RJ1611

@rfj1611

Genealogist & family historian, studying with the IHGS | 17th century & British/English Civil Wars researcher | Biographer of ECW painter William Dobson | currently cataloguing 1640s British portraits | Loves Jack Russells, tea and peanut butter

323 Siguiendo439 Seguidores1524 Publicaciones

Bluesky

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RJ1611@rfj1611· 11d

#BugSky folks, what is this?? Dozens just dropped out of our willow tree while we were trimming it. 😐

A long greeny caterpillar with yellow stripes, lying on a concrete patio.

RJ1611@rfj1611· 12d

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn. Brilliantly imagined, and although there are sooooo many books about magical libraries at the moment, this has to be one of the best. 😃

RJ1611@rfj1611· 26d

I hope Thomas Haynes' executors fulfilled his wish. What a lovely gesture in 1645, to give his books to a 'publique library' and to pay for them to be taken there. What became of them? Do any sit today on a modern library shelf? What a legacy that would be! 📚❤️ #earlymodern #libraries #books

From the London PCC will of Thomas Hayne, 1645. "Item I give and bequeath all my other books whatsoever not above mentioned and bequeathed to the Chaier and Aldermen and Corporation of Lester to bee kept and defended[?] forever in a publique library there already made or to bee made hereafter.

Item I give for and towards the carryinge of my said bookes to this said library fower pounds. "

RJ1611@rfj1611· 28d

I can't decide whether I'm impressed at #Ancestry's handwriting deductions on this one, or concluding they're just making these things up. This, apparently, is the surname 'Brockenbunes'. 👀 #genealogy #earlymodern

An almost illegible and faded baptism entry from a 1642 London parish register.

RJ1611@rfj1611· 28d

Um, I don't think so....😳 #birds #gardenbirds #shgtss

Screenshot from a UK garden birds identifier site. It shows an image of a small bird with a white and light brown back, a white head with a black band circling it, and a red band around its eyes. It is identified as a blackbird.

Screnshot from a UK garden birds identifier site. It shows an image of a small brown chested bird with a blue capped head. It is labelled as a starling.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Jul 11

Zombies! 🧟‍♂️👁

"One Yellow Eye" by Leigh Radford. The image is of a thick paperback book, standing at an angle on a white background. The book is yellow and the title and author name are in red. In the middle of the cover is a wide open black and white eye with long lashes, looking at the viewer through a circular frame.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Jul 2

👀 #EarlyModern #PrinceRupert

Screenshot from art website 1st Dibs, describing a portrait of a 17th century lady. "Portrait of a Lady, Frances Bard (1646-1702) Mistress of Prince Rupert von de Pfalz, Duke of Cumberland (1619-1882).

RJ1611@rfj1611· Jun 23

I've been working on a modern, digital & annotated version of the Committee for Compounding records for a few years now. It's fascinating when you start cross-referencing all the people who had their sticky fingers in other people's sequestration cases & made a nice fortune from it. 😧

The spine of a large, 19th century dark blue hardback copy of "The Calendar of the Committee for Compounding, &c. Domestic, 1643-1660 Part III." The lettering is in gold.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Jun 23

Oh come on! It's June!!! 🥵 #ukheatwave

Close up of a small black digital thermometer sitting on a bird feed tray in a garden. The temperature showing is 44 degrees celsius.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Jun 21

That's very helpful, #Ancestry. Thank you. 🙄 #genealogy

Screenshot of an Ancestry page fail. It should be loading an 18th century will, instead it just loads a blank white page.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Jun 20

Currently reading The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Recommended!

Front cover of The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky. A rear silhouette of a human in the distance stands in a barren landscape, framed by tall stone-like pillars, and a huge moon illuminated in the sky ahead.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Jun 15

Just encountered this 10cm monster in our Oxfordshire back garden. Bigger bugs may be the norm across the pond, but trust me, for us this was an insane sighting. Reported to the Great Stag Hunt website, as the poor things are getting rarer and need monitoring. #stagbeetle

A large black stag beetle sitting on a wooden log. His head and pincers are raised.

A black male stag beetle sitting on a wooden log. Viewed from above he looks like he's wearing a three piece armoured shell. He has red antlers/pincers.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Jun 15

"From which people rope-jump", #BBC, not "where people rope jump from". #sigh I miss the days when BBC journalists knew how construct a sentence. 😒

A BBC news article with the headline: "Brazil woman dies afer rope-jumping instructors fail to attach cord." There is an image of a long pillared stone bridge, with the caption "The "Skeleton Bridge" where people rope-jump from in Ponte de Esqueleto, Brazil."

RJ1611@rfj1611· Jun 14

*wistful sigh* Oh to find a fella who'll write this about you in his will. ❤️ #genealogy #wills #17thcentury

Excerpt from the will of Richard Holman, Surrey, 1653. (Prob 11 / Piece 230, source: Ancestry)

"___unto Jane my most loveinge and wellbeloved wife: for my said wife which is next and above all things in the world dearest unto mee. I should be unthankeful to God if I should not acknowledge her to be the greatest of all his temporall blessings to mee. And I should bee unworthy of soe greate a blessinge if I did not thinke her worthy of all I have donne shall doe or cann doe for her which as for her sake I wish it were more soe I desire her for my sake to accept __ that which proceedeth from an husband that both hartily loves her and really valueth her merritt..."

RJ1611@rfj1611· Jun 3

From the 1921 UK census, transcribed as 'Bibe Jones'. It does look like 'Bibe', but I've never heard that name before. Has anyone else seen this? #genealogy

An entry from the 1921 UK census (Wigan) for what looks like 'Bibe Jones, Head.'

RJ1611@rfj1611· May 8

Remembered I have this. 😁 (Thank you @foxlanebooks.bsky.social). *smug* #DavidAttenborough #AttenboroughAt100 #happyBirthday

The front cover of the hardback book "Living Planet - The Web of Life on Earth" by David Attenborough. The cover is a dark muddy green with a yellowy green leaf being held by a red ant on a thin tree branch.

The signature of David Attenborough on the front page of his book "Living Planet".

RJ1611@rfj1611· May 3

A very entertaining Bank Holiday medieval jousting event at Stonor Park, Oxfordshire today. Horses, knights, sword fighting, vendettas & a very funny emcee. Two knights dismounted for a fistfight. "He's got the upper hand! The trump hand! And we all know trump hands are very small & useless." 🤣

Two knights on horseback are holding red lances. One man is on a black horse with a long red saddle cloth and the knight's insiginia of a white shield with three stars above and a red heart below. The other is on a black horse with red and yellow diagonal stripes. Both men were tabards matching their horse's emblems. They stand together but facing away from us on grass, with tall green trees ahead and blue sky above.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Apr 19

My friend Jack enjoying an adventure book on the deck of our #Croatia cruise. Jack & his little backpack have been with me for over 30yrs, in my bag on every single trip outside England since I was 17. I never travel abroad without him. He's done volcanoes, glaciers, mountains, even a gondola! 🐸

A small green toy frog wearing a red backpack, sitting on a cream coloured sun lounger on the deck of a cruise ship. He is looking at a white Kobo ereader in front of him, open to a page of text. Around him are polished wooden deck planks, rigging, railings & a beautiful blue sky with a few clouds.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Apr 18

Swimming on a quiet and (before a sodding motorboat shot past and buggered it up) still corner of the ocean near our moored boat in #Croatia. #swan #wildlife #peace

A white swan with an orange beak paddles sedately along through a patch of blue green ocean, a few ripples circle it. The view fades to white in the distance (the sun was going down) so all you see is the swam framed by ocean.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Apr 18

My view right now. ☺️ #Croatia

A small harbour cove near a town on a hillside with white houses and teracotta roof tiles. Small boats and sailing boats are moored on the left, on a calm blue sea. In the distance behind the hills continue back, covered with treee and the odd house. The sky is stripes of blue and white.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Apr 15

In today's world, the naming of child abuse victims is an absolute no. Yet in the past it was common practice to give their full identity in the press. I often wonder about the further damage this might have caused? Little Nellie was 4 years old, but her name, her abuser's name, and what he did

Cutting from the Birmingham Daily Times, Wednesday March 14th 1888. "WARWICKSHIRE ASSIZES - FIRST COURT.- Before Baron HUDDLESTON. PENAL SERVITUDE WELL EARNED. Jane Henny (65), labourer, was found guilty of having committed a criminal offence upon Nellie Preece, four years of age, at Nuneaton, on December 31st Inst. Mr. Fitzgerald prosecuted. Henny being undefended. - The details of the case were of the most disgusting nature. Prisoner made the child drunk and afterwards outraged her. - In sentencing the prisoner his lordship dwelt upon the enormity of the offence, more especially having regard to his age. The sentence was on of ten years' penal servitude."

RJ1611@rfj1611· Apr 9

Why I love #AnimalCrossing. 😆

A screenshot from the Nintendo game Animal Crossing, showing a girl with purple hair in a bun, wearing a greenish long sleeved shirt, standing with her back to us in a garishly decorated living room, while the owner, a turquoise cow named Naomi, wearing a pink wide brimmed summer hat and a green cardigan, says "Would you say that my home reflects who I am as a cow?"

RJ1611@rfj1611· Apr 6

This self-portrait of #WilliamDobson was recently bought for the nation by #TateBritain and #NationalPortraitGallery. William is going on a national tour soon, so I wanted to visit first. My little Dobson loving heart is having a good day. 🥰 #art #seventeenthcentury #earlymodern

A self portrait of 17th century painter William Dobson. It is a head and shoulders portrait against a plain dark background, wearing a black doublet with a white high collar. He has curly black or dark brown hair and a moustache. He looks directly at the viewer. It has a square gold frame.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Mar 24

Our baby girl is now a big girl, & her bag is packed for a trip to the vet tomorrow for 'the op'. They've done it countless times, I know, but that never stops the nerves. Please spare a good thought for Susy to come through with flying colours, & be safely back in her armchair soon. 🙏 #pets

A sleeping female springer spaniel with a black face, with a white strip between her eyes and across her freckled nose. She lies on a green blanket in a red leather armchair. She is resting her head on a yellow toy duck.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Mar 20

So proud of my little #oak trees! 🌳 My new house is near a lovely wooded public nature area, so I spent time last autumn picking up forlorn dropped acorns. I felt bad for them as most would just be trampled by dog walkers in heavy winter boots.😒 These at least have a chance to grow up! #nature

Two young acorn sprouts in a dark blue plastic flower pot, currently indoors while they grow strong enough to plant out. The pot stands against a white wall. The plants are about 5 inches tall and already have mini oak leaves on display.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Mar 16

So many questions... 😕😳 #history #newspapers #archive #yorkshire

Clipping from the Bradford Daily Argus newspaper, Bradford, Yorkshire, 26 December 1908. It reads: "Two American acronauts fell, in a burst balloon, from the clouds, 2900 feet high, into a lady's boudoir. They were not hurt."

RJ1611@rfj1611· Mar 11

for 3 yrs, but she died 2 days later. We all have moments in our lives when something knocks the trajectory of your family sideways & this was ours. It was too soon, too unfair in how it happened, & from it I learned I sadly have the capacity to not forgive. Rest well, Omi. I miss you. x

A black and white head and shoulders photo of a young white woman with dark shoulder length curls around her rounded face, smiling slightly at the camera against a dark background. She wears what looks like a kind of peasant blouse with flowery pattern on the chest and neck. She was a teenager here, just before Allied bombing and firestorms destroyed her hometown and her house one night and she became an internally displaced refugee in Germany.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Mar 6

So last night I tried to make tea with a pink wafer biscuit instead of a teabag. Disturbing thing is I didn't notice until I had already started pouring in the boiled water. I need a holiday. #sigh

A pink wafer biscuit lies at the bottom of a white mug on a granite kitchen slab.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Mar 4

Happy 415th birthday (or at least baptism anniversary) to my favourite painter, #WilliamDobson, who painted King Charles I & his Royalists during the English Civil Wars. He died young, but left us a unique visual record of the conflict & its protagonists. 🖌🎨 #EarlyModern #17thcentury #art

A self portrait by William Dobson (1611-1646). Head and shoulders, turned slightly to his right but head turned to the viewer. He wears a black tunic with a short white collar tied at the throat. He has a moustache and small beard, curly brown hair at just above shoulder length, brown eyes and full lips. The background is a plain dark brown.

RJ1611@rfj1611· Mar 1

SHAKEN, you illiterate #BBC morons, not SHOOK!! 🙄🤦😖 JFW.