Finding the Facts by Katherine Pym

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Sir David Kirke

Research is a powerful thing. It opens the eyes and expands the mind... that is, if you find sources that don't conflict with each other. For instance, when writing Pillars of Avalon, we found David Kirke was to be knighted by King Charles I in Scotland. David was an Englishman, not a Scotsman. He resided in London with his wife and family. If he were to be knighted in another country, would he be a knight of Scotland or England? This brought about a lot of digging through the annals of history. Deep faraway history.

King Charles I

King Charles I was in need of money. His kingdom in chaos, Parliament gave him fits when he wanted more taxes, so he dismissed Parliament. Since he was the sovereign and believed in the divine right of kings, he proclaimed to rule alone.

He still needed money, so he started knighting men. Once dubbed, the new knight would register their names (even as the register was notoriously in error), and pay their fees. Many refused to do so. As a result posterity lost sight they had been knighted, even as they signed their documents and letters as John Doe, Knight.

When in Scotland, new knights were mandated to register their names with the Lyon King in Edinburgh. Those knighted in England were to register with Herald's College in London. The fee was extensive, upwards to £108, and pretty hefty for that time.

Since the king was in Scotland, and he did not like David very much, he decided to knight him in a country that did not like the English, and the fact, if he registered his knighthood with the Lyon King, he would be considered a Scottish knight.

Digging into who was knighted and where, I found David's name as one who had been honored in Scotland. Then I found a list of who had been knighted alongside him, but the list did not include David's name.

The Kirke's family crest

This is when a historical story becomes fiction. I could not go to Scotland or England to search the archives, data that may have burned in London during the great fire of 1666. I had to work with what I found, sometimes going back several centuries, sometimes in conflict with other data. I could not verify this but if a reliable source mentioned David as being knighted in Scotland, I went with it. I had him defy the standing process and have his certificate registered in London so that he would be considered an English knight. Even if it did not appear in the register.

So, we have Sir David Kirke and Lady Sara Kirke. His knight bachelor did not extend to his sons, even as Lady Sara requested King Charles II to extend it, but from my records, there is no record of him acknowledging or honoring her request.

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Many thanks to :

Shaw, William Arthur & Burthchaell, George Dames, The Knights of England, Volume 1, a complete record from the earliest time to the present day of the knights of all the orders of chivalry in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of knights bachelors. Printed and Published for the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, Lord Chamberlain’s Office, St. James’s Palace, Sherratt and Hughes, London 1906

And Wikicommons, Public Domain 

Summer Vacations by Katherine Pym

 

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Ferryland Mansion where the Kirkes lived in the 17th century

I would like to go to Ferryland, Newfoundland/Labrador, and see the archaeological dig there of the manor house and plantation Sir David and Lady Sara lived in for several years. Sir David was recalled to London for crimes against Parliament he did not commit whilst living in Ferryland and never returned but Lady Sara did. She made a very successful go of it and as a result, she is considered the foremost female entrepreneur of Canada.

Archeological dig of the colony of Avalon

There was also litigation against Sir David by the Baltimore family, who said the Kirkes were interlopers when in fact their sire abandoned the colony as too cold and inhospitable. The family sailed to Maryland, where the weather was more temperate and made it a Roman Catholic colony.  

Sir David took over the Colony of Avalon from Lord Baltimore, but the advertisements of Ferryland and its museum say little about  it...

More of the site

...or of David and Sara, the work they did to make a success of this beautiful new land. 

That’s why I want to go there, to see if it is a bias toward Baltimore, and if so, why not mention the Kirkes, who in my mind hold tighter sway on the site.

I’d also like to see Pillars of Avalon in their gift shop. After all, it’s real history of a real place, which should be attended to.

 

But news is coming from that location the museum is not doing well. They are suffering from a lack of funds. They may be gone before I can find my way to the site, which would be an arduous trip, over several airplane hops across the vast territory of our lands. 

And there you have it.

NOTE: Interesting articles below for your perusal. 

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Many thanks to Wikicommons Public Domain

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/historic-ferryland-museum-feeling-financial-squeeze-1.3039491

http://colonyofavalon.ca/

My Support by Katherine Pym

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My best, and most recent support is Jude Pittman, my partner in the Canadian Bride Series. She told me how good the chapters of Pillars of Avalon were, with its in depth historical research and finished chapters that she edited. For this I will be eternally grateful, because...

Few of my friends enjoy novels of 17^thcentury London. My family says: Hey Kath/Mom, that’s great you have another book out, but I won’t read it. I can’t get past seeing you while I read or hear your voice. 

My sons would definitely hear my voice if they read Erasmus T Muddiman, whose exploits came from them. I’ve often wondered how they reached adulthood considering some of the stunts they pulled. They crawled up the side of the house and jumped off the roof or Tarzaned from the house to the garage. They swung off trees and chased avalanches while skiing. One of my critique partners said her sons weren’t anything like mine, which made me wonder. I thought most boys did crazy things when teenagers. 

My dear husband leaves me alone for hours at a time, and eventually beta-reads my chapters, 5-10 of them at a time. He lets me know if anything doesn’t make sense. 

I dedicate my stories to people but I don’t know if they read them. When I tell them of the dedication, their eyes widen and they say: “Gee, thanks.”  

In the end, I am my most ardent supporter. I constantly think how the plot should progress, have my heroine or hero jump through hoops to keep the narrative moving. I don’t allow them to fight or be too cruel. I must like them, and the story. The ending must agree with my sensibilities. 

After all, besides my critique partners who don’t always read every chapter, I’m the only one who must truly enjoy my story. 

For a short time, Erasmus T Muddiman is FREE. 

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