May 12, 2011

Charming, Quaint, and Romantic!

Grandfather Goes Courtin'!
An old photograph of Diane's Grandmum in her wedding frock along with an antique camera. Diane aspires to do portrait photography with old cameras such as this using the Corgyncombe Antique Clothing Collection.


May apple blossoms at sunrise down near Corgi Creek.


Diane's Grandmum in her wedding frock.
Grandmum had lovely light blue eyes and long dark brown hair which she put up, which Grandfather loved!

Diane's Grandmum and Grandfather were both of early Quaker descent. Both of their families started out in Massachusetts, north of Boston in the Newbury area and south of Boston in the Dartmouth area. Their Quaker families, known as the Society of Friends, then settled in an area known as the Oblong.

The Oblong was a long, narrow strip of land whose ownership was disputed between Connecticut and New York. In this long, narrow strip, Diane's Quaker families settled and lived.

"The History of Dutchess County, New York" edited by Frank Hasbrouck, published 1909, says the following: "The Oblong Patent, covering a narrow strip along the east borders of Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester counties, was ceded to the State of New York by Connecticut, May 14, 1731."


Diane's Grandfather Goin' Courtin' with horse and buggy.
Grandfather had brown eyes and red hair, which Grandmum loved!


Imagine riding in a horse and buggy along the lovely rolling hills, with the only sounds being the horses hooves and the lovely sound of the Baltimore Oriole flying from apple tree to apple tree, along with the other songbirds, and livestock to pasture, the sound of the creek, and ahhhh, the fragrance of the May apple tree...


The Valley in Spring.


The Baltimore Oriole's return and distinguished welcoming call was heard last weekend.
Every year in May, when the apple trees blossom, the welcome sound of the Oriole can be heard as it flies from apple tree to apple tree collecting bugs to eat.
In Thornton Burgess' "The Burgess Bird Book for Children", Peter Rabbit observed Goldy the Baltimore Oriole in the apple tree. Peter "never had seen any one more beautifully dressed and his song was as rich and beautiful as his coat."

Here is a link to the Corgyncombe Courant's post with Grandmum and Grandfather's children:

Here is a link to the Corgyncombe Courant's post about Grandmum's Grandmum.

In "Tasha Tudor, The Direction of Her Dreams" by Wm John Hare and Priscilla T. Hare, Tasha Tudor's daughter Bethany Tudor speaks of how Tasha Tudor was inspired by the movie "Friendly Persuasion" to illustrate the endpapers of "Around the Year". The endpapers of "Around the Year" show a couple riding in a horse and buggy, crossing a creek, with lovely countryside round with sheep and cows to pasture.

The movie "Friendly Persuasion" was about a Quaker family amidst the Civil War. The movie's introduction song is so lovely accompanying this post.

Here is a link to:
From there, click on "Books", where you can find "Around the Year", one of the Corgyncombe Library's favorite Tasha Tudor books!


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2 comments:

Loretta said...

I love this post. You are so fortunate to have such lovely old photos!

jerilanders said...

Your Grandmum was simply stunning!. And yes, I can just imagine whirring past the beautiful scenic hills with the horses hooves pounding on the dirt road, just like the horse race in Friendly Persuasion. I have always LOVED that movie, I just may pop it in today as I sit in my little "studio" at the top of the stairs and draw.
Cousin Jeri

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