Volume 12, Number 1 Denver, Colorado January, February, March 2011 Did Your Ancestor Fight at Agincourt? --Richard Savage “We few, we happy few . ” the ordinary soldiers or the archers – who were an important part of the victory. The anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt However, at http://www.jacksdale.org.uk/ came round again October 25, a day of nation- pages/JDHeritage/CastleKnights3.htm you can al pride for all British descendants. That read the names of all the men of Derbyshire was the date in 1415 when the English, led led by Sir John Grey of Codnor Castle, 222 by King Henry V, defeated the French at men all told, including 162 archers. Agincourt in northern France, a major battle in the Hundred Years War. It also formed the Sir John Grey, in the list above, should not be centerpiece of Shakespeare’s play, Henry V, confused with Sir Thomas Grey, who, in Sha- nearly 200 years later. kespeare's play (and in Have you ever wondered – as a genealogist – real life) was a traitor, whether you descend from one of the “happy executed before the army few,” as Shakespeare called the 6,000 men at sailed for France. Like- Agincourt? (The French fielded 36,000 men.) wise, some names men- There are at least two partial lists of the Eng- tioned by Shakespeare lish army Henry V led to Agincourt. About 35 do not appear on the list of the names on these lists correspond roughly – notably, the four “eth- to the surnames of W.I.S.E. members. The nic” representatives of Agincourt names are: their peoples, Fluellen (Welsh), Macmorris (Irish), Jamy (Scots) and Radous Alan, John Aleyn, John Barbour, Ro- Gower (English), nor three ordinary soldiers, bert Barde, Robert Browne, John Burnam, Bates, Court and Williams. Of course, the John de Chambr’, John de Chester, Alan Dal- W.I.S.E. Members’ Interests list contains by, Andrew Gray, Davy Gray, George Gray, many more names, some of which match the Henry Gray, Sir John Grey, Richard Habra- Agincourt Honors List. ham, John Huet, Henry Huse, Gerard Johnson, John Kinge, William Moore, John More, One of the sources is History of the Battle of Thomas de More, Richard Parker, Nicholas Agincourt and of the expedition of Henry Perche, Richard Peryson, William Porter, Ro- the Fifth into France in 1415, to which is bert Roos, John Rous, Thomas de Routhe, added the roll of the men at arms in the John Savage, Hugh Smyth, John Smythe, Hen- English army, 2nd ed., London, 1832, by Sir ry Walker, John Walker and John Wilson. Nicholas Harris Nicolas. Good luck on finding These men are believed to be the “lances” a copy of that. – the knights, squires and men-at-arms, not -- continued on page 6 www.wise-fhs.org W.I.S.E. Words ~ -- 2 --~ January, February, March 2011 paper era, if that’s what it was, but eventually I came around. We must not stand in the way President’s of progress. Message All this concern about technology brings us to another point: W.I.S.E. needs volunteers With this edition of W.I.S.E. Words, our with computer skills to take us into the new society moves into new territory. We’ve gone decade. We need backups for certain jobs, electronic. such as editor of this newsletter; additional aid for our webmaster; we’ve discussed Most of you will be receiving this newsletter electronic storage of records such as financial by e-mail for the first time. It’s yours to print data. Assuming our treasurer is re-elected at or save to your hard drive – or both. You can the Annual General Meeting in January, she’ll read it on your computer screen, or print it be term-limited and her successor two to read at your leisure. Others chose to years hence will be required to know how continue to receive it via U.S. Mail, but for a to manipulate the online accounts she’s set $5 surcharge. up. Membership lists, mailing lists – both are Storing it on your hard drive lets you keep it handled electronically now and will be passed indefinitely for easy reference. Keeping a on to others sooner or later. paper copy is a more certain way to outwit We need you technologically adept members capricious technology, which changes every to volunteer your time and abilities to your time you turn around and may make hard society. I can’t guarantee that these tasks will drive storage obsolete before you know it. take just a little time, a misleading promise Maybe you’ll want to store it on a “cloud,” I’ve heard from time to time. As with most i.e., a remote storage facility. volunteer jobs, the person who holds the posi- To get with the program, as they say, tion will decide how it’s done, apart from my household chose to have W.I.S.E. Words standard procedures, of course. You may see delivered by e-mail to be printed from our needs which never occurred to our directors. computer. I trust that all goes well with this Whoever you are, please step forward. You big change, whether you chose the digitized will be valued. or paper version. --Zoe von Ende Lappin W.I.S.E. moved into the technological age later than many genealogy / family history societies, which have been distributing their The W.I.S.E. Year in Review newsletters by e-mail for several years. Our --Zoe von Ende Lappin board of directors had discussed this option for at least that long, but we always We started 2010 with Paul Milner leading our backed off, assuming that members want a excellent seminar on British Isles research. tangible reward for their $12 or $15 a year. But early on we were saddened by the Also, because our members tend to be older unexpected death of Gary Routh, our web- and less confident with technology, we felt master, as well the loss of members Ruth they’d balk at something as newfangled as Quirke and Michael Savage. Jan Prater reading a newsletter on a computer screen. stepped in to fill Gary’s webmaster shoes, But younger members of our board, at ease but his other responsibility for W.I.S.E. – pro- with technology, prevailed, and last spring curer of genealogy materials for the Denver we voted to go electronic at the start of Public Library – has not been filled. I hope we 2011. In a way, I hated to see the end of the can do that in 2011. Our website won high www.wise-fhs.org W.I.S.E. Words ~ -- 3 --~ January, February, March 2011 praise from all who sampled it. If you have December 1, 2010. Not only did that mean not visited it, go to www.wise-fhs.org. that the renowned Western History and Gene- alogy Collection is closed to the public at one Sandra Ronayne organized first-rate pro- of the busiest times, but the genealogy classes grams. Highlights for me were Marylee and groups that have met during the Hagen’s lavishly illustrated story of research- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. hours have had to find other ing her Irish ancestors and Richard Savage’s accommodations. (The W.I.S.E. board concise and enlightening presentation on Brit- will meet at an off-site locale on Saturday ish Isles genetic genealogy. mornings.) The closure was necessitated by Our membership rose from 156 to 178. We budget constraints, and we have been assured researched in Salt Lake City, as we will again by the DPL management and staff that, diffi- in 2011. We loved participating in the Irish cult as it was, this was the least disruptive Festival in July and the Scottish Highland choice for the system as a whole. Games in August. In June, we visited W.I.S.E. made every effort to prevent the Cherokee Castle in Douglas County, built to library closure, first by writing paper letters -- resemble a Scottish castle. Treasurer Nancy not e-mails -- to four Denver City Council Craig kept our numbers straight. Secretary members, including the co-chairs of the Sandra Carter-Duff kept our records straight. budget-writing committee, and to City Judy Phelps continued to produce a splendid Librarian Shirley Amore. In the letters, newsletter, and thanks to all who contributed President Zoe Lappin pointed out that those original articles for W.I.S.E. Words. As Saturday mornings are a top drawer item I’ve said before, if we’re not, we should be the for genealogists, who consider the library’s envy of all genealogy societies for the extent fifth floor a mecca. Closure would be a hard- of member participation in the newsletter. ship for many. Can we top that? Maybe, maybe not. At any Our secretary, Sandra Carter-Duff, accompa- rate, as W.I.S.E. members we all have reason nied by Vice President Sandy Ronayne, took to look forward to 2011. May all our high the genealogists’ case one step further: to hopes be realized.□ City Council. She spoke at a budget hearing on October 25, expressing genealogists’ disdain at the closure, an issue still in New Meeting Time the proposal stage at that time. She was well- received, but the plan stood: Denver Public for W.I.S.E. Programs Library downtown is now closed on Saturday mornings. The Denver Public Library has eliminated Saturday morning hours at the Central Branch, The Western History-Genealogy staff, headed and that means that W.I.S.E.