Insurrectionist's Descendent Wins Mystic But Suffers Agonizing Defeat in Boston

Lisa Saunders at the Samuel Adams Brewery in Boston, Mass., on October 29, 2013.

 

Is Ghost of Sam Adams Still After Captain Henry Gale--through his descendant?

Watch her crushing defeat in the short videos below

 

 

Lisa Saunders of Mystic, Conn., descendant of Revolutionary War veteran Henry Gale and author of “Shays’ Rebellion: The Hanging of Co-Leader Captain Henry Gale,” had her shot at being the next Champion Stein Hoister at the Samuel Adams Brewery on Tuesday, October 29th--but it was not to be. The author will have to promote her ancestor's fight against his new government and "half hanging"  some other way.

 

Although Sam Adams couldn't convince John Hancock to follow through with Henry Gale's execution once the noose had been placed around his neck, perhaps it was his ghost who weighed heavily upon the arm of the insurrectionist's descendant, making it impossible for her to hold her stein high and long enough to win a Munich trip from the Boston beer company that named their lager after Adams. Her nephew, Dr. Bradley Saunders of Columbia, SC, a physical therapist, had given his aunt a few winning tips the day before the Boston event. When he learned of her defeat, he quickly texted her, "I'm still extremely proud of you--364 days to train for next year!" 

Lisa may indeed start training for next year. Mystic--and even the State of Connecticut-- had placed their hopes on her when she won the ladies' Beer Stein Hoist at Pizzetta hands down earlier this month (see news coverage below).* After her surprising win at the Mystic restaurant with a stein hoisting time of 5 minutes, 10 seconds, Tricia Walsh, President of the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce, e-mailed Saunders, “I wish you the best in Boston and I hope you make Mystic proud!” Unbelievably,  even United States Senator Christopher S. Murphy wrote to her from Washington D.C., saying: "Keep up the great work and best of luck at the New England Championship!" Lisa's father, Dick Avazian of Suffern, NY, imagined that Mystic's flags were set at half-mast when news of her defeat reached the tiny seacoast village.

See the following images of hopes held high--then dashed--plus two short videos of Lisa hoisting a liter-sized stein filled to the brim with beer (reported to weigh approximately five pounds):

 

Lisa (center) with two competitors outside the Samuel Adams Brewery before the event. They were friendly toward each other--at first.

 

 

Lisa Saunders in the center (wearing black) holds stein high at Boston's  Samuel Adams Brewery on October 29. Competition was stiff and some onlookers were accusing particular stein hoisters of trying to get away with cheating (beer spilling over rim or arm not out straight).

 Short Videos

 

Part I: Lisa's stein--and hopes--still held high.

 

 

 

Part II: Lisa hangs on--barely--while others drop out. When Lisa notices a drop spilling over the rim of her stein, she knows it's over. She drops out before being asked to hand in her stein.  

 

 

Lisa Saunders revised her humorous travel memoir, Mystic Seafarer's Trail, to recount her beer adventures and how beer played a life-saving role in New England's history. To read excerpts, click on Mystic Seafarer's Trail  then on the "LOOK INSIDE" feature.

 

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Lisa is seriously considering training to stein hoisting events if it will draw attention to a cause very dear to heart. See Loss and love: Author raises awareness about preventable birth defect

 

*Lisa's Stein Hoisting Win in Mystic covered by Corey Fyke, Patch Regional Editor, North Central Connecticut: http://stonington.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/mystic-woman-wins-beerhoisting-competition-stonington


*Lisa's Stein Hoist loss was covered in: The Day - Passion for history leads to stein-hoisting ...www.theday.com/article/20131114/NWS01/311149926/-1/zip06

Visit Lisa at www.authorlisasaunders.com to learn more about her books, publicity work, and availability to speak. Write her at: saundersbooks@aol.com

Photos and videos by Enrique C. Jograj, Jr. 

Descendent of Insurrectionist Wins Samuel Adams Steinhoisting Competition

 

 

Lisa Saunders, Samuel Adams Stein Hoist Winner and author, wouldn’t exist if the real Sam Adams had convinced the government to hang her ancestor, Captain Henry Gale Hanged for High Treason and Rebellion (he was a leader in Shays’ Rebellion)

 

Mystic, Conn.—Lisa Saunders, the descendent of a Revolutionary War veteran found guilty of treason, and author of "Shays' Rebellion: The Hanging of Co-Leader Captain Henry Gale", won the Samuel Adams Stein Hoisting competition held at Pizzetta in Mystic on October 10, 2013.

Saunders, age 52 of Mystic, held a one-liter Samuel Adams beer stein filled with water with her arm fully extended and parallel to the ground for 5 min., 10 secs. Winning several prizes at Pizzetta, she now heads to Boston to compete for the grand prize--—a trip to Munich, Germany, during Oktoberfest 2014. The New England Championship will be held on Tuesday, October 29, 2013, at the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery.

After her surprising win at the Mystic restaurant, Tricia Walsh, President of the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce, e-mailed Saunders, “I wish you the best in Boston and I hope you make Mystic proud!” Unbelievably,  even United States Senator Christopher S. Murphy wrote to her from Washington D.C., saying: "Keep up the great work and best of luck at the New England Championship!"

Saunders said, “Sam Adams, the revolutionary thinker after which the Boston lager was named, demanded that my ancestor Captain Henry Gale hang for his leadership role in Shays' Rebellion." Henry Gale of Princeton, Mass., was a Revolutionary War veteran who later used threat of force to shut down courts to stop the prosecution and imprisonment of farmers unable to pay their debts and what they felt were unreasonably high taxes. Henry was captured, found guilty of high treason and rebellion, and sentenced to hang. Sam Adams declared, "the man who dares rebel against the laws of a republic ought to suffer death."

            After Henry Gale was marched up the gallows built on the Worcester Common in Massachusetts, the noose was placed around his neck and prayers were said for his soul. Suddenly, the sheriff presented a written reprieve from Governor John Hancock. The reprieve later became a pardon. "If Sam Adams had successfully influenced Hancock to follow through with Gale’s execution on June 21, 1787, I would not exist as I descend from a child conceived after he was set free. So, I got a kick out of winning the ladies' rounds at Pizzetta. I hope I can win a free trip to Munich out of the company that named their lager after Sam Adams!” Saunders descends from Henry Gale’s daughter, Betsey (Gale) Sisson, born four years after the “half hanging” in 1791.

Shays’ Rebellion, listed among History Channel's “10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America,” led to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution because it showed the need for a stronger central government. Eventually, imprisonment for debt was outlawed.

Lisa Saunders is an award-winning writer, TV co-host, and part-time history interpreter at Mystic Seaport. A graduate of Cornell University, she is the author of several books, including the humorous travel memoir, Mystic Seafarer's Trail: Secrets behind the 7 Wonders, Titanic's Shoes, Captain Sisson's Gold, and Amelia Earhart's Wedding . She is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.For more information, visit www.authorlisasaunders.com or write to her at saundersbooks@aol.com.

 

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See story: Mystic Woman Wins Stein-Hoisting Competition

 

http://stonington.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/mystic-woman-wins-beerhoisting-competition-stonington

 

Photo Caption: Lisa Saunders at Pizzetta in Mystic, CT, after winning ladies’ Samuel Adams Stein Hoisting competition on Thursday, October 10, 2013. Photo by Jim Saunders.

 

For more information about the New England Championship on Tuesday, October 29, 2013, call the Boston Beer Company at 617-368-5080, 617-368-5000, or visit www.samueladams.com

Free Ride a Horse Not an Elevator!

My children's novel, Ride a Horse Not an Elevator, featured in Cornell University's "Horse Book in a Bucket" 4-H program,  is free as an e-book today until midnight on Amazon (there is also softcover version available). You may wish to download it and/or tell others looking for a light-hearted book for all ages (there is a lot about parent/grandparent/child relationships). You don't need a Kindle to download it. Here is the e-book link for Ride a Horse Not an Elevator: http://www.amazon.com/Ride-Horse-Not-Elevator-ebook/dp/B00DV8GMNW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

Enjoy!

Lisa Saunders
www.authorlisasaunders.com

Open Mic Night for Writers!

 

Thursday, November 7, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

 

Groton Public Library, Connecticut

Sign-in begins at 6:30 p.m.

Writers from ages 13 through adult are invited to read (or sing) their work for up to three minutes. All genres are welcome, including memoirs, music, fiction, essays, poetry, screenplays, etc. (G-rated material, please). Published authors are permitted to make their books available for sale at the end of the evening. The event will be moderated by author Lisa Saunders.

This program is free, but registration is required. To register, please contact Jean Schweid at jschweid@groton-ct.gov or 860-441-6750. Please include a brief description of your material in the email.