Shamrocks, Society Balls, and Political Speeches: St. Patrick’s Day in the Late 19th Century

by Kimberly Keagan

Many Americans can trace their ancestry back to Ireland. In my own family tree, my father’s side includes McClendons and Gillilands who settled in North Carolina during the 1700s. My husband’s lineage includes Murphys who made their home in Canada in the 1800s. Our daughter, with her striking red hair and green eyes, surprised us all but proved that Irish roots can run deep!

With St. Patrick’s Day approaching, I found myself curious about how people in the late 19th century celebrated this beloved Irish holiday. While today’s festivities often center on wearing green and enjoying parades, back then, the holiday carried a deeper cultural and political significance.

 

In both Gilded Age America and Victorian Britain, St. Patrick's Day was not simply about heritage—it was about identity, faith, political influence, and social standing.

 

 

A postcard from the early 1900s. Author's collection.

By the 1890s, Irish immigrants and their descendants had firmly established themselves in American cities such as New York City, Boston, and Chicago. What had begun as immigrant enclaves were becoming political and economic power centers.

For many Irish Americans, St. Patrick’s Day was more than celebration — it was visibility.In New York, the parade organized by the Ancient Order of Hibernians had already become a major annual spectacle. Regimental bands marched. Green banners rippled above crowds. Clergy, fraternal organizations, and military units processed through the streets. Politicians eager to secure Irish-American votes made conspicuous appearances.  

 

Marchers in the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City in the 1890s. Getty Images.

In working-class neighborhoods, festivities spilled into the streets and parish halls. But among the upper classes — particularly those who had climbed into positions of influence — celebrations often moved indoors. Elite clubs and private homes hosted formal dinners featuring corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, and hearty stews. Some hostesses arranged elaborate green-themed soirées decorated with golden harps and shamrocks. Society columns occasionally noted such gatherings, marking them as fashionable yet culturally meaningful affairs.

Faith remained central. Catholic families attended special Masses honoring St. Patrick’s missionary legacy. Sermons often emphasized perseverance, resilience, and loyalty — virtues closely associated with Irish identity in America. Charity drives on March 17th supported orphanages, hospitals, and relief funds for struggling communities both at home and in Ireland.

St. Patrick's Cathedral, NY, circa 1895. Photo from author's collection.

Across the Atlantic, however, observance took on a different tone.

In Victorian England, St. Patrick’s Day was generally more restrained among the broader British population. Yet in cities with strong Irish communities, such as Liverpool, Manchester, and London, March 17th brought church services, modest gatherings, music, and poetry readings.

One of the most enduring traditions began under Queen Victoria. In 1893, she formalized the custom of presenting shamrocks to Irish soldiers, a gesture of recognition and respect. That tradition continues today with the Irish Guards, who still receive shamrocks each March 17th.

Among the Irish aristocracy living in England, celebrations tended to be refined and private with dinner parties, musical evenings, and literary tributes to Ireland’s saints and poets.

But beneath the elegance lay political tension.

The Irish Home Rule movement was gaining strength in the 1890s. Public meetings and speeches advocating self-governance were often strategically scheduled on St. Patrick’s Day, giving the holiday added symbolic weight. Newspapers frequently reported on rallies and demonstrations, highlighting the intersection of cultural celebration and political aspiration.

Photo retrieved from www.ppt-online.com

Whether in the grand avenues of New York, the drawing rooms of London, or the pulpit of a parish church, St. Patrick’s Day in the late 19th century offered something powerful: a public affirmation that Irish identity endured.

Kimberly Keagan is a former corporate financial writer (not very romantic) who now crafts Gilded Age historical romances filled with strong heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, faith, and a touch of humor. Her debut novel, Perfect, released in May 2025, and Risky Business, the third book in her Hearts on Display series released on February 18, 2026. Go to KimberlyKeagan.com and download her free Christmas novelette!

  

 

HMS Resolute - How a British Ghost Ship became a U.S. Presidential Desk

By Mary Dodge Allen

Did you know that the desk used in the Presidential Oval Office was made with wood from a British sailing ship? Here is the fascinating story of the HMS Resolute.

John F. Kennedy, Jr. playing under the Resolute Desk, October, 1963 (Stanley Tretick)

In 1855, Captain James Buddington was standing the the crow's nest of a whaling ship named George Henry, searching for whales in the frigid water of the North Atlantic Ocean, when he spotted a ship in the distance. The large ship appeared to be abandoned and trapped in an ice pack.

Captain James Buddington (Public Domain)

Captain Buddington ordered his crew to sail toward the ice pack. Then he sent a few crew members to investigate the mysterious ship. They crossed the ice on foot and boarded the ghost ship. 

When they entered the main cabin, they were spooked by what they saw. Glasses containing various liquors sat on the table, along with plates of half-eaten food, as if the captain and the ship's officers had just stepped out for a moment. They discovered the name of this ghost ship was the HMS Resolute.

HMS Resolute's Origin and Failed Expeditions:

Five years earlier, in February 1850, a British sailing ship named Ptarmigan was re-fitted and strengthened for Arctic exploration. This ship, renamed Resolute, was given a polar bear figurehead to signify its purpose - to search the Arctic Ocean for a missing polar expedition.

British Admiral John Franklin, 1828 portrait by Thomas Phillips

The Franklin Expedition:

In 1845, British Admiral John Franklin and his 128 member crew sailed from England in two ships to explore the Arctic Ocean in search of the fabled North West Passage - a shorter shipping route from Europe to Asia. They had been missing for five years.

First Search: During 1850-51, the Resolute was part of a four-ship Arctic search expedition. They found no sign of Franklin's ships or crew.

Second Search: In April 1852, the Resolute was part of another, larger Arctic search expedition. This time, traces of timber from Franklin's abandoned winter camp were found on Victoria Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. 

During 1853-54, the expedition ships split up to search a larger area of the icy Arctic Ocean, hoping to discover the fate of Franklin and his crew.

Sketch of HMS Resolute frozen in the ice as her crew abandons her. (Public Domain)

Unfortunately, most of the ships, including HMS Resolute, became trapped in ice packs. Crews were forced to abandon these ships. Some were rescued by other expedition ships, while others made hard marches across the ice to the rendezvous point at Beechey Island in the Arctic Archipelago. Finally, in August 1854, this search was called off, and the officers and crews sailed back to England on overcrowded relief ships.

Rescue of the HMS Resolute:

Captain Buddington, an experienced whaler, had been on his way back to his home port - New London, Connecticut - after an unsuccessful whaling trip. As soon as he spotted the large ship trapped in the ice pack, he saw an opportunity.

HMS Resolute had miraculously survived several months in the Arctic ice with no major damage. Captain Buddington decided to turn his failed whaling trip into a successful salvage operation. He figured that he and his crew could make a profit if they sailed the Resolute back to New London, where it could be sold for salvage.

After making the Resolute seaworthy and releasing it from the ice, Captain Buddington and a portion of his whaling crew sailed it back to New London. The rest of his crew sailed the whaler George Henry back to New London, under the command of Buddington's first mate, John Quayle.

Captain Buddington wrote about the difficult voyage aboard HMS Resolute:

"After a stormy passage of 64 days, having in the time a succession of gales, and being driven as far south as Bermuda, we at last reached the port New London... on Sunday, December 23, 1855."

Salvage Rights Dispute:

The British government asserted its ownership of HMS Resolute. But the U.S. whaling firm, Perkins and Smith argued that since their employee, Captain Buddington had rescued the Resolute, they now owned the salvage rights.

Perkins and Smith enlisted the help of Henry Grinnell, an American businessman who was an expert on British and American salvage rights. Grinnell agreed to serve as a negotiator with the British government.

British salvage law: Rights belong to the Captain who recovered the salvaged ship.

American salvage law: Rights belong to the Ship Owners who recovered the salvaged ship.

In 1856, the British government agreed to award the salvage rights to the U.S. firm, Perkins and Smith. But this action only added to the ongoing political tensions between America and Britain.

To ease political tensions, Henry Grinnell urged Congress to pass a bill to fully repair and restore the HMS Resolute and return her to Britain, as a goodwill gesture. The bill passed in 1856, and Congress purchased the HMS Resolute for $40,000.

After the HMS Resolute was expertly re-fitted, it sailed to Britain and was presented to Queen Victoria on December 13, 1856. She boarded the ship to inspect it on December 16, 1856.

Illustration of Queen Victoria boarding the HMS Resolute on December 16, 1856 (Public Domain)

Who Received the $40,000 Salvage Profit?

Traditionally, the salvage rights owners, Perkins and Smith, would divide the profit between its investors, the captain and the crew.

But Perkins and Smith had sold their whaling assets to the firm of Williams and Haven, who now owned the salvage rights. 

This new firm stubbornly refused to split any salvage profit with Captain Buddington or his crew. The firm argued that Captain Buddington had broken his contract when he left the whaler George Henry and sailed the HMS Resolute back to New London.

Captain Buddington sued the firm of Williams and Haven. The court eventually awarded a portion of the salvage money to his crew, but it upheld the ruling that the captain did, indeed, break his contract. As a result, Captain Buddington never received any portion of the salvage profit.

From Sailing Ship to Presidential Desk:

Portrait of Queen Victoria (Public Domain)

HMS Resolute remained in the British Navy for the following 23 years and served as a symbol of friendship between the U.S. and Britain. In 1879, Queen Victoria had the ship decommissioned and salvaged for timber.

Four desks were made with these timbers. One of them, a large partner's desk, was presented to U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880, as a gesture of gratitude for the return of HMS Resolute. It became known as the Resolute Desk.

The Resolute Desk in the Yellow Oval Room, 1886, during the Grover Cleveland presidency. (Wikipedia)

From that time forward, the Resolute Desk has been used by every U.S. President, except Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

(After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, President Lyndon Johnson - at Jackie Kennedy's request - allowed the Resolute Desk to be exhibited on a three-year world tour, to raise funds for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.)

In 1966, the Resolute Desk went on display at the Smithsonian, until President Jimmy Carter brought the desk back into the Oval Office in 1977. Since then, it has continued to be used by each U.S. President.

Here are a few photos of the Resolute Desk in use:

President Jimmy Carter at the Resolute Desk, 1977. (Public Domain)

President Ronald Reagan at the Resolute Desk, 1985. (Wikipedia)

President Barack Obama sitting at the Resolute Desk, 2009. (Wikipedia)

_________________________

Mary Dodge Allen is currently finishing her sequel to Hunt for a Hometown Killer. She's won a Christian Indie Award, an Angel Book Award, and two Royal Palm Literary Awards (Florida Writer's Association). She and her husband live in Central Florida. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Faith Hope and Love Christian Writers. 

Website: www.marydodgeallen.com

Recent release, anthology devotional: El Jireh, The God Who Provides

Mary's story, entitled: A Mother's Desperate Prayer, describes her struggle with guilt and despair after her young son is badly burned in a kitchen accident. When we are at the end of all we have, El Jireh provides what we need. 

Click the link below to purchase on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/El-Jireh-God-Who-Provides/dp/1963611608

Mary's novel: Hunt for a Hometown Killer won the 2022 Christian Indie Award, First Place - Mystery/Suspense; and the 2022 Angel Book Award - Mystery/Suspense.

Click the link below to buy Hunt for a Hometown Killer at Amazon.com:

Hunt For A Hometown Killer: A Novel: Allen, Mary Dodge: 9781952369704: Amazon.com: Books

Link to Mary's Spotlight Interview:   Mary Dodge Allen Author Spotlight EA Book

On This Day… in 1826 – Walter Cecil Macfarren by Donna Schlachter

The only known portrait of Walter Cecil Macfarren (Wikipedia)

When we think of great musical composers in history, likely names such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach jump instantly to mind. And while it is unlikely that the name of our featured guest would spark any connection with these legendary greats, he does hold a special place in the hallowed halls of musical composition.

Walter Cecil Macfarren was born August 28, 1826 in London, the youngest son of dramatist George Macfarren, and the less-famous brother of musician George Alexander Macfarren. At the age of four he showed some musical promise, and by age ten he was serving as a choir-boy at Westminster Abbey. He sang at the coronation of Queen Victoria when he was 12, in 1838.

However, soon after, his voice changed as he entered puberty, and he briefly considered becoming an artist, even taking painting lessons. When that didn’t suit him, he worked as a salesman for pianos in Brighton.

Not finding that to his liking either, he entered the Royal Academy of Music in 1842, studying piano and composition. On his graduation, he remained on staff at the Academy, first as a sub-professor of the pianoforte, and eventually as a full professor. Macfarren served for 57 years, lecturing six times a year and teaching piano.

In 1852, at the age of 26, he married Julia Fanner, the daughter of an artist. The story goes that “her mind gave way” in 1878, which implies she suffered from some form of mental illness. She died in their 50th year of marriage. The couple had no children.

In 1862, he was appointed musical critic to The Queen newspaper, and later he edited Popular Classics and Mozart’s complete piano works and Beethoven’s sonatas.

During this time, his classical education inspired his composition of many small but solid piano pieces, always pleasing to the ear and stylistic, reminiscent of Mendelssohn. He also conducted concerts at the Academy, and served as treasurer of the Royal Philharmonic Society for three years, before turning his attention back to composition. In 1881, he wrote a concert piece for piano and orchestra, proving his ability and skill at writing for more than one instrument at a time. As if he wasn’t busy enough, he also released his Scale and Arpeggio Manual in 1862.

On his 70th birthday, Macfarren founded two prizes for pianoforte playing at the Academy. He retired in 1904 from all other work apart from remaining as a contributor to The Queen, and he published his autobiography in 1905, Memories. He lived his remaining days in Osnaburgh Terrace, London, usually spending his vacations at Brighton. He died later that year and is buried in St. Pancras and Islington Cemetery in East Finchley, London.



About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers' groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching committed writers eager to tell their story.

www.DonnaSchlachter.com

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Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Cecil_Macfarren

https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Walter_Cecil_Macfarren Includes a list of his works

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1912_supplement/Macfarren,_Walter_Cecil Includes more about his earlier life

 

Wedding Cake in a Library?

__By Tiffany Amber Stockton__



In June, a few wedding traditions received the spotlight focus. One of them was about saving the top layer of a wedding cake, and since this month is *my* anniversary, I thought I'd share a little about a piece of wedding cake from over 150 years ago!

Library of Congress, Not Only for Books

America’s Founding Fathers loved reading. What a fantastic pastime. :) I'd say our writers and readers on this blog are in good company with them. To encourage and support this love, Congress funded its own library. Philadelphia and New York City housed some of the earliest American libraries. When Congress moved to Washington, D.C., President John Adams created the Library of Congress in 1800 to help keep legislators informed. The library started with 3,000 books, mostly legal texts, but British soldiers destroyed it in 1814 when they burned parts of the city. President Thomas Jefferson helped rebuild it.

Today, the Library of Congress holds over 173 million items and adds nearly 10,000 new materials every day. Can you imagine the task of cataloguing all those materials? And not all of them are books. This might be hard to believe, but the Library of Congress also has a piece of wedding cake from the 1800s.

For many reasons, celebrity weddings have always fascinated Americans. Take Charles Stratton, aka General Tom Thumb, for example. Known for his small stature at only 3 feet 4 inches tall, Stratton had a successful career singing, dancing, and acting. He worked with the famous showman P.T. Barnum, who called him the "smallest man alive."

In February 1863, Stratton married Lavinia Warren, also diminutive in stature, in a grand New York wedding to which Barnum sold several thousand reception tickets. Given the inflation rate from then to now, the total take from the sales would be in the millions today. Those with tickets could meet the newlyweds and receive a boxed slice of brandy-soaked wedding fruitcake as they left.

After Stratton's death in 1883, Lavinia's career struggled. In 1905, she sent a then 42-year-old slice of her wedding cake to an actress and her editor husband with a letter saying, "The public thinks I'm not alive." Lavinia continued to perform into her 70s, even starring in a silent film with her second husband, "Count" Primo Magri.

Today, two pieces of their wedding cake still exist—one at the Library of Congress and another at the Barnum Museum in Connecticut.

Other celebrity weddings have also drawn massive crowds. In 1956, thousands gathered to watch the wedding of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco. More recently, the 2011 royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton attracted millions of viewers worldwide, with thousands lining the streets of London.

Fun little facts:

• Charles Stratton began performing for audiences at the age of 5.
• It cost $75 to attend the Stratton-Warren wedding in 1863.
• Queen Victoria's wedding cake weighed 300 pounds.
• The most expensive wedding cake slice sold at auction for $29,900.

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* What do you think makes celebrity weddings so fascinating to the public?

* If you could ask Charles Stratton or Lavinia Warren one question about their lives and careers, what would it be?

* If you could submit an item to be housed in the Library of Congress, what would it be and why?

** This note is for our email readers. Please do not reply via email with any comments. View the blog online and scroll down to the comments section.

Come back on the 9th of each month for my next foray into historical tidbits to share.

For those interested in my life as an author and everyday gal, what I'm currently reading, historical tidbits, recommended reads, and industry news about other authors, subscribe to my monthly newsletter. The latest edition was just sent out last week. Receive a FREE e-book of Magic of the Swan just for subscribing.

BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those skills to become an award-winning, best-selling author and speaker who is also a professional copywriter/copyeditor. She loves to share life-changing products and ideas with others to help improve their lives in a variety of ways.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children, one dog, and three cats in southeastern Kentucky. In the 20+ years she's been a professional writer, she has sold twenty-six (26) books so far and is represented by Tamela Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.

Wedding Traditions: New and Old

   __By Tiffany Amber Stockton__

In April, the historic total solar eclipse of April 8th received the spotlight focus. As we head into the popular months for weddings, let's look at some traditions and how they got started.

WEDDING TRADITION ORIGINS: PART ONE

Some things about weddings seem to remain unchanged — the bride wears white, the couple is apart on the day of the ceremony, and a cake must be made. But how did those traditions become actual traditions?

Not seeing your spouse-to-be until the ceremony starts now exists as a romanticized tradition, but at one time, it ensured that marrying off a daughter actually happened. Despite all the romantic movies and books out there highlighting marriage to the one you love, that's a relatively new concept. 

Prior to the 18th century, marriage was used to improve a family’s social standing in some way. Brides and grooms often got paired off without giving much of their own input. As a result, arranged marriages had a high risk for cold feet. Keeping the couple apart until they said their vows reduced the chances that one of them would back out before making it to the altar.

This next one made me chuckle. It can definitely be chalked up to superstition. The English rhyme of “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe,” was first heard in the mid-19th century. It didn't appear in print until 1871.

More than these items bringing mere luck on the wedding day, the "something borrowed" item was supposed to increase the bride's chance of becoming pregnant. So, the bride borrowed a pair of bloomers from a woman who had already become a mother. Can you believe that? I don't know about you, but I don't know that I could have donned another woman's underwear beneath my gown.

"Something old" represents the bride's past. "Something new" symbolizes the couple's happy future. "Something borrowed" comes from someone happily married in the hope good fortune rubs off on her. "Something blue" denotes fidelity and love.

Speaking of dresses, a white gown has only been commonplace for about 150 years. Historically, brides simply repurposed their best dress as their wedding gown. Prior to modern washing machines and stain removers, white clothing was rare because it was so difficult to keep clean. Brown, gray, and even red were the more popular colors.

Queen Victoria (after whom my daughter is named) wore a lacy white gown at her 1840 wedding, and she's often credited with making "bridal white" popular. However, she wasn't the first. Mary, Queen of Scots wore white during her 1558 Notre Dame wedding, and several other royals wore white before Queen Victoria.

Nevertheless, just a few years after Victoria’s wedding, dressmakers and etiquette books latched onto white as being virginal and pure. Godey’s Lady’s Book even wrote that a white dress was “an emblem of the innocence and purity of girlhood, and the unsullied heart which she now yields to the keeping of the chosen one.” Wow. That's quite a mouthful. :)

There are many other traditions, such as the reason for a bridal party, the exchange of wedding rings, tossing rice, and even saving a tier of the wedding cake, but I'll save those for next month.

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* What traditions did *you* follow for your wedding? If you haven't had one yet, what traditions do you intend to follow?

* How would you respond if an arranged marriage was still the leading method today? Do you feel they have any merit? If so, in what situations or circumstances?

* Marriage is a consecrated union, set forth by God, and designed to be a temporal representation of the eternal agape love of Christ for His Church. What are your thoughts on how to help restore the sanctity of marriage in today's society?

** This note is for our email readers. Please do not reply via email with any comments. View the blog online and scroll down to the comments section.

Come back on the 9th of each month for my next foray into historical tidbits to share.

For those interested in my life as an author and everyday gal, what I'm currently reading, historical tidbits, recommended reads, and industry news about other authors, subscribe to my monthly newsletter. The latest edition was just sent out last week. Receive a FREE e-book of Magic of the Swan just for subscribing.

---

BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those skills to become an award-winning, best-selling author and speaker who is also a professional copywriter/copyeditor. She loves to share life-changing products and ideas with others to help improve their lives in a variety of ways.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children, one dog, and three cats in southeastern Kentucky. In the 20+ years she's been a professional writer, she has sold twenty-six (26) books so far and is represented by Tamela Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.