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reloha · 8 months

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Jacobi and McKellen as grand marshals of New York City's 2015 pride march.

All Good Omens (show) fans will know Derek Jacobi as the Metatron. His brief role on Doctor Who is also getting a lot of mention in recent posts, but I'm not going to talk about any of that.

Like his Vicious co-star Ian McKellen, Jacobi has had a long and illustrious career in theatre, television, and film. McKellen and Jacobi met when they were at Cambridge.

I'm not a huge fan of the Daily Mail, but this article, an interview with the two actors, is quite interesting. I'll just quote this part:

Jacobi says he came out to his mother when he was at university. ‘She said, “All young men, go through this phase, don’t worry.” I remember saying, “Don’t tell Dad.”’ He doesn’t know to this day if she did. ‘I think she did, but I don’t know. But they were wonderful, my parents, not much was said but they kind of knew, they got it.’

McKellen hasn’t heard his friend talk of this before. ‘That’s the first time I’ve heard that,’ he says, genuinely moved. ‘I never came out to my family. Biggest regret of my life.’ It turns out he didn’t even come out to Derek at university, even though it’s always been reported that he had something of a crush on him.

‘Yes, I did fancy Derek, but I didn’t act on it, God, no. It was illegal, remember. I do get on my high horse about it, because it was so difficult. There were no gay clubs you could go to. No gay bars, no gay newspaper, nothing. What there was was a bit sleazy, I suspect. One of the reasons I became an actor was that you could meet gay people. Even then everything was difficult. When you went to America they asked, “Are you now, or have you ever been, homosexual?” I lied on the form. It was a different world.’

I want to talk about Vicious for a bit, the ITV britcom in which Derek Jacobi and Ian McKellen play an aging gay couple, (respectively) a homemaker, Stuart Bixby, and an actor, Freddie Thornhill, for fourteen episodes.

Freddie (McKellen) tells Stuart (Jacobi) about a part he's hoping to get.

I had to add these for the Broadchurch reference.

It's a law that British actors of a certain age play this part.

I couldn't find one with Michael Sheen and the skull, but here he is in the role.

McKellen did the part again at 81 in an age-blind production.

Jacobi's big breakout was the titular role in I, Claudius on the BBC in 1976.

In the '90s, Jacobi played amateur sleuth and 12th century monk, Brother Cadfael on the ITV series.

I had watched some of Vicious before, but, spurred on by Jacobi's reappearance on Good Omens, looked for it again and watched both seasons a couple of weeks ago. Because I love a good fancast and Jacobi and Sheen (at least as Aziraphale) remind me a little of each other, I couldn't help but think that Jacobi and McKellen in their youth could have played a version of Aziraphale and Crowley. (There have been a couple of posts noting this about Jacobi, and that he might have been up for the part if it had been done soon after the book came out.)

Jacobi, left, and McKellen, right (obviously).

I also think that Tennant and Sheen could have pulled off playing Freddie and Stuart in a flashback.

An even younger version of Freddie and Stuart does appear in the series, however, played by Luke Treadaway and Samuel Barnett.

Also good casting! They do a great job playing McKellen and Jacobi playing Freddie and Stuart.

Shoutout to this post by @ember-knights, that suggested Good Omens fans should check out Vicious for a glimpse of what life in the South Downs cottage might be. And also to other posts mentioning Vicious and Good Omens in the same breath, as well as comparing Sheen and Tennant to Jacobi and McKellen (which I probably reblogged but can't find right now).

Cast of Vicious: Frances de la Tour, Iwan Rheon, Philip Voss, Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, Marcia Warren (Wikipedia). (Yes, the upstairs neighbor (Rheon) does go on to play Ramsay Bolton on Game of Thrones. He's a sweetheart in this, though.)

Now, I don't think Crowley and Aziraphale are the same as Freddie and Stuart, by any means. Freddie and Stuart say quite cruel things to each other. The characters become deeper in the second season; it’s a little sweeter than the first. I enjoy the bitterness of the first season too, though. It is funny, and Good Omens fans may enjoy watching it if only to see Derek Jacobi (who plays the Metatron) in a comedy role and a role that's sympathetic, especially if they are not familiar with his large and impressive body of work.

I don't think Aziraphale and Crowley's life in the bookshop as a couple, not just a group of two, or life on the South Downs, would be exactly like this, but there are somehow some similarities that I don't even know how to begin to pinpoint or explicate.

Crowley and Aziraphale’s affection is always so palpable and that’s not always clear with Freddie and Stuart. Crowley and Aziraphale are so loving that, even when they're bickering, it's joyful, even when they're arguing, even when they're coming apart (temporarily) at the seams, their love is undeniable. I don’t even think their breakup was toxic; although they were desperate at that point and hurt each other badly, it wasn't what they wanted. Sometimes it's that way.

And, lest I'm putting you off Vicious here, the Ineffable Husbands are a high bar as love stories go, but you will get to see some love and affection between Freddie and Stuart too, and I'd really love to see these actors work together more. (I am happy with how the show ends up, by the way.)

Toodle-loo! Hope everything is tickety-boo with you.

#Good Omens spoilers #Good Omens #Good Omens viewpoints #Derek Jacobi #Ian McKellen #Vicious #Derek Jacobi appreciation post #***Good Omens #tickety boo

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culperscomet · 29 days

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A little while ago I did this semester-long project focusing on the culper ring which had me trying to find primary sources that would be useful. One of the sources that I found was a letter from Charles Scott to George Washington and it's actually the funniest thing I found during the entire research part.

In the letter, Scott says that he forwarded a letter to Washington from a man named John Bolton, who was recommended to him by Benjamin Tallmadge… I’m sure you can see the irony here.

National Archives (where I found it) goes on to say that Scott more than likely meant to use the name Samuel Culper, but it’s actually way more funny he used Tallmadge’s alias instead. Just imagine Tallmadge indirectly hyping himself up to Scott like “this guy’s so smart you can totally trust him” as he’s just referring to himself.

#whoever said research is boring was a liar #this was genuinely the funniest thing i found #american revolution #18th century history #culper spy ring #american history #benjamin tallmadge #george washington #charles scott #turn washington's spies

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ladybugsimblr · 1 year

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GQ - The Music Issue Our Annual Hall of Fame Portfolio feat. D-Lo, Khalil Russell, Dizzy Des & More

photographed by Q Blackburn

Deangelo “D-Lo” Bolton Rapper / Producer / Vybez Nation, Founder

Khalil Russell Producer / The Blueprint, Founder

Desmond “Dizzy Des” Samuels Producer / Rapper / Bad Kid Entertainment, Founder

shoutout to @storiesbyjes2g for khalil and desmond who elevated my game to an astronomical level of fiiiine, and created extreme pixel thirstiness leading to this entire project lol.

sidenote: ladybug inc is not responsible for any pregnancies caused by staring directly into d-lo’s eyes.

#should have just been called the sexy issue #thirst is real #fine fine and fine #congratulations q d-lo and k.russ #eye rolls for dizzy #khalil owns the label bk is signed to #in case anyone didn't know #bklegacy #bklgen2 #quinton #deangelo bolton #khalil russell #dizzy des

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hiswordsarekisses · 4 months

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“The fundamental character of God’s law has not changed from Old Testament to New Testament. What HAS changed is our reason for obedience, our motive.

Under a sense of legalism, obedience is done with a view to meriting salvation or God’s blessing on our lives.

Under GRACE, obedience is a loving response to salvation already provided in Christ and the assurance that, having provided salvation, God will also, through Christ, provide all else that we need.

There’s no question that obedience to God’s commands prompted by fear or merit-seeking is NOT true obedience.

The only obedience acceptable to God is impelled by love because "love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:10).

In a profound way, love and obedience are bound together: "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (John 14:23).

I readily acknowledge that it’s indeed difficult to keep in our minds and hearts the commandment nature of God’s will without falling into the trap of legalism.

Samuel Bolton recognized this difficulty when he wrote, "It is a hard lesson to live above the law, and yet to walk according to the law. But this is the lesson a Christian has to learn, to walk in the law in respect of duty, but to live above it in respect of comfort, neither expecting favour from the law in respect of his obedience nor fearing harsh treatment from the law in respect of his failing."”

~ Jerry Bridges

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andrewlloydwebber · 2 years

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WICKED, 1776, AND THE BAND’S VISIT AUDIO GIFTS

Quite random selection audios from my recent theatregoing experiences. I don’t know if anyone is interested but I figured it’s better than hoarding them. Reblog if you download, gift to anyone if requested.

WICKED 2nd National “Munchkinland” Tour / June 29th, 2022 / Boston, MA, USA / Lissa deGuzman (Elphaba), Jennafer Newberry (Glinda), Jordan Litz (Fiyero), John Bolton (The Wizard), Lisa Howard (Madame Morrible), Kimberly Immanuel (Nessarose), Jake Pedersen (Boq), Michael Genet (Doctor Dillamond) / Note: A cellphone went off during the Fiyero reveal.

Google Drive (2 untracked M4A files)

THE BAND’S VISIT 1st National Tour / June 16th, 2022 / Worcester, MA, USA / Janet Dacal (Dina), Sasson Gabay (Tewfiq), Ramin Doostdar (u/s Haled), Ali Louis Bourzgui (u/s Itzik), Coby Getzug (Papi), Hannah Shankman (u/s Iris), Yoni Avi Battat (Camal), Joshua Grosso (Telephone Guy), David Studwell (Avrum), Billy Cohen (Zelger), Dana Saleh Omar (u/s Julia), Marc Ginsburg (Sammy)

Google Drive (1 untracked M4A file)

1776, Pre-Broadway / May 28th, 2022 / Cambridge, MA, USA / Gisela Adisa as Robert Livingston, Nancy Anderson (George Read), Becca Ayers (Col. Thomas McKean), Tiffani Barbour (Andrew McNair), Allison Briner Dardenne (Stephen Hopkins), Allyson Kaye Daniel (Abigail Adams/Rev. Jonathan Witherspoon), Elizabeth A. Davis (Thomas Jefferson) , Rose Van Dyne (u/s Charles Thomson), Joanna Glushak (John Dickinson), Grace Stockdale (u/s Richard Henry Lee), Eryn LeCroy (Martha Jefferson/Dr. Lyman Hall), Crystal Lucas-Perry (John Adams), Liz Mikel (John Hancock), Patrena Murray (Benjamin Franklin), Oneika Phillips (Joseph Hewes), Lulu Picart (Samuel Chase), Sara Porkalob (Edward Rutledge), Sushma Saha (Judge James Wilson), Brooke Simpson (Roger Sherman), Salome Smith (Courier), Sav Souza (Dr. Josiah Bartlett), Imani Pearl Williams ( u/s Caesar Rodney) /

Google Drive (2 untracked M4A files)

#wicked the musical #the band's visit #1776 musical #lissa de guz #eryn lecroy #audio gift

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ash-morse · 4 months

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{ JOSH HEUSTON, 21, DEMI-BOY, HE/HIM } Is that ASHLEY MORSE ? A SOPHOMORE originally from CHARLESTON, SC, they decided to come to Ogden College to study PRE-MED on an ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP. They’re THE HIMBO on campus, but even they could get blamed for Greer’s disappearance.

THE ESSENTIALS

TBD

CHARACTER INSPIRATIONS

elle woods (legally blonde) - chris traeger (parks and rec) - finnick odair (the hunger games) - aaron samuels (mean girls) - troy bolton (high school musical) - finn hudson (glee) - jeremiah fisher (the summer i turned pretty) - wally clark (school spirits) - amy santiago (brooklyn 99) - seth cohen (the oc)

TV TROPES

THE HIMBO, book smart, ditzy genius, endearingly dorky, lovable jock, dumb muscle, beautiful all along, in with the in crowd, more TBD

OGDEN COLLEGE 2022-2023

MAJOR:

Pre-Med with a Gender and Sexuality Studies Minor

EXTRACURRICULARS:

Lacrosse (Defenseman), Sailing Queer Alliance, Pre-Med Society

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Ashley Morse

NICKNAME(S): Ash

DATE OF BIRTH: May 29, 2002

AGE: twenty

ZODIAC SIGN: gemini sun, leo moon, libra rising, taurus mercury, cancer venus, gemini mars

OCCUPATION: ogden college student

HOMETOWN: charleston, sc

NATIONALITY: american

ETHNICITY: anglo-sri lankan

LANGUAGE(S): english

GENDER & PRONOUNS: demi-boy, he/him (

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: pansexual

PHYSICAL INFORMATION

FACE CLAIM: Josh Heuston

HEIGHT: 5'10”

EYE COLOR: light green

HAIR COLOR + STYLE: dark brown curls, worn long

ACCENT + INTENSITY: TBD

TATTOO(S): none

SCAR(S): TBD

PIERCING(S): one pierced ear, thanks to link

GLASSES: no

CLOTHING STYLE: TBD

PERSONALITY

MBTI TYPE: TBD

POSITIVE TRAITS: extroverted, sociable, clever, practical, determined, goofy, determined, intuitive

NEGATIVE TRAITS: scattered, flighty, indecisive, two-faced, over-sensitive, inconsistent, closed-off, judgmental

SKILLS: solving a rubik’s cube in about 10 seconds, can tie essentially any type of knot that exists, doing a standing back tuck (he does celebrate the rare goal as a defenseman in lacrosse this way)

GOALS/DESIRES: TBD

FEARS: TBD

HOBBIES: TBD

HABITS: TBD

SMOKES? yes, weed at least

DRINKS? yes

DRUGS? yes - he injured his knee last year and has been lowkey using opiates to help him deal with it because he can’t be kicked off the lacrosse team and lose his athletic scholarship. he completely downplayed the injury at the time, and has been consistently trying to hide the lasting affects - before that, he wasn’t much of a hard drug user.

PLEASE EXPAND ON HOW THEY EMBODY THEIR CHARACTER TROPE: THE HIMBO

tbd

expanded personality tbd

CONNECTIONS

connection page tbd

RELATIONSHIP TO GREER: NEW FRIEND

Last year, when Ash showed up as a freshman, his newly developed looks and the confidence that went along with them found him blending right into the popular clique. While he was aware that these were the very people who would’ve ignored him in high school, he couldn’t help but go along with it with the slightest sense of awe. Maybe because he is friendly with both Kit and Jesse, he never had anything but positive interactions with Greer, actually getting along extremely well. They often goofed off together, Ash definitely someone that could bring out her more easy going side, though that could be said for most people he interacted with.

BACKGROUND

FAMILY:

SOCIAL CLASS: upper class/upper middle class

FATHER: TBD

MOTHER: TBD

SIBLING(S)? TBD

family page tbd

BIOGRAPHY:

ash was definitely more shy/reserved/closed off in his younger years - before going through puberty, he was skinny and felt so outta place in who he was, so he held himself back a lot and was very much one of the shy nerdy kids

there was definitely some bullying as well through middle school/early high school, which definitely didn’t help him feeling comfortable in his own skin

his personality started to come out a lot more once he began to feel more confident, and people realized he was a complete goofball, albeit one who is very pretty

he had a glow up around senior year of high school, and was suddenly much more welcomed into the popular cliques

not being one to hold grudges, ash became friends with a lot of the kids who were previously mean to him

when he came to ogden, he was instantly accepted in as a jock, and fit in with the quote-unquote cool kids. it was a shock for him, and he tries to hide his still very loud nerdy side so they don't realize he doesn't belong and kick him out

expanded biography tbd

SOME FUN FACTS

TBD

he has def like...concussed himself on his own locker at least once

thinks ollie is g!

#muse #ogdenintro

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pub-lius · 2 years

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part something of research for @thereallvrb0y

I'm so productive today so here we go. Today, we got Ben Tallmadge, James McHenry, John and Abigail Adams. Love you, Richie

@thereallvrb0y

Oh, also, for my sources, I really just used Mount Vernon and the White House website because I am a capitalist piece of shit. (the white house has the best timeline, Mount Vernon has more specifics)

Benjamin Tallmadge

Benjamin Tallmadge was born on February 25, 1754 in Setauket, Long Island *insert Turn theme* as the second of five sons to Reverend Benjamin Tallmadge and Susannah Tallmadge. He was educated in the classics by his father, who didn't send him to Yale until 1769.

"President Dagge[t, at that University], on a visit to [his] father, examined and admitted [Tallboy] as qualified to enter college, when [he] was twelve or thirteen years old."

Tallmadge developed a "close friendship" with Nathan Hale as a student at Yale. I'll let someone more eloquent in Halemadge mythology tackle that information, but to me they seem kinda sus but slay.

He completed his studies in 1773 and took up a teaching post at a school in Wethersfield, Connecticut. However, after the disaster that was 1775, Tallmadge began seriously considering joining the Army. He was offered the position of lieutenant in one of the six month regiments in Connecticut by Captain Chester of Wethersfield in 1776. He first saw action in the Battle of Long Island in August 1776, which was a British victory. Meanwhile, his older brother, William, was taken prisoner at Long Island and "literally starved to death in one of [the British] prisons."

But all that bad stuff is okay because in December of that year, he was appointed to a captain in Colonel Elisha Sheldon's 2d Regiment of Light Dragoons, then rose to the rank of major in April 1777. They grow up so fast. Tallmadge was also present at Brandywine and Germantown, which would be slay queen pussy boss, if both those battles weren't losses lol.

In 1778, Tallmadge was appointed director of military intelligence by Washington, with a focus on getting information from New York City, so "[he] opened a private correspondence with some persons in New York (for Gen. Washington) which lasted through the war." This was, you guessed it, Abraham Woodhull, Caleb Brewster, Anna Strong (allegedly!), Robert Townsend, and Austin Roe (we don't know who tf that is).

Those people formed the Culper Spy Ring, named after the nickname given to Woodhull, "Samuel Culper." Tallmadge was given a similar nickname, "John Bolton".

A system was created for the spies in which numbers were substituted for common words, names, and places. A key was provided to Washington, Woodhull, and Townsend. Washington also provided them with invisible ink because apparently he's Dumbledore. A message would be written with it, sometimes on the back of a normal letter, for the recipient to treat the paper with a reagent to reveal the message. This, apparently, saw significant use.

"I have not any of the Ink, but I will endeavor to provide some of it as soon as possible," -Washington to Tallmadge on April 30, 1779

The Spy Ring prevented a British fleet from sailing for Rhode Island in July 1780. Woodhull passed the intelligence of the fleet to Tallmadge, who allerted Washington. A fake plan of attacking New York was made, which made the British recall their ships, and allowed Lafayette and Rochambeau to land 6,000 troops at Newport.

Tallmadge also played a significant role in the apprehension of John Andre. If you want the whole story of John Andre's arrest and Benedict Arnold's flee from West Point, I have that shit memorized and I love talking about it so send me an ask bc I don't feel like typing all that shit out rn lol.

After the war, Tallmadge returned to civilian life with his wife, Mary Floyd Tallmadge, and their seven children in Connecticut. He entered into several business and financial ventures, for example serving as president of the Phoenix Bank and joined the Ohio Company to purchase and resell land in the west.

During Washington's first presidential term, Tallmadge was given the position of postmaster for Litchfield, Connecticut. He was elected to Congress in 1800 as a Federalist (here in my notes I wrote "freaks who fuck together federal together" and I'm not sure why, but there you go) and remained in the House until 1817. He died at 81 in 1835.

James McHenry

James McHenry was born on November 16, 1753 in County Antrim, Ireland. He was classically educated in Dublin before immigrating to Philadelphia in 1771. He returned to Philadelphia from a term at Newark Academy in Delaware to study medicine under Dr. Benjamin Rush in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War.

He put his medical training to good use in the "American Continental Hospital" (idk why that's in quotes but I figured it's important) near Boston in the Autumn of 1775. He followed the Army to New York and was appointed surgeon for the 5th Pennsylvania Regiment on August 10, 1776. He was captured less than three months later with over 2,800 soldiers at the fall of Fort Washington on November 16, 1776. McHenry actively treated wounded comrades during captivity and informed Washington of the condition of prisoners of war in New York. He was exchanged in March 1778.

McHenry returned to his duty as a senior surgeon at Valley Forge. He accepted Washington's invitation to join his staff as an assistant secretary without a rank. He assisted in the duties of an aide-de-camp, and became particular friends with Alexander Hamilton, which is a job all within itself. He formed the opinion that Washington "is a singular exhibition of Human Excellence."

He proved himself "worthy to wield the sword as the pen" at Monmouth on June 28, 1778. He transferred to Lafayette's staff in August 1780 as an aide-de-camp and was given the rank of Major on October 30, 1780. McHenry "tempered the young Frenchman's ardor" during the 1781 Virginia campaign. He fought at the Battle of Green Spring and at Yorktown.

Oh, also, he was the only one on Hamilton's side at his wedding. Like literally everyone else there was in the Schuyler family or were family friends. Isn't that depressing. Anyway.

In December 1781, McHenry resigned military commission to sit in the Maryland senate. He began a correspondence with Washington in order to keep him aware of the political state of affairs that would continue for fourteen years. He held a number of local, state, and national government positions, including being a Maryland representative to the Constitutional Convention, where he reluctantly signed the document and voted for ratification.

Washington offered him the position of Secretary of War in early 1796 after three others declined. He remained in the cabinet of John Adams. During the Quasi war, in 1798, Washington expressed disappointment in Mchenry during the initial months of preparation for war. Despite this, he proved to be a capable Secretary, despite dealing with fucking John fucking Adams and "two domineering generals" aka Hamilton and Washington.

Adams forced McHenry's resignation in May of 1800 because he was loyal to Hamilton, and McHenry retired to his estate near Baltimore before his passing on May 3, 1816.

John Adams

John fucking Adams was born in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1735. His father was from Braintree, Massachusetts and was a farmer and a cobbler. Adams was educated at Harvard in 1751 and then decided to be a lawyer.

He married Abigail Smith in 1764. She was the daughter of a Weymouth, Congregationalist minister and granddaughter of pre-revolutionary era politician, John Quincy. They ended up having six kids and managing a farm together.

During the war, Adams served as a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses where he led the movement for Independence. He met George Washington for the first time in 1774. They dined together several times, and he respected Washington greatly. In 1775, he pushed Congress for him to be Commander in Chief of the Continental Army.

"This Appointment will have a great Effect, in cementing and securing the Union of these Colonies." -John Adams

Adams served in France and Holland in diplomatic roles during the war and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris. However, he wasn't really a good diplomat. Everyone thought he was blunt, annoying, impatient, hypersensitive to criticism, and a fucking asshole. He would also convince himself that everyone else was evil and out to get him in some way. The most outrageous example of this, in my opinion, was the one time he accused the Marquis de Lafayette of attempting to colonize America... I'll let that sink in for a moment. Marquis de I'm-fucking-obsessed-with-America Lafayette. Mf literally had an America themed house and Adams thought "yep. he's plotting the downfall of this country." So that was fucking stupid.

Tl;dr Adams isn't as great as mainstream media thinks he is.

Adams also served as minister to the Court of St. James's from 1785-1788 but that was irrelevant apparently because I have no info on it lol.

Adams wanted to return when he got back to America but instead had to serve as Vice President and I don't feel bad for him. He didn't like being Vice President though, and I still don't feel bad for him.

"My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived." -John Adams to Abigail Adams

He was a one term president after that and geez was that one term a mess. There was a war between France and Britain going on because the French are continually fucking up international affairs at this time, and that caused complication in American shipping and domestic affairs. Why domestic affairs, you ask? Take one guess. You're right, it's Hamilton.

Specifically Hamilton and Jefferson. Because of fucking course. The Federalist (Hamilton and Adams' party) wanted to support Britain because the French were too liberal, and the Democratic Republicans (Jefferson, Madison and Monroe's party/ies, it's complicated) wanted to support France because they were allies to the US once blah blah blah they were just liberal.

However, this all was different when um. France kind of. Fucked everything up. Again.

So basically Adams sent three commissioners to France to try to get them to stop fucking up everything so the US could mind their business. However, in the spring of 98, a little birdie tells Adams that French Foreign Minister Talleyrand (a fashion icon let me tell you /j) and the French Directory refused to negotiate unless the US gave them money.

Adams, a Federalist, was like FUCK THAT and snitched to COngress who was also like fuck that, and the Senate printed the correspondence, which only referred to the French commissioners or whatever they were as "X, Y, and Z" *roll credits*

The nation had "the X. Y. Z. fever" in the words of Tommy J which increased the popularity of the Federalist party because they realized the French were fucking everything up, and people even liked Adams for a little while.

So this caused some problems later, but I'll get to that in a sec. When the debate of France vs Britain was still largely 50/50, Adams approved this little thing you might have heard of called the Alien and Sedition Acts. These were acts made to "frighten foreign agents out of the country and stifle the attacks of Republican editors." To translate out of propaganda speak, Adams was trying to limit the rights of immigrants and stop people from printing negative things about him. So you know. Infringing on Constitutional Rights. (oh, btw, Hamilton agreed with these, which is why people say he was anti-immigrant)

Anyway back to the XYZ affair kind of. Basically, because of those proceedings, the US was like "...well we're fucked." And they were, because France started fighting America on the sea. And at this point in history, America was. detrimentally fucked when it came to anything military.

American shipping was basically defenseless since they disowned Daddy Britain who had big guns and big money, both of which were used to protect shipping. For example, (this comes up later with Jefferson), the Barbary states in North Africa had pirates that would attack European merchant vessels to steal their merchandise as well as the people on board to enslave. The European superpowers (Britain, Spain, France, etc.) would large sums of money for the Barbarian governments to keep their pirates from attacking their shipping. America didn't have that kind of money. And because they didn't have that kind of money to pay bribes, they didn't have that kind of money to buy guns. or ships. or gunpowder. or food. or like anything you need to run a navy.

So France was basically decimating American merchant ships. But they chilled out by 1800 because shit was going down. The Federalists called it a war since Daddy Hamilton was angry, but war was never officially declared, so we call it what the Democratic Republicans called it, the Quasi War.

Long negotiations ended the Quasi War and I don't care. However, someone special was a little bit kind of extremely PISSED that Adams sent a peace mission to France. Take one guess- you know what I'm not even going to let you finish, it's Hamilton.

By the time of the election of 1800, Republicans had their shit together. They knew Jefferson was the most obvious choice for president, with Burr being the kind of underdog that still had potential, however the Federalists were fucked, since the party was already dying. Now you're thinking, but wait, I thought Adams was Federalist. We'll not anymore because the sluttiness in the room is about to get ASTRONOMICAL.

Hamilton and Adams were on each other's shit list since the Revolutionary War. Hamilton hated Adams because Adams was in the Continental Congress and ignored how the army was struggling in order to make a point, and Adams hated Hamilton because Hamilton made him wake up at 3 am once (evacuation of Philadelphia).

Hamilton's political influence was so great, not because he was widely respected (he wasn't) but because he had people in nearly every position that he could influence to vote in the direction that benefited him most. It didn't always work, but it worked in Adams' case.

This was also another reason Hamilton didn't like Adams because, despite being in the same party as him, Adams was too stubborn to be manipulated by Hamilton. Also, when they were both in the cabinet, Adams was mostly, if not entirely, outcast from the proceedings, mainly because of how Hamilton and Jefferson overshadowed the other cabinet members with their big personalities, big opinions, and intense rivalry. To compound this even further, Hamilton held both second and first in command positions (the latter after Washington retired [again]). So for basically an entire decade, Hamilton unofficially outranked Adams, even though Adams held the more important position.

Their rivalry wasn't personal like Hamilton and Madison/Monroe, nor was it like Hamilton and Jefferson's rivalries where they were basically the antithesis of one another. It was really just political, but because they both expected the other to agree, being in the same party, and also because they were both so hypersensitive to criticism, it became very personal in their eyes.

Hamilton wanted Adams gone. And he handled this quite differently from how Jefferson handled it, even though they both wanted Adams out of the running.

Jefferson was basically the master of eliminating his political enemies from the competition. He, like many other statesmen of the time, including Hamilton, owned publishing companies where he would commission writers to publish slander against his political enemies in order to worsen public opinion of them, therefore losing them the majority of popular vote, and by extension, the electoral vote. This was the smart way to go about things, because it was anonymous, there was no risk of damage to Jefferson's public image most of the time. Emphasis on most of the time, because the newspaper wars of the earlier 1790s weren't as anonymous but whatever.

While Hamilton did utilize this strategy, when it was a case like Adams where he needed to deal the most about of damage as fast as possible, he needed to use more than one strategy at once. So in conjunction with the above, he also spread rumors, like he did with Burr at this exact same time, he made a direct publication(s). I put that s there because I haven't gotten to look into this era of Hamilton's life in excessive detail, so I don't know all the facts, but I do know how Hamilton works.

Essentially, Hamilton struck Adams' reputation on three fronts: word on the street, pamphlets circulating, and newspaper articles. Adding Jefferson's efforts, along with Hamilton's influence among the electoral voters, Adams was cast out of the running fairly quickly.

Adams gave up on politics after that, and retired to his farm in Quincy, and rebuilt his relationship with Jefferson, which had died sometime during the Washington administration, and they remained friends until July 4, 1826, when they both died.

"Thomas Jefferson survives" -John Adams' last words, not knowing Jefferson had died a few hours earlier. Dumbass.

Abigail Adams

Abigail Smith was born in 1744 at Weymouth, Massachusetts. She was descended from the Quincys on her mother's side. Every colony had Those Families that were pretty much their since the founding and made up the elite of that colony. New York had the Schuylers, Van Rensselaers, and Livingstons, Virginia had the Jeffersons, the Washingtons, and the other one, South Carolina had the Ramsays and the Pickneys, and Massachusetts had the Quincys and the Adamses.

Abigail lacked formal education, like most other women, but was known for her keen intelligence that she gained from reading whatever she could. This love of reading created a bond between her and John Adams, and they got married in 1764 when she was 19.

They lived together in John's farm at Braintree or in Boston when he had to do lawyer things. She had three sons and two daughters in ten years (ouch) and looked after the family and their home when John was running around the globe getting fired from every job he had.

"Alas! How many snow banks divide thee and me..." -Abigail Adams to John Adams in December 1773

They were apart for most of their relationship, and I think they're one of the best examples of the 18th century, mid-upper class relationship between husband and wife. In the American culture of this time, the wife was expected to remain home and raise the children, while also being involved in local politics and diplomacy to maintain the family name, while the husband was expected to have a similar role in state/national affairs. This is why you often see, in the upper class, women having prominent roles in their family and community.

Abigail joined John in Paris in 1784. Then, after 1785, she had to define and fill the role of wife of the first United States Minister to Great Britain, and she absolutely slayed. Then, they returned to Massachusetts in 1788.

Abigail had much a much more defined political ideology than other women at their time, even if they were equally involved in politics, because of how boldly she informed her husband, as well as the Massachusetts Colony General Court in 1775, of her beliefs. She was a humanitarian and an activist, with an unbiased opinion of the United States. She advocated for gender equality in public education and the need to pay attention to how women were affected by current events. When she was informed that the Declaration of Independence was to be written, she reminded her husband to, "Remember the Ladies..."

She also wrote a will that left the majority of her possessions to her female family members, which was surprising since her belongings would technically belong to her husband. As if he could argue with her. She was smarter than him.

Although Adams rarely listened to his wife, her opinions influenced him heavily. She had so much influence over him that she was nicknamed "Mrs. President" which I think is iconic.

She also believed in the necessity of emancipation, and firmly believed in independence, saying, "Let us separate, they are unworthy to be our Brethren. Let us renounce them..."

As the wife of the Vice President, she became good friends with Martha Washington, helping her with official entertaining, since she had experience in foreign courts. However, she became sick frequently after 1791, so she was in Massachusetts most of the time.

Funny story about when she met George Washington, she kind of didn't like him because he had slaves and was a member of the Virginia planter elite. But, after meeting him, she was "struck with General Washington" and said that he was marked by "Dignity with ease... the Gentleman and Soldier look agreeably blended in him."

When Adams became president, she continued a formal pattern of entertaining, even if the capital was kind of... not there. She fucking hated it.

She retired with her husband in 1801, and lived a happy life until 1818 when she died. She is buried beside her husband in United First Parish Church.

Okay geez that was a lot, I did this all in one day FHSKJHSKLJH (not the tallmadge and mchenry notes, i did those a while back, hence why i can't decipher "freaks who fuck together federal together). my wrist hurts so im going to go play minecraft and probably read fanfiction since ive got Hamilton on the brain (if you couldn't tell). hope this helps. love ya!!!!

#history #amrev #amrev history #american revolution #american history #benjamin tallmadge #james mchenry #john adams #abigail adams #alexander hamilton #hamilton #historical hamilton #thomas jefferson #if you can't tell i don't like adams #and im sure there are some positive things out there about him #i just cannot conjure those words myself #election of 1800 #i had a really bad american history teacher in 7th grade so now whenever i have to talk or think about the xyz affair or the quasi war #part of me dies #but man am i glad to be done with this #also i think the schedule of me working on history on saturdays works pretty well because its easy work but still productive #im on a roll guys don't let me get off track #jk you're not responsible for me #but if i don't post for like months yell at me #be mean its okay #also ignore any typos you can't pay me to proofread my tumblr posts #i already cross referenced what more do you want from me #okay i'll shut up now #do it for richie 💪

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officialyourdailyinspiration · 2 years

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If there was anything of man’s bringing, which was not of God’s bestowing, though it were never so small, it would overturn the nature of grace, and make that of works which is of grace.

Samuel Bolton

#grace #works #God #Samuel Bolton #Christian Quotes

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calciopics · 1 year

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14 famous footballers' sons looking to make it big

Want to feel old? The offspring of players that seemingly retired only yesterday are taking their first steps in the game

Poor Alfe-Inge Haaland. A competent Premier League player who won 34 caps for Norway is now most famous for being the dad of Erling.

The Manchester City striker has already had a better career than his dad, with all due respect to the former City, Leeds and Nottingham Forest midfielder. But what about other sons of famous footballers?

Here are 14 players aged 21 or under looking to follow in their fathers’ footsteps…

Etienne Eto'o

One of the greatest African footballers of all time, Samuel Eto'o enjoyed a magnificent career with the likes of Real Mallorca, Barcelona and Inter (Everton, less so).

Two of his brothers, David and Etienne, are also footballers, and Samuel has a son who is now taking his first steps in the game. Etienne Eto'o had a trial with Benfica in 2021, before signing his first professional deal with fellow Portuguese side Vitoria de Guimaraes this year.

Khephren Thuram

A World Cup, European Championship and UEFA Cup winner during his playing days, Lilian Thuram is France’s all-time record appearance maker with 142 caps. His first son Marcus clearly inherited dad’s talent: the Borussia Monchengladbach forward has an outside chance of being included in Didier Deschamps’ squad for Qatar.

Just over three years younger than Marcus, Khephren Thuram is a regular for France’s Under-21s. Born in Italy while Lilian was playing for Parma, Khephren is a key part of Lucien Favre’s Nice team.

Isaac Drogba

A Chelsea legend who won virtually everything there is to win at Stamford Bridge, Didier Drogba is widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers in Premier League history.

His son, Isaac, was part of Chelsea’s youth setup until 2018, when he joined French outfit Guingamp. The centre-forward spent a few months with Caratese in the Italian lower leagues last year, and is now turning out for Portuguese side Coimbra.

Harvey Neville

When Phil Neville joined Valencia as a coach in 2015, he brought his son Harvey with him. The youngster, who like his dad can play at full-back or in midfield, later spent three years on Manchester United’s books.

Neville Jr. again followed his dad to Inter Miami in 2021. After 18 appearances for the club’s second team, the 20-year-old was brought into the senior squad for the 2022 campaign.

Romeo Beckham

Playing his trade alongside Neville at Inter Miami is a man with an even more famous dad. Romeo, the second of David Beckham’s three sons, once spent a few months on the books of Arsenal, and he is now playing for the MLS club’s second team.

Inter Miami, of course, are part-owned by the former England captain. Romeo may one day feel the need to escape from his father’s considerable shadow.

Theo Zidane

One of the most significant figures in the history of Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane will always be associated with the Blancos more than any other club. And although he stepped down from his role as Madrid manager in 2021, the Zidane clan still has representation at the Bernabeu.

That is courtesy of Theo, a promising midfielder who plays for Real Madrid Castilla. His two older brothers are professional footballers too: fellow midfielder Enzo is at Fuenlabrada and Luca is a goalkeeper for Eibar.

Andri Gudjohnsen

Papa Eidur Gudjohnsen is familiar to football fans from his successful spells at Bolton, Chelsea and Barcelona, plus short stints at Tottenham, Stoke and Fulham. But he hails from proper football stock: his own dad was an Icelandic international, too – Eidur made his debut as a substitute for Arnor in 1996 – and his brother came up through Swansea’s youth system.

Now he has three sons in the sport as well. Eldest Sveinn Aron plays for IF Elfsborg, youngest Daniel Tristan is in Malmo’s academy, while middle child Andri Lucas is a striker currently plying his trade at IFK Norrkoping in Sweden. He spent time in both Barcelona and Real Madrid’s youth setups, even making the senior squad for Real Madrid’s Champions League campaign in 2021.

Aged 20, Andri has 12 caps for Iceland and two goals to his name.

James Carragher

A boyhood Everton fan, Jamie Carragher became a Liverpool legend during a one-club career which saw him play 737 times for the Reds. His son James spent six years in the club’s academy but was let go in 2017.

Picked up by Wigan, Carragher Jr. made his professional debut for the Latics in August 2021. A 6ft 4in centre-back, the 20-year-old is currently on loan at Oldham in the National League.

Gio Reyna

A United States international, Reyna was also eligible to represent England due to his birthplace of Sunderland. His dad Claudio was playing for the Black Cats at the time; the midfielder also turned out for Bayer Leverkusen, Rangers, Manchester City and New York Red Bulls during his career.

His son Giovanni came through the New York City academy before moving to Borussia Dortmund in 2019. He has since made 86 appearances for the German giants and won 14 caps for his country.

Maurizio Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino is known for his managerial exploits these days, but he had an excellent playing career with the likes of of Espanyol, PSG and the Argentina national team.

His son Maurizio spent time at the academies of Southampton and Tottenham while his dad was the first-team manager of both clubs. After spending last term at Watford, the 21-year-old joined Spanish side Gimnastic in the summer.

Maxim Gullit

Ruud Gullit was one of the best footballers of his generation. A title winner with three different clubs, the Dutchman also lifted two European Cups with AC Milan and Euro ‘88 with the Netherlands.

His son Maxim would do well to match his father’s achievements in the game, but the Cambuur defender comes from rich footballing stock: his mum Estelle is a niece of the late, great Johan Cruyff.

Daniel Maldini

When Daniel Maldini made his AC Milan debut in 2020, he was the third generation of his family to play for the Italian giants, after grandad Cesare and father Paolo. But unlike those two club greats, the youngest Maldini is not a defender but an attacking midfielder.

He has made 24 appearances for the Rossoneri in total but is spending the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Spezia.

Charlie Savage

Robbie Savage was on co-commentary duty for BT Sport when his son Charlie made his Manchester United debut in 2021. “What a proud day for my boy… what a day for me, his mother, his grandparents,” an emotional dad said as the young midfielder entered the Old Trafford pitch.

A Wales Under-21 international, Savage Jr. plays in the same midfield position as his dad - although the 19-year-old insists he’s less tenacious and more technically gifted than the old man.

Benjani Jr.

Benjani played for four Premier League clubs - Portsmouth, Manchester City, Blackburn and Sunderland - between 2006 and 2011. The striker went on to represent two clubs in South Africa, before hanging up his boots in 2014.

His son, known as Benjani Jr., signed a professional contract with Yeovil Town in October 2022, having previously been part of Portsmouth’s academy.

By Greg Lea - FourFourTwo

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invisibleanonymousmonsters · 2 years

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Now that GOT is back... and I'm still not over HoS.

If you have to place every chatacter from HoS in a house which house would they be in.

Heart of Steel – Masterlist

OK. Wow. Can't tell you how much I love this question...

And just to clarify, I'm sorting them based on how they're written in Heart of Steel – not based on their canon depiction in the MCU.

Princess Y/N of Zamora = House Tully

Prince Anthony of Zamora (aka Tony Stark) = House Lannister

Prince Thor of Asgard = House Baratheon

Prince Loki of Asgard = House Greyjoy

King Steven of Midgard (aka Steve Rogers) = House Stark

Sir James Barnes = House Stark

King T'Challa of Wakanda = House Targaryen

Sir Samuel of Zamora (aka Sam Wilson) = House Mormont

Knights of Howl (aka Howling Commandos) = Kings Guard

Lady Natasha of Midgard = House Martell

Wanda = House Tyrell

Prince Brock of Hydra = House Bolton

#heart of steel #medieval!marvel #knight!bucky barnes #king!steve rogers #medieval!thor #medieval!loki #heart of steel asks #heart of steel headcanons #game of thrones #westeros

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gardenofkore · 2 years

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During the lifetime of Earl William, a general law was made in Sicily, whereby the intails and strict forms of succession, which had rendered certain estates inalienable, were abolished, and the persons lawfully in possession of such estates, became absolute owners, and, as such, enabled freely to dispose of them, and Earl William, being conceived by this to have become absolute owner of Bronte, made a will, attested, as required by the law of Sicily, by six witnesses, and thereby, after reciting that he had, by the law of Sicily, become the absolute proprietor of the Bronte estate, he appointed and nominated as his absolute heiress and free successor, in and to all his hereditary estates in Sicily, and particularly in and to the Duchy of Bronte, with all and every its rights, members, and appurtenances, his daughter the Lady Charlotte Mary Baroness Bridport, wife of Samuel Baron Bridport, in such manner, that his said absolute heiress and successor might have free and entire power and authority to take and enjoy the said duchy, for herself and her heirs, and to dispose of the same, as well by acts and deeds in her lifetime, as by her last will and testament.

Earl Nelson v. Lord Bridport, in Reports of Cases in Chancery..., vol. 32, p. 558-559.

Charlotte Mary was born on September 20th 1787 to Reverend William Nelson, older brother of the Hero of Trafalgar, and his first wife Sarah Yonge. Charlotte was born most certainly in the small village Brandon-Parva (Norfolk), where her father had settled as a country parson the year before, after marrying. In 1788, her mother gave birth to a boy, Horatio.

William Nelson, described as ambitious and rowdy, benefited greatly from his brother Horatio’s fortune. In 1802 he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from both the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford and the following year he was appointed a prebendal stall at Canterbury. In 1805, following his brother’s death, William succeeded him since Horatio had died without legitimate issue (Horatia, the Admiral’s only child by his mistress Lady Hamilton, had been excluded from inheriting her father’s titles and possessions and, to make it worse, William didn’t respect his brother’s wishes to look after her). William became thus 2nd Baron Nelson of the Nile and of Hilborough, 2nd Duke of Bronté, 1st Viscount Merton of Trafalgar and of Merton, with special remainder to his father and father's male heir and, failing them, his sisters Susannah Mrs Bolton and Catherine Mrs Matcham . In 1806 he and his successors in the title were granted £5,000 a year (the pension was discontinued in 1951 on the death of the 5th Earl, Edward Agar Horatio Nelson) plus a lump sum of £90,000 to buy an estate to be named Nelson and to be inherited by every successor of the title. The chosen venue was the manor house of Standlynch (in Downton, near Salisbury), previously owned by the banker Sir Peter Vanderput, which, after being bought by the Nelsons, was renamed Trafalgar House and then Trafalgar Park, and would be owned by the family until 1948.

In 1808, William’s heir Horatio died of tuberculosis while his wife, Sarah Yonge, died on April 13th 1828. The following year, 71-years old William married Hilare Barlow, daughter of Admiral Sir Robert Barlow and widow of her father’s cousin, George Ulric Barlow. No child was born out of this union and, when William died on February 28th 1835, at age 77, his daughter was his only living child and heir.

Previously, on July 3rd 1810, in the parish of Marylebone (London), Charlotte Mary had married Samuel Hood, second son of Henry Hood, 2nd Viscount Hood, Chamberlain of the Household to Queen Caroline. In 1814 Samuel had succeeded (under the special remainder of that title in the Peerage of Ireland) his childless great-uncle Admiral Alexander Hood as 2nd Baron Bridport. Charlotte Mary would give birth to seven children, five daughters and two sons: Mary Sophia (1811-1888), Charlotte (1813-1906), Alexander (1814-1904), Jane Sarah (1817-1907), Catherine Louisa (1818-1893), Frances Caroline (1821-1903), and Horatio Nelson (1826-1832). The couple and their children resided in Cricket St. Thomas (Somerset), in the manor once belonged to the 1st Baron Bridport.

Upon her father’s death, Charlotte (as iy had happened to her cousin Horatia), being a woman, was unseated of her successions by her cousin Thomas Bolton, son of her aunt Susannah. Thomas, who legally changed his family name into Nelson as previously agreed, inherited all his late uncle’s titles except the Duchy of Bronté, who fell upon Charlotte, now 3rd Duchess of Bronté.

The Dukedom of Bronté (in Italian, Ducato or Ducea di Bronte) was a dukedom granted in 1799 to Horatio Nelson by King Ferdinando of Naples and Sicily (later Ferdinando I of the Two Sicilies) to thank the Admiral for saving the kingdom from being conquered by the French revolutionary forces of Bonaparte and (perhaps more importantly) having helped the Bourbonic royal family to repair to Sicily following Naples’ occupation by the Frenchmen and the instauration of the Parthenopean republic. It took its name from the town of Bronte, near Catania, where stood the Castello di Maniace, a former Benedictine abbey founded in the 12th century, which King Ferdinando donated to Nelson and his heirs. The title gave its holder the right to sit in the Sicilian Parliament within the military branch and was bestowed to whomever the precedent owner desired, strangers included. Nelson (and his heirs after him) was even given the power of mero et mixto imperio, such as the concession given to a feudal lord to administer justice. Misto imperio regarded low justice, such as the right to impose light sentences, such as mild corporal punishments, imprisonment and small fines. Mero imperio granted its holder the right to imprison, exile and condemn to death.

Nelson never visited his Sicilian estate (nor did his brother William), but seems to have much appreciated the title since he signed his will Nelson Bronte. Coincidentally, Nelson’s appointment as Duke of Bronté allegedly inspired Irish Anglican priest Patrick Brunty, father of the more famous writer sisters, to change his family name into Brontë.

When the Sicilian Consitution of 1812 abolished the feudal system, William (and his heirs after him) maintained his feudal rights, at the expense of the people of Bronte. The Dukedom of Bronté, with its feudal connotation (aggravated by its foreign origins), was seen in England as an embarrassing relic of the past, but this never stopped the Nelsons to jealously hold on to it.

Thomas Nelson died on November 1835, merely nine months after his uncle William, and was succeeded by his son Horatio, 3rd Earl Nelson. Not satisfied with all the titles and possessions he had just inherited, Horatio decided to also claim the Dukedom of Bronté. Charlotte Mary and her husband were forced then to embark on a long legal dispute (which lasted from 1838 to 1847) that would end with the verdict, dated March 12th, which would acknowledge Lady Bridport as the legitimate bearer of the title.

It wasn’t affection that had prompted the Duchess to protect her rights, but rather her interests to keep enjoying the dukedom’s lucrative profits. In fact, her first trip to Bronte had been a complete disaster (on her side). Around 1836, Charlotte Mary had convinced her reluctant husband to visit their Sicilian estates. For a refined and classy woman like her, the Sicilian rural landscape was unbearably primitive and squalid. Shocked by a ride on sedan-chair hanging between two donkeys, by the dark volcanic panorama, and by the gruesome tale of the atrocities perpetrated by the people of Bronte during the 1820 Revolution (in their eyes, the manor was the symbol of oppression and abuse, and so they retaliated by beheadings and disembowellings the tyrant’s representatives), she swore she would “never came back to the Island unless there was a revolution in England, and even then would probably go elsewhere”.

The Barons Bridport kept relying on the Thovez family in the management of the property. Philip Thovez had administrated the Duchy on behalf of William Nelson since 1819. When Charlotte Mary inherited the title in 1835, she confirmed the older Thovez, who kept superintending until 1837 (he would die two years later), when he retired in favour of his son William. With their masters so far away, the Thovezs acted like they were the true owners of the estate. They vexed the people of Bronte, closing the trazzere (rural roads that allowed access to the fields and allowed the cattle’s passage), imposing the payment of a toll and fencing woods and pastures, thus preventing poor people from collecting wood and fruits. Transgressors caught red-handed were whipped on the spot or denounced to the public authorities (conniving with the Duchy’s representatives), which condemned them to heavy fines or even imprisonment. The people of Bronte would keep living in a feudal world, even when, in 1841, the Bourbonic government ordered the transfer of a fifth of the many fiefs’ properties to the various surrounding towns so that it could be split to the destitutes. The Duchy refused to comply until 1846, when they were forced to cede to the town of Bronte ”metà delle terre boschive, un quarto delle terre aratorie e pascolabili e un terzo di quelle vulcaniche“ (half of the woodland, a quarter of the fields and pastures, and a third of the volcanic areas). The 1848 Revolution blocked the official distribution, but the same year indigent farmers occupied the vineyards and a part of the Duchy’s plots. William Thovez protested about the damage suffered and managed to obtain that a troop of the National Army came to Bronte to stop the squatters. Once the order was restored, the land division could be started, but the plots were given to the notables (nobles and bourgeoises) and not poor people as it should have been.

On May 11th 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi and his troops landed in Marsala (western Sicily), starting the Expedition of the Thousands, which led to the conquest of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, ruled by the House of Bourbon Two-Sicilies. As temporary head of State of the newly conquered territories (Garibaldi acted as Dictator on behalf of Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoy, King of Sardinia), the Hero of The Two Worlds issued a series of statements, among them he urged the Sicilian picciotti (lit. guys) to fight the Bourbonic army; abolished the much hated tax on the mill, reformed the National Guard; crimes of homicide, theft, looting and destruction were to be judged by Councils of War and nobody could take the law into their own hand. On June 2nd, Garibaldi issued the decree which abolished the large estates, whose territories had to be shared among the needy and those who had fought for the liberation of Sicily. The Island was divided in 23 districts and new governors were elected for each district. Finally, on August 3rd, the Statuto Albertino (Kingdom of Sardinia’s consitution) was adopted also in Sicily.

The people of Bronte (like many thousands others) had put much faith in Garibaldi and his decrees. So it shouldn’t be a surprise they were very distresses to see that not only the Dukedom wasn’t abolished (nor was the tax on the mill) and its lands given to the town of Bronte, but Thovez had managed to convince the new Governorr of Catania to put up some posters on Bronte’s house walls which ordered the population to respect the Dukedom’s property. Moreover, even British General Consul for Sicily in Palermo, John Goodwin, had pressured Garibaldi to safeguard the Nelsons’ interest and “avvertire energicamente il Comitato di Bronte di rispettare e di far rispettare la proprietà della signora Nelson Bridport” (“energically warn the Bronte Committee to respect and ensure respect for the property of Mrs Nelson Bridport”). Garibaldi had responded that “che si son date oggi stesso [30 giugno] energiche disposizioni perché non avvenga il menomo inconveniente o abuso a pregiudizio della proprietà di Lady Nelson, Duchessa di Bronte” (“this same day, orders have been issued to prevent any inconvenience or abuse to the detriment of the property of Lady Nelson, Duchess of Bronte”)

Frustrated by the many broken promises, on August 2nd the people of Bronte rebelled. Popular hatred was directed agains the Dukedom’s officials. 15 people (mostly working for the Nelsons) were killed in the following two days. The mob burned down the theatre, the town archive and 46 notables’ houses.

As soon as the rebellion had started, William Thovez had informed the British Consuls in Catania and Messina, who related the information to Goodwin in Palermo, whom in turn informed the British Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Lord John Russell.

The British Government then decided to step in, pressuring (via Goodwin and the other consuls) Garibaldi and the Governor of Catania to “sopprimere l’insurrezione nella più sollecita ed effettiva maniera” (“suppress the insurrection in the most quick and effective way”).

As Garibaldi didn’t want to compromise his alliance with the British Government (they had supported his expedition), he obliged and sent to Bronte the loyal Nino Bixio. Despite Colonel Poulet, whom had been previously sent to stop the rebellion, assured Bixio that the violences had stopped and order had been restored (the majority of the most violent rioters had already fled the scene, fearing of being arrested), Garibaldi’s right hand decided the people of Bronte needed to be severely punished and the leaders executed. The population was heavily taxed and around 150 people were arrested. Nicolò Lombardo, a lawyer whom had been elected mayor following the start of the rebellion, together with 4 others was sentenced to death and expected to be executed by firing squad on August 10th. The sentence was executed, nonetheless, at dawn of that day, the soldiers refused to shoot at Nunzio Ciraldo Fraiese, a mentally-ill man, considered the village fool and who was guilty of having played a trumpet and shouted threats in directions of the much hated Bronte notables. Thinking he had been miracously saved by the Holy Virgin (while the firing squad had in fact volutarily missed him), Ciraldo Fraiese went to hug Bixio’s knees and pleaded for his life. Instead of pardon, the poor man received a bullet in his head.

In order to calm the spirits and meet the people of Bronte’s desires and necessities, on June 1861, Mary Charlotte Nelson agreed to stipulate a transaction with the town and ceded a good part of the Duchy’s territory to Bronte (although, it had to be noted that the Duchess kept the most fertile part and gave away a large part of the woodlands, barren lava deserts and only small portions of farmland).

In her lifetime, Charlotte Mary Nelson would make two more short trips to Bronte, one in 1864 and the other in 1868. Both times she was accompained by her son and heir Alexander, her daughter-in-law (Lady Mary Penelope Hill), and some of her grandchildren (among them Alexander Nelson, who fell in love with the place and inherited the title in 1904 despite not being the eldest son. The 5th Duke would be well-respected and liked by the population, spending half of the year in the Maniace estate and the rest in his villa in Taormina, where he hosted King George V in 1925).

The Duchess died on Janyuary 29th 1873, aged 85 at Cricket St. Thomas, Somerset. She was succeeded by her son Alexander, who inherited title (becoming the 4th Duke of Bronte) and properties.

Sources

- Charlotte Mary Nelson, Duchesa di Bronté, in The Peerage;

- COKAYNE, JOHN EDWARD, Bridport, Bridport of Cricket St. Thomas, and Bridport of Cricket St. Thomas and of Bronte, in Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, ed. 1, vol. 2, p. 24;

- Earl Nelson v. Lord Bridport, in Reports of Cases in Chancery..., vol. 32, p. 527-574;

- GIANNINI, GIORGIO, I fatti di Bronte, Garibaldi e le responsabilità inglesi;

- Horatio Nelson, Primo Duca di Bronte;

- I sette duchi di Bronte (1799 – 1981);

- LAUGHTON, JOHN KNOX, Nelson, William (1757-1835) in Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, vol. 40.

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