The June 22 Rochester Historical Society Fun Fair with A Flair was so much more than fun and games; it was a living history tour through a time when thoughts of revolution hung heavy in the air.
Oh yes, there were games that originated in the early Colonial days, delighting modern-day youngsters. There were period costumes worn by Malcom Phinney and his wife Kathy, along with Claire Smith and her husband Howard “Howie.” But it was the oral histories shared by Phinney and Smith that we find most intriguing.
Phinney, a retired educator, relayed the story of Privateer John Kendrick. A privateer was a seaman who partnered with the ruling party of a country to capture ships carrying merchandise. Call it legal piracy. Phinney noted that Kendrick had connections in the southeast area.
Kendrick was also an explorer. In 1788 he embarked on an exploration of the Pacific Northwest. He made trips that would eventually find him in Japan, a country loathe to engage in any connect with the outside world. Kendrick is credited as being the first to fly the American flag in Japan.
But even commissioned Naval officers can find themselves on the wrong side of history. Kendrick’s fate was to be accidentally killed by his own sailors during what was meant to be a celebratory 13-gun salute. Although his life of adventure on the high seas came to an untimely end, he is still remembered as an important figure during those revolutionary years.
Smith talked to us about what a colonial soldier would carry into the fields of battle. On display was a musket. Smith pointed out various parts of the antique weapon. Slowly, he wove the information with bits of “what it must have been like” stories. As he pointed out how the firearm works, he pointed to the “lock, stock and barrel,” critical elements one had to have to operate the firing mechanism and, for us modern-day folks, a phrase meaning all necessary items needed to complete a task.
But Smith wasn’t finished. He also told us “keep your powder dry” and “flash in the pan” were phrases from those bygone days that spoke to the importance of keeping one’s firing bits and pieces in good working order but which we have co-opted into modern terms, more or less meaning to stay calm and to be briefly in the limelight.
The 1857 East Rochester Church, owned by the Rochester Historical Society, stands as a reminder that we are here today because others established cultural systems that held society together during feast and famine. Our ancestors’ fortitude lives within us still.
The church where they once worshiped is now a museum lovingly brought to life with its latest exhibition of early games and other forms of entertainment. The Mattapoisett Museum has loaned some items to its Rochester neighbors. Inside you’ll find examples of games such as riddle-winks or marbles, or Punch and Judy puppets. The museum is open in the Fall on Sunday afternoons 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Meetings are held on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm.
Rochester Historical Society
By Marilou Newell