Did You Know?
Before Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar in September 1752, the legal new year in England and its colonies began not on January 1 but on March 25. Why March 25? Well, that is "Lady Day" or the Feast of the Annunciation on, which celebrates the date that Mary, the mother of Jesus, consented to the pregnancy, exactly 9 months before Christmas.
In the Old Style system, the days between January 1 and March 24 technically belonged to the previous year. A child born on March 10, 1701 (Old Style) was born in what we now call 1702. Clerks and record-keepers of the era knew this was confusing, which is why…
FHSA Monthly Meeting
Revolutionary Choices: Exploring Loyalist and Patriot Roots at 250 Years
Tempe FamilySearch Center, 2707 S. College Ave, Tempe, AZ and Virtual
As families chose sides–Patriot or Loyalist–their descendants sent ripples across generations. Many who remained loyal to the British Crown found refuge in what would become Canada, communities in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Upper Canada. Others remained in the newly formed United States of America, fighting for independence. How do we trace those stories today?
