Now resting quietly in the front garden of the O’Reilly House museum, an aura of mystery imbues the intended headstone of John Hamilton. But just who was John Hamilton? Discovering the Headstone Like every headstone, it no doubt harbours the memory of the person whose name has been inscribed on its front. The date and year he departed this life—18th January, 1826— and maybe a few poignant words about his life and past offer but a hint of who he…

Read More Read More

Modern duplexes now sit on a location in Placentia where years ago, the Sweetman family built Blenheim House. This would’ve been in the latter eighteenth or early nineteenth century. The Sweetmans were a noteworthy and eminent merchant family in Placentia during the 18th and 19th centuries. The name chosen for the house in Placentia was identical to Blenheim Lodge, the estate of the Sweetmans in County Waterford in Ireland. The Sweetman family was well-established on both sides of the Atlantic….

Read More Read More