Three Times A Queen

If there was ever a woman who was born to be queen, it was Mary, Queen of Scots.

Mary Stuart was born to King James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise (France) at Linlithgow Palace, Scotland on Dec 8, 1542. Her  father died only 6 days later. As the King's only surviving legitimate heir, Mary was recognized as Queen of Scotland with her mother serving as Regent. (Queen x 1)

At the age of 5, Mary was sent to the court of King Henry II and his wife Queen Catherine de Medici of France for both her safety and to secure a future marriage that would result in an alliance between the Scottish and French nations. Mary's mother's family, the Guises, also supported her. Eventually, Mary did marry Prince Francis making her the Queen Consort of France, until Francis died. (Queen x 2)

Mary also had English Tudor blood which made her a legitimate heir to the English throne. At this time, there was much religious turmoil between Catholicism and Protestantism. Mary, being Catholic, was considered the next logical sovereign of England to the faithful Catholic believers over her protestant cousin Princess Elizabeth I (the future Queen Elizabeth I). (Queen x 3)

Unfortunately, being born with a great destiny doesn't mean your ending is a happy one. Mary's rule was plagued with hardships from the very beginning, but it was her unwise marriages and scandals that caused her downfall.

***********************************************************************************

On the run again after her latest scandal, Mary decided to evade her pursuers by trusting her life to her cousin Elizabeth in England. Naively, Mary believed the words of kindness in the letters sent to her. Unfortunately, Mary's very presence in England caused Elizabeth problems and so Elizabeth had little choice, but to imprison Mary. She couldn't leave Mary roaming free to encourage a Catholic uprising.

Mary was held prisoner for many years and was eventually implicated in a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. It is possible that Queen Elizabeth's chief advisor set Mary up in order to win Elizabeth's approval to sentence Mary to death and be done with her.

History shows that Elizabeth was reluctant to grant Mary a death sentence, but it is not known if the hesitance was because of familial love (even though they never met in person) or because Mary was a Queen in her own right and Elizabeth didn't want to start a precedence of assassinating anointed Queens. It is probably a bit of both.

 

 

The Floating Dungeons of Wallabout Bay, NY

Brooklyn is not a typical city we think of when we think about the Revolutionary War. In reality, though, no colony escaped the perils of history at this time and that included all of NY. 

One thing that I find particularly interesting about the war in and around Brooklyn is that many people forget about the floating dungeons anchored off shore in Wallabout Bay, NY. The fact is that more people died on prison ships than they did in actual combat during the entire Revolution. 

One of the most notorious of these ships was the HMS Jersey, aka Hell. It was a wooden war ship that had been decommissioned and repurposed by the British. Thousands who were held captive on board  never again saw freedom. Wretched conditions such as overcrowding, lack of fresh water, spoiled food, rampant disease, and torture made prisoners wish for death. 

Yet even with so much suffering, it is significant to note that there is no record of any captive renouncing to fight for the revolution to gain his freedom. That was the measure of the American resolve. Unfortunately, the Battle of Brooklyn was a huge loss for the American Revolutionary forces.

Today a monument stands in Fort Green Park, Brooklyn in honor of those who died on board the ships. Remains of roughly 20 prisoners are buried in a crypt under the monument.

Reference

https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/the-hms-jersey

The Honjo Masamune

"The finest Japanese sword to ever have existed."

The Honjo Masamune is a traditional Japanese sword forged by the priest and legendary swordsmith Goro Nyudo Masamune. Masamune is believed to have actively made swords during the late 13th and early 14th centuries and is considered by many to have perfected the art. His blades are renowned for their superior quality and beauty in a time when metals were heavily impure.

Swords were often gifted their own name, including the name of their maker who also, in the process of their making, imparted them with a spirit of their own. It is not known for certain how the Honjo acquired its name, but it is thought that it is derived from the name of a General whose helmet was cleaved by the sword. But instead of dying the General rallied and later took the sword for himself.

The Honjo was carried by the Shogunate during battle in the Edo period and was handed down through the generations from one warrior to another. Eventually it found its way to the Tokugawa clan where it stayed until the end of WWII.

Unfortunately, a law was passed requiring Japanese citizens to hand their swords which were then melted down. The Honjo was turned in by its owner, but it's final fate is unclear.

Records show that the sword was handed over to an American soldier, but that is where the tale ends. It is possible that the sword was hidden away to avoid being melted down, but most feel that the a soldier, under a false name, took the sword home as a souvenir.

The Honjo is believed to be Masamune's finest sword and is revered to this day as a Japanese national treasure. I personally hope that the sword avoided destruction and that, even if  only a slight chance, it will be discovered again and returned to Japan.