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Long Memories, a history of Andover in ten (or so) trees: more about Rupert!

The story of a venerable White Oak on High Plain Road continues to draw people together.
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Thanks to so many History Buzz readers for the fun conversations I’ve had over the past few weeks about the tree named Rupert. If you didn’t see the original post, you can read it here.

I told the story last time of Andover’s multitalented June (Carmichael) Fitzgerald (1921-2017), who wrote and illustrated the original children’s story “Rupert, the Sturdy Oak Tree Who Thought He Was a Little Better Than the Other Trees.”  ACHC Board Member (and West Andover native) Barbara Bunn reached out to June Fitzgerald’s daughter Beth, who sent some additional photos and a short video of her mother visiting Rupert around the time of the book’s publication. The audio is a little faint, but it’s clear enough to hear “Mrs. Fitz’s” voice and a charming example of the old Andover accent that’s becoming increasingly rare. Listening to this short video reminds me of my late mother-in law, Arlene (Pariseau) Cairns, another West Andover native.

June Fitzgerald, known as “Mrs. Fitz” to neighborhood children, stands with Ruper 2010c. (photo courtesy of Fitzgerald Family)

Linguists classify this way of speaking, by the way, as the “Yankee” strain of the Eastern New England accent, having more in common with accents of inland Maine, New Hampshire and even French Quebec than the “pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd” heard closer to Boston, or the slightly more nasal speech and glottal t’s of the South Shore and Rhode Island. It’s similar, apparently, to what was spoken in Elizabethan England and the rural speech of Yorkshire and Lancashire. Most people in New England spoke this way before lofty Bostonians began to copy more modern British speech in the 1800s.

Thanks to both Barbara and Beth for sharing this with our readers! It was a joy to see.

I’ll be back in September with another new tree-related story from Andover’s history. I always love questions and comments! Click here to open a free Substack account, so you can like, share, and comment.

Thanks, as always, for reading!

Jane

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Jane Cairns