Hear ye! Hear ye! Whereas, “In 1677, under the threat of losing all of the land purchased of the Native Americans, the people of Oyster Bay had little choice but to pledge allegiance to King Charles II and to sign the Andros Patent. This document essentially allowed the townspeople the right to ownership of their land under English rule as it was when it was purchased as a Dutch colony,” stated the Oyster Bay Historical Society as their reason to party at a fun-raising fundraiser at the Fatted Lamb Tavern.
Whereas, “There was one extra stipulation: that every year on March 25, the people of Oyster Bay were to send a fatted lamb to the King as a symbol of loyalty and as a reminder of their subjugation,” therefore was commemorated.
Last month, on that date, they did just that with style and wit. Nicole Menchise and Jacqueline Blocklyn turned the OBHS’s Koenig Center into Ye Fatted Lamb Tavern with old timbers and colonial artifacts on the walls, and they served hearty pub fare. The victuals were prepared by Sweet Tomato, and included shepherd’s pie, hearty chicken stew, roasted root vegetables and for dessert, bread pudding and apple crisp, served with dollops of whipped cream. As promised, all evening there was lively traditional music by Larry Moser and friends, plenty of libations served by lovely lasses and a round or two of history trivia with the winners taking turns caning old King Charles II.
It was the highlight of the night as MC Phil Blocklyn quizzed guests in difficult trivia destined to challenge that esteemed group. One of the multiple choice questions was, “Which plant was not native to Europe?” The answer: tomato. Another was, “Which was the last bust done at Mount Rushmore?” The answer: Theodore Roosevelt’s.
The tie-breaker was an impossible baseball question that no one could answer, except Blocklyn. It was a Jeopardy-type finish with the tables betting on knowing the last answer. Frank Esposito lead his team with nine points to bet small and they ended up winning the day. Esposito had the honor of breaking the effigy/piñata. The winning bag of gold-covered chocolate coins went home with the Espositos to surprise their two daughters. Both Espositos are lawyers with great credits: Melissa is an appellate judge and Frank is a judge for the Village of Oyster Bay Cove as well as an OBHS board member.
Whereas it was a great night, hopefully it will be re-created next year.
The next event at the OBHS is on Monday, April 20 at 7 p.m., when Bill Bleyer and Harrison Hunt will talk on their new book Long Island and the Civil War. On Wednesday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. Nicole Menchise, librarian and archivist, will talk about preserving family treasures. For more information, call 516-922-5032.
