When was that?

Ever puzzled about a date? Perhaps you read in a old family letter from 1849 that a family member died on Easter Sunday. If by some mischance you don't happen to have an 1849 calendar handy, how do you find out when that was?

Or you read in an old parchment that a sale was recorded on 2 June in regnal year 3 Charles II. When was that?

To help his students at Albion College in Central Michigan Ian MacInnes provides a site, Ian's English Calendar, intended to replace reference handbooks. It's good for dates in genealogy too.

The section on Ecclesiastical dates shows that in 1849 Easter was on April 15; also Septuagesima on February 11; Ash Wednesday on 28 February; Ascension May 24; Pentecost June 3; Trinity Sunday June 10; and Advent Sunday December 2.

There's also a section that converts between old and new style dates, both ways; and another that gives the day of the week for any date, with separate calculation for the old and new style calendars.

In The final section is on regnal years. Here's a screen shot of the form and result for 2 June 3 Charles II