I’m reading ‘The Verneys’ by Adrian Tinniswood. The Verneys are a family of English nobility that dates back to at least the fourteenth century. They are especially noteworthy because during the seventeenth century they preserved almost every scrap of paper that passed through their hands. Copies of letters sent, letters and notes received, bills, receipts, everything. So rather full histories of each member of the family in this period can be written. Though not always at the center of events, they got around. And their stories give the reader a picture some of thel idiosyncrasies of their times. For examples how a marriage might be arraigned. In 1627 there was a rich heiress who was orphaned at the age of eleven. Her name was Mary Blacknall. Her uncles bought her wardship so as to be able to control her fortune by marrying her where they wished. The court that awarded the wardship directed that she not be married before the age of fourteen. But one of her uncles became worried that someone else would end up with the fortune, so when she was only twelve years old he set about marrying her to his son. Edmund Verney who was then the head of the house of Verney went to the Court of Wards, paid a thousand pounds and took over as Mary’s ward. Then when she was thirteen he married her to his fifteen year old son, Ralph. But Ralph was not allowed to consummate the marriage until Mary turned fourteen.
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Today's Beautiful ***** Woman ****** at Foot of *****Page
Hope Davis * * * * The decision of the judge is final.
* "If Jesus Christ were to come today, people would not even crucify him. They would ask him to dinner, and hear what he had to say, and make fun of it. " Thomas Carlyle
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Jim
He proves by algebra that Hamlet's grandson is Shakespeare's grandfather and that he himself is the ghost of his own father.
Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot were fighting in the captain's tower
While Calypso dancers laughed at them and fishermen threw flowers
I was a nurse until 3 years ago. I worked on psychiatric and chemical dependency units. I am now disabled because of spinal injuries. I cannot walk very well. My use of my hands improved enough so that I can type and open some jars. I do a conservative political opinion blog with music and poetry. I am nearing the launch of a blog that will be devoted to discussion of the classic great books from Homer to Joyce and Faulkner.
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