Nova Albion
Our library recently assisted an English couple with genealogical research. They sought information on Frank Yates, a notable citizen of Rock Springs during the 1920’s. Yates emigrated to Wyoming in 1911 and over the next 16 years worked as a sheep rancher, lawyer, and state senator for Sweetwater County. The search on Yates brought to mind the role the British played in the history of the West. Indeed, Rock Springs at one time was host to legions of Cornish, English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh who worked the mines and played a prominent, if not infamous, role in the Rock Springs Chinese Massacre of 1885. One interesting group of expats were the Remittance Men. The following books are avaliable at the Library for those interested in learning more:
‘Marmalade & Whiskey: British Remittance Men in the West’ - Olson, Leo
The British system of primogeniture created generations of offspring with little or no purpose in life, save as backup heirs in case the eldest son died before fathering a successor. The younger siblings were often sent into military, clerical, or civil service, or became settlers in Australia or America, where they were known as “Remittance Men.” They were raised with the notion that gentlemen do not actually work, and so they existed on the remittance, or allowance, sent from the family estate. Olson explains the situation clearly before launching into some highly entertaining and excruciatingly poignant tales of individuals caught up in this system on the American frontier. The influence of these Britishers upon the settling of the West is cleverly illumined. Relatives of Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens, and other well-known figures are among the cast assembled in this selective, enlightening coverage.
‘British Gentlemen in the Wild West: The Era of the Intensely English Cowboy’ - Woods, Lawrence M.
In the first full account of this little known chapter of American history, Lawrence M. Woods provides a deft and winning portrait of an eccentric cast of characters - a highly improbable colony composed of second sons, adventurers and sportsmen, and a few very black sheep. It also sheds light on the elusive link betweeb the Old World and New. Woods’ portrait of two cultures meeting and mixing on the open range reveals that aristocrats, schooled at Eton and Cambridge for Imperial leadership, and the rough independent American cowboys understood each other well, sharing a common moral code and a concept of personal honor based on courage and resourcefulness.
1564, Canterbury, England. A contemporary of Shakespeare, he won fame for his plays, poesy, and dissolute (?) life. Let us a take a moment and remember a talent of the age - reprobate, spy, poet, dramatist, rakehell - whose life ended as mysteriously as it was lived.
Have you ever finished a good book and found yourself wondering what you should read next? Yes, you could consult your comrades, coworkers, friends, and kin for advice. You could browse bookshelves, seek solace from media hype or commune with a book club. But there are other tools, other ways to divine an answer to that burning question: What shall I read next??
