*Please note- This site search does not include the Vic. & Tas. BMD's, Lots o' Links & Worth a Look Books
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History of the calendar
1. Eras, B.C, A.D. etc
2. The Roman Calendar
3. The Julian Calendar
4. The Gregorian Calendar
5. Days in the Month
6. Double Dates in BDM's
7. What's in a Name? (Zodiac, Meanings, Myths etc)
2. The Roman Calendar
3. The Julian Calendar
4. The Gregorian Calendar
5. Days in the Month
6. Double Dates in BDM's
7. What's in a Name? (Zodiac, Meanings, Myths etc)
ERAS
Era or AEra.—A word which Spanish authors introduced into chronology, to express the beginning of some extraordinary change, as of reigns, etc. It comes from AEra, a tribute imposed on Spaniards by the Emperor Augustus, 39 B.C., under the consulship of L. Marcus Censorius and G. Calvisius Sabinus, about the year 715 of Rome. It was used in Spain till about 1383, and in Portugal till 1415, when the years of Jesus Christ were substituted in its place.
Dictionary of Religion, By William Benham 1887
Roman Time Period- Imperial Romans of N.Z.
http://www.imperium-romana.org/roman-time-period.html |
The Greeks were the first to adopt the system of eras: their Olympiads were periods of four years, the first Olympiad dating 776 s.c. The Jews did not use an era until the time of the Maccabees; and then they adopted that of the Seleucidae, dating from 312 b.c. But the Jews now use an era of their own, dating from the Creation, which they place in 3761 B.C.
The Dictionary of Religion An Encyclopedia of Christian and Other Religious Doctrines...By William Benham 1887 books/edition/The_Dictionary_of_Religion Era is a Spanish word, for an
Extraordinary Change The Roman Era, A.U.C., dating from the building of the city, corresponding to 753; that of Nabonassar, corresponding to 747 B.C., used by the ancient Persians and astronomers; that of the Greek Seleucidae 312 B.C., when Seleucus Nicanor settled in Syria, twelve years after the death of Alexander the Great; the Christian, dating approximately from the birth of Christ; the Diocletian, and the Jewish. The date of an era is fixed upon by the general consent of a nation or community.
Dictionary of Religion, By William Benham 1887 A.U.C., is "Ab Urbe Condita"
(From the Foundation of the City) |
The Era of Constantinople, called also the Byzantine era; reckons from the Creation, which it places in 5508 b.c. It was formerly in use in the Eastern Empire, and is still used by the Albanians (1887). William Benham 1887
Albania has since adopted the Gregorian Calendar in 1912 Constantinople / Istanbul
Byzas the Megarian named the city Byzantine in 700 BC. The Roman Empire conquered the area in 193 AD continuing to use it as a trading hub. When Emperor Constantine left Rome in the 4th Century, he deemed this area, the new capital. In 330 AD, the city was declared the Eastern Roman Empire’s capital and renamed Constantinople, after Emperor Constantine. The Byzantine Empire regained control of Constantinople by 1261, but it never reached its former glory and in 1453, after a 53-day siege, the Turks conquered the city, then Constantinople became Istanbul, capital of the Ottoman Empire. https://theculturetrip.com/europe/turkey/ The Hegira, the Mussulman era, dating from Mohammed's flight from Mecca in 622 a.d.
William Benham 1887 |
The Four Lads - Istanbul (not Constantinople)
2.18 |
The Christian era begins upon the 1st of January, after the birth of our blessed Saviour, which is commonly fixed to Dec.25th, and 764 years after the building of Rome, in the consulship of Lentulus and Calpurnius Piso. This is probably not the exact year of our Lord's birth. But for practical purposes this date has been generally accepted throughout Christendom. The Venerable Bede uses it in his history. This era has sometimes been called the Dionysian, from the fact that Dionysius Exiguus was the first advocate and proposer of it. Research has made it probable that our Lord's birth really took place four years earlier than the received era.
Dictionary of Religion, By William Benham 1887 Consulship of Lentulus and Calpurnius Piso
wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Calpurnius_Piso_(consul_1_BC) Dionysius Exiguus & the Christian Calendar
Dionysius Exiguus (Literally, Dennis the Lesser AD 470-544) was a Roman Catholic Abbott from the Ukraine. He was a scholar of no mean attainment. It was because of this that Pope John I in AD 525 called upon Dionysius to draw up a table for computing the future dates of Easter. In AD 532 Dionysius produced his book Liber de Paschate. Right at the start of this book were the words "Anno Domini nostri Jesu Christi DXXXII" (Latin for in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 532: or AD 532) In a letter to Bishop Petronius. Dionysius explained his reasoning for the new way of numbering the years. Up until this time it had been custom to number the years according to the beginning of the reign of the Emperor Diocletian (AD 284-305) He said. "We have been unwilling to connect our cycle with the name of an impious persecutor (Diocleban), but have chosen rather to note the years from the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ to the end that the commencement of our hope might be better known to us and that the cause of man's restoration, namely, our Redeemer's passion, might appear with clearer evidence" (Migne, Vol. 67, 1865, p. 20, Epistokte Duae be Ratione Paschae, English translation Of Latin text). Seven Steps to Bethlehem books/edition/SEVEN_STEPS_TO_BETHLEHEM |
The Diocletian era is called the key of Christian chronology; this period begins at the first year of Diocletian's reign, which falls in with Aug. 29th, A.D. 284. This computation is made good by the authorities of Theophilus and St. Cyril, Archbishops of Alexandria, of St. Ambrose, of Dionysius Exiguus, and others. This era is still used by the Copts in Egypt, and was in general use throughout the West of Europe, until the introduction of the Christian era.
Dictionary of Religion, By William Benham 1887 The Coptic, or Egyptian calendar is ⅞ years behind the Gregorian calendar. The Ethiopian calendar is based on the Egyptian. An Egyptian year has 13 months. The first 12 months have 30 days. The last month, Paguemain, is an intercalary month, which has 6 days on leap year and 5 on others.
Some Other Calendars http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/calendar-other.html Dionysius Exiguus a Roman Catholic Abbott from the Ukraine, was the first advocate and proposer of the Christian Era
Dionysius decided to take time from the birth of Jesus, instead of who was ruling at the time. The idea caught on & that's how we have A.D. & B.C.
Dionysius said, "We have been unwilling to connect our cycle with the name of an impious persecutor (Diocleban), but have chosen rather to note the years from the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ"
Dionysius Exiguus calculated that the 248th year of the Diocletian era corresponded with the 532nd year from Jesus' birth. Seven Steps to Bethlehem
No-one used or had even heard of A.D. or B.C., until Dionysius in 532 AD
A.D. stands for Anno Domini
("In the year of our Lord") A.C.N. Ante Christum Natum translates as, "Before Christ was born", or, as we know it, B.C.
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Now, in the 21st century, some people choose to use the terms CE & BCE instead of AD & BC
CE and BCE are used in exactly the same way as the traditional abbreviations AD and BC.
CE is an abbreviation for Common Era. BCE is short for Before Common Era. AD is short for Anno Domini, Latin for year of the Lord. BC is an abbreviation of Before Christ. According to the international standard for calendar dates, both systems are acceptable. www.timeanddate.com/calendar/ce-bc DIONYSIUS EXIGITUS ... gave to the western church the first regular collection of ecclesiastical laws, comprising the canons of the apostles and of several councils, and the decrees of some of the popes. But his chronological labors have given him greater celebrity. He is reputed the founder of the era which for more than 10 centuries has been observed by Christian nations. Before him the Christian era had been calculated from the death of Christ; he first fixed the year of the incarnation in the 753d year of Rome, and this, at least after the 8th century, was universally adopted as the commencement of the era.
The New American Cyclopaedia Volume 6 1859 books/edition/The_New_American_Cyclopaedia/ Popular Astronomy A General Description of the Heavens
By Camille Flammarion · 1894 books/edition/Popular_Astronomy/ Bede the Venerable, came after Dionysius, and popularized the term Anno Domini (AD) in
calendar dating |
Dionysius Exiguus, a monk in the community of Scythia and he is best known as the inventor of chronological system of BC (before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini); a system which is used to this day for numbering the years of both the Gregorian and Julian calendars Before Exiguus invented this chronological system, the significant events in history were always remembered relative to some other event or person. For example, "During the third year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah; Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and surrounded it with his army." Now using the chronological system established by Exiguus, we can historically set that happening at about 598 BC (or 599 BC depending on how we have dealt with the fact that Exiguus failed to define a year zero).
Star of Bethlehem Study By Duane Engdahl 2017 books/edition/Star_of_Bethlehem_Study/ For astronomers have, ever since Dionysius Exiguns 625 A.C. (After Christ), always called the year which immediately preceded the Dionysian Era, the first year B.C., while historians, some centuries ago (we do not exactly know when), commenced calling the same year the second year B.C., and consequently in every case counting one year more, and shortening the Dionysian Era by one year. This double chronology, the astronomical and historical, adopted in innumerable books, has been the cause of great confusion in ancient history, and still leads to daily mistakes. The most recent instance of that sort is exposed in the Evangelical Review, Gettysburg, July, 1857, Vol. ix. No. 88, p. 58. The years A.C. are reckoned alike both by astronomers and historians; but whenever we find a date B.C. in historical works we cannot tell with certainty whether the year is meant historically or astronomically, unless it be marked hist. or astr. This is the origin of the many mistakes and contradictions in ancient history. In addition to this, the historical chronology is evidently wrong, and in direct contradiction with the author of the Christian Era. For Dionysius Exiguus never called the year following the birth of Christ the year one B.C., but he called it the first year post Christurn natum, and designated it by 0 (nought), as is still customary with astronomers, which is proved by Dionysius' calculation of all the Easter full moons from the birth of Christ to 625 A.C. this being still extant, and beginning with the year nought.
Summary of Recent Discoveries in Biblical Chronology... By Gustav Seyffarth 1857 books/edition/Summary_of_Recent_Discoveries_in_Biblica In the early centuries AD the Eastern Church tended to treat September 1st as the day of Creation. whereas the Alexandrian Church used March 25th for this epochal date. Dionysius believed the Alexandrian computation to be the correct one and as a result he looked upon that day as of extreme importance. and therefore settled for March 25th as the date of Christ's conception, followed exactly 9 months
later by December 25th as the date of His birth. (Nevertheless, December 25th had been celebrated quite a while before this.) He also believed the date of the crucifixion to be March 2nd. The result was that Jesus' birthday was set as December 25th in the Roman year AUC 753, the year we designate BC 1. Dionysius made the following year, AUC 754, the beginning of his new system of dating, and called it Anno Domini 1. ("In the year of our Lord") In England and much of Europe March 25th was regarded as the first day of the year for official purposes until the mid 18th century.... From- Seven Steps to Bethlehem |
BEDE THE VENERABLE, SAINT (c.672-735) Often called the father of English history, the Venerable Bede, born in Northumbria, recorded the history of early medieval England, supported the reunification of the Celtic churches with the Roman Church, and popularized the term anno Domini (AD) in calendar dating. Bede's histories and chronicles became a model of historical writing and the standard reference works in Europe, especially during the Carolingian Renaissance, being copied multiple times and circulated throughout Europe.
Summary of Recent Discoveries...By Gustav Seyffarth 1857
Summary of Recent Discoveries...By Gustav Seyffarth 1857
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England by Bede
gutenberg.org/files/38326/38326-h/38326-h.html Audio Ebook loyalbooks.com/book/Ecclesiastical-History-of-England Bede: The Reckoning of Time (Liverpool University Press - Translated Texts for Historians) By Beda (Venerabilis),1999
books/edition/Bede_The_Reckoning_of_Time |
Venerable Bede's literary works cover a variety of topics: biblical commentaries, hagiography, homilies and liturgical works, historical texts (Ecclesiastical History of the English People, History of the Abbots of Wearmouth and Jarrow), and scientific works (On Nature, On Time, On the Computation of Time). In Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People (EH), completed in 731, Bede informs the
readers that he was born in the territory of the monasteries of Saint Peter and Saint Paul at Wearmouth and Jarrow (founded in 674 and 680). At the age of 7, Bede's "kinsmen" entrusted him to the care of the abbots Biscop (also called Benedict) and Ceolfirth at these monasteries for his education. Bede lived a disciplined life within the monastic rule, receiving ordination as deacon at the age of 19 and priest at the age of 30. Although Bede did not travel far from Northumbria, he acquired an understanding of geography, providing place names and physical features; he recognized the various societal groups in England and Ireland and recorded the accounts of influential individuals. Summary of Recent Discoveries...By Gustav Seyffarth 1857 Bede: Encyclopedia of Time Science, Philosophy, Theology, & Culture · Volume 1 By H. James Birx 2009
books/edition/Encyclopedia_of_Time |
Transactions of the Royal Historical Society: Volume 7, Sixth Series By Royal Historical Society 1998 (on Dionysius)
books/edition/Transactions_of_the_Royal_Historical_Soc Cathedra Petri: Books VI, VII & VIII. From the middle of the ninth to the close of the tenth century
By Thomas Greenwood 1859 (on Dionysius) books/edition/Cathedra_Petri_Books_VI_VII_VIII |
History of Christian Ethics Before the Reformation
By Christoph Ernst Luthardt 1889 (on Dionysius) books/edition/History_of_Christian_Ethics A Preservative Against Popery,.....Written and Published by ...the Church of England, Chiefly in the Reign of King James II By Edmund Gibson, John Cumming 1849 (on Dionysius)
books/edition/A_Preservative_Against_Popery_in_Several |
The Roman Calendar
The Romans recognized early in their history the need to regulate their activities.....
the construction of a calendar was an obvious first step.
Roman writers of the Augustan Age attributed the earliest calendar either to King Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, or to King Numa, the alleged author of Roman religion.
On Roman Time By Michele Renee Salzman
the construction of a calendar was an obvious first step.
Roman writers of the Augustan Age attributed the earliest calendar either to King Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, or to King Numa, the alleged author of Roman religion.
On Roman Time By Michele Renee Salzman
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The legendary early kings Romulus and Numa Pompilius were traditionally credited with establishing this early fixed calendar, which bears traces of its origin as an observational lunar one. In particular, the kalends, nones, and ides seem to have derived from the first sighting of the
crescent moon, the first-quarter moon, and the full moon respectively. The system ran well short of the solar year, and it needed constant intercalation to keep religious festivals and other activities in their proper seasons. This is a typical element of lunisolar calendars. For superstitious reasons, such intercalation occurred within the month of February even after it was no longer considered the last month. wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_calendar |
The Nundinae(Nundines), were the Market days of the Ancient Roman Calendars.
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The nundinal cycle, market week, or 8-day week was the cycle of days preceding and including each nundinae.
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The Roman Calendar worked around the Moon phases, while continually changing it, to keep their religious festivals in the right seasons.
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The natural units for timekeeping used by most historical societies are the day, the solar year and the lunation...The first historically attested and formulized calendars date to the Bronze Age, dependent on the development of writing in the ancient Near East. The Sumerian calendar was the earliest, followed by the Egyptian, Assyrian
and Elamite calendars. A larger number of calendar systems of the ancient Near East appear in the Iron Age archaeological record, based on the Assyrian and Babylonian calendars. This includes the calendar of the Persian Empire, which in turn gave rise to the Zoroastrian calendar as well as the Hebrew calendar. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_calendars |
What about before all of these Calendars? This is what wikipedia has to say-
In ancient times, twelve thirty-day months were used making a total of 360 days for the year. Abraham, used the 360-day year, which was known in Ur. The Genesis account of the flood in the days of Noah illustrated this 360-day year by recording the 150-day interval till the waters abated from the earth. In other words, it indicates a 5-month period as being exactly 150 days in length, or five 30-day months.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophetic_Year |
On Roman Time- The Codex-Calendar of 354 and the Rhythms of Urban Life in Late Antiquity
By Michele Renee Salzman 1991 books/edition/On_Roman_Time/ |
Greek and Roman Chronology Calendars and Years in Classical Antiquity · Volume 1
By Alan E. Samuel · 1972 books/edition/Greek_and_Roman_Chronology |
Virtual Tour of Ancient Rome (simulation)
13:46 |
The Roman Calendar Explained
15:20 |
January wasn't officially the beginning of the year, until, everybody had accepted
the Gregorian Calendar, every country at different times over a period of 200 years, from 1582-1752
the Gregorian Calendar, every country at different times over a period of 200 years, from 1582-1752
Here's what was printed in the
Encyclopædia Britannica in 1891- JANUARY, the first month in our present calendar, consists of thirty-one days. It was, however, not the first month of the year in the British Isles till the reformation of the calendar was made in 1752, when the legislature, by an Act passed in the preceding year, altered the mode of reckoning time from the Julian to the Gregorian style. At this period it was directed that the legal year which had commenced in
some parts of the country on March 25, and in others with January, should thenceforward be appointed begin always on the 1st of January. January derives its name from the God Janus, who had two faces, looking in opposite directions, and Macrobius states that it was dedicated to him because, from its situation, it might be considered to be retrospective to the past and prospective to the opening year. The consecration of the month took place by an offering of meal, salt, frankincense, and wine, each of which was new. On the first of this month all enmities were suspended, presents were exchanged, consuls installed, etc. The principal festivals now observed in this month are the following Jan. 1, New Year's Day. Feast of the Circumcision; Jan. 6, Epiphany, Twelfth -Day; and Jan. 25, Conversion of St. Paul. The Encyclopædia Britannica A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General Literature Vol 13, 1891 January books/edition/The_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/ |
Here's what was printed
a Hundred years earlier in 1792- January and February were introduced into the year
by Numa Pompilius: Romulas's year beginning in the month of March.—The kalends, or first day of this month, was under the protection of Juno, and in a peculiar manner consecrated to Janus by an offering of a cake made of new meal and new salt, with new frankincense and new wine. On the first day of January a beginning was made of every intended work, the consuls elect took possession of their office, who, with the flamens, offered sacrifices and prayers for the prosperity of the empire. On this day all animosities were suspended, and friends gave and received new-year's gifts, called Strenae. On this day too the Romans above all things took care to be merry and divert themselves, and oftentimes such a scene of drunkenness was exhibited, that they might with propriety enough have distinguished it with the name of All-fools day, The Christians heretofore fasted on the first day of January, by way of opposition to the superstitions and debaucheries of the heathens. The Encyclopædia Britannica A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General Literature Vol 9, 1792 January Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica_Or_a_Dictionary/ |
The Original Secession Magazine 1888 January/Janus
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The Julian Calendar
The Julian calendar, proposed by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, was a reform of the Roman calendar. It took effect on 1 January AUC 709 (45 BC), by edict. It was designed with the aid of Greek mathematicians and astronomers such as Sosigenes of Alexandria. (wiki)
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The Julian calendar was no longer dependent on the observation of the new moon but simply followed an algorithm of introducing a leap day every four years (wiki)
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The Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C. and replaced the Roman calendar. The way that the Julian calendar was figured, gave an error of 1 day in approximately 128 years, so was then replaced by the Gregorian calendar.
Some Orthodox churches still use the Julian calendar today to calculate dates of moveable feasts. Others who still use the Julian calendar are the Berber people of North Africa and on Mount Athos. The Julian Calendar www.hermetic.ch/cal_stud/cal_art.html Calculators & Timers http://www.timeanddate.com/ |
The Julian Calendar is named after Julius Caesar, who declared the mean length of the solar year, to be 365 days and six hours, and decreed that the quarter day should be accommodated, by the addition of an extra day every four years; in this calendar the vernal equinox was fixed at 25 March. In fact, however, the solar year is 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds long. The annual discrepancy of 11 minutes and 14 seconds meant that the equinox slowly retrograded towards the beginning of the Julian year, and by the time Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea in 325, the equinox had moved back to 21 March. Pope Gregory
XIII effected a reform of the calendar in 1582, by which time the equinox had retrograded to 11 March. Gregory commanded that ten days be suppressed in the calendar for 1582, so that the day after 4 October became 15 October and the equinox was restored to 21 March; he proposed to prevent a recurrence of the problem by stipulating that centurial years only be leap years if they were divisible by 400. A Milton Chronology By G. Campbell · 1997 books/edition/A_Milton_Chronology/ |
The Julian calendar, named after Julius Caesar, introduced in 45 B.C., had an error of 1 day in approximately 128 years
In the Julian Calendar, the
vernal equinox was fixed at 25 March The real solar year, unlike in the Julian calendar of 365 days & 6 hours, is actually, 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds
The 'New' Gregorian calendar, introduced in 1582, by Pope Gregory XIII, rectified that error
But, what does that mean for Historians & Genealogists?
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As early as 45 B. C., Julius Caesar, by the help of
an Alexandrian philosopher, introduced the year consisting of 365 days, with the addition of one day every fourth year, to absorb the odd hours By the time of the Council of Nicaea, A. D. 325, the addition of a whole day every fourth year was found to be too much by 11 minutes, 10 3/4 seconds, so that the beginning of the year was constantly being moved ahead
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The following information, is from- The Church and Cemetery Records of Hanover, Mass, By Lloyd Vernon Briggs · 1895
The different methods of reckoning time, as is seen in some of the records which have two dates, is best explained in Don Gleason Hill's Book of Dedham Records, and which I give below: |
The Gregorian Calendar
By 1582, there was an over reckoning of 10 days, since Nicaea
Pope Gregory, dropped 10 days in October of that year, October 5th, then becoming October 15th
The new Gregorian system, was not perfect either, so any centurial year that could not be divided by 400 (1700, 1800, and 1900), would not be a leap year. That way, the extra day, would be dropped, 3 times in every 400 years, to eliminate the extra time that would've been
left over. Very confusing! 1696, 1796 & 1896 were all leap years
No leap year for 1700, 1800 or 1900 1704, 1804 & 1904 were back to being leap years The next leap year to be skipped will be 2100 Throughout the seventeenth century the difference between Britain's Julian calendar and the Catholic Gregorian calendar was ten days; the year 1700 was a leap year in the Julian calendar but a common year in the Gregorian calendar
A Milton Chronology By G. Campbell |
So, if you were born the day after October 5th, in 1582, in certain countries of the World, your birth date would be, October 16th, according to the New Gregorian calendar, as 10 days were dropped
Not all countries took to it kindly.
Adoption of the Gregorian Calendar outside of Catholic countries was delayed due to the Protestant Reformation
The Catholic nations in general adopted the Gregorian style, but the Protestants were too much inflamed against Catholicism to receive from the Pope even a pure, scientific improvement. A bill to reform the Calendar was brought before the British Parliament in 1585, but was not passed, and for nearly 200 years the British people endured the inconvenience of the old style rather than adopt the
Gregorian calendar. The Church and Cemetery Records of Hanover, Mass, By Lloyd Vernon Briggs · 1895 A bill to reform the Calendar was brought before the British Parliament in 1585, but was not passed
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The Gregorian calendar was at length adopted in Great Britain and her colonies in 1752, when it became necessary to drop eleven days. But the Protestant populace of Great Britain were even then violently inflamed against the statesman who carried the bill through Parliament. They believed they had been defrauded of eleven days of
their destined lives. It is said that for some time afterwards a favorite opprobrious cry to unpopular statesmen in the streets was, "Who stole the eleven days?" "Give us back the eleven days!" books/edition/The_Church_and_Cemetery_Record The people of Britain weren't happy,
when 11 days had to be dropped, to coincide with the New system |
In 1582, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, parts of Germany, and various parts of Italy and more.... changed over, where places like Montenegro, didn't change over, until as late as, 1919
Check when your country changed over-
Check list of adoption dates wiki/List_of_adoption_dates_of_the_Gregorian_calendar Great Britain and her colonies, changed over in Sept. 1752, after an Act was passed in 1751
A favorite cry was- "Who stole the eleven days?"
"Give us back the eleven days!" |
Dropping the days, wasn't the only problem!
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ECCLESIASTICAL AND HISTORICAL YEAR.
In England, as early as the 7th century, the year began on the 25th of December, or Christmas day, and this date was used by most persons until the 13th century. But in the 12th century, the Anglican Church required that their year should commence on the 25th of March (Annunciation, or Lady-Day). This rule was adopted by the Civilians in the 14th century, and was adhered to until 1752. It was known as the Ecclesiastical, Legal, or Civil year. The 1st of January, however, has been considered as the beginning of the Historical year from the time of the Conquest, A.D. 1066, and in Scotland from A.D.1600. This difference caused great practical inconvenience, and consequently double-dating was usually resorted to, for time between the 1st of January and the 25th of March, thus: February, (or 12th month) 6th 1684 over 5, or 1684-5, as we often find in old records. This date in New Style would correspond to February, (or 2nd month), 16th, 1685, the lower last figure representing the Historical year, according to our present mode of computation, commencing with the 1st of January; and the upper or first figure the Ecclesiastical or civil year, beginning with the 25th of March. Without this method of double-dating it would be difficult to know which year was intended, particularly for time between the 1st and 25th of March, There are instances, however, in which double dating for the above months was, not used; in such cases the year, as given, must be taken as starting on the 1st of January. This system was adopted, occasionally, in each country earlier that the Gregorian, or New Style. The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review Volume 15 1884 Confused yet? By moving the new year to January 1st, March, then becomes the 3rd month etc., that's how we have September & October, as the 9th & 10th months.
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Ever thought about, why Sept, means 7 and Oct means 8, but September is the 9th month & October is the 10th?
The Anglican Church required that their year should start on the 25th of March, which was Annunciation day, or, the day the angel Gabriel came to the Virgin Mary, telling her that she would be the Mother of Jesus Christ, the son of God
When Pope Gregory changed the calendar, he also changed the first day of the year from March 25th, to January 1st
So, if March 25th was the first day of a new year, in the Julian calendar, it would be the 1st month, April, the 2nd month etc., September would be the 7th month, October, the 8th month & January the 11th month
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The dislike, when the Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1752 (in Britain), dropping days, was still felt even up until 1887, when old people could be heard lamenting and averring on the authority of their grandmothers that "Old Christmas Day was the true one," one evidence being that their bees still hummed on Old Christmas Eve. Dictionary of Rel., By Wm Benham 1887
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Days in the Month
So, how did the number of days in the month, come about?
In the Old Julian calendar, the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th months, that is March, May, July, September, November and January should each have 31 Days, and the other months 30, excepting the
12th month, February which in common years: should have only 29, but every fourth year 30 days This order was Broken to gratify the Vanity of Augustus, by giving the 6th month (August) bearing his name, as many days as July, which was named after the
1st Caesar A day was taken from February and given to August
So that 3 months of 31 days each wouldn't come together, September & November were reduced to 30 days and 31 given to October and December
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According to both the Julian and Gregorian calendars, January has always been January, but to change the eleventh month to the first, and the twelfth to the second is making "confusion worse confounded," particularly to genealogists who wish to reduce dates of births and deaths
from old style to new. The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review Vol 15 1884 books/edition/The_Jewelers_Circular_and_Horological In the distribution of the days, through the several months, Julius Caesar adopted a simpler and more convenient arrangement than that which has since prevailed. He had ordered that the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth and eleventh mouths, that is March, May, July, September, November and January should each have 31 Days, and the other months 30, excepting the twelfth month, February, which in common years: should have only 29, but every fourth year 30 days. This order was Broken to gratify the Vanity of Augustus, by giving the sixth month bearing his name, as many days as July, which was named after the first Caesar. A day was accordingly taken from February and given to August; and in order that three months of 31 days each might not come together, September and November were reduced to 30 days and 31 given to October and December. It would appear front this, as though the year was to have commenced on the 1st day of March, and it is so stated by Hazard, in a foot note on page 57, vol.1, of the minutes of the Provincial council of Penna." That this was not the case, may be seen by reference to " Votes of the Assembly of Penna", to the Journal of George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends and to the writings of William Penn, where double dating is always used until the 25th of March, the commencement of another year.
The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review Volume 15 1884 The Twelve Caesars
wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Caesars |
Britain & it's colonies. The 1st week of the Month of September was missing dates, the 3rd to the 13th.
September of the Year 1752 September 1752 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Curious History of the Gregorian Calendar- Eleven days that never were http://www.infoplease.com/spot/gregorian1.html |
British Calendar Act of 1751
Adoption of the Gregorian Calendar outside of Catholic countries was delayed due to the Protestant Reformation as most Protestant countries resisted "bowing" to any Papal decree. By the time the British were ready to go along with the rest of Europe, the old calendar had drifted off by one more day, requiring a correction of eleven days, rather than ten. The Gregorian Calendar was adopted in Britain (and in the British colonies) in 1752, with (Wed.) Sept. 2, 1752, being followed immediately by (Thurs.) Sept. 14, 1752. www.webexhibits.org/calendars/ |
So, if you were born in Britain and her colonies, the day after September 2nd, in 1752, your birth date would be, September 14th, according to the New Gregorian calendar
Double Dates in Docs
To avoid confusion (as if there wasn't enough already) Double-Dating in records, occurred during the change over period of almost 200 years, from 1582-1752, but only between January 1st & March 25th
The same act of Parliament which struck off the eleven days in September, 1752, enacted that the year should thereafter begin with January 1st.
The practice of double dating continued until the adoption of the new style calendar, by Parliament, September, 1752
The Church and Cemetery Records of Hanover, Mass, By Lloyd Vernon Briggs · 1895
books/The_Church_and_Cemetery_Records_of_Hanov/ For many years, during the change which was taking place in commencing the year, double dating was of frequent occurrence.....These double dates, therefore, occur in the months of January, February, and to the 26th of March.
A Genealogical History of the Descendants of Joseph Peck .....families in England... By Ira B. PECK 1868 books/edition/A_Genealogical_History_of_the_Descendant Double Dates, usually written like this-
Or, this-
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After the change in 1582, by Pope Gregory XIII, to the new style calendar, two modes of reckoning for the commencement of the year existed in Great Britain and her colonies—the civil, ecclesiastical or legal year with March 25th, and the historical year with January 1st.
In late seventeenth century England, the new year officially began on 25 March, however 1 January was also recognised by contemporaries as the beginning of the year. To overcome this discrepancy, dates between 1 January and 24 March would often be chronicled by contemporaneous record keepers in a
'split year' format 1666 Plague, War and Hellfire By Rebecca Rideal · 2016 https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/1666/ Scotland changed to January 1st, being the start of a new year, in 1600, but they didn't changed to the Gregorian calendar, until 1752
When Did Scotland Adopt the Gregorian Calendar?
familysearch.org/blog/en/when-did-scotland-adopt Besides differing in the style—i.e. Julian or Gregorian—two nations frequently began the year at different times. A Scottish writer assigned the execution of Charles I. to 1649, and his English contemporary to 1848, though both agreeing as to the month and day; because in Scotland the rear began with the 1st of January, as it had done since 1600, and in England the 25th March was still New year's Day. Throughout Europe there was much variation in this respect, not only between one country and another, but even in the same country as between one time and another, as well as between its different provinces at the same time.
Chambers' Encyclopædia A Dictionary of Universal Knowledge · Volume 3 1893 www.google.com.au/books/edition/Chambers_Encyclop The year beginning with the Annunciation still survives in a slightly modified form in the British tax year, which ends on 5 April, a date which accommodated the 11 day adjustment and thus ensured that rents and interest payments that had traditionally been exacted on 25 March reflected payment for a full year
A Milton Chronology By G. Campbell So, which date is the right, the Top, or 1st number, or bottom, 2nd number?
The first number, is the Julian year, the second, the Gregorian
They do this because, if you were still going by the Julian calendar, the year didn't finish until March 24th, so, the January, February & March dates, were still considered to be the
previous year |
The year 1570 (above), may seem odd?, but even though the change over didn't officially take place until 1582, some double dates still occur before then, up until 1752, when the British changed over.
The year 1689, Julian style (below) Which would be the Top, or 1st number in the Double Date
1st month
1689 March 3rd month
1689 March |
2nd month
1689 April 4th month
1689 April |
3rd month
1689 May 5th month
1689 May |
4th month
1689 June 6th month
1689 June |
5th month
1689 July 7th month
1689 July |
6th month
1689 Aug. 8th month
1689 Aug. |
7th month
1689 Sept. 9th month
1689 Sept. |
8th
month 1689 Oct. 10th
month 1689 Oct. |
9th month
1689 Nov. 11th month
1689 Nov. |
10th month
1689 Dec. 12th month
1689 Dec. |
11th month
1689 Jan. 1st month
1690 Jan. |
12th month
1689 Feb. 2nd
month 1690 Feb. |
The year 1689, Gregorian style (above) Which would be the Bottom, or 2nd number in the Double Date
If there is a Double Date
and your Ancestor was born between Jan. 1st & March 25th taking it from today's reckoning with the Gregorian calendar you would take the Bottom, or Second Date (the later year of the two, 1690) |
The Gregorian Calendar
http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/religionandtho Dates when each country adopted the Gregorian calendar. http://www.ortelius.de/kalender/greg_en.php Year 2038 problem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2038_problem Leap second https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_second |
What's in a Name?
January derives its name from the God Janus, who had two faces, looking in opposite directions, looking back
and forward Our Boys and Girls Vols 7-8 1870
books/edition/Our_Boys_and_Girls/ A Classical and Archaeological Dictionary of the Manners, Customs, Laws, Institutions, Arts, Etc.
By P. Austin Nuttall · 1840 A_Classical_and_Archaeological_Dict Our Boys and Girls Volume 2 1867
books/edition/Our_Boys_and_Girls/ 'Through all the varying year': a calendar of nature, arr. by M. Jeaffreson 1884
Through_all_the_varying_year The Port Folio 1813
books/edition/The_Port_Folio/ Figaro in London Vols 1-2 1831
books/edition/Figaro_in_London/ Hogg's Weekly Instructor Vol 5 1850
edition/Hogg_s_Weekly_Instructor/ Reflections on the Seven Days of the Week Written by a Lady,
By Catharine TALBOT · 1810 Reflections_on_the_Seven_Days |
February gets its name from the goddess of cleansing, 'Februa'
The Vernal year begins in April, coming from the Latin 'Aperio', meaning, "I open"
The 1st of April was
'All Fools Day' |
March, named by Romulus, in honour of his
reputed father, Mars Origin, Days of the Week
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It is generally accepted, that May gets it name from 'Maia', the Mother of Mercury
A Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, Mythology, Religion, Literature & Art
By Oskar Seyffert, Henry Nettleship, John Edwin Sandys · 1891 A_Dictionary_of_Classical_Antiquities The Family Magazine, Or Monthly Abstract of General Knowledge
Volume 3 1835 books/edition/The_Family_Magazine Myths Traced to Their Primary Source Through Language Vol 2 By Morgan Peter Kavanagh · 1856
Myths_TracedtoTheir_Primary_Source |
June, named in honour of Juno, the sister and wife of Jupiter
August, named for Augustus
Julius Caesar was Augustus' great-uncle In his will Caesar formally adopted Augustus as his son and identified him as his chief personal heir. Britannica |
July, Named by Mark Anthony, in honour of his friend,
Julius Caesar September was the 7th month, with Septem meaning seven
Calendar mosaics from Hellín in Roman Spain and Trier in Gallia Belgica, represented September by the god Vulcan... depicted as an old man holding tongs. (wiki)
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Germanicus Julius Caesar was a popular and prominent Roman general, known for his campaigns in Germania. The son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia the Younger, Germanicus was born into an influential branch of the patrician gens Claudia. Wikipedia
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September was once called 'Germanicus', from the
emperor of that name |
October was once called for a time, 'Domitian' from the
emperor of that name |
Domitian was Roman emperor from 81 to 96. He was the son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, and the last member of the Flavian dynasty. During his reign, the authoritarian nature of his rule put him at sharp odds with the Senate, whose powers he drastically curtailed. Wikipedia
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The Egyptians celebrated the birth of the son of Isis on the 25th of December
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The Romams celebrated the feast of Brumalia in honour of the birth of the god of day on Dec. 25th
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October was the 8th month in Roman times, Octo meaning 8
The Goddess of Good Faith and Trust, Fides Publica had sacrifices made to Her on Oct. 1. This Goddess presides over oral contracts both political and social. Roman priests make offerings to Fides with gloved hands, to show their absolute trust in Her.
neptunesdolphins.wordpress.com The October Horse, was a sacrifice to the God, Mars
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November, anciently, the
ninth month novem meaning 9 |
December was the 10th month, called from Decum, meaning 10
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Meaning & Zodiac Sign