UF Pitcher Josh Edmondson Drafted

Congratulations to University of Florida pitcher Josh Edmondson, who was drafted today by the Los Angeles Angels in the 41st round of the MLB draft.

Glass Artist From Sweden

Monica L. Edmondson is a contemporary glass artist, who works from her studio in Sweden. Her web site offers looks at her work, along with details on her technique for producing her art.

Edmondson Schools

Edmondson appears in the name of many schools across the country. Here's a look at a few of the elementary schools...

Laurene Edmondson Elementary - Loveland, Colorado
Opened in 1979, it's named for a lady who taught music in the school system for 34 years.

Earl E. Edmondson Elementary School - Norwalk, California
Located just outside Los Angeles.

Edmondson Elementary - Brentwood, Tennessee
This school, just south of Nashville, opened in 1994.

Roger Edmondson Honored

In an earlier post, I told you a bit about Roger Edmondson, president of the Grand-Am Racing series. Roger has just been honored with induction into the Road Racing Drivers Club (RRDC). The RRDC was formed in 1952 with a goal to serve the future of road racing by mentoring new drivers on both amateur and professional levels. Edmondson was inducted by RRDC President Bobby Rahal, winner of the 1986 Indy 500.

Congratulations to Roger!

The Edmondson Ticket

I've come across a fascinating story concerning an invention by one of our Edmondsons. It was called the Edmondson Railway Ticket, and was the brainchild of Thomas Edmondson (1792 - 1851).

While working as a station master on the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway (in England), Thomas devised the idea of a new type of railway ticket: a small piece of cardboard, pre-printed with journey details (as opposed to the then current hand-written paper bill). The tickets would be numbered by hand, and validated by a separate date-stamping press when purchased. He later developed a machine which would print tickets in batches complete with the serial numbers. He patented this machine, and was able to charge a royalty to railway companies amounting to ten shillings per annum per mile of the company's routes. The Edmondson ticket continued to be used by British Rail until 1990.

The tickets often had "security measures" included to prevent counterfeits. For example, on the route between Manchester and Leeds, eastbound tickets had a picture of a fleece on the back, and westbound tickets a bale of cotton.

This web page has pictures of many variations of Edmondson tickets, as well as printing machines, plates, date stamps and ticket racks. Excellent stuff.

Click here to see a picture of the marker on a home in Lancaster, marking Thomas Edmondson's birthplace.

Security Lockdown at N.Y. University

A toy gun yesterday caused Alfred University in Alfred, New York to go into lockdown. Police said it is likely a group of students were playing a game known as "Humans vs. Zombies", a live-action role-playing game that splits students into two teams, “humans,” who are armed with NERF guns or water squirt guns who have to defend themselves from “zombies” who try to eat them.


Alfred University President Charles Edmondson said the University is considering banning toy gun games on campus.

Miscellaneous #1

Edmondson and Associates is a Covington, Kentucky law firm focusing on consumer law.

Donna Edmondson is a professional wedding photographer, apparently based in West Virginia. Wonder if she gives discounts if the wedding includes Edmondsons.

Fran Edmondson is an artist in the Chicago area, and paints in both watercolor and oil. Her web site features some examples of her work, which is "currently focusing on personal imagery in abstract."

New Project For Ade Edmondson?

Best known for starring as a punk named Vyvyan in The Young Ones, Adrian Edmondson looks to be preparing for a new project. He told Maxim magazine (in jest I hope) that he and long-time comic partner Rik Mayall are planning a new series about "a couple of pensioners who hit each other with frying pans." Ahh, classy...

Paul Edmondson - Motorcycle Racer

Just ran across this, courtesy Google News...

The second round of the British Enduro Championship took place at Lossiemouth in Scotland over the weekend and proved to be a very successful outing for the Relentless Suzuki Enduro Team.

Paul Edmondson piloted his brand new fuel injected Suzuki RM-Z450 to victory on both days in the E2 class and a first and second place in the overall standings, putting Edmondson back into the title chase.

With just a few days to prepare the new bike for the event, Fast Eddy was over the moon with the result. After preparing the machine with a lighting kit and softer springs the 450 never missed a beat. Edmondson hadn’t ridden such a large capacity bike for many years but took to it immediately as the results show.

Following a disappointing opening round of the BEC, Edmondson is right back on course in the series and looks set to go from strength to strength on the new bike.

Paul Edmondson commented, “I’m really pleased with the result this weekend. The bike was fantastic. Initially it was a culture shock going back to a big bike after so many years but the handling was spot on and the new fuel injection system really supplied the power when needed. I’m very impressed; I think that fuel injection is the way ahead after this performance.”

Paul continued, “The result has put me back in the running for the BEC, and after this weekend I feel I’ve got a good shout at putting in a string of good performances, especially with the Relentless Suzuki RMZ450 under me.”

Coach Darren Edmondson Fired... Kind Of

The second post on to this blog included a mention of Darren Edmondson, manager of the Workington A.F.C. football (soccer here in the States) club. Just saw where he and others were dropped from a community program sponsored by the team. Seems a loss for the community.

LaGrange, GA Native Pitching For Florida Gators

Josh Edmondson, a junior from LaGrange, Georgia, is a relief pitcher for the University of Florida baseball team. As a reliever, he's made his way into 11 games, has a 2-0 record, with 16 strikeouts in 22 innings. More impressive, his ERA is only 1.21 and opponents are hitting just .200 against him.

Grand-Am Racing

The Grand American Road Racing Association was established in 1999, and in its ninth season is regarded as one of the world's most competitive road racing organizations. They're based in Daytona Beach, Fla. alongside NASCAR, International Speedway Corporation (ISC) and the Daytona International Speedway. If you're familiar with motorsports, you've probably seen some of their events, like the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, or this coming weekend's Miami Grand Prix. The racing is excellent.

The President and CEO is of Grand-Am Racing is Roger Edmondson. Here's an interesting interview with Roger from 2005, which gives a great description of the series.

An Edmondson Author

Dara Edmondson is an author of "steamy contemporary romances". Not exactly classic American novels, but apparently they pay the bills. Her blog is called Slave To Romance.

Belle Edmondson - Confederate Spy and Smuggler

Isabella Buchanan Edmondson, born in Mississippi in 1840, began smuggling supplies and funds to the Confederate army in 1862, after the fall of Memphis. She served as a Confederate agent throughout the war. In July 1864, she fled south, because the United States had issued a warrant for her arrest.

Edmondson's diary documents her daily routine from January through November 1864. Most of her short entries are simple reports about daily events, while occasionally she expresses her devotion to the Confederate cause. Edmondson also records contemporary news from the front, the activities of her family and the family's slaves, and a trip to Mississippi, where she visited Generals Forrest and Chalmers.

We might not know the story of Belle Edmondson if not for her diary, which is available to read here.

The language is sometimes hard to take, and the picture of daily life is certainly not a pleasant one. But it is an interesting read. And the insight it gives into the mind of a young Southern woman during the dark, frightening days of the Civil War is both startling and sad.

Edmondson DNA Project

I don't claim to know much(or anything really) about this, but there's something called the Edmondson DNA Project. It's part of the World Families Net, which seems to promote using DNA matching to verify family lines. Here is how the site describes the Edmondson project it:

The Edmondson DNA Project is collecting & studying DNA data on Edmondson (and all other possible spellings). The purpose of these tests is to distinguish the relationships between the various lines. Most of us realize we have gone as far as possible with traditional methods of research (courthouse records, bible records, etc.). We have lots of theories about how our lines mesh, but we don’t have any proof positive. DNA testing can help solve that problem and could put us on the right track, showing us which lines are related, and which are not.

Best I can figure, DNA tests start about $99, and go up from there. I'll certainly be keeping an eye on this, and seeing what data they gather.

Singers

Bleu Edmondson is a singer/songwriter from Texas, singing what sounds like a mixture of country/rock and Texas soul. Here's what his record label bio says:

Bleu Edmondson began writing his own songs at the age of 19, got his first guitar on his 21st birthday, formed a band by the time he was 22 and hasnt looked back since. Ever since writing to the legendary Lloyd Maines, asking for a shot to do a record with the highly respected producer, Bleu has been making records ever since, influenced by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Robert Earl Keen, Lyle Lovett, and The Rolling Stones. Lloyd Maines, automatically gave Bleu the guidance and street cred so many young songwriters strive for for years. His first album Southland produced the hits 50 Dollars and a Flask of Crown and Travellin Man which set Bleu off and running in the Texas music scene.

Since it had been over 4 years since Bleu had gone back into the studio to do a full length album with all new songs, Bleu knew the new project had to be not only special, but truly his best work so far. Lost Boy the new release features eleven songs detailing the life Bleu had led over the course of the 4 and a half years since his last full studio album. Songs such as Jesus Is Crying, American Saint, and The Echo (Maybe Tonight), prove that the art of honest songwriting in the tradition of Bruce Springsteen have not been lost. While other songs such as Last Last Time, and Another Morning After the Night Before (written with Ray Wylie Hubbard) prove that real country music is not dead.

Ella Edmondson is a contemporary singer songwriter based on Dartmoor in Devon. You can listen to several of her songs on her MySpace page. Here's the more about Ella from her web site...

She has been gigging around England for a few years and has recently finished recording a five track EP called ‘Blame Amy’

Ella was born and grew up in London. She was songwriting from an early age on the piano and recorded her first track when she was 12. Her father, being very musical, had a great influence on her growing up and gave Ella her first guitar when she was 14. Ella and her family moved from London to Devon, and she got her first gig in Exeter when she was 16, supporting a friends’ band called Thousand Natural Shocks.

Ella finished her first tour in September 2007 supporting Jaqui McShees’ Pentangle, which took her all over the country. Other artists she has supported include Midge Ure, The Ric Sanders Group, The Dylan Project and many others. In the past Ella has performed with a full band behind her, and has also performed with bass player and backing vocalist Buddy Valentine for many gigs. At the moment Ella’s live set up is very simple and intimate with just her and her guitar. Her song ‘Breathe’ is featured on a recent compilation CD called Folk Rising, which is a collection of young upcoming artists put together by Proper Music Distribution.

This version of ‘Breathe’ is different from the version on ‘Blame Amy’. Produced by John McCusker and featuring Kate Rusby, it was recorded for the BBC and was featured in an episode of a program called ‘Jam and Jerusalem’ on BBC1.

Edmondson Web Sites

We're going to spotlight these every so often, as we come across them in our adventures online. To start off...

James Edmondson's Blog - According to his bio, James is a liberal free-market Atlanticist, monarchist, political enthusiast, blogger, website builder, bon viveur, skier, film watcher, man of Kent, Old Harrovian, Durham University alumnus, master of engineering, London resident, kit car builder, yogi, iPod Touch aficionado, ex-public sector leech, consulting monkey. He also lives in London.

Tracy Edmondson's Blog - Tracy and family live in Dallas, Texas.

The Edmondson Family - From Westfield, New Jersey, Kristin blogs about her husband and their children.

Edmondson Family MySpace Page - From Miamisburg, Ohio

Another Edmondson Family Web Site - Not much to this, mainly pictures, so not sure where these folks call home

A fellow by the name of R. Edmondson has two blogs, apparently aimed at sharing interesting or obscure information. They are Tell Me Why? and Did You Know?

Edmondson Genealogy Research

If you're involved in genealogy, odds are you've already made use of the Edmondson Family Genealogy Forum, part of the Genforum site. It's without a doubt the best online starting place for research into your family.

Famous Edmondsons

For most people, the name Edmondson doesn't bring to mind many famous individuals. But there are a few folks with our name who have done pretty well for themselves.

Adrian Edmondson
Arguably the most notable Edmondson is British actor, comedian, director and writer Adrian ("Ade") Edmondson. Adrian is best known for his comedic roles as the stereotypical dumb violent punk Vyvyan Basterd in The Young Ones (1982–1984) and Eddie Hitler in Bottom (1991–1995) which he also co-wrote. He is married to Jennifer Saunders, one of the stars of the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. The couple have three children: Eleanor, Beatrice and Freya. They live in a 400 year old farmhouse with 45 acres in Chagford, Devon, UK. In 2007, Edmondson and Saunders both received honorary Doctorates of Literature from the University of Exeter.

Darren Edmondson
An ex-professional footballer (soccer player, to those of us here in the States), Darren is the manager for the Workington A.F.C. club. He was known as a tough, charging player who played as if each game might be his last. After nearly 20 years in the pro game, Edmondson dropped into non-league football about 18 months ago when he gave up a nomadic existence to return to his native Cumbria to settle with his wife and children, and take up a coaching post with Gretna’s Football in the Community programme. After a short spell with Barrow, he came to Workington as a player in 2005 and is now the team boss.

Drew Edmondson
Drew Edmondson was elected Attorney General of Oklahoma in 1994 and has held than office since then. Born into a political family, he is the son of former U.S. Congressman Ed Edmondson and his wife June. He is also a nephew of former Governor J. Howard Edmondson. His brother, James E. Edmondson is a Justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court. From his official biography...

Edmondson served as the 2002 - 2003 President of the National Association of Attorneys General. In 1996, Edmondson filed suit against the tobacco industry resulting in a $2 billion settlement between the industry and Oklahoma, part of the largest settlement in the history of the world. Edmondson was one of eight attorneys general asked to serve on the negotiating team for the states.

Under his leadership the attorney general’s office has helped reform the death penalty appeals process, established victims’ services, and vigorously represented rate payers in telephone, gas and electric rate cases.

In 2005, Edmondson, on behalf of the State of Oklahoma, filed suit against more than a dozen poultry companies. The lawsuit, which was filed after years of negotiations, accuses the companies of creating runoff into the Illinois River Watershed as a result of their waste dumping practices.

Before his election as Attorney General, Edmondson was elected, unopposed, to three consecutive terms as Muskogee County District Attorney in 1982, 1986 and 1990. He served as president of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Association and was selected as Outstanding District Attorney for the State of Oklahoma in 1985 and the Outstanding Death Penalty Prosecutor in the 9th and 10th Circuits.

Edmondson served one term in the Oklahoma Legislature before entering the University of Tulsa School of Law in 1976. His undergraduate teaching degree is from Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, which he attended after graduating from Muskogee Central High School.

Edmondson is a Navy veteran with a tour of duty in Vietnam. He is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Presbyterian Church and the Democratic Party.

Drew's wife, Linda, is a medical social worker. They have two children: Mary is an attorney and Robert is pursuing a doctorate in cultural anthropology.

Michael Edmondson
You might have seen Michael mentioned in the many news reports surrounding the Rush Limbaugh arrest in Palm Beach, Florida in 2006. Edmondson is spokesman for the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office. He's quoted frequently in stories from that area.

Sarah Edmondson
Sarah Edmondson is a Canadian actress with many television and movie roles to her credit, including the Canadian TV series Edgemont, the 2006 movie Big Nothing, and 2007's Chaos Theory.

An Introduction

Welcome to The Edmondson Blog.

There are quite a lot of us Edmondsons out there, running around, doing this and that. And we are all over the Internet. But as far as we can tell, there's never been any real attempt to establish a blog that focuses on us. Bits of news, trivia, and various odds and ends from around the globe... all with an Edmondson stamp. If you're one of us, welcome aboard!

According to the 2000 Census, there were 13,107 Edmondsons in the United States. That worked out to almost 5 of every 100,000 people in the country. That made Edmondson the 2,528th most popular surname, out of over 150,000. Not too shabby...

The goal of this blog isn't to be a comprehensive catalog of Edmondsons around the world. That's quite impossible. We're just going to post the interesting items we stumble across, which involve the Edmondson name. There might be multiple posts some days, and sometimes days or weeks between posts. This is, after all, just for fun.

Oh, and if you're looking for Edmonson, Edmundson, Edmunson, Edmonds, or other variations... you're out of luck. Of course, we'd encourage folks with those surnames to start a site also. The more the merrier.

Now... let's get to know some of our fellow Edmondson brethren!