Professions,absolutism and the role of widows

This article explores the role of widows in the transfer of occupations from one man to the next. The growing Civil Service is especially focused on, with its conflicts between bureaucratic demands, personal and family considerations, and the absolutist state. Within the Civil Service, as well as within public services connected to private business, succession was modelled after practices in the peasant society and in the urban trades, where a widow could continue in business and hand it over to a new husband, a son-in-law or a son. This solved the problem of support for the widows, by making the next man in office responsible. However, it created other problems, which in turn made the development of public pensions necessary.     

East Meets West: An East Indian Coin in the Western Colonies

In 1823, the Ontario House, a hotel and tavern, was built near Niagara Falls, Canada. In addition to providing a location for travelers and tourists to drink and lodge, Ontario House, like many other establishments, billeted soldiers when the need arose. The 2012 excavation of the midden and features of the Ontario House produced a large assemblage of artifacts including ceramics, buttons, numismatics, and military accoutrements. Of particular interest is an East Indian coin, found in the natural topsoil, which can be associated with the 67th Regiment of Foot’s brief occupation of Ontario House in 1841. This paper addresses the significance of this coin and associated finds in regards to the global movement of the regiment and the socio-political context of Ontario House within regional history.