Harry Reynolds

Farmer. 34 years old. NY.

[silashawkinsworld]

Family Time!

Family migration time! We’re not the single men of the South. Up here people are in family groups, and have lots of babies! We marry early, usually in our early twenties, then babies every other year. My sister Priscilla just gave birth to her 7th child, I can’t wait for the next few! My 6th is on the way as well! We’re considering either the name Levi for a boy or Lydia for a girl. Please comment any recommendations for names! Speaking of family, I’m so happy I’m not in the Old World if I was I’d have to subtract ten years from my lifespan! As they say: “A sip of New England’s air is better than a whole draft of old England’s ale”. 70th birthday here I come! Not to mention with people living this long I guess you could say New England “invented” grandparents! Our long lives will let me meet my children’s children! I doubt many people down in the South get that lucky! Not to mention our family stability allowing our children to grow up in nurturing homes! This stability also means very few premarital pregnancies. Our social structure is tranquil and stable here up North!

[harrythefarmer]

Oh congratulations on your 6th one! My wife also happens to be expecting a child too (it’s our 8th one)! Some names I would suggest if it were to be a boy are Thomas or Charles. If it were to be a girl, however, I would suggest naming your child Anne or Eliza. 

I also agree on how much better the New World is compared to the Old World. Our lifespan increases by a whole decade! I find that amazing as to how much the New World has become better and more improved ever since the first settlements were created. I do however disagree with how the New England colonies “invented” grandparents. We, out here in the Middle Colonies, have around the same lifespan, if not higher as compared to the New England colonies. So, your colony isn’t the only colony to “invent” grandparents.” The South doesn’t get that lucky though, they get 10 years subtracted from their lifespan living down there! They should really consider moving up here in the North, to the Middle preferably but your colony is good too (I personally think ours is better).

[harrythefarmer]

Worried...

Josie was still very ill so I was responsible for taking the children to school today. It was surprisingly stressful to get them ready to go, I wonder how my wife manages everyday. It took quite a bit of time, but soon they were all ready to go be educated. So, I then sent them off to school. By then it was midday, my usual farming time was now shortened. I spent the rest of the day in the fields before picking up my children from school and taking them home. They informed me of the things they learned in school. Liam and Phillip learned how to be mannerful, while Edward, the older one, read a book. Constance and Sara learned how to write while Alice and Edith, the older ones, were taught more prayers. Josie and I were proud of how much they’ve learned. She’s hasn’t gotten any better however, and the baby is expected to be arriving in less than a month’s time! The children and I are very worried for Josie and the baby. Everyone, please pray for my wife’s fast recovery and safe birth of my next child!

[harrythefarmer]

Harvesting...

Another great day of harvesting! I’ve collected a variety of different crops that will supply us with enough to last 2-4 years! There was especially a variety of corn, peas, pumpkins, grain, and potatoes. Now we will never go hungry! I also would like to apologize for my inactivity recently, since my wife’s baby is coming soon but she’s fallen very ill now and harvesting season was approaching, things has been quite busy. I am praying for my wife’s quick recovery. On the bright side of things, this year has been wonderful in terms of harvesting. Some of the other farms, however, were not so fortunate. They had most of their plants either stolen or destroyed. Farming life is mostly dependent on hard work and caution. If the farm is properly taken care of, it won’t be long until it all goes to waste. This is one of the main reasons why I spend most of my time in the fields, and why you should too. 

[harrythefarmer]

The Zenger Trial

Today, I was sent to retrieve some new materials from Albany, which was indeed a wonderful experience. There was something I heard of called the Zenger Trial. Supposedly, someone named John Peter Zenger attacked Governor William Cosby and the corrupt government and was jailed for his ludicrous actions in a libel suit. However, during his trial, Andrew Hamilton defended him, therefore then the trial was successful and now newspaper writers are more encouraged to write more honestly. I’m glad that this happened so now we can be well-informed about what’s happening around us since it’s now more honest and credible. I informed my wife about this and Josie agreed. Thank goodness Zenger stepped in and wrote the truth, or we would still be reading the lies written in the newspaper.

[harrythefarmer]

A Day in my Life

My friends from some of the farms not far down south of mine suggested that I participate in the trend of explaining a day in my life. They were so awfully annoying and continuously persisted me into following the current trends. So, here we are.

When I wake up, first thing in the morning, I begin to water my plants in the field and feed the few livestock that I still indeed have. We did have an abundance of livestock, however those wretched people stole most of our beloved livestock. Curse those ignorant fools! That’s only one of the few troublesome things that come with residing in the middle colonies. After tending to my plants and livestock, the packages of flour are then transported to be shipped to England.

Then, usually my wife will send my children off to school to be educated, however sometimes I must do it if she is unable to. I then later, I sell my crops to earn shillings for the family. However, I spend most of the day in the fields to ensure that the crops grow nicely and are in good condition. Since my land has some of the richest and most fertile soil in all of the colonies, we produce some of the best potatoes, pumpkins, peas, and overall crops. The southern colonies, their tobacco, and their low quality crops cannot even compare to our fresh, high-quality produce. Our family also occasionally attends church on Sundays. I also sometimes participate in horse-racing and shooting contests. I’m excellent in the horse-racing contests and win first place almost every time. However, I struggle in the shooting contests, my aim and coordination is not the strongest. These activities are still enjoyable and they’re also a good way to meet my friends. My wife also likes to occasionally attend weaving contests, and she always brings back the most interestingly woven pieces she’s created during her time there. Everyday is a new day, however, and this only describes a typical day of my life. 

[harrythefarmer]

A Bad Storm...

Oh dear! A disastrous storm has occurred today, leaving my precious land in ruins, the plants drowning within the overflowing pools of rainwater. I scurried over to the flour mill to ensure that the packaging was alright. As soon as I arrived, I was astounded by the sight before me. One of my lowly slaves was there, covered in flour from the now damaged packaging, that was supposed to be shipped to England tomorrow. She looked at me, her face clearly in shock. In anger, I dragged her back to the house and whipped her ‘til the crack of dawn. The other slaves watched her suffer her well-deserved punishment, probably now more aware and cautious of their actions in the future. I sighed in annoyance before commanding a couple of the slaves to go back and ground more wheat to produce more flour before the shipments were due. These slaves are so useless sometimes I wonder what they’re really good for.

I used to own indentured servants, but they were far more difficult to manage. We had to pay for their trip here, give them a wage, food, shelter, and they only worked for a certain period of time, according to their contract. Slavery is more efficient because they work without expense and work for the rest of their pathetic life. Now that I have slaves working for me, life has been much more productive and I was able to afford more tools and other things for my plantation and family. In conclusion, forget the indentured servants, just own slaves, they save your time and money.

[harrythefarmer]

Proud of My Children

Today, my wife was educating my daughters, Edith, Constance, Sara, and Alice, in the art of sewing, whilst I taught my sons, Liam, Edward, and Phillip, how to work in the fields since they will soon inherit this land from when I retire. This was a great opportunity to show my sons how to be a successful farmer and true man. They were delighted to learn about how I tended to the crops and to earn shillings to support the family. Edward and Phillip were interested in how to tend and care for the crops and raise the animals, however, Liam was more interested in how I sell my crops to the people. I’m especially proud of my sons and their hard work today, which will eventually lead them to become great, successful men. When I arrived back in the house, my daughters presented me with this beautifully crafted scarf, red in color and smooth in fabric. I wore the scarf and admired its rich color and warmness. I am also exceptionally proud of my daughters who have come so far and I cannot wait to see them become remarkably outstanding women.

[harrythefarmer]

All About Me!

Why, hello there. My name is Harry Reynolds and I’m around 34 years old. I’m a farmer in the colony of New York and have a lovely wife named Josie and 7 children, the eighth one is expected to arrive soon. I have 4 daughters: Edith, Constance, Sara, and Alice. I also have 3 sons: Liam, Edward, and Phillip. I own several slaves because who needs indentured servants who leave after a period of time when you can have slaves work for you for free and for the rest of their lives! I grow a large quantity of grain and a variety of other fruits and vegetables in the plantation I own (since we are very well known for our abundance in grain, we are called the “breadbasket” colonies, clearly superior to the other colonies such as the Southern who focus only on planting tobacco.)

My nationality is French from my great-great grandfather who arrived in Colonial America years ago and obtained this wonderful land for me to inherit. We are Catholic and I also happen to own a flour mill since we also grow wheat. Using our bundle of wheat, we create flour, which is packaged and shipped to England. I’m glad my dear Alice showed me how to set up a Tumblr account so I can share my life with the world and make new friends! Comment down below if you’re near the New York colonial region, maybe we can meet up and be friends! Since we have better cultural diversity and cultural tolerance here, perhaps you should consider moving here since the middle colonies are indeed the best!

Yours Truly, Harry Reynolds.