Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your tricorn hats, grab your quills, and mark your calendars, because we've got a brand new holiday on the horizon – "Wathen Day" is September 10! Move over Arbor Day and National Donut Day, because it's time to celebrate the momentous occasion of John Wathen coming to Maryland in 1670! (If greeting card companies can make up holidays, then so can I.)
On September 10, 1670, the young carpenter John Wathen signed an indenture to serve Hugh Thomas for three years in exchange for passage from England to the New World aboard the Francis & Mary. John later had a relatively large family here in Southern Maryland, including five sons and three daughters. Most of the thousands of Wathens in the United States today descend from John, which makes September 10th a day worth celebrating.
If you'd like to learn more about John Wathen and his many descendants, my new book The Wathens of Southern Maryland is now available! From now through Friday, September 16, use the discount code WATHENDAY for $5 off each print copy of The Wathens of Southern Maryland that you purchase. You can also purchase the Kindle version of my book for just $9.99 on Amazon.com.
How should Wathen Day be celebrated? I'd suggest enjoying a stuffed ham sandwich or a crab cake — we all know that's why John Wathen came to Maryland — and raising a glass of Wathen's Bourbon in memory of our adventurous ancestor. For those who share the Catholic Faith that has been passed down through our family tree, consider remembering John Wathen at Sunday Mass or offering a prayer for the repose of his soul and the souls of his many descendants.
Happy Wathen Day, everyone!