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Monthly Archives: May 2023

Read more about the article Donald MacRae, brave Newcastle harbour master

Donald MacRae, brave Newcastle harbour master

Captain Donald MacRae, former harbour master of the Port of Newcastle, Australia, was credited in some quarters with being the last Allied serviceman to be evacuated after the failed British invasion attempt at Gallipoli, Turkey, in World War 1. His long career was punctuated by acts of great bravery. He died and was cremated in 1963 and his ashes remained among the possessions of his son-in-law until 2015, when some of his grandchildren scattered them off Big Ben Reef, Newcastle, the scene of one of his famous rescues. In 2023 those grandchildren fixed a plaque at…

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Read more about the article A serf’s guide to feudalism
Serfs paying up. From northumberlandarchives.com

A serf’s guide to feudalism

Feudalism is back in fashion. With that in mind, here's a handy rhetorical rough guide for beginner serfs. While nobody can teach you to serf, history can be a guide, showing you what to expect. Once you get started who knows? Maybe it won't seem so strange after all. A serf's role in a feudal system is simple. The serf is granted access to a small piece of somebody else’s productive resource on condition they use it to generate a surplus for the owner. In return they may retain a portion of their production for their…

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Read more about the article In praise of family history
Jack and Lily with their adopted daughter - my mother

In praise of family history

In my younger days I couldn't find a reason to be interested in family history. I mean, I listened to the stories my parents and grandparents told about their early lives and usually found them interesting and often surprising, but the general idea of "family history" left me cold. That was, I think, mostly because a lot of people who talked to me about family history were eager for me to know that they were descended from some illustrious famous personage or a convict First-Fleeter and it was clear that I was supposed to be impressed.…

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