mermaidcamp

mermaidcamp

Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water

You can scroll the shelf using ← and → keys

Anne Bringham, 10th Great-grandmother

September 27, 2014 — 3 Comments

Bringham coat of arms

Bringham coat of arms

headstone

headstone

My 10th great-grandmother came to America on the ship Suzan and Ellen in 1635. She was born in Spaulding Moor, Yorkshire, England. Her profession on the ship’s log is listed as vixor (a word for which I find no definition) , her husband’s as a husbandman, and my 9th great-grandfather, Thomas Crosby, was 8 weeks old. He was lucky to survive the crossing at such a tender age. Ann’s husband died young, and she married a minister who went broke and died of melancholia. This was a huge drag for Ann. Lucky for me they survived.

Ann Brigham (1606 – 1675)
is my 10th great grandmother
Thomas Crosby (1635 – 1702)
son of Ann Brigham
Sarah Crosby (1667 – 1706)
daughter of Thomas Crosby
Sarah Sears (1697 – 1785)
daughter of Sarah Crosby
Sarah Hamblin (1721 – 1814)
daughter of Sarah Sears
Mercy Hazen (1747 – 1819)
daughter of Sarah Hamblin
Martha Mead (1784 – 1860)
daughter of Mercy Hazen
Abner Morse (1808 – 1838)
son of Martha Mead
Daniel Rowland Morse (1838 – 1910)
son of Abner Morse
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Daniel Rowland Morse
Ernest Abner Morse (1890 – 1965)
son of Jason A Morse
Richard Arden Morse (1920 – 2004)
son of Ernest Abner Morse
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse
Ernest Howard Crosby, In the portion of the family history taken from the October New York Genealogical and Biograpical Record, Surmises that Simon Crosby ‘may have come to America as one of the company of the Rev. Thomas Shepard, who crossed the ocean in that year (1635) and settled at Newtown, now Cambridge, Massachusetts. This Mr. Shepard was preceeded or accompanied by a large number of his freinds and acquaintances. He had taken orders in the Church of England, and had held livings in Yorkshire and Northumberland, but he enertained conscientious scruples regarding the ceremonies of his church, and was consequently so harassed by those in authority that he left England, and became one of the most eminent clergymen in New England. The Cheif reason for establishing Harvard College at Cambridge is that he lived there.’

This record goes on to state that before the end of 1635 we find Simon Crosby living at Newtown (Cambridge). He was admitted as a freeman on March 3, 1636 and chosen as a selectman in the fall of that year. In September of 1637 he was elected surveyor of highways; was selectman again in 1638, and in October of that year was elected constable.

On Dec. 5, 1636 land was granted to him and six others for pasture. He died in Cambridge in September 1639, at only 31 years of age. The cause of his death is not known, but we can surmise that his death may have been fairly sudden, since he died intestate. An addendum to Ernest Howard Crosby’s record quoted above says that the orginal inventory of the estate of Simon Crosby, signed by his widow Anne, is on file in the archives of Massachuetts at Boston. It places the value of his property at 433 pounds.

Holme-on-Spaulding-Moor, in York Co., England is an extensive Parrish located 15 miles SE of the city of York.

Simon and his wife came over in the ship “Susan and Ellen.”

Notes for ANNE BRIGHAM:

It is from Thomas 7, the firstborn, that our line descends, but before proceeding to his generation, it may be of interest to record some of the facts of the later life of the widowed Anne Crosby. In 1646 or l647, she married the Rev. William Tompson, aa distinguished clergyman in Braintree (now Quincy), Mass., who apparentlly pursued his religious duties with zeal but with little regard for financial gain. Ernest Howard Crosby’s record says that in Aug. of 1652 she sold the Crosby house4 with six acres adjoining, and also 147 acres of land in the neighborhood. Mr. Tompson’s health was finally undermined ‘by melancholia’, and he retired from preaching in 1659. He died in 1666, leaving his family in straitened circumstances. In 1668 Anne petitioned the General Court, complaining that moneys due her for his services were witheld. She died in 1675 and was buried in the Quincy churchyard. We have no record of what became of her daughter Ann, her only child by Mr. Tompkins.

At this point, it may be as well to record what is known of two other brothers, both younger than Thomas:

Simon Jr., born 1637, moved early in life to Billerica, Mass. and was the first innkeeper in that town. He was Representative in the General Court in 1691, 1697, and 1698. (Indications are that it is from him that the Alonzo Crosby descent is traced.)

Joseph, the third son, is the ancestor from which Ernest Howard Crosby descends. Born in 1639, he was just 7 months old when his father, Simon the Emigrant, died. When his mother remarried, he was taken by her to live with his stepfather’s family. He passed his life there as a farmer, but was always prominent in town affairs, frequently serving on committees.

Children of SIMON CROSBY and ANNE BRIGHAM are:

  1. i. THOMAS 11 CROSBY, RE V, b. 26 Feb 1634/35, HOLME, YORK, ENGLAND; d. 27 Jun 1702, BOSTON, MA..

ii. SIMON CROSBY, b. Aug 1637, CAMBRIDGE, MA.; d. Unknown.

iii. JOSEPH CROSBY, b. Abt. 1639, CAMBRIDGE, MA.; d. Unknown.

Here are the notes from the ship on which they arrived in Salem:

In the Ship Suzan And Ellen EDWARD PAYNE Mr for New-England Theis pties herevnder

expressed have brought Certificates from the Minister of Justices of their Conformitie and that they

are no Subsidy Men.

Columns represent: name, occupation, and age of each passenger.

1 Procter, John Husbandman 40

2 Proctor, Martha 28

3 Proctor, John 3

4 Proctor, Marie 1

5 Street, Alice 28

6 Thorton, Walter Husbandman 36

7 Thorton , Johanna 44

8 North, John 20

9 Pynder, Mary 53

10 Pynder, Francis 20

11 Pynder, Marie 17

12* Pinder, Katherine 10

13 Pynder, Jo: 8

14 Skofield, Richard 22

15 Weeden, Edward 22

16 Wilby, George 16

17 Hawkins, Richard 15

18 Parker, Tho: 30

19 Burd, Symon 20

20 Mansfield, Jo: 34

21 Cole, Clement 30

22 Jones, Jo: 20

23 Burrow, Wm 19

24 Atwood, Phillip 13

25 Snowe, Wm 18

26 Lumus, Edward 24

27 Saltonstall, Richard Husbandman 23

28 Saltonstall, Merriall 22

29 Saltonstall, Merriall 9 mos.

30 Wells, Tho: 30

31* Coop, Peter 28

32 Lambart, Wm 26

33 Podd, Samvel 25

34 Belcher, Jeremy 22

35 Clifford, Marie 25

36 Coe, Jane 30

37 Riddlesden, Marie 17

38 Pellam, Jo: 20

39 Hitchcock, Matthew 25

40 Nicholls, Elizabeth 25

41 Carpenter, Tomazin 35

42 Fowle, Ann 25

43 Gordon, Edmond 18

44 Sydlie, Tho: 22

45 Leach, Margaret 22

46 Smith, Marie 21

47 Swayne, Elizabeth 16

48 Wells, Ann 20

49 Bewile, Grace 30

50 Taylor, Dvonis 48

51 Smith, Hanna 30

52 Backley, Jo: 15

53 Battrick, Wm 18

Theis vnder written names are to be transported to New-England imbarqued in the

Suzen And Ellen

EDWARD PAYNE Mr:

the pties have brought Certificates from ye Ministers of Justices of the peace

yt they are no Subsidy Men: and are conformable to ye orders and discipline of

the Church of England.

54 Hudson, Ralph A Drap 42

55 Hudson, Marie vixor 42

56 Hudson, Hanna children 14

57 Hudson, Eliz: children 5

58 Briggham, Tho: 32

59 Thwing, Ben: servant 16

60 Gibson, Ann servant 34

61 Kirk, Judith servant 18

62 Moore, Jo: servant 41

63 Knowles, Henry servant 25

64 Richardson, Geo 30

65 Thomlins, Ben: 18

66 Thomlins, Edward 30

67 Ford, Barbara 16

68 Broomer, Joan 13

69 Brooke, Richard 24

70 Brooke, Tho: 18

71 Crosby, Symon husbandman 26

72 Crosby, Ann vixor 25

73 Crosby, Tho: child 8 weeks

74 Rowton, Ric: husbandman 36

75 Roswton, Ann vixor 36

76 Rowton, Edmond child 6

77 Greene, Percivall husbandman 32

78 Greene, Ellin vixor 32

79 Trane, Jo: servant 25

80 Dix, Margaret servant 18

81 Atherson, Jo: 24

82 Blason, Ann 27

83 Buckley, Ben: 11

84 Buckley, Daniell 9

85 Corrington, Jo: 33

86 Corrington, Mary 33

  • The transcriber notes that the port of arrival in New England was Salem, Massachusetts.

Durga Days

September 25, 2014 — 5 Comments

Durga is the mother goddess capable of killing demons.  She was born from the anger of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva and outfitted with every weapon of the gods.  She was brilliant, and extremely bad assed.  She is the very angry mother who drives demons from the earth and puts the fear of retribution in all her children.  She has nine different forms she may assume in her motherly duties. During the festival of Navaratri she is worshiped in three of her forms. First Durga the destroyer purifies for three days as only wrathful mother can.  Then Lakshmi takes over for three days of bestowing spiritual wealth.  The final three days are ruled by Saraswati, the mother of wisdom. To skip any one of the three mothers is to fail to grasp the whole meaning of the creative essence.  The feminine spark, or Shakti, does all the work and holds all the energy.  In 2014 Navaratri lasts from 25 September until the 3 October.  The Durga puja is an affirmation of good over evil, a classic version of mother knows best. She will remove the miseries of life and chase the demons out of the building.  Respect her in all her forms…..you want to stay on her good side.

Pomegranates and Persephone

September 23, 2014 — 3 Comments

pomegranate

pomegranate

pomegranate

pomegranate

pomegranates

pomegranates

One of the most symbolic of all the foods we harvest in the fall is the pomegranate.  This is the fruit of the dead Hades gave the goddess Persephone before she was retuned to her mother.  The pomegranate seeds she ate in the underworld created a magical bond she could not break.  She was doomed to return to Hades for three months each year.  This complicated story is about birth and death, cycles and seasons, sabotage and fate.  She was kidnapped and raped by her husband Hades who planned to keep her forever.  Persephone’s mother, Demeter, goddess of fertility, went into such a tizzy about her daughter’s kidnapping that Zeus, her husband, finally relented and brought Persephone back to her.  The entire incident could have ended at that, but the pomegranate seeds she ate magically sealed her relationship with Hades and the underworld.  She was, after all, since her kidnapping and rape, the queen of the underworld.  Now we have three months of winter, and during that time Demeter will not produce crops or warmth for the land.  Each spring when Persephone returns from her underground realm life begins anew and Demeter gets busy providing ample food for humans.

The ruby red color and the delicious taste of the pomegranate makes an exotic ingredient in all kinds of dishes and drinks.  Here are a few ways to honor Persephone and enjoy the season:

Pomegranate molasses is available at Middle Eastern grocery stores, and is a wonderful ingredient.  It is very handy at the bar.  This beautiful alcohol free drink is named after the queen of the underworld:

Last but certainly not least I leave you with a recipe for an exotic cocktail with chocolate covered pomegranate seeds:

Enjoy!!!

Whistle Blowing 101

September 22, 2014 — 4 Comments

IRS

IRS

The first and the only rule in whistle blowing is: Never stop!!!! The second rule that I have learned is: Contact the Department of the Treasury.   I have had to blow the same whistle about the same crimes being committed by the same people in the same place for over a  decade. Finally, I think I have reached an organization interested in enforcing the law. The United States Department of the Treasury has seen it all, and knows from experience how corrupt government can be. The Royal Canadian Mounties may always get their man, but the IRS always gets their (our) money. I have been frustrated that none of our public officials or law enforcement agencies is interested in stopping obvious crime, but I now have a more realistic view of what to expect from the people I pay to enforce the law. It is naive to think that intense corruption that obstructs justice and fails the public trust does not exist at every level of our government.

I have lived next door to a charity scam operated by our HOA board for more than 10 years. My first request for help was to the local city Council member, Karin Uhlich. She never responded to dozens of requests over more than 5 years. Her assistant, who lives around the corner from me and is a “neighborhood outreach” employee has never been able to respond to the many requests I made for her to look at the evidence. I contacted John McCain two or three times with no response. I called and e mailed Ron Barber to try to get some help for the crime situation in our neighborhood. His office had the nerve to ask me how I liked the customer service from his office when I contacted it. I said I gave them an F since they never responded at all. They never responded to that either.  The Tucson Police Department has willfully denied these crimes by creating a fake neighborhood watch comprised of only the criminals involved in the HOA board.  They then go ahead and ask for a grant from the Feds to willfully ignore federal crimes and call that neighborhood policing. Dozens of requests to the TPD have been willfully ignored until last spring when Lt Frank Hand begrudgingly admitted that charity scamming is criminal and gave me the correct form to contact the IRS to claim a reward and stop the crimes.  I had made attempts to tell the IRS many times, but Lt. Frank gave me the secret key to success…they only respond to the correct form.  I filed the form and within about 3 months I had a response.  This was heavenly after so many years.  If I had it to do again I would physically camp at the IRS until I had a chance to submit evidence.  I completely understand why Edward Snowden chose to tattle outside the country.  Doing so to the agency invested in the corruption can only end in heartache.

The neighbors here petitioned the mayor of Tucson, who is a lawyer and should be able to discern crime from charity, for two years before officer Frank called me.  The cops are not lawyers, so we think the mayor has responsibility to end obstruction of justice rather than participate in it.  The sad news is that our government is not open to hearing evidence that will show how unethical it is.  It will go to great lengths to deny reality if that reality includes crimes committed in broad daylight by our public officials.  It is a shared deluded consciousness that endangers our society.  Who knew you could be made so happy by a letter from the Internal Revenue Service???

Equinox Celebration

September 20, 2014 — 3 Comments

fall colors

fall colors

pumpkins in the house

pumpkins in the house

The Fall Equinox is a time to reflect, budget, delete, and take stock of what we have.  In modern times our personal harvest is less crucial to our survival than it was hundreds of years ago.  We import and ship what we want all over the world.  Because so much of our food costs are transportation related this might be a time to take stock of what we have in our local market or garden that can be a substitute for imported or processed foods. We like convenience, but may be able to find  better priced locally made foods, goods, and services of superior quality.  We like to be served, but can save money and enhance creativity by doing more of our own food preparation and preservation.  It is time to create, prosper and appreciate.  Do you have practices to note the day when the whole world has an equal amount of darkness and light?  Normally the moon rises about 50 minutes later than the previous night.  On the equinox it rises only about 10 minutes later, and the effect is that of almost standing still for a few days.

In ancient Greece this time of year was the time for grand rituals known as the Eleusian rites.  From the equinox until the end of the month processions and rites to the goddess Demeter were performed.  The elaborate rites involved bathing in the sea, building an altar around a tree, blessing the earth with wine and special potions, and a giant party to honor Demeter, goddess of the earth.  Holy Night, on September 28, when the goddess Koré would turn from maiden to krone, and then into the young queen of the underworld.  Some of the celebrants were granted the chance to see their own deaths on the Holy Night in order to free themselves from fear of the afterlife.  The following day was a sports and games day before the final eighth day of the festival returns to solemn ritual to signify spiritual rebirth.  This was very different from football season or American festivities for fall because everything was viewed as sacred.  The rituals were believed to be an important spiritual gift to mankind.  Can you find a way to honor that seasonal shift in your life this year?  I would love to hear any ideas you have, gentle readers.  I believe we have instinctive spiritual patterns that evolve, but are also part of historical beliefs and rites.  We are still connected to Demeter even if we don’t know who she is.

Warriors and Wellbeing

September 18, 2014 — 4 Comments

In our dreams characters, including ourselves, play grand archetypes. Last night as I dreamed military factions were fighting it out in a prolonged battle. The warrior rarely appears in my dream life so I have considered it as a signal of some kind of change. The dream did not really upset or frighten me. In fact, after a while awake I fell back into sleep and dreamed about the same theme for a while again, which is very rare in my life. I normally do not go back to sleep, but I felt there was a story I needed to finish. Nobody won the war and I believe there were more than two fighting factions, sort of like Syria today. The warrior is an important archetype without which we would all be too vulnerable. Protection is something everyone needs, from within as well as from others.

In yoga the warrior pose is a wonderful strengthening posture. When one masters it one truly does feel like a warrior and a hero. To be a warrior archetype does not always mean to be a soldier or professional in the business of protection. The best attributes of this archetype are skill, strength, discipline and self sacrifice in the conquest over ego. The best warrior is stoic and possesses a tough will to conquer. The worst warrior is indifferent to the suffering of others. The shadow practice of this soldier in the dark is trading ethics for victory at any cost. The hero as well as the heel are contained within the warrior archetype. Loyalty and invincibility are identified with this character. Mercenaries and gunslingers are also part of the tribe.

I wondered today if thinking about my ancestors and the Civil War in the United States might be part of this dream’s arrival.  I have been studying and considering how my family moved from Selma, Alabama to East Texas after the war and bought property with gold.  They traveled by oxcart to get there.   Both my 2nd  great grandfather and his father-in-law were in the war, the older man conscripted to make steel in Birmingham Alabama to provide munitions to the Confederacy.  The Confederate money was worthless after the war,  so I wonder how they managed to have enough gold to buy property in Texas.  Many southern cotton farmers had moved to the area, so the majority of the population was black, as a remnant of slavery and cotton.  My people were religious and donated land for a church in the area.  I have been thinking about what it is like to fight in a war like that and be on the loosing side, then move to a new place.  They had to handle a lot of change and hardship during one lifetime, and the period after the war may have been as difficult as the war itself.

My relationship with this dream is asking me to be stronger and more disciplined.  I have done very little self-sacrifice or tough willed commitment during my time on earth.  I know few soldiers in my real life, and have no contact with war and the risk of loosing a loved one.  As war explodes around the globe I stay relatively insulated until someone new invades Tucson. We all depend on cops, soldiers, and sailors to keep us safe from harm, but I normally give them little thought.  War is hell, and most of us defer that hell to warriors and prefer not to know much about the details.  Historical wars seem to me to be linked to spiritual warfare. How do you relate to the warrior archetype?  Do you take the role of protector in your life?  Who protects you?

Before the Deluge

September 16, 2014 — 3 Comments

I have drained my water barrel and am preparing for a storm of mighty proportions.  Arizona has had a good year of rain during our monsoon season this year, but the last round was too intense.  There was flooding all over the state, but Phoenix was hit hardest because the major freeway through that city was flooded and closed. There were disasters and deaths by drowning during our recent storms.  Today we are bracing for what we are told will be 5 inches of rain in about 3 days.  At this time the predictors are off a bit because it was to have rained all day today.  We had some light sprinkles in the morning, but the deluge has not yet arrived.  I took the dog for a walk early because I was convinced we would be trapped by rain all day.  The sky is grey and the air very humid.  The smell of wet creosote bush confirms that  summer rains are still in gear.  We normally welcome rain in all forms and amounts, but this is on the scary side.  There is nothing to be done except get some sand bags ready for the back door just in case we need to protect our home.

I am thinking of it as a baptism.  The rain can wash away all the recent violence in our neighborhood and cleanse the air.  I hope people will pay attention to safety and stop themselves before driving into washes to be swept away to drowning death.  As natural disasters go floods are swift and powerful.  I am hoping our washes and rivers will stay within their bounds and that nobody will loose life or home.  All we can do is be careful.  Have you ever lived through a flood?

Rudolf II Count der Gutige Old graf Der Schweigsame Von Habsburg

September 15, 2014 — 5 Comments

My 22nd great-grandfather was born and died in present day Aargau,Switzerland.  He married in Germany in about 1200. The Habsburg family was known for making very strategic marriages.  His grandson Rudolf moved the family power base to Austria and became Holy Roman Emperor.  They did very well for themselves.

Father: ALBRECHT 111 the rich VON GRAF HABSBURG b: ABT 1132 in Habsburg,Aargau,Switzerland
Mother: Ita Von PFULLENDORF b: ABT 1141 in Pfullendorf,Konstanz,Baden

Marriage 1 AGNES VON STAUFEN b: BEF 1178 in of A.D.H. Blankenberg Am Rhein,Brunswick,Germany
Married: ABT 1200
Children
ALBRECHT 1V VON GRAF HABSBURG b: ABT 1188 in Schloss Limburg A.D. Rhein,Freidberg,Baden,
Gertrud Von HABSBURG b: 1191 in Schloss Limburg A.D. Rhein,Freidberg,Baden,
Heilwig HABSBURG Countess b: 1195 in Schloss Limburg A.D. Rhein,Freidberg,Baden,
Rudolf 1 Habsburg LAUFENBURG count b: ABT 1198 in Schloss Limburg A.D. Rhein,Freidberg,Baden,
Rudolf II Count der Gutige Old graf Der Schweigsame Von Habsburg (1158 – 1232)
is my 22nd great grandfather
Albert IV “The Wise” Count of Habsburg (1188 – 1240)
son of Rudolf II Count der Gutige Old graf Der Schweigsame Von Habsburg
Rudolf IV King of Germans, Holy Roman Emperor Habsburg (1218 – 1291)
son of Albert IV “The Wise” Count of Habsburg
Albert I King of Germany Habsburg (1248 – 1308)
son of Rudolf IV King of Germans, Holy Roman Emperor Habsburg
Albrecht Albert II ‘The Wise’ Duke of Austria Habsburg (1298 – 1358)
son of Albert I King of Germany Habsburg
Leopold III “Duke of Austria” Habsburg (1351 – 1386)
son of Albrecht Albert II ‘The Wise’ Duke of Austria Habsburg
Ernst I “Ironside” Archduke of Austria Habsburg (1377 – 1424)
son of Leopold III “Duke of Austria” Habsburg
Katharina Archduchess Austria Von Habsburg (1420 – 1493)
daughter of Ernst I “Ironside” Archduke of Austria Habsburg
Christof I VanBaden (1453 – 1527)
son of Katharina Archduchess Austria Von Habsburg
Beatrix Zahringen (1492 – 1535)
daughter of Christof I VanBaden
Sabine Grafin VonSimmern (1528 – 1578)
daughter of Beatrix Zahringen
Marie L Egmond (1564 – 1584)
daughter of Sabine Grafin VonSimmern
Richard Sears (1590 – 1676)
son of Marie L Egmond
Silas Sears (1638 – 1697)
son of Richard Sears
Silas Sears (1661 – 1732)
son of Silas Sears
Sarah Sears (1697 – 1785)
daughter of Silas Sears
Sarah Hamblin (1721 – 1814)
daughter of Sarah Sears
Mercy Hazen (1747 – 1819)
daughter of Sarah Hamblin
Martha Mead (1784 – 1860)
daughter of Mercy Hazen
Abner Morse (1808 – 1838)
son of Martha Mead
Daniel Rowland Morse (1838 – 1910)
son of Abner Morse
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Daniel Rowland Morse
Ernest Abner Morse (1890 – 1965)
son of Jason A Morse
Richard Arden Morse (1920 – 2004)
son of Ernest Abner Morse
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse

House of Habsburg CountryAustria, Kingdom of Germany, Holy Roman Empire, Sicily, Naples, Spain, Hungary-Croatia, Bohemia, and Portugal

Titles
Holy Roman Emperor
Emperor of Austria
Emperor of Mexico
President of the German Confederation
King of the Romans
King of Germany
King of Spain
King of Aragon
King of Sicily
King of Naples
King of Castile
King of Hungary
King of Bohemia
King of Croatia
King of Portugal
King of Dalmatia
King of Galicia and Lodomeria
King of England
Grand Prince of Transylvania
Archduke of Austria
Grand Duke of Tuscany
Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Parma
Count of Habsburg

Founding11th century: Radbot, Count of Habsburg

Dissolution1780

The House of Habsburg (pron.: /ˈhæbs.bɜrɡ/; German pronunciation: [ˈhaːbs.bʊʁk]), also spelled Hapsburg[1] and also known as House of Austria, is one of the most important royal houses of Europe, The Habsburgs are best known for being Holy Roman Emperors for most of the time between 1438 and 1806, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and Spanish Empire and several other countries.

The House takes its name from Habsburg Castle, a fortress built around 1020–1030 in present day Switzerland by Count Radbot of Klettgau, who chose to name his fortress Habsburg. His grandson, Otto II, was the first to take the fortress name as his own, adding “Count of Habsburg” to his title. The House of Habsburg gathered dynastic momentum through the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries.

By 1276, Count Radbot’s seventh generation descendant, Rudolph of Habsburg, had moved the family’s power base from Habsburg Castle to the Duchy of Austria. Rudolph had become Roman-German King in 1273, and the dynasty of the House of Habsburg was truly entrenched in 1276 when Rudolph became ruler of Austria, which the Habsburgs ruled until 1918.

A series of dynastic marriages enabled the family to vastly expand its domains, to include Burgundy, Spain, Bohemia, Hungary, and other territories into the inheritance. In the 16th century, the family separated into the senior Habsburg Spain and the junior Habsburg Monarchy branches, who settled their mutual claims in the Oñate treaty.

The House of Habsburg became extinct in the male line in the 18th century. The Spanish branch ended upon the death of Charles II in 1700 and was replaced by the Anjou branch of the House of Bourbon in the person of his great-nephew Philip V. The Austrian branch went extinct in the male person in 1740 with the death of Charles VI and in the female person in 1780 with the death of his daughter Maria Theresa and was succeeded by the Vaudemont branch of the House of Lorraine in the person of her son Joseph II. The new successor house styled itself formally as House of Habsburg-Lorraine (German: Habsburg-Lothringen), although it was often referred to as simply the House of Habsburg.

Principal roles

Their principal roles were as:

King of the Romans
Holy Roman Emperors
King of Germany
Rulers of Austria (as Dukes, Archdukes after 1453)
King of Bohemia (1306–1307, 1437–1439, 1453–1457, 1526–1918),
Kings of Hungary and Croatia (1526–1918),
Kings of Spain (1516–1700),
King of Portugal (1580–1640),
King of Galicia and Lodomeria (1772–1918), and
Grand Prince of Transylvania (1690–1867).

Numerous other titles were attached to the crowns listed above.

History Counts of Habsburg

The Habsburg dominions around 1200 in the area of modern day Switzerland are shown as Habsburg, among the houses of Savoy, Zähringer and Kyburg

The progenitor of the House of Habsburg may have been Guntram the Rich, a count in Breisgau who lived in the 10th century. His grandson Radbot, Count of Habsburg founded the Habsburg Castle, after which the Habsburgs are named. The origins of the castle’s name, located in what is now the Swiss canton of Aargau, are uncertain. Most people assume the name to be derived from the High German Habichtsburg (Hawk Castle), but some historians and linguists are convinced that the name comes from the Middle High German word “hab/hap” meaning ford, as there is a river with a ford nearby. The first documented use of the name by the dynasty itself has been traced to the year 1108.[3][4][5] The Habsburg Castle was the family seat in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries.

The Habsburgs expanded their influence through arranged marriages and by gaining political privileges, especially countship rights in Zürichgau, Aargau and Thurgau. In the 13th century, the house aimed its marriage policy at families in Upper Alsace and Swabia. They were also able to gain high positions in the church hierarchy for their members. Territorially, they often profited from the extinction of other noble families such as the House of Kyburg.

Kings of the Romans
By the second half of 13th century, count Rudolph IV (1218–1291) had become one of the most influential territorial lords in the area between Vosges mountains and Lake Constance. Due to these impressive preconditions, on 1 October 1273 Rudolph was chosen as the King of the Romans and received the name Rudolph I of Germany.[6]

In 1282, the Habsburgs gained the rulership of the Duchy of Austria, which they then held for over 600 years, until 1918. Through the forged Privilegium Maius document (1358/59), a special bond was created between the House and Austria. The document, forged at the behest of Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria (1339–1365), also attempted to introduce rules to preserve the unity of the family’s Austrian lands. In the long term, this indeed succeeded, but Rudolph’s descendants ignored the rule, leading to the separation of the Albertian and Leopoldian family lines in 1379.

By marrying Elisabeth of Luxembourg, the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund in 1437, Duke Albert V (1397–1439) became the ruler of Bohemia and Hungary, expanding the family’s political horizons. The next year, Albert V was crowned as the King of the Romans as Albert II. After his early death in war with the Turks in 1439, and after the death of his son Ladislaus Postumus in 1457, the Habsburgs lost Bohemia and Hungary again. National kingdoms were established in these areas, and the Habsburgs were not able to restore their influence there for decades.

Heirloom Farmers Markets-Tucson

September 14, 2014 — 2 Comments

In September Arizona agriculture is peaking with abundance. There are crops that grow well in serious heat, like melons and okra, that are finishing the season.  Many more crops enjoy the long slow slide into winter that we have and will be ready soon. The grapes for wine are soon to be harvested, the apples in Wilcox are being picked, and some date varieties are now starting to be ripe and ready to eat.  There are a large variety of squash being grown around Arizona that are never seen in regular grocery stores, and you can even get fresh squash blossoms to prepare.  More vendors come out in the cooler weather as more customers show up to shop and dine at the food trucks.  We like to go for unusual gourmet finds as well as for entertainment.  We see people we know and sometimes take the dog.  It makes a good outing and supports the local farmers in the process.  Today we came home with some very special smoked salsa homemade by smoking all the vegetables on mesquite wood before combining them.  We bought a baby blue Hubbard squash..a mini version of the giant winter squash with the rich flavor.  I got some cayenne, garlic  and some extra hot jalapeño chiles because our own chiles in the garden are ripe and ready to go to become salsa at home.  I will use the little green tomatoes, the garlic  and the chiles to round out the flavor and make different levels of picante for different tastes.  We are drinking fresh apple cider today from Wilcox. The little lemon cucumbers will make a sparkle in salads and the light colored pickling cucumbers are good straight up why themselves as a snack.  We did not get dates because I have a few I need to use from last season before I start on this year’s.  I don’t mind paying extra in order to put the mooney right into the hand of the person who grew or made it.

How is the farmers’ market scene where you live?  Are you able to get to one on a regular basis?  I like both the specialty prepared foods and the fresh produce.  They both serve the local farming community and let us have some extra special meals enhanced by products and produce not to be found at standard grocery shopping outlets.  When I travel I make it a point to attend a local market if at all possible.  I think they are growing in popularity and in variety of available products.  Some have musical entertainment.   It is fun to meet the farmer and know your food is as fresh as it can be.

Fitbit Frenzy

September 13, 2014 — 6 Comments

I am so thrilled with my relationship with my new Fitbit. It arrived two days ago and changed my life. It is everything I hoped it would be and much more. It synchs with your computer (Phone/device) to give you a complete picture of your daily activities. It shows graphs that measure your steps ( and or exertion) in real time, and your calories burned. The food log is simple to use and includes all foods I have eaten so far on a menu with calories counted upon entering.  The activity log is available if you care to detail which you have done when .  Hiking, biking, running, walking and swimming are listed.  You can also create your own categories.  I have made a Floatli category because I can’t wear the Fitbit in the water (separation anxiety does occur), but I can record the time I have spent on my computer log.  It is brilliant!

This weekend we are planning a pizza party for ourselves and maybe others.  I will need to earn the pizza slices that will greatly effect my graph.  We decided to put it off until tomorrow, and I am pleased because I can burn baby burn today to be on my goal.  The Fitbit is making me think ahead to calculate a plan eat pizza rather than banning it forever and indulging impulsively by jumping off the prohibition of pizza wagon.   I love it.  It makes me feel the need to deposit calories burned before I eat them!!! I have tracked food on a list and divided into food groups before, but this data is so complete and visually compelling that it makes writing it down seem primitive.  The deal in fitness and health is that if you are not having a good time you will not act in your own best interests all the time.  Movement, exercise, whatever you choose to call it, is just using the body you have to enjoy life.  Measuring it gives you a powerful motivation to improve.  Some folks join groups, or compare their performance to the entire population using the Fitbit.  I don’t need that because I am most competitive with myself.  I have become inspired and enthused to keep all my graphs green and my steps increasing daily.

My Fitbit Flex model also measures my sleep.  Last night I had a particularly unsound sleep pattern.  The night before I had a few restless seconds and a three short times awake during the night. Last night I spent a long time awake, during 9 different sessions. I was aware of it at the time, and was thinking this will look bad on my sleep graph.  I think that in itself is pretty funny.  I am even concerned about how my Fitbit scores my performance when I am in bed at night.  I think most of my nights will read like my first one, since I do sleep well.  The other funny thing about night time is that upon awakening I saw that the gin and tonic I poured for watching television  which we do in bed) was almost full.  I instantly thought how sad, I wrote that down in my food log and didn’t even drink it.  All this concern could make a person crazy, but I believe this is a good crazy.  I recommend this kind of crazy to anyone.