LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - SEPTEMBER 25, 2022 by Lynne Belluscio A while ago, some folks from England visited LeRoy. They noticed the Rountrees Jelly in the exhibit of “Gelatin Around the World.” Instead of granulated gelatin like Jell-O, Rountree’s was a solid block of gelatin that would be put into boiling water to dissolve. I say “was” because Rountrees was recently transferred to the Hartley company. The great news is that Hartley’s manufactures my favorite Rountree’s flavor, black currant. In fact, I just bought some on Amazon. Unfortunately, it won’t arrive in time for my anglophile lunch. There is nothing quite like English Breakfast Tea (although I do not like milk in my tea). I have to admit, that there are English Breakfast tea bags in the drawer, but I will bring out the leaf tea and make a pot in the English Staffordshire tea pot and will strain out the tea leaves into the special bowl. On the plate there will be a scone with some marmalade or clouted cream – thank you Wegmans. I admit, I like beef Wellington, named after Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington and sandwiches are named for the Earl of Sandwich. It was said, that during a 24 hour gambling session, he asked the cook to give him something to eat that he could eat with out silverware and he could hold in one hand, since he needed to hold his cards in the other. That story has been debunked, so believe what you want. Queen Elizabeth II enjoyed afternoon tea sandwiches, which had no crusts and were cut into two-bite pieces. The Earl of Sandwich lived in the late 18th and early 19th century and since American’s weren’t too happy with anything British at the time, they were slow to enjoy sandwiches, but with people needed something to eat at lunchtime, and sandwiches became popular, especially with those men who worked on the railroad. The British were apt to eat beef sandwiches and Americans would eat ham sandwiches. I never thought too much about my English background, but pulled out my uncle’s tome on the Marvins. He wondered about their Welsh origins and possibly a resemblance to Merlin the Magician. The earliest known ancestor lived during the reign of Henry VII. John Mervyn was a yeoman of Essex. Two brothers migrated to New England and my uncle wrote something about the witchcraft trials. Reinold was a Lieutenant in the Colonial militia and served during the defense of Saybrook Connecticut. Hmm wonder if he knew Emily and Marietta Ingham’s ancestors. Most of the Marvins stayed around the Syracuse area, and Cincinnatus. My mom came to Rochester after she married my dad, and I came to LeRoy in 1969. But I guess some of this may explain my mother’s apparent interest in English traditions. She was always interested in Queen Elizabeth II. The year of Elizabeth’s coronation, she bought the Matchbox model of the gold coach, pulled by 8 white horses, and that Christmas, she made a coronation dress for my Madam Alexander doll. A rhinestone bracelet served as a crown. Unfortunately, that has come up missing. I have wondered about putting the LeRoy family into the anglophile timeline. Jacob LeRoy came to LeRoy in 1822, and George IV was on the throne, but Jacob’s father, Herman had been in NewYork City during the Revolution. That was King George. The business suffered greatly with the barricade of the New York Harbor and they had to recover during the War of 1812 – again the Port was closed. But as soon as the Port opened, Herman had his twentyyear-old son, Jacob on a ship to India. With a swift ship, Jacob arrived in India before any other businessman, and signed contracts for a myriad of products, from calicoes, to spices, to silks and exotic food. For my own reference I found a timeline of the English monarchy from the Revolution to the present: George III to 1820 George IV 1820 to 1830 William IV 1830 -1837 Victoria 1837 – 1901 Edward VII 1901-1910 House of Winsdor George V 1910 -1936 Edward VIII January 1936 - December 1936 George VI 1936-1952 Elizabeth II 1952-2022 King Charles III There are many people in LeRoy who trace their lineage to England – Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, India.. Every year if I remember, there is a Canadian flag on the grave of Dr. Milne, in whose name the Rotary Milne scholarship is awarded. Also, I point out the barn quilt on South Street “Pride of England” a proud reminder the English heritage of the Kettle family. Anglophiles
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