What’s in a date?
1803. Edmund Garmany and his co-worker are sitting on the bank of the Ant, waiting for the apple boat to arrive.
Edmund was my 4 x great granddad.
“100 years since the great storm.” Edmund says. “26th November 1703. But it would be 7th December now, since they adopted the new calendar.”
“How’s that then?”
“They changed from the Julian to the Gregorian … eleven days were lost … September went straight from Wednesday 2nd to Thursday 14th 1752.”
“But when did the storm start? 26th November or 7th December”
“Who knows? They can’t even get my name right.”
- Category: Alternative History
7 comments add one below
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Neville Hunt almost 2 years ago
Interesting. That must have jarred.
I’ve lost the odd days here and there, like the calendar, but I put it down to too much Tetley’s Best whilst a student!
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Richard Hunt almost 2 years ago
This is all true. Edmund was christened in the church in Foulden and the record shows Edmund von Germany ... the surname of his father and grandfather. All to do with the succession of George 1st after Queen Anne, I suspect. And, of course, our surname should be von Germany ...
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Neville Hunt almost 2 years ago
Neville von Germany. Ja! It has a certain je ne sais quoi about it... or perhaps that should be Ich weiß nicht, was!
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Richard Hunt almost 2 years ago
In fact there were riots in 1752 ... 'give us back our days'
I just wondered if you were living in 1752 and your birthday was, say 10th September, whether you got a year older ... or perhaps you just stayed where you were (!!!) -
Neville Hunt almost 2 years ago
Staying where you were sounds attractive these days 🥴
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VerityAlways almost 2 years ago
Interesting. Wouldn't have ventured to google this. Thank you, Richard!
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Richard Hunt almost 2 years ago
Thanks Verity. Have been away for a few days and out of contact. This is all true, as is the tale of how my (our) grandfather got the name Charles Hunt … When he was born Frederick Jarmany… which, of course should have been Frederick Von Germany.
