One of the things I find truly engaging while doing family history are the research spin offs into actual history to understand more about my family and the events influenced their lives. Major events that might merit a sentence or two in massive college texts may have been a huge challenge to everyday families. It is even more interesting to compare those events to our day.
This is what happened when I read a line in the Maryland Historical Magazine about my ancestor, David Harry.
Saturday Feby 8th 1777… Ordered that Capn Andrew Linck pay David Harry £2…12…6 for his services and nine men under his Command in apprehending Isaac and Christian Shockey—
The article was not about David Harry, my ancestor. It was about Isaac and Christian Shockey. Curiosity got the best of me. Who were the Shockey's? Why would my ancestor be "apprehending" them?
It turns out the Shockey's descendants have done a bit of research. I don't have all the details, but the basic story is they were counterfeiters. The Shockey descendants are trying to organize the facts for their family records. In one record I learned they had been hiding in a cave. One had been a deserter in the Revolutionary War and George Washington had pardoned him and he reformed. Other records say they escaped from jail and another says one or more were executed. The Shockey family will need to put that part of the story together.
Now this is where I explain the "historical lesson" I learned. I never thought much about counterfeiting. Probably because it has never been part of my life. Look at the photo above. Notice that it was issued by Virginia - each colony had its own currency. The design is not complicated which would make it easy to copy. Often currency was only printed on one side which also made it easy to copy. Also notice the warning " Death to Counterfeit".
Great Britain began to counterfeit "Continentals" early in the war. Their hope was to bankrupt the colony's finances. George Washington ran into problems trying to buy from local farmers who were concerned about currency. Who would reimburse the farmer who receives counterfeit currency for his produce or pig or cow. It would be safer to take British coins. Among many concerns good men who wanted the British gone faced a big ethical decision on whether they would feed the British or the colonists soldiers.
The other part of the problem was the value of colonial currency was diluted when counterfeit currency was added into the mix.
How does this impact my knowledge of David Harry and his times. David was not a bounty hunter out to get paid for catching the bad guys. I already know a lot about David and his activity in the community. He was a wagon maker. He helped start the first fire company in Hagerstown. He fought along with his neighbors in the Revolution. This tells me that he was trusted to lead others in a difficult adventure. Even more important he was willing to go.
Today our nation is still concerned with a counterfeiting and other attacks on our nations financial security. We have redesigned our currency adding many safeguards to combat criminals. As we have become more sophisticated in our technology, others have developed other ways harm us. Identity theft, hacking businesses and government systems and greed are problems that can bring down nations if left unchecked. It takes men and women of integrity and intellect to protect our nation. It is nice to know we have men and women in our ancestry who stepped up when needed.
Today our nation is still concerned with a counterfeiting and other attacks on our nations financial security. We have redesigned our currency adding many safeguards to combat criminals. As we have become more sophisticated in our technology, others have developed other ways harm us. Identity theft, hacking businesses and government systems and greed are problems that can bring down nations if left unchecked. It takes men and women of integrity and intellect to protect our nation. It is nice to know we have men and women in our ancestry who stepped up when needed.
