Saturday, August 24, 2019
Absolute vs relative calendars
Women may have been excluded from slang, but they were NOT excluded from invention and technology in earlier times, contrary to the nonsense emitted by Die-Versitarians.
I've been perusing old telegraphs and similar communication devices. Finally found a document containing Jacob Brett's original patent and drawings, along with other patents from the same year.
The formalities in these patents are fascinating. Legal boilerplate [railroad slang] was even denser and more florid then, including some Latin scribal abbreviations. Despite the floridity, the language was precise and unambiguous.
An 1846 patent issued to the said Laura Laughton for making soap.
Note the scribal forms of executors and administrators. Also the simultaneous use of Anno Victoriae and Anno Domini. We think of Emperor Calendars, still common in the Orient, as extremely primitive, but we were using Reign Time not so very long ago.
Geographical sidenote: All of these patents refer to "England, Wales, the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Isle of Man...." What's going on? The Isle of Man is known for autonomy, but why Berwick? Per Wikipedia, Berwick is the northernmost town in England. For several centuries it was in constant dispute between Scotland and England. Since 1705 it was legally part of England, but clearly it was still felt to be separate enough to need a specific mention.
An 1846 patent issued to the said Laura Laughton for making soap.
Note the scribal forms of executors and administrators. Also the simultaneous use of Anno Victoriae and Anno Domini. We think of Emperor Calendars, still common in the Orient, as extremely primitive, but we were using Reign Time not so very long ago.
Geographical sidenote: All of these patents refer to "England, Wales, the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Isle of Man...." What's going on? The Isle of Man is known for autonomy, but why Berwick? Per Wikipedia, Berwick is the northernmost town in England. For several centuries it was in constant dispute between Scotland and England. Since 1705 it was legally part of England, but clearly it was still felt to be separate enough to need a specific mention.Labels: defensible times
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