History of Timepieces By Donna Schlachter with Giveaway

https://www.pexels.com/photo/vintage-travel-time-watch-10217880/

Ever since God created the world, time has been measured. We see in Genesis 1 that God laid out the days and nights, resting on the seventh day.

Have you ever wondered why that measurement is so important? Surely an infinite God wouldn’t need to count seconds, minutes, and hours, as there is no beginning or ending to His time.

However, once sin entered the world and Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, our time on this earth became numbered. We understand that at some point we will die, which should make our days more precious to us.

Apart from our mortality, however, throughout history, mankind also realized that time and seasons pass on a regular basis. For early farmers, herdsmen, and gatherers, keeping track of the passage of time means they could plan when to plant, when to breed, and when to reap.

As a result of this desire to keep track of days and months and years, many different kinds of timepieces were created. Some used items available in nature, such as a tree or rock that marked the passage of the sun. Early sundials were very helpful on days when the sun shone, of course, but less so when the skies were overcast.

Photo by Vindhya Chandrasekharan from Pexels

 

History credits the Egyptians with first using the stars to tell the passage of time, and this was a skill in great demand once ocean exploration was embarked upon. Candles, water, and oil were commonly used in the Far East, particularly Japan and China.

Weight-driven timepieces were built beginning in the 1300s, which eventually morphed into clocks with pendulums by 1656.

 

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Pocket watches came along in the 1500s, but surprisingly, the minute hand wasn't added for about 200 years. Other versions were worn around the neck, but didn’t do an accurate job of keeping time. Prior to 1780s, watches were wound with a key or a stem, and in 1796, the self-winding version released.

Wristwatches are credited to Louis Cartier, whose aviator friend Santos asked him to design a watch he could see without taking his hands off the controls when he flew his airplane. Within a few years, wristwatches were all the vogue. Soldiers during World War 1 used “trench watches”, and the wristwatch became easily accessible and affordable to the general public.

As we can see, keeping track of time throughout history has seen many variations, from sundials to candles to clocks and wristwatches.

In my book, Time Will Tell, my heroine owns a watch and clock repair shop. She learned the business from her father, who recently passed away. She knows the ins and outs of cleaning and repairing all sorts of timepieces, and loves the ticking of all the clocks lining the walls of her shop. However, she feels time is slipping away as she struggles against a male-dominated culture that refuses to let her work at what she loves best. Sadie must learn that God makes all things beautiful in His time, a lesson we can all keep close to heart in these uncertain times.

Question for readers: What is your favorite watch or clock you received as a gift or bought for yourself? Leave your answer and I will draw randomly for a free print (US only) or ebook copy of Time Will Tell. Please leave your email address, too, disguised like this: donna AT livebytheword DOT com



About Time Will Tell:

Sadie Bauer inherits her father’s watch and clock repair shop in the Mall beneath Main Street, Pueblo. However, she soon learns that Fate conspires against her operating this business and keeping her father’s memory alive.

Will O’Reilly, recently dismissed for fighting, longs to help this beautiful damsel in distress, but she’s about as prickly as a porcupine. He’d like their relationship to be more than employer-employee, but if she learns of their connection through their ex-fiances, she might not want to have anything to do with him.

Can Sadie overcome her mistrust of men in general, and of a certain suave salesman in particular? Can Will get past his former betrothed’s infidelity? And can both learn to trust the God who makes all things beautiful in His time?





About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published 50 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both.

 

 

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Check out previous blog posts at www.HiStoryThruTheAges.wordpress.com and www.AllBettsAreOff.wordpress.com

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Etsy online shop of original artwork: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Dare2DreamUS



Resources:

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

https://www.jewelerstradeshop.com/history-of-timepieces/

Sisters That Changed History: Mary & Anne Boleyn

Blogger: Amber Schamel

Mary Boleyn

Mary and Anne Boleyn were born during treacherous and changing times. Although these two sisters weren’t as close as the others we’ve been covering, their influence on history is just as strong.

Mary seems to have been the elder of the two, both children of Thomas Boleyn, the first Earl of Wiltshire and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Howard. Probably only two or three years older, Mary was brought up with Anne and their brother George in Kent, England. Their French governess prepared them for their later occupations as maids to a French queen. Their education consisted of basic principles of math, history, etc. but also included family genealogy, hunting, singing, and skills in running a house.

Around age 15, Mary was sent with Princess Mary, Henry VIII’s youngest sister, as her maid-of-honor when she moved to Paris and became the wife of aging King Louis XII of France. Here, Mary’s reputation suffered. She is thought to have become the subject of several affairs and the mistress to the succeeding King, Francois. However, some historians consider those reports to be exaggerated. Regardless, Mary was returned to England and this time was maid-of-honor to Catherine of Argon who became the first wife of Henry VIII. Soon after her return, Mary was wed to an influential and rich courtier, William Carey. King Henry was a guest at their wedding.

Apparently his attendance at their wedding did nothing to deter the king from this ‘pretty’ woman with a colorful reputation, because he soon formed a liaison with Mary. The duration of the affair is unknown and the fatherhood of her two children stand in question yet today.

Now let’s sidestep for moment and catch up with the younger sister. Anne’s early life followed closely in her sister’s footsteps, though she would step out of her shadow and earn herself a greater place in history books. She went to the Netherlands and was tutored in the house of Margaret of Austria. Afterward, she followed her sister to France and also became a maid-of-honor to Queen Mary, and then to her daughter Claudia. It was apparently these years in France where Anne developed her religious interests and convictions.

James Butler, Anne and Mary's Cousin

Around 1522, Anne was recalled to England. A heated debate over land rights between Anne’s father and her uncle threatened civil war. King Henry hoped to end the conflict by marrying her off to her Irish cousin, James Butler. These plans were ended by Cardinal Wolsey, the reason being unclear. Perhaps her uncle hoped to marry Butler off to a higher ranking lady. Whatever the reason, it left Anne unattached. She debuted in court and soon had many young men competing for her hand.

A young man by the name of Henry Percy succeeded in gaining her attention. The problem was he had been betrothed to someone else since childhood. The two became secretly engaged, however Percy’s father refused the match, and so did Cardinal Wolsey, and likely King Henry, since he had begun to notice the younger Boleyn girl. Anne was sent home and Percy was married to Lady Mary Talbot, his original intended.

After this romance had blown over, Anne returned to court. However, she resisted Henry’s advances and refused to become his mistress as her sister had. Henry had disposed of Mary easily, and Anne vowed the same fate wouldn’t happen to her. Henry courted her for seven years, during which time raged the battle to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, his brother’s widow. Anne gained such influence during this period that ambassadors considered it essential to have her approval if they wanted influence in the English government. She actively encouraged the reformation movement, often protecting English translators and scholars.
When the “sweating sickness” raged in 1528, Anne retreated to her family home. She became very ill, as did her sister Mary’s husband. Henry sent his personal physician to treat her, and she soon recovered. Her brother-in-law, however, perished of the disease leaving Mary a widow.

This bout of sickness must have frightened the king, because he became even more desperate to marry Anne. The conflict over the annulment of his marriage caused a break from the Pope and the stage for the Reformation was set.

King Henry and Anne Boleyn

As Anne became the wife of King Henry VIII and battled for her title as queen instead of Catherine of Aragon, Mary fell in love with a soldier. Because a soldier was of considerably lower rank, the marriage was secret, discovered only when Mary’s pregnancy became visible. The court, including the newly crowned Queen Anne, was furious. Mary was excommunicated and the couple banished from court. She did later manage to gain a little compassion from her sister and was granted a small pension and the education of her son.

Thus, the elder sister lived in poverty with a man she loved, and the younger lived in a treacherous court as Queen of England. Both came to early deaths.

We all know the infamous story of Anne’s demise. She gave birth to a girl, later to be Queen Elizabeth I, and her failure to produce a male heir ruined her favor with King Henry. Allegations were made, trial was set, and Anne’s fate was sealed with the testimony of her own uncle and her former betrothed. She was beheaded at the Tower of London in May 1536; a few days after her brother met the same fate.

Mary lived in relative quiet until she died of unknown causes on July 19, 1543 in her early forties, outliving her brother and sister by only seven years.

Both these women influenced English history during the Reformation era, which in turn influenced the entire world with its translations of scripture, break with the Catholic Church, and ruling females. Had Anne not protected the translators and scholars, who knows what may have become of the Christian movement or how long it would have taken for the Scriptures to be in our own language. Anne is considered one of the greatest queens of England, a martyr, and the mother of the Protestant movement.

Mary’s impact is harder to analyze. On the surface, it seems her three children and influence on King Henry are about all we can account to her...but then again, what influence did she hold over her younger sister and her path in life? If we follow the path of her children, we’ll see that they greatly impacted the fate of England and the rule of their cousin, Elizabeth I. It was Mary’s children that carried on the Boleyn lineage. So perhaps her influence wasn’t so petty after all.

*****

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".  Her title, Dawn of Liberty, was awarded the 2017 CSPA Book of the Year award in Historical Fiction. She lives in Colorado and spends half her time volunteering in the Ozarks. Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/

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BOOK GIVEAWAY AND WORLD WAR 11 WEDDINGS

ANNE GREENE here:

Amid pain and suffering, the 1940s teemed with romance. During World War II many women arranged wartime weddings within a few days of receiving a proposal to accommodate a boyfriend coming home on 24 or 48 hours short leave. Then the new husband deployed to combat on some far off post.  Frequently there was no time to order a special wedding dress, and often women could not afford the clothing coupons needed for a wartime wedding dress.

Nevertheless, happy weddings took place. Family members donated small amounts of staples like sugar, flour and eggs so the war bride could bake a wedding cake.

Women borrowed hats, raided gardens for flowers and loaned wedding dresses. Bridesmaids reused dresses worn to other weddings. This gave a mix and match look to bridal group photographs of the 1940s. Most every item of clothing could be used again in a different venue. Friends and family rallied around loaning a hat, a bit of lace, or a dress.

A bride often wore her hair high on top of her head in a waved roll. Abundant hair was helpful, but lack of it did not stop women from adopting the style. Ever resourceful, they used old stockings rolled up to create foundations to be covered in their hair. This style became popular among women of the forties since the look offered glamour lacking in other areas of wartime life. The style is film star glam.

Army, Navy and Air Corps usually wore their uniforms when they wed. So the grooms looked handsome.

In 1944, an American B-29 pilot returned with his crew from a bombing raid over Yowata, Japan. The plane’s engine caught fire. The pilot used his parachute to jump from the burning aircraft. Later the chute helped him survive by providing shelter until rescue teams found him. After returning home from war to Pennsylvania, he proposed to his girlfriend. She used the life-saving parachute as material for her wedding dress. She modeled her dress on one which appeared in the movie Gone With The Wind. She used the original parachute strings to create the train effect in the back. I can think of no other wedding dress that would be as meaningful as one that saved the life of the groom.
In my World War II historical romance, ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS, you will find two romantic war time weddings. If you love weddings, you’ll adore these two.

Do you have a story about a World War II wedding from your grandmother or mother? Would you accept a proposal to marry within 48hours or even a week?

Leave a comment for a chance to win an autographed copy of ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS.

A story of a woman in a man’s domain set against the dynamics of World War II is a can’t-miss scenario. Angels With Steel Wings paints a vivid picture of courageous pilots facing death in the air while struggling with love on the ground, and wraps it up in a unique twist that will challenge all you knew about the “Greatest Generation.” Steeped in history and framed by faith, this is a tale that takes readers into a world now all but forgotten, and lands in a place that touches the heart in a special way. To know how far we have come, we must understand where we started, and Angels With Steel Wings takes us back on a thrilling trip in time that informs as it entertains. I think this is one flight you won’t want to miss.

***Ace Collins, bestselling author of numerous books, including the WW II series, “In the President’s Service.”

BIO: ANNE GREENE delights in writing about alpha heroes who aren’t afraid to fall on their knees in prayer, and about gutsy heroines. She writes both historical and suspense novels. Her Women of Courage Series spotlights heroic women of World War II. The first book, ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS is available on Amazon. Her private investigating series, Handcuffed In Texas with the first book, HOLLY GARDEN, PI, RED IS FOR ROOKIE, now available on Amazon. She and her hero husband, Army Special Forces Colonel Larry Greene, have visited twenty-five countries. A visit to Scotland resulted in her award-winning Scottish historical romances, MASQUERADE MARRIAGE and MARRIAGE BY ARRANGEMENT. A TEXAS CHRISTMAS MYSTERY also won awards. Anne makes her home in McKinney, Texas. Anne’s highest hope is that her stories transport the reader to an awesome new world and touch hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus. To learn more of Anne, visit her at http://www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com.  

OLD FASHIONED WORDS

ANNE GREENE here:

Do you sometimes use words or expressions that your children or your grandchildren don’t understand?

Such as, when the baby has a sagging diaper, you say, “Look who has droopy drawers.”

Drawers is a forgotten word. Years ago Queen Caroline decided that the thin skirts worn under hoop skirts were drafty. So she designed underpants. Because she drew them on, she named the underpants drawers.

During the Civil War Amelia Bloomer spoke at a women’s meeting. She dared to wear pants. Not only did she wear pants, she wore big, blousy pants. The ladies loved them. Someone named the pants after the gutsy woman who first wore them—bloomers. Back in that day bloomers came with tight elastic around the legs. If the elastic was loose, so were you. You were known as a loose woman.

And who calls a student a pupil? Do you ever call your minister or preacher a parson? Our children have no clue what a filling station is. Perhaps you don’t either. Have you or they ever heard of or used an ice house or an ice box or an ice pick?

Did you ever dry a dish on a cup towel? Or use rabbit ears? Those words are seldom used today.

 If you read a historical novel do you understand the meaning of what used to be popular words, but are now so dated a reader may not understand them? Words like bed chamber, affright, peradventure, fain.

Have you caught your grandmother using beau for boyfriend? Or lettered for educated? Or bunkum for nonsense? Have you said Walkman rather than Smart Phone? Or telephone for cell?

Nobody uses marvelous, fetch, horsefeathers, and pussy cat anymore.

What old-fashioned words or phrases do you hear or use? Leave a comment and we can discuss and laugh about how our language constantly changes. I'm sure you can think of many. Let’s talk. 

ANNE GREENE delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. Her second novel, a Scottish historical, Masquerade Marriage, won three prestigious book awards. The sequel Marriage By Arrangement, finalled in a number of contests. A Texas Christmas Mystery also won several awards. Look for Anne’s new World War II historical romance, Angel With Steel Wings, early in 2015. The first book in Anne’s lady detective series, Holly Garden, PI, Red is for Rookie, débuts later in 2015. Anne’s highest hope is that her stories transport the reader to awesome new worlds and touch hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus. Anne makes her home in McKinney, Texas. She loves to talk with her readers. Buy Anne’s books at http://www.Amazon.com. Talk with Anne on twitter at @TheAnneGreene. View Anne’s books, travel pictures and art work at http://www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com.

Learn more about Anne as well as gain tips on writing award-winning novels at http://www.anneswritingupdates.blogspot.com. Visit Anne here every 14th day of every month. She loves to hear from you.