and sold pottery to 80 worldwide markets. Because of their beautiful and unique designs and affordability, nearly every household in Canada had at least one piece of Blue Mountain during this time. The Canadian pavilion at Epcot Center in Florida contained two items: maple syrup and Blue Mountain Pottery.

The original Blue Mountain Pottery logo stamped on the bottom of a bowl

The company experienced splits, takeovers, makeovers, and restarts. In 1983, it had $25 million in sales, but by 1985 it was bankrupt. One last attempt to resurrect the company was made, but tastes in home decorating had changed. At the end of 2004, the company closed its doors for good, citing 9-11, cheap Asian knock-offs, and SARS as contributing reasons. The original molds were nearly all smashed to avoid duplication.

By the time Mom entered a care home earlier this year, she had downsized her collection to just enough pieces for each of her children to keep one. I received my favorite, a gorgeous but impractical tea set. 

My tea set

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw1M1ruFky8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mountain_Pottery

Not a single incident of pottery making occurs in The Reluctant Healer of Halifax, a novel of the Great Halifax Explosion of 1917. It’s a story of love, loss, faith, and honor set against Canada’s most devastating moment of the First World War.

 

Terrie Todd is the award-winning author of ten historical novels,all set in Canada, where she lives with her husband Jon. A former church drama team leader and newspaper columnist, she’s also a frequent contributor to Guideposts Books, a mother of three, and grandmother of five.

 

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WHAT YEAR IS IT?

  

By Mary Davis

 

 

I thought Daylight Saving Time was confusing with each region, state, county, and city doing their own thing until it was standardized in 1966. (See my article on DST for the full, crazy story. https://www.hhhistory.com/2018/04/its-about-time.html ) Then earlier this month Suzanne Norquist wrote an article about time zones. (See her article. https://www.hhhistory.com/2026/10/whose-time-is-it-anyway.html) Now, I have delved into the idiosyncrasies of the calendar system, which was no easy matter.

 

Keeping track of the passage of time goes back to prehistoric eras. Since the earth’s population was so spread out, each region had their own date-keeping system, or no system at all and went by lunar cycles.

 

 

Along came the Julian calendar in 45 BC instituted by Julius Caesar, with the start of the year on March 25^th. Why such a random day? Your guess is as good as mine. It also introduced the Leap Day, which I’ll cover later in this article.

 

 

The Julian calendar was rocking along until 1582 when Pope Gregory XIII instituted a new calendar to correct dating errors in the Julian calendar, which had too many Leap Years. This discrepancy had been noted for centuries and worked on by various people, then finally a new calendar was implemented under Pope Gregory XIII.

 

1^st page of the document to reform the Julian calendar

It took nations a while to make this change. Catholic dominated countries made the switch right away in 1582, while others held out until the 20^th Century. Greece finally got on board in 1923 and Saudi Arabia not until 2016. England, Wales, Ireland, and British territories didn’t make the change until 1752, 170 years after it was established. They didn’t want to give the appearance of being under the control of the Catholic Church again.

 

Adoption of Gregorian Calendar by country

During this time (1582-1923) when countries were making up their minds, people used “dual dating”. When dates were written, they would reflect both the Julian calendar, Old Style (O.S.), and the Gregorian calendar, New Style (N.S.). O.S. and N.S. were mainly used in the British Empire.

 

In what year was Wednesday, September 4^th followed by Thursday, September 15^th? The year was 1752. It was a short month that year. What happened to those eleven days? And why were they wiped from history?

 

It all has to do with Leap Day. Leap Day was once every four years on February 24^th O.S., not the 29^th but the 24^th. So, the day after February 24^th was . . . February 24^th.

 

Again.

 

 

Having a Leap Day goes all the way back to before the start of the Julian calendar. Scientists and astronomers figured out that there were more than 365 days in a year, but not a whole day, only a quarter. Over the decades, this quarter day changed the unchanging equinoxes. To compensate for this, every fourth year, a day was added . . . between February 24^th and the 25^th, giving the month two of the same day. Therefore, if you were born on the 24^th or the once-every-four-years leap day—also the 24^th—you would never miss your birthday. Eventually, this extra day was moved to the end of the month.

 

Post-Medieval Perpetual Calendar Coin

So, back to the missing eleven days. A calendar year doesn’t have an even 365 days and six hours in it. Actually, it’s 365 days, five hours, forty-eight minutes, and forty-five seconds. This caused the calendar to be out of alignment from the earth’s orbit. When you add up all those extra minutes over hundreds of years, your calendar is off by eleven days. The more centuries that pass the more days your calendar is off.

 

Some people wanted to make up for these days by omitting the Leap Days over the next forty years. Others wanted to rip the bandage off and take care of those days all at once. The latter won. So September 4^th was followed by the 15^th. So, if your birthday fell between those dates, did that mean no cake or presents? Say it ain’t so!

 

Here is an example of some of the confusion caused by different countries using different calendars. William III of England sailed from the Netherlands on November 11, 1688 (Gregorian calendar) and, apparently, traveled back in time to arrive in England on November 5^th of that year (Julian calendar).

 

But wait, there’s more. New Year’s Day used to be March 25^th. The new calendar moved it to January 1^st. So, 1752 had only nine months for the British Empire, and 1753 became the new twelve-month cycle.

 

Because of all these date changes and subtracting days from the calendar, people used “dual dating”. They would combine what the date would be according to both the O.S. calendar and the N.S. Therefore, with not everyone using the same calendar, a date in a ledger or elsewhere might be written like this: 10/21 February 1750/1. The day of the month in the O.S. would be on the 10^th of 1750, while on the N.S. it would be 21 February 1751 to account for the eleven-day drift and the New Year’s Day change. Dual dating helped avoid confusion.

 

Interestingly, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson fell victim to this dual dating dilemma. Washington’s birthday is officially February 22, 1732 N.S., but he was born on February 11, 1731 O.S. Or it could be written 11/22 February 1731/2. Jefferson instructed to have on his tombstone, his birth date to be according to the Julian calendar (O.S.) and his death date the Gregorian calendar (N.S.).

 

Jefferson Tombstone--"BORN APRIL 2 1743 O.S. DIED JULY 4 1826"

Still, not everyone strictly uses the Gregorian calendar. There are many other calendars in use today that are utilized alongside the Gregorian calendar.

 

Time is fascinating, but it sure can be confusing.

 

THE QUILTING CIRCLE SERIES Box Set

Historical Romance Series

By Mary Davis

THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT (Book1) – Will a secret clouding a single mother’s past cost Lily her loved ones?

THE DAUGHTER’S PREDICAMENT (Book2) *SELAH & WRMA Finalist* – As Isabelle’s romance prospects turn in her favor, a family scandal derails her dreams.

THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Book3) *SELAH Winner* – Nicole heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband. Can she learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher?

THE DÉBUTANTE’S SECRET (Book4) – Complications arise when a fancy French lady steps off the train and into Deputy Montana’s arms.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNZPRRS2/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3NJNTQ5SD1WGB&keywords=the+quilting+circle+by+mary+davis&qid=1700957455&s=digital-text&sprefix=%2Cdigital-text%2C155&sr=1-7

 

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) is a SELAH Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; THE WIDOW'S PLIGHT, THE DAUGHTER'S PREDICAMENT, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection, Prodigal Daughters Amish series, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in Colorado with her Carolina Dog, Shelby, and her pocket black Lab, Willow. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at: Books2Read Newsletter Blog FB FB Readers Group Amazon GoodReads BookBub

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_dating

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adoption_of_the_Gregorian_calendar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar#Difference_between_Gregorian_and_Julian_calendar_dates

https://everything.explained.today/Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates/