Florida Living History, Inc.

Perhaps we should all be having gazpacho and sangria on March 17...

Kicking it really, really, reeeeeeeeeeally Old School.

The Saint Patrick's Day Parade in New York City is one of the--if not THE--longest-running civic celebrations in the United States. It has been going on since 1762, which is a pretty good run.

But it wasn't first. Sorry, Big Apple, but the Big Orange beat you to it by a century and a half. Yes, March 17 was first marked by a parade in...Florida.

It was in 1601 that an Irish priest, Father Ricardo Artur (Richard Arthur) conducted a procession through the streets of Saint Augustine in Spanish Florida in honor of the saint given charge of protecting the corn crop, Saint Patrick. They marched past his shrine on Saint Patrick Street (now subsumed into Saint George Street) in hopes that he would pray for a good crop that season.

The best part of the story is how this was all uncovered. It was found in some ancient records of Spanish Florida by historian Michael Francis while researching gunpowder consumption in early Saint Augustine. It appears that, aside from the religious aspect, there was some cannonfire involved in Saint Patrick's Day as well.

Considering the amount of alcohol consumed in modern America on that day, perhaps this is a part of the celebration best left to history.

Pity, that.

Taverns served many purposes in Colonial America, and one of those was as a spot for military recruitment. During the American Revolution, both sides used taverns to drum up support for their respective causes.

On November 13-15, this venerable tradition will be recreated at Fort King George State Historic Site in Darien, Georgia. The Crown and Anchor Tavern will be hosting a recruiting party from a Loyalist regiment, the South Carolina Royalists. Sergeant Batten will be free with his recruitment bounties for anyone who wishes to serve King and Country. A King's Shilling for each recruit to drink His Majesty's health!

Those interested in participating in the event should check the park's page, where sign-up details will be posted shortly.

Some close-ups from Florida Living History's recent installation, "Punch and Possumtoddy" at the Colonial Village event at Fort King George State Historic Site. Probably as much fun to design and present as it was for our visitors to enjoy!

Come All Ye Bold Heroes, enlist to serve your King and Country! To mark the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, Florida Living History will be taking part in the November event at Fort King George State Historic Site in Darien, Georgia. In addition to the usual inhabitants of the town, a recruiting sergeant from the South Carolina Royalists will set up shop at the Crown and Anchor Tavern. All those wishing to don the redcoat and serve His Majesty should make their way to town. There they will be met with every encouragement, will receive a full uniform and accoutrements, and enjoy a shilling's advance pay to toast their fellow soldiers. November 13, 14, 2026. More details to follow!

How the Codfish saved Lent.

If it was exotic spices that drove Europeans to explore the East, a far more prosaic menu item sent them to the West--fish. By the early Middle Ages, the Church's guidelines on fasting meant that a large portion of the European diet was made up of fish. Not just during Lent, but also for the 40 days of Advent, as well as every Friday and Wednesday throughout the year and on other fast days, whether regularly scheduled or called for a specific purpose.

Alas, many places had already been overfished by this time, and the Mediterranean Sea was badly depleted of many species. Wealthy nobles as well as monastic houses built fish ponds, where carp and other fish could be cultivated. Still, it was a hard time to be a peasant, unless one lived hard by a river or ocean.

Eels were a common menu item, usually smoked and dried. Some areas of England saw them used as a form of currency, for example in Ely, the abbey there receiving 10,000 eels annually from its tenants in the towns of Outwell and Upwell.

Northern European fishermen soon took to sea in search of herring, and vast fortunes could be made. Dried and salted, the herring could be barreled and shipped far inland, and many a medieval farmer's family saw many a herring on the dinner table. Alas, herring had many drawbacks. They were unpredictable in their locations, meaning that fishermen had to chase them over many miles of rough water. Worse yet, the oily nature of herring means that they must be preserved artificially, using a combination of woodsmoke and salt. Salt was expensive, and so was preserving herring. Too little salt and all your carefully packed barrels of fish would arrive spoiled and inedible.

Then came the codfish. It was probably the Basque, that most secretive and insular group, who unlocked the mystery of the cod. Vast armadas of Basque ships were seen sailing West from Ireland, where all the locals knew there was nothing but dragons. The Basque ships came back with their holds filled with dried cod, fished up from...God knows where. It was nothing short of a revolution.

Codfish, being lean, require nothing but wind and sun to preserve them. Catch a cod (so easy to do that many times they could be caught on a bare hook), gut it, split it and hang it to dry in some windy place. Once dry, the fish will keep virtually forever. For example, the Dude worked in a museum nearly 30 years ago, on the wall of which hung a dried codfish. Nobody could remember when it had been put up there, perhaps during the Bicentennial? It was hard as a cedar plank and about as appetizing, but I am sure it could have been soaked and served. I bet it hangs there still.

Codfish opened the way for exploration of North America. The Basques were doing a brisk trade in cod by the 1540s, and others began to wonder where they were finding these amazing fish. Dried cod, called stockfish, almost completely drove herring off the Lenten table. It was easy to ship, easy to store, and required no lengthy curing, salting or smoking. All that was required to make it ready for the table was to "freshen" it in water, then cook as desired. This was especially desirable in hot climates, as the stockfish could be kept without issue. Thus it is still a very popular dish in many Caribbean cultures.

As for the Dude, we kept meat-free Fridays in Lent when he was small, although we were Protestant, although it was only many years later that it dawned on me. Usually, that meant Mrs. Paul's Fish Sticks, which is a hard comedown from medieval standards, but still better than a slightly rancid herring.

Scenes from FLH's Crown and Anchor Tavern at the recent Colonial Winter Village event at Fort King George State Historic Site. Good weather, good friends and a great site all contributed to an outstanding event. See you all in November!

Excellent video!

We wish to inform you of an event worth your consideration—not featured on our main calendar, yet certainly deserving of mention.

Several members of our group will be returning this year to Fort King George State Historic Site in Darien, Georgia, for another fine gathering. The Colonial Winter Village, 250th Edition will welcome the public to step into the late 18th century on February 13th through 15th (Friday through Sunday, 9 AM–5 PM).

Last year's event brought vivid scenes of colonial life, captured beautifully in this video made by one of our own: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=601009146007594

With musket firings, cookery, demonstrations of domestic life, merchants, court dramas, and the spirit of the eve of Revolution, it's a fine opportunity to step back in time. If the call of history draws you to Darien, consider joining us there. Who among you plans to attend?

Looking for a Hessian canteen, a man's wig, regimental coats, drinking vessels, leather gear and much, much more? Bring cash and walk away with treasure unimaginable. Saturday only, reenactors only, cash only!

ATTENTION, RE-ENACTORS! Saturday, February 14th, from 5-6PM, will see the launch of the

Fort King George Marsh Market & Rummage Sale!

This new re-enactor’s market will take place at Fort King George State Historic Site’s ( https://gastateparks.org/FortKingGeorge ) annual, 3-day Colonial Winter Village event in historic Darien, GA. Offered to re-enactors only, this one-day “jumble sale” will feature used 18th-century re-enacting items, such as clothing, leather goods, pottery, pewterware, books, and more at bargain rates!

HISTORICAL WARES AT BUDGET-FRIENDLY PRICES!

Payment in cash only, if you please.

The Crown and Anchor will be hosting an entirely new interpretive exhibit, "Punch and Possumtoddy", an exploration of what, how and why Georgia's early colonists drank. Flip, bumbo, shrub, perry and other beverages from the exotic to the mundane will be up for discussion. Come in, have a seat by the fire, and take a journey back across the centuries.

Taverns were the lifeblood of a colonial town. February 13-15th, the Crown and Anchor Tavern will take over the Officers' Barracks for the Colonial Winter Village reenactment! Brought to you by Florida Living History, Inc.

Coming soon!

Our Colonial Winter Village reenactment is only 2 weeks away! Experience the lives of Georgia's colonists on the eve of the Revolutionary War.

ATTENTION, RE-ENACTORS! Saturday, February 14th, from 5-6PM, will see the launch of the

Fort King George Marsh Market & Rummage Sale!

This new re-enactor’s market will take place at Fort King George State Historic Site’s ( https://gastateparks.org/FortKingGeorge ) annual, 3-day Colonial Winter Village event in historic Darien, GA. Offered to re-enactors only, this one-day “jumble sale” will feature used 18th-century re-enacting items, such as clothing, leather goods, pottery, pewterware, books, and more at bargain rates!

HISTORICAL WARES AT BUDGET-FRIENDLY PRICES!

Payment in cash only, if you please.