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Artfactial- Connecticut Coastal Colony- Haynestown and it's genealogy

Started by Artfactial, January 15, 2019, 12:36:33 PM

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Artfactial

Keeping track of everyone during starvations or epidemics is a nightmare, for sure.:P
Knowing who is who and where they live helps a lot in predicting who might be looking for a new partner.
When a child is born I scan all (probable) buildings to find it, doing this often helps keeping up to date and forming the story in my head. This way I am able to take note of new families being formed/broken.
There's some pretty wild marriage switching and social-ladder climbing going on but I think I have most of it down.:)
I really am missing some major social plot points in all the chaos. Infamous people staying in powerful positions, the dealings with hundreds of corpses and the general state of mourning and loss the town must be in and the impact this would have on younger people leaving town or turning to crime. I hope to have all that at least touched on, but really need to get on track again.

Starvation was mostly accidental, sadly. While the Connecticut coastal grounds are rocky and not super fertile so growing crops would have been hard (they relied way more on fishing then I have been thus far), I didn't take time to make larger fields and was indeed too focused on keeping the data and town renovations in check.
What's worse: in my recent studies I found out that cranberry, watercress and mushroom cultivation didn't come to America until the early 19th century so I really am going to have to make a giant fishing industry.
I've added the Maritime Shore sets so that should help a bit.
Here's hoping I can get(and keep) it all together.
Tool (and by extension food) management are always a problem for me.;)

But first getting that possible Maritime Pine mod stuff sorted...and writing another 4 years of reports before I can really start playing again. Good to be back there though; I spend half an hour just looking through town when I first booted the game up again.

Artfactial

Experimenting with scattering decorative trees, native to Connecticut.

Maybe they're born with it. Maybe it's Maple trees.

Artfactial

#62
Notes on the Council Meeting of November 1696

On the Burgesses and the Starving:
By late October the food shortage was abating and on the 6th of November 1696 a day of Thanks-Giving was proclaimed. All families in attendance were seen to a package of food after the mass. However, due to a shortage in workmen on the burgerwoods many homes were cold and dark as there was not enough firewood to go around. Thusly we were equally thankful for the healthy flocks of sheep that give us crude but warm clothes.   
During the trying times of last year, Noelian van Grimberghen started a small wagon stall (bartered for in Bridgeport) to peddle food from the market to the people of the New Pastures town, the crossroads has since been named Wagon’s Crossing. While such roguish merchandising is generally frowned upon, the intent of seeing to her neighbours needs is virtuous indeed.
During summer the Saint Damasus Church has opened the Saint Agnes Orphanage on the second street where now young Lores, Nellamae, Renna and Rene reside under the care of Madam Moria Le Duff. There the girls will tend to the sheep and be taught in proper virtues.
Rose Parker and Madam Matha Haynes now live in the new house previously owned by Katarin and Waylando. The couple have, besides their newborn Artholomew Parker, also taken in the foundling Analisson in.
Ludwight Vincian and Herlie Mersey have married and taken residence on the Chaarason estate.
Mathia de Graaf and Terressika Mersey now live in the old Germain estate.
Vesteban Gowan moved in with Sophronica van Grimberghen and engaged in Marriage soon after.
After late Hessi Hartfort’s death last year, Llewell Ludlow and Bennifred Davonport married this summer and are now living by brickworks.
Militiamen Hall Towbridge and Elberto Viatti have volunteered as keepers of Fort and as such reside there now, Mr. Hall being granted the rank of Seargent.

On construction and plantation:
In the winter of last year it was decided, through vote, to decommission the old windmill, as the new town mill and the Gowan Mill (run by Madam Dela Germain Gowan) by the canal supply in grinding most of our grains and the timber structure of the old one had started to rot. This process was started in the spring.
In February the new candle workshop opened doors and, under Madam Giovannalison Applegate’s expertise, will supply our homes with more light in the during the dark winters.
The new stone North bridge was half finished, when the yearly swelling of the river blew a large part of it away, it became apparent that its construction was faulty and would not withstand  the whiles of the water. The old wooden bridge will stay in use until a time when the construction contract of a new one can be procured.
In June, the Trinity Church burying yard was expanded into the town Commons, most dead among the Burgesse of last year lie in a mass grave. Monument to be erected.
In September of last year, after Lashade Le Veelu’s death, Audio Le Veelu, never truly disowned of his inheritance, took possession of the Le Veelu estate and its, now non-operational, mines.

In more distressing news, the watercress and cranberry plantations our community has been trying to embark on for the last decade have steadily grown more diseased and each winter more and more of the plants rot and die off. It is this council’s opinion and, by vote, shared by the Baystreet farmers, that the cultivation should be stopped and, in these trying times, more agreeable crops should be endeavored upon. The cress and cranberry farms will steadily be deconstructed and new piers ought to be built in their place to make more use of the eels, crayfish and mudfish in the lake.
With many cress and cranberry farmers looking for new occupations, by August both a new drying racks as well as a bed for attempting to grow mushrooms were completed by the New Pastures.
A new Pumpkin field  was ready at the New Pastures by January and was first sowed in the spring.
In May the pear trees in Mister Jalentin Barent’s yard developed a blight, they had to be cut down before the miasmas could spread.

On the War and England:
King William’s war with the French and Northern Indians continues and the Massachusetts colonies and Newfoundland have seen dreadful times. Especially new of the raids on Newfoundland speak of many dead and most of the settlements destroyed, to which Major Benjamin Church’s Rangers have responded in kind.

Amongst all this bloodshed for the Dominion of England, which supposedly unites us, there has yet to come any aid from His Majesty to these shores. Instead we have received the news that yet another act has been decreed upon our trading ports, being the ‘Act for preventing Frauds and regulating Abuses in the Plantation Trade’.
As of the 25th of March of 1696, this renewed Navigation Act is more intrusive and restrictive to our charter then those that have been issued before. While our town is largely dependent on trade between the colonies, the merchants sailing from New haven, New London, New York and Boston ports have now been order to only import and export on vessels under the English flag, which will hinder our future endeavors to strike coin out of these lands greatly. Seeing as New haven has yet to see the successful return of any of their port made ships, it seems that God intents to seclude us to these shores.
Furthermore all colonies are instructed to ward against the pyrate activities that have become increasingly bold in the past years.

To this end the Council has decreed the building of a fortified tower by the Bay Gate to serve as both prison and Court of the Vice-Admirality. This to deter any would-be looters, pyrates or vagabonds from disturbing the trading routes and civility in these parts. By vote, and with consent of the assembly, the council allocates the recently purchased shipment of split-stone from Middleton, intended for the unfinished city-wall, to be used for this prison tower.

Accounting:
The council takes note of 8 deaths and 14 newborn in this year.
The total population of the combined congregations being a 369 on this date.
Harvest:
Rye-2872
Squash-840
Melons-992
Carrots-953
Pumpkin-720
Strawberry-500

Trade:
In april: a 1000 beetroots and a 1000 pumpkins from New Haven for feathers, a 144 fleeces of wool and 14 assorted furs.
Also, a good quantity of dried herbs and flax was traded for Hops seeds from Hartfort.
In June, we chartered a merchant from Middletown to purchase stone from for the fortifications. Traded 69 blocks.
September, 35 copper alloy tools, crafted in Nurenberg, bartered for bonemeal, glass and linnens.

Governor Clarench Germain,
Ruling Council Members , Darney Mersey, Dandreas Chaarason, Aryant Glowbrenn, Jalentin Barents & Cleonidad LeFevre


Artfactial

#63
Intermediate Council meeting December 18th AD 1696
The ruling Council and assembly of the Burgesse gathers at the Town Hall for a vote on the new representatives as many have fallen to the starvation that still wrecks us.
The Council notes the death of our 12th governor, Governor Clarech Germain, on November 11th by the starvings. Of special note is also the loss of Humbert Haynes on October 19th '94 followed by his eldest son, our 11th governor Haywardo Haynes, a year later. Many of Haynestown's founders have in recent years been taken away from us to settle a new paradise on God's side in Heaven.
The Ruling Council, with many of the Burgesses in attendance by Assembly, hereby appoints new council members:
Mister Errold Germain, who now resides over the Haynes estate.
Mister Landy Haynes, now being the most senior member of the family name.
Mister Orio Glowbrenn, now residing in the Mersey estate.
Monsieur Audio Le Veelu, respected member of the Burgesses and owner of the Le Veelu Mining corporation.
Mister Sincer Applegate, who owns considerable amount of plantations.

The Council names Aryant Glowbrenn as 13th Governor of Haynestown. Some of the gathered public voiced concerns with the number calling it an ill omen.

Singed and decreed,
Governor Aryant Glowbrenn & ruling council members Landy Haynes, Darney Mersey, Dandreas Chaarason, Errold Germain, Orio Glowbrenn, Jalentin Barents and Cleonidad LeFevre, Sincer Applegate


Intermediate Council meeting April 25th AD 1697
The ruling Council has lost yet again two of its members being Gorvernor Aryant Glowbrenn and Reverent Darney Mersey. The Ruling council hereby votes Errold Germain to be the 14th gorvernor of Haynestown. Errold, now steeled with new faith and resolve after the death of Krissa, vows to once again bring the colony on the path to righteousness and prosperity. May God have mercy on us!
As Gorvernor Errold can no longer fulfill the duties of the Clerk of the Writ, the function has been appointed on to Emmie Barents who will keep the council informed of all birth and death notes in town.

Governor Errold Germain & ruling council members Landy Haynes, Darney Mersey, Dandreas Chaarason,  Orio Glowbrenn, Jalentin Barents and Cleonidad LeFevre, Sincer Applegate

October 12 AD 1697, the 3-Gorvernor Year.
The council opens the meeting by acknowledging the death of 27 persons. Among them being Errold Germain, 14th Governor of Haynestown, may he find peace with our Lord. The Council also notes 17 newborn.
The Council, in accordance with the gathered Burgesse, names Landy Haynes as the 15th Governor of Haynestown.
With the passing of two councilmen, the council welcomes the new patriarchs of their family, Chaun Germain and Talonso Mersey into its mids as new Ruling Council members.

Of Construction
In December of last year the Vice-Admirality tower by the Baygate was completed. While no official
In January Governor Germain ordered the Lashade mines to be fully closed down to free up laborers for the fields.
That same month, most of the brickworkers were called upon to aid in food gathering and the preparation of new fields.
This included a second carrot field is to be plowed by the third carrotstreet.
Governor Germain and Reverent Darney Mersey ordained a stricter work ethic to be embraced with less demands on quality, enforcing quotas by militia presence at the forges, which has increased our tool production by a margin.
Herli Mersey and Ernestin Hill oversaw the deconstruction of the old mill which was finished in early September.

Of the Burgesse
Hayde and Clellary Mersey and son Cornelio, having converted to Cathelosism last year, now are custodians of the Saint Agnes Orphanage.
While this sort of inbreeding is frowned upon in general, the children late Reverent Darney of the Mersey family have increasingly grown insular in their bonds.
The winter was especially harsh with frost creeping deep into April and many succumbing to the hunger and malnourishment during the cold long months.
Norinnea Haynes, apprentice hunter to Master Lamon Hanfort, moved in with Remiah DeHaart, after the death of Winnifreda, to take care of him on his old age in-between hunting trips.
Giancarly Bowen moved in with Loycelyne Haynes to help her managing the Haynes' Estate.
April 6th Humbert II was betrothed to Lizbeth, and they started living in a newly-build cottage by New Pastures. She being his second cousin was considered far enough removed from one another to be accepted.

May 14th Amala Haynes married and moved in with Errold Germain as the new Governor's wife.
After their deaths, Sincer and Earnet with their Kentony Applegate moved in as custodians of the Haynes Estate; an act which caused Governor Landy Haynes to protest the fact of a Glowbrenn member (Earnet) to reside over Haynes property. The case has been presented to Magistrate Kurtiss Mersey, who, stating frail constitution has guaranteed to look into it some other time. A statement which in turn enlivened the public debate for the election of a new Magistrate.
While uncommon in our colony, the case was taken up by our Country Court, led by Reverent Darney Mersey, to settle for the time being. Their judgement, being that the Applegates are allowed to remain custodians of the Haynes estate house while still being managed and owned by Governor Landy Haynes and the Haynes family, until such time as said family will once again occupy the estate grounds.

On July 7th, 27 Regufees from the Newfoundland colonies were reject. Later that month, Sorentino Pike, Sheilanie Davison and Loreann Currant, freeman from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, were admitted on the account of being such a small group.
By this same time the new cropfield was ready to be plowed and sown with Rye for next year.

Early October, baker's wife Dolli Ely, son Xanders and daughters Scarli and Earldine Brand were evicted from their home on the Main Street when Xanders announced his betrothal to Catholic Nancince Haynes, Master Rodolf Brand would not have this and disowned him. Since then Dolli and Earldine have moved back into the house.
Xanders and Nancine and young Scarli were admitted to the Saint Damasus hostel.
These sort of conflicts are increasingly common as the Catholic parish in our community grows and clashes with the more Puritan side of our Protestants. Both the Saint Damasus hostel and the Orphanage have been targeted by the zealous practitioners of the Three Pines Parish

As our militia is small and very much occupied, Lakenneth Germain has been appointed custodian of the fort, to keep it from falling apart.
As trade becomes more difficult in part due to troubles with the new enforced act in New London and in part due to the piracy plaguing our southern waters. England has saw fit to, under Royal patronige, send a bold Privateer to these shores with the sole purpose of hunting these vipers.
This Captain Kidd arrived in New York last year with much addo and many desperate and brave flocked to his crew.
News has reached us now that this Kidd has himself turned pirate and joined the ranks in what is known as the Pirate Round. A sing of our times that corruption and rot creeps in all veins.

Trade:
December last year: 25 more stone. For fertilizer.
Traded 345 grapes in April
august: traded 523 whale meat and a 1000 dried beef for 50 lumber, 10 glass, 38 pearls, 60 fertilizer and 50 tea.
Accounting:
The council takes note of 27 deaths, mostly from stariving, and 14 newborn in this year.
The total population of the combined congregations being a 369 on this date.
Carrots: 808
Squash:665
Mellons: 763
Strawberries: 360
Pears:290
Rye:1960
Pumpkins:1400

Singed and decreed,
Governor Landy Haynes & ruling council members, Talonso Mersey, Dandreas Chaarason, Orio Glowbrenn, Chaun Germain, Jalentin Barents and Cleonidad LeFevre


Artfactial

So I was planning to have the town roughly mapped out in it's 1696 state as a nice timeframe. But it's taking energy I don't have and time I'd rather spend on planning for the furutre and working through the notes to catch up and finally, slowly, start playing again.
So, until that time, here's a rough sketch of the town layout of that year. I hope to do the future ones by hand, or at least polish them up more.

Artfactial

#65
Council meeting of November 2nd 1698 AD
Last November 12th, Loycelyne Haynes, keeper of the Haynes estate and late scribe of the Writ, age 53, succumbed to the hunger. The Council honors the passing of another pillar of our community.
The Ruling Council welcomes Audio Le Veelu as new Councilmember, under vow that he represents his family, laborers and company but not his faith. The Council notes objections from the gathered burgesse, mainly from the Haynes family, to this act.

On the Burgesse:
Last December after founding out their relationship, Loraina Haynes petitioned for divorces of Audio Le Veelu on account of his fornication.
Solonel Mersey married Harlsie Roos in February.
13th of April Audio Le Veelu marries Loreann Currant, the freewoman from the Massechusets Bay; a considerable rise in class.
4th of May Heribert Winter and Loraina Haynes married and moved into the new hunters cabin along the river.
Nico DeHaart and Genifred Chaarason married in spring living and moved into the town hostel.
As the town searches for a new Magistrate, the Haynes family had the honor of hosting Magistrate Samuel Wyllys, Magistrate of Hartfort, and holder of much of the Haynes' wealth in New England. Magistrate Wyllys met with the ruling council and would help in the search for a replacement of Magistrate Kurtis Mersey.
Furthermore, after a showing through the town, he proclaimed to be thoroughly impressed with the colony and would see it prosper more and help our food troubles. With this, plans were made to set out a commission to designing the future of our town. We would have our city on a hill, a paradise, much like the modern grid plans applied in Hartfort and Philadelphia. To this, the ruling council commits.

Meanwhile in Hartfort, the honorable Major-General Flitz-John Winthrop, of King William's war fame and of that most venerable family, has been elected as the new Governor of the Colony of Connecticut, an occasion for which the ruling council traveled there on the return trip with Master Wyllys. 
This spring the times of abject hunger seem to have been behind us. Yet we suffer still a on labor; the wounds left by our decline in citizens can be felt in every house.

On Agriculture and Construction:
In spite of our doubled efforts to produce more crops, the harvests were very scarce last year.
This year, a very early frost in October damaged the crops, mostly the strawberries and pumpkins by the new pastures, with most of the harvest failing there.

The council hereby decrees a transplanting of the burger woods to be effective. In march, a new foresting lodge had been completed outside the city wall bounds. The old lodge will continue to cut trees, but not plant them as to free up space for crop fields. This starts the process of dismantling of the Burgerwoods at its current location to make room for the new grin plans.
Furthermore, the Princes Pines Logging Company has been issued a permit for a riverside logging barge dock and a hardwood lodge planned to facilitate the direct sale of timber and logs, with the usual percentage of the sale to be taxed by the city.
In June the Oak garden of the Latin School caught a blight and had to be cut down. It was decided to be replanted with pear trees instead.
In August, the sheep flock on the Chaarason estate by Second street developed a pox and had to be slaughtered. Further use of these grounds for plantation or pastures has been forbidden.
Two new pastures are being cleared by the New Pastures town at the time of this meeting.
While a consecrated area has been cleared for the new burying grounds expansion, there is insufficient stone available to provide it with a proper walling.

On the War:
As of Autumn of last year, the fighting between the English and the French has officially been halted and a peace was signed in Ryswick. The Status Quo was agreed upon and the conquered lands on the French are now part of the new border. The Iroquois Indians, however, were not included in these dealings and have not laid down their arms.

Trade:
60 bales of fine wool and 300 fine down for 600 dried plums, 770 dried fish for 50 lumber and 27 pears and 50 fertilizer.

Accounting:
The council takes note of 14 newborn in this year.
Sacks of Rye-3373
Mellons—84
Pears-308
Squash-599
Carrots-500
Pumpkins-451
Strawberries-276
Cherries-399

Singed and decreed,
Governor Landy Haynes & ruling council members, Talonso Mersey, Dandreas Chaarason, Orio Glowbrenn, Chaun Germain, Jalentin Barents, Cleonidad LeFevre and Audio Le Velu


Nilla

So, you are back on track again. Wish you luck, it looks like you will need some with that small food surplus.

Just one question; how did you managed to get a devorced person remarry?

Artfactial

Hey @Nilla , thanks!:) Yeah, one more year to go and I'm all caught up so I can actually start fixing the problems instead of writing about them. Going to be good to be finally back into the game.

Well, the divorces happen from time to time, in game usually with job changes (which are often in famine times). It's not always that new spouses move in with single parents, but makes for good story telling when they do.
A while back I had a German family break up, the husband moved out with two kinds while the mother was left with one. The husband soon got a new wife, but the ex-wife never did. So, it's just a matter of keeping track and making notes and making the story around it as you go, I try not to mess with it too much.
I should be harsher on these cousin marriages but have my hands full as it is.

Anyway, I'll be doing another genealogy/history update at 1700 and than I'll be all set to get back.:)

Nilla

Are you really sure that there was a new wife by the divorced man as long as the ex wife was still alive? I have never seen that and I have had many divorces (willingly and unwillingly). It's a game mechanic that happens when you have more houses than families. But the couples are never really divorced, the woman still gets children. And if you throw one of the divorced people out of their house he/she will always move back to the ex; it looks like they never really are divorced, just living in separate houses. But there might be exceptions, Banished never stops to surprise. And of course; you always have the freedom of the author of your story to stretch the gameplay facts, just for fun and to get a good story. I did so in my Iceland story as you might remember as I invented an English merchant to brighten the last year of one of my main characters or transformed an ordinary old age death to "was killed by envious neighbors" for another.😉

Artfactial

Alright, I checked with my other divorces and looks like you're right. Most didn't re-marry, though some went to live with others (which I often narrate as some other kind of relationship). On one occasion I accentually married a daughter to a father when I misspelled her name.:| Oops.

This last one might have been a rarer situation...or a mistake on my part as there are 2 Audio's alive and things might have gotten jumbled.:\

Artfactial

#70
Council meeting of October 29th 1699

On Construction:
In January the old sawmill by the Baygate was deemed unfit for operation as rot has started to set in.
The same month Governor Landy Haynes put forward new plans for the Haynes estate, which is to be enriched with a Hop orchard. A private courier service to supply the estate will be employed and a large bunker barn will be constructed to store supplies in case of an emergency or should a famine strike us again.

With the planning of our great new city as facilitated by Master Wyllis, there will be even greater need to expand our farmlands. To this, the council has decreed to seek out the Indians of the Quinnipiac tribe. We will endeavor to purchase the southern river and bay bank lowlands from them as the wetland grounds are mostly unused and the rest only for hunting. With some work these lands could provide us with more farming grounds
Furthermore, to make room for our grand new plans, the Burgerwoods, as decreed last year shall be moved to be outside the walls in their entirety, with the current crop field ownerships to be transferred to the new east bank aerials or be changed to estate grounds to be petitioned for building construction. All this, being subject to the coming redrawing of current plot borders to be fitting of the to be planned grid.

On the Burgesse:
As our schools have been reopened and students are re-assigned the council requested a tallying of our current schools and their pupils, as of February 7th they were as follows:
Latin school-16 Students
Mill School-17 Students
Pastures school-11 Students

In May we had to deny another 36 refugees, however a new Waldesian family of 3 from New York was allowed entrance: Mario and her brother Erroll Betti moved into the loft of the candlers' shop.
Mario has a husband out at sea and recently given birth to Elvertie but decided for making a new living in our town. She has apprenticed at Zechard LeFevr's glass workshop by the bay.
Sincer Applegate remarried Jacalynn Christophers from New Haven earlier this year, after the death of Earnet Glowbrenn last december, and she moved in with him on the Haynes Estate.
At the end of October, after the Visser family famished, Ethaniel Germain inherited their New Pasture house and married Lawana Nepun, a Wepawaug Indian girl.
Losing first his godmother, Neva Haynes and then his Ex-Wife Cammi Haynes to the hunger, Orio Glowbrenn has fallen into melancholy. He and Beverli Le Veelu (recently having lost her father)have adopted the late Visser family's children, Ezekiah and Kiannamae into their household.

Herlie Mersey divorced Ludwight Vincian during the summer on account of his affair with Gret Glowbrenn.
The news had reached us that the famous Captain Kidd had returned to these shores earlier this month, spending time in the Long Island sound and its island. When Kidd returned to Boston, he was consequently arrested and imprisoned, we pray that God's justice befalls this traitor.

Accounting:
The council takes note of 9 newborn and 15 deaths in this year.
Frost in October, many fields not yet harvested.
Pumpkin: 646
Strawberry:520
Melon:884
Rye: 3892, with the new rye field's first harvest on the 3rd Carrot street.
Squash: 732

Trade:
Traditionally, the ruling council has decreed what should be bought and sold by the town's merchants. To ease this process and free up time of our council members, the master merchants have hereby been given power to buy, and trade for, all foodstuffs at their ports and provide them to our markets.
Furthermore, we received the news of yet another trade act decreed by the English crown, namely 'An Act to prevent the Exportation of Wool out of the Kingdoms of Ireland and England into Forreigne parts and for the Incouragement of the Woollen Manufactures in the Kingdom of England'.
As wool is one of our major exorpts this hits us hard. The act even prohibits us from trading within the Connecticut colony. A general shift to lumber exportation is now even more pressing than ever.

21-1: Trader from England, traded Apple seeds and a 100 bronze tools for 436 Tea, 80 mountain oysters, 34 glass and 146 dried flowers.
2-3: Traded 224 dried fish for 50 lumber and 12 barrels of fertilizer
7-4: 301 pumpkins for 42 wool and 91 feathers.
3-7: 25 cut stone blocks for 100 barrels of fertilizer
15-9: traded mushrooms, mussels and bacon for glass and bone meal
2-10: 160 more pumpkins for wool and feathers

Singed and decreed,
Governor Landy Haynes & ruling council members, Talonso Mersey, Dandreas Chaarason, Orio Glowbrenn(absent), Chaun Germain, Jalentin Barents, Cleonidad LeFevre and Audio Le Velu


Nilla

This act against wool trade, is it historical or something that just suits your story? Anyway, I hope the Englishmen keep out of my village, without wooltrade I would have been "smoked".

Artfactial

Yes, totally historical!:) In the first post you can find a list of consecutive 'Trade acts' the English pressed on the colonies. Wool is a pretty hard hitter, soon after they even outlawed the making of hats so that colonists were forced to import hats from England. The wool act was mainly aimed at Ireland, as their main trade was in wool, but the American colonies were hit by it too. Later on the production of hats was even prohibited.

The Molasses Act is one of the things that started really pushing the people towards wanting independence. Things only got worse from there.
Gehe, yeah, the British Empire tended to want to have fingers in everyone's business.:P

Artfactial

State of the Colony - 1700
History and Location
Alright, after nearly a year of not playing I started getting back into it this spring. Slowly but surely I got more motivated and interested to put more energy into the project. I knew things had to change, and, in order to keep with the story, those changes would mostly have to be gradual.
When checking on the state of it all, besides the food issues to resolve, 5 years of backlog notes to turn into entries and a messed up family tree due to rapid changes in relations brought by the famine..I also stared to notice some of the more glaring historical issues I had not, or wrongly implemented in town. I allow for a some lose rules especially in the 17th century as the towns across the colonies were very independent so local quirks and methods were very diverse.
But with working toward a more unified Connecticut colony that would be more and more in touch with the rest of New England and global events, the first half of the 18th century, prosperity permitting, would need to bring Haynesytown more in line with its contemporary neighbors; Hanyestown is meant to be a prosperous port town with aspirations, it needs to get its act together. The biggest differences being the general impoverishment and lack of border expansion; while there was a great range and diversity in prosperity between the towns, lack of food generally wasn't as big of a problem in established towns as it has been in Haynestown. While not as fertile as the western states, the New Haven area was the New England bread basket for a long time and the fresh rivers and coasts made for a plentitude of fish.


The 1640 map of Hartford, these were primarily drawn up to solidify land claims and borders. Many of the contemporary court trials are about someone encroaching on someone else's turf.

Applying ownership in Banished is very hard, especially in a growing town. Keeping these things under player control severely hampers the town growth and even then, unless there are no families living in hostels, it is very hard to force certain houses on people. Ownership was a huge part of the driving force behind colonial settlement; freemen and decently well to do families all had their own piece of land on which to grow crops. While communal grounds (commons, burger woods) and shared livestock were definitely used, it was in no way so government controlled as I have been doing so far.
It was this land ownership, passed on through inheritance, that contributed to the wide distribution of people in New England (Connecticut especially) with few really big urban centers.
Many new colonist to the town would settle on the fringes, buying/earning and staking out new lands (town centers were often already owned and splitting up land tracks was one of the hottest points of contention). They often ended up settling new towns when the trip to the main center would become too long and/or people would become discontent with each other. I had not really been keeping any real land claim registers but I feel that needs to be done for future growth, city planning and more realistic property layouts (generally: more space, gardens and central structures with surrounding buildings). I will let the game decide who lives where and build the story from there, but, especially as the 18th century progresses, real estate becomes even more important and planned city growth begins using the modern grid systems.


The New Haven town plan of 1641. A very early grid colony.

Another big thing not simulated in Banished is building deterioration; timber buildings would generally last between 20 and 40 years dependent on construction and wealth/intent of owners and the climate. This is an important aspect of the ever-changing townscape and a good way to incorporate new things I have learned. While I would like there to be a more historical sense and keep some of the old buildings/looks, the reality is that the early settlements were constantly having to, and wanting to, innovate and adapt. Many technologies and trends developed in Europe were relatively slow to be picked up, but often decently quickly spread in use once introduced, especially in the big urban centers. On the other hand, organic European city growth and planning was often thrown out to make fresh starts. New Haven, Philadelphia and Washington DC are going to be the most major influences in my design. In this, Haynestown too is a bit backwards, and still clinging to the old crowded European city center structure and having barely any land surrounding the houses. As mentioned, this will change and gradually be phased out as the new city plan will be realized.
With all that in mind I found more energy to do more thorough historical research and started reading into the specific subjects I needed to have more details on and going through contemporary journals.Historical cityplanning and social structure especially I will need to dive deep in.
Finally, it became clear to me that, while the town itself is decently representative of an early Connecticut colonial town; the surrounding nature needs some detailing to give it more character.


The 1682 grid plan of Philadelphia. This was spread around the old world, along with glowing descriptions of the promised land, to lure in new colonists.

With some of the history and decisions clarified, we can look forward to a century of progress, wealth, strive, piracy and of course, the Revolution. The famine has set us back by a lot and the town hasn't grown as much as I would have liked. The gap that has been left by the dead is being filled up with children. Which is good for the future, but difficult for the now. If I am able to keep the pressure and workload low I am cautiously optimistic about reaching the 19th century. Being able to introduce the full industrial revolution and Victorian styling and cityplanning would be so good.

Genealogy as of 1700 AD.
It's been 15 in-game years since the last genealogy update so things have changed a lot.
The statistics of year 62, 1700 AD.
In 1685 the town had 278 inhabitants including 80 students and children,  in 1700 they totaled 373, and 133 students and children.

The top family composition is as follows (living and dead):
1. Glowbrenn, 10% (56)
2. Haynes, 9% (48)
3. Mersey, 7% (42)
4. Germain, 4% (22)
5. Chaarason, 3% (17)
6. Grimberghen, 2% (14)
7. [Missing Surname], 2% (13)
8. LeFevre, 2% (12)
9. Vincian, 2% (11)
10. Barents, 2% (11)

Total unique surnames: 121
Number of individuals: 529 (living and dead)
Males: 254
Females: 274

Number of families: 147


Population graph up to 1700.

That is a doubling in most regards from last time.
The increase in population has been mostly due to new migrants, although the top three have had decent increases. While it felt like the town was in decline, the graph shows a slow but steady increase, with only a small bump around 1695 (also visible in the sheer amount of people dying around that year). Towns like Hartford and New Haven will have had a few thousand citizens around this time, so I think I'm decently on track, but very much an impoverished town by contemporary standards still.
There have been a lot of divorces of late, the result of the famine and in-game job shuffling. Colonial Connecticut had pretty loose marriage laws and divorces were decently common with both husband and wife being allegeable to break the contract. It was however, in most cases, not allowed to re-marry as to not break the sanctity of the vows. This, of course, is something I can't reflect in the game; but since Haynestown is pretty easygoing even for Connecticut standards(and not too Puritan leaning) it can be excused.
Likewise, I try to include and keep track of the traditional 'firstborn son is heir' mechanics, but if the story and the game decides otherwise I'll just roll with it. For instance, there hasn't ever lived a male Haynes member on the actual Haynes estate. These things will become increasingly historically accurate as the industrial revolution begins to take hold this century and woman will be starting their own business from home and be solely in charge of estates, like Sarah Knight I referred to earlier. I'd like Haynestown to be a progressive center, without giving up too much of the historical accuracy and possibly downplaying the actual historical innovators and spear headers.
so, let's talk about the families.


Food graph up to 1700.

The Glowbrenn family is big, influential and well integrated. There is little stopping them form staying at the top for a long time. The current patriarch of the family, Orio, has been through a lot. He is currently father of 6, including 2 adoptees from the Visser's, so his influence will be felt for a while. The fact that he is the oldest living male dynasty member at 42 is indicative of the demography of the town: a lot of youngsters with few elderly still around.

The Haynes dynasty is still doing very well in numbers, but the latest generation is almost exclusively female, so much of the name is being lost. Humbert II, great-grandson of the first Humbert Haynes is fittingly the only current male branch of the family line, it doesn't show in the graph, but his wife is his second causing (must have confused the software), making it an even 'purer' bloodline...ohboy.
I've included the direct forefathers of Humbert to give it more historical context, even though they aren't from the town.
The  Samuel Wyllys https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/hg/colonialresearch/wyllys that popped up in 1698 is likewise a historical character and descendant of the daughter of Connecticut's first governor, John Haynes https://gw.geneanet.org/tdowling?lang=en&pz=timothy+michael&nz=dowling&p=john&n=haynes&oc=2 , Ruth Wyllys, who took her husband's, Samuel, name. As John  Haynes' heir despised him for putting his fortune in the development of the colony, he wanted nothing to do with it. Ruth and Samuel's line continues to be very influential in the state and it makes my Haynes line a bit more of an odd duck.

The Mersey family is everywhere and set to grow even more with a lot of children baring the name running around. Consequently, it is easier to run into each other and the 3rd and 4th generation has seen at least 7 cases of some form of inbreeding...Clellary and Hayde, being first cousins being one of the worst examples. I really ought to have cracked down harder on it but couldn't be bothered, sadly.

The Germains appear to keep on favoring marrying newcomers and socializing with migrants, they haven't grown too much but still have a decent amount of living children so a bright future.
The LeFevre family has doubled its numbers and made swift entry. All current 3rd generation children carry the name so we will see a lot more of them in the future.

My predictions for the van Grimberghens was off again, this time the famine has cut them out of the list entirely, making way for the booming Vincians.
The Vincians are a very interesting dynasty, I talked about their matriarch, Vincess Vincian who passed away in 1695, in the last State of the Colony. Her three sons have married Hayneses and a Mersey and have all fathered a new generation of Vincians. 
The Barents family has been kicked down to 10th place and will probably soon be out of the list. Emmie's children are the sole branch left baring the name, but there is hope still. I also noticed a big mistake in that case. Delorelanet was born in 1685, yet is supposed to have birthed 3 children between then and 1690...she died in the famine in 1695, so we'll probably never know. Oops.

This post has gone one long enough; I do enjoy getting into the history behind all this though so will probably try to do historical highlights outside of the 'in-character' documentation.
Speaking of, @Tom Sawyer has been working on an amazing papermill based on the Rittenhous near Philadelphia https://www.banishedventures.com/lets-build-the-rittenhouse-mill/, one of the oldest colonial paper mills still standing in the US. I will work towards introducing papermaking into the town so that an almanac or kind of chronicle can be printed and transition to making the posts more news centered vs. the more top centered council reports.
But all in due time, for now, thank you for reading and I hope that this was at least a bit informative.

Artfactial

Ah, the pictures aren't showing looks like...I'll fix it later on...sorry.