The House of John Knox

Blogger: Amber Schamel

The city of Edinburgh, Scotland was home to one of the greatest voices of the Reformation, John Knox. When we visited the city in Spring of 2017, we had the privilege of visiting the reformer's home. It was a fascinating stop, and I'd love to share some of it with you today.

The first thing you'll notice as you approach the dwelling is the inscription above the door. "Love God above all and your neighbor."

This biblical inscription was placed there by James Mossman, the goldsmith who inhabited the dwelling prior to Knox. The building dates back to the 1470's, which makes it the oldest surviving and original house on the Royal Mile.

As you enter the building, you encounter what would have been a shop or business. The home or family apartment was situated above the shop. These were called Luckenbooths in medieval times.

Illustration of the building during Knox's day.

The bottom level of the dwelling is now a museum of plaques and historical tidbits, as well as a beautiful tribute to the reformer and his impact on Scotland and Europe. It was very interesting to wander through before going to the upper levels of the home.

Prior to John Knox's family inhabiting the home, it was home to a goldsmith that refashioned the Scottish crown for King James V. This part of the house's history is a large part of the focus, since John Knox only lived there for a short period of time.

Tools of the Goldsmith trade

Tidbit on the Goldsmiths

The main part of the house is what is known as the Oak room. This is where guests would have been entertained and is therefore the most ornate part of the dwelling. It has beautiful oak paneling, an elaborate fireplace, and carved moldings.

The Oak Room

Oak Room Fireplace

It is believed that John Knox only dwelled in this house during the siege of Edinburgh castle, however it is also asserted that he died in this place. However there is no evidence to verify this legend.

*****

Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  She lives in Colorado and spends half her time volunteering in the Ozarks. Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

History of Our National Library--and a Surprise Giveaway

If you’re like me, you have fond memories of going to the library. As a child, my mother took me and my older brothers to our local branch a few times a month, and I recall racing my siblings to the shelf that contained our favorite Berenstain Bears books. Another treat was the bookmobile. Oh, the fun times I had perusing library shelves right outside my own front door. As I grew, I was so excited to start school where I could go to the library daily and walk among the stacks with all those wonderful books, each one with a different story to tell.



© J. Uhlarik

Yes, libraries hold a special place in my heart. So when my hubby, son, and I took a trip to Washington, D.C., in 2008, I had to visit the Library of Congress. It wasn’t what I would have expected. I expected to be able to get into the actual library and see the books on the shelves, but without a Library of Congress card, you can’t go into the library proper. But there was a very nice visitor’s center with access to a sampling of Thomas Jefferson’s personal collection. I was surprised to learn that, even with a LOC Library card, patrons aren’t allowed to pull or shelve their own books. Should someone want to look at a book, they put in a request, and a LOC worker pulls the book for them. The book is then sent out on a conveyor belt where the patron can pick it up. The closest I came to seeing all those beloved books housed in our national library was to peer down on the shelves and conveyor belt system from a viewing room above. Oh, to have been able to go inside and experience it for myself…

Italian Renaissance style of architecture
© J. Uhlarik

I understand why they take such precautions. Many of the volumes housed in the Library of Congress are quite old, rare, and fragile. If they allow anyone to walk around and pick through the shelves, some of those books could be lost, stolen, or damaged. So they have put safeguards in place for this national resource.

Do you know the history of the Library of Congress? The library goes back to 1800 when President John Adams established a reference library that would be for Congress’s use only, including books thought to be useful to Congress. The library was housed in the Capitol until August 1814. At this time, the United States of America was in the thick of the War of 1812, and British forces invaded Washington, D.C., and burned the city. Unfortunately, the Library of Congress went up in flames.

Thomas Jefferson's books
© J. Uhlarik

While that was a great loss, the American people benefited from the fire the destroyed the Library of Congress. How can that be? Well, a month after the fire, former President Thomas Jefferson stepped in to resurrect the ruined library. You see, Jefferson had spent 50 years collecting books in all sorts of disciplines and topics. Many of the books were rare and valuable, and he offered the bulk of those volumes to the government to replenish the Library of Congress. It was agreed that the United States government would purchase 6,487 books for a sum of $23,950. Rather than books “useful to Congress,” the new collection included books on the arts, humanities, sciences, and all manner of other topics. So the collection was greatly expanded in both number and subject matter.

Ornate ceilings at the LOC
© J. Uhlarik

The man who served as Librarian from 1864-1897, Ainsworth Rand Spofford, subscribed to Jefferson’s philosophy on diversifying the subject matter and built the Library of Congress into a national institution. In 1870, Spofford even instituted the copyright law which requires authors to submit two copies of their work to the Library of Congress, which resulted in a flood of books, pamphlets, music, and other resources to be included in the collection. The library’s holdings grew so large that a new facility to house them was needed, so in 1873, Congress gave the okay to draw up plans for a new building. It took about 1886 for Congress to agree upon the design and begin building the new structure, which is an Italian Renaissance inspired building with grand sculptures, paintings and murals. It opened to the public in 1897 as the largest, costliest, and safest library building in the world.

It’s your turn. Have you ever visited the Library of Congress? If so, what was your experience like? If not, do you have fond memories of other libraries? Leave a comment including your contact information and you’ll be entered in my drawing for this surprise Brighton item.

As always, thank you for stopping by!

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen, when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has won the 2012 CWOW Phoenix Rattler, 2012 ACFW First Impressions, and 2013 FCWC contests, all in the historical category. She is also the winner of the 2013 Central Florida ACFW chapter's "Prompt Response" contest. In addition to writing, she has been a schoolteacher of English, literature, and history, as well as a marketing director. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, teenaged son, and four fur children.

Tidbits About Micanopy

Tidbits from Micanopy, Fl.

I discovered Micanopy quite by accident. Not having grown up in Florida, I know precious little about the state history. However, as time goes on and my interest in historical places and settings grow, I find little hidden tidbits. Yes, James Taylor mentions Micanopy in a song; and Michael J. Fox filmed Doc Hollywood in Micanopy, but I hadn’t paid much attention to those tidbits. A few years back we were visiting Paynes Prairie State Park and stumbled upon a sign pointing to Historic Micanopy, so I followed the road and was surprised to find this cute little place.

Did you know that Micanopy was the first established town in the state of Florida after it became a part of the United States? It was settled in 1821 by Moses Elias Levy, and he named it after a Seminole Chief, Micanopy. The town is just barely over one square mile. So if the road didn’t end you could blink and miss it.

There’s a used bookstore in town and I’m afraid hubby and I spent a lot of time in there. I found original newspapers from Springfield, Mass put in a library binder. If I had extra I would have purchased one, but the extra wasn’t there right then. However, I do know where they are and if the extra becomes available…well, let’s just say they might find a home.

In Micanopy you drive less than 20 mph. There are quite cafes, antique stores, a museum, town hall, fire department, etc. Here are a few pictures to give you a feel for the place.





Historically, it was the home of a Methodist Seminary for both men and women from around the world. After the Civil War it became a Baptist Seminary. Below is a rather old photo of the Seminary.



There was also a large lake, and water travel permitted easy access to Micanopy that is no longer the case. It was also the location for the first of the Seminole Indian wars. A military post was established there in the 1830’s. Fort Defiance was erected in 1840. It was an intense fighting situation which—if you are familiar with the Seminole Wars in Florida—you are aware of how hard it was on both sides.

In 1854 a petition to the state was requested to form a “Plank Road” from Palatka to Micanopy. Palatka is on the St. John’s River and was a major stop for the steamboat industry. In fact, Palatka was… I’ll save that for next month’s post.

After the wars Micanopy settled into a quiet location with rich hammock filled lands and large plantations and orange groves (outside of the town). Today it is a quiet and great historical place to visit. If you’re traveling in Central Florida you might want to stop by. You’ll be glad you did.


If you like historical tidbits you might like to visit my blog 19th Century Historical Tidbits. You can also follow me on twitter @LynnColeman or you can friend me on Facebook. My next novel "Courting Holly" is scheduled to be released in Oct. 2013.

In His grip,
Lynn