Background
Dow, George Francis was born on January 7, 1868 in Wakefield, New Hampshire, United States. Son of George Prince and Ada Bingham (Tappan) Dowager
(A picture of some phases of life in the early days of the...)
A picture of some phases of life in the early days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is presented in the following pages; lightly sketched, as much of the detail has become dim or has disappeared with the passage of years, it never having been placed on record even among the traditions. For why keep an exact record of doings with which every one is familiar? It follows that many of the every day happenings, the manners and customs of daily life—much of the intimate detail of existence in the Colony, in the seventeenth century, have been lost forever. Few realize how modern are the furnishings and comforts of our present-day houses and how different was the home life of our ancestors. Chairs were unknown in ordinary English households until a generation or so before the sailing of the Mayflower. Hats were worn at meals and the use of table forks did not become general until the last of the 1600s. Food was placed in the mouth with the knife or the fingers. Washing the hands and face was not considered essential on rising from bed in the morning and few of the laboring classes in any country in Europe washed their faces every day. This is a collection of source materials, somewhat digested, rather than a comprehensive, well-balanced narrative of daily life in the Colony—an impossible task at this late day. Moreover, the exact limitations of the Colonial Period have not been observed too closely as it has seemed desirable to include some material from newspapers and other later sources.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G4EA3IA/?tag=2022091-20
( "Why did men go a-pirating, or 'on the account' as the ...)
"Why did men go a-pirating, or 'on the account' as the pirates called it? The sailors said it was few ships and many men, hard work and small pay, long voyages, bad food and cruel commanders." — Introduction Whatever their reasons, large numbers of pirates plied the waters off the coast of New England on the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, plundering merchant vessels and often inflicting grievous injuries on captains, passengers, and crews. Now the grim saga of these maritime marauders comes to life in the pages of this meticulously researched study. Drawing on detailed information from documents in state archives, admiralty records, printed reports of trials, articles from contemporary newspapers and other sources, these accounts recall the infamous exploits of a murderous band of brigands: the notorious William Kidd; George Lowther, who captured 33 vessels in 17 months; Charles Harris, who was hanged at Newport with 25 of his crew; John Phillips, who became a pirate and died a gentleman; John Quelch and his crew, who were hanged at Boston and their gold distributed; as well as the sinister doings of Ned Low, Thomas Tew, Samuel Bellamy, William Fly, and others. Enhanced with nearly 50 contemporary engravings and rare maps, this exciting narrative will fascinate maritime history buffs and any lover of thrilling real-life adventure on the high seas.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486290646/?tag=2022091-20
( The New York Times called this book a "valuable additio...)
The New York Times called this book a "valuable addition to the too-small list of books that give reliable accounts of the daily lives of the early Colonists … beautifully made and interestingly illustrated." With the republication of Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the incidents, anecdotes, and events surrounding the first inhabitants of colonial New England are brought vividly to life. Drawing extensively on contemporary records, author and antiquarian George Dow provides graphically accurate descriptions of early shelters and dwellings, interior furnishings, colonial wardrobes, sports and games, shipping, trade, medicinal aids, medicinal practice, crimes, punishment, and much more. The text dispenses a wealth of intimate details on manners and customs — including intriguing tidbits of information on peculiar mealtime apparel, eating habits, and personal cleanliness. Detailed appendixes contain shop inventories, records of the contents of private homes, copies of building agreements, and other matters. Supplementing the text are more than 100 historically valuable photographs and illustrations, including rare pictures of early kitchens and parlors, furniture, clapboard houses, farmyard scenes, a variety of workers at their crafts, gravestones, and an execution by hanging. Here is a book that will delight students and teachers of history, researchers, and anyone fascinated by the day-to-day activities of this country's earliest settlers.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486255654/?tag=2022091-20
Dow, George Francis was born on January 7, 1868 in Wakefield, New Hampshire, United States. Son of George Prince and Ada Bingham (Tappan) Dowager
Public schools and under private tutelage.
The Parson Capen House (Topsfield, Massachusetts) was restored under his direction in 1913. Dow was instrumental in the creation of the Pioneer Village for the 300th anniversary of the founding of Salem, Massachusetts. Joseph Everett Chandler, an architect, and George Francis Dow conceived Pioneer Village as a means to demonstrate life in 1630.
They "engaged other experts and architects to help pull it off" before the Tercentenary celebrations.
Noted landscape architect Harlan Page Kelsey drew up the plan. Philip Horton Smith planned the restoration of the Ruck House.
They created one of America"s first living history museums which the city of Salem committed to preserve in perpetuity. The John Ward House was moved to its present site in 1910 and restored by the Peabody Essex Museum, under the direction of curator and early preservationist George Francis Dowager
The house was moved my splitting it into two and rolled on ox-drawn logs from its original site three blocks away.
In 1911, The John Ward House opened to the public, becoming the first outdoor museum of architecture in the country. The John Ward House is a National Historic Landmark at 132 Essex Street in Salem, Massachusetts. The house was built in 1684 by John Ward and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1968.
(A picture of some phases of life in the early days of the...)
( The New York Times called this book a "valuable additio...)
( "Why did men go a-pirating, or 'on the account' as the ...)
(Contains 14 chapters, 8 appendixes, and 106 illustrations.)
(Slave Ships and Slaving. With an introduction by Capt. Er...)
Member Massachusetts General Court (legislature), 1900.
Married Alice Goldsmith Waters, June 1, 1920.