USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > New Haven > History of the Colony of New Haven, Before and After the Union with Connecticut: Containing a. > Part 19
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The anticipated day at length arrived : the forenoon was spent by the women in cooking, and by the men at meeting. Immediately "after meeting was done," the dinner was made ready, when, after a lengthy grace, the patriarch, with his children and grandchildren, seated themselves at the round ta- ble, " which groaned beneath the burden of its load." After din- ner the family assembled around the fire, which blazed merrily in " the parlor," to converse " of all the mercies from the Lord," except the young men, (when the time began to degenerate,) who would sometimes steal away to join in a game at foot- ball. On that day all members of the family, far and near, made it a point to be present under the paternal roof, which circumstance much conspired to add to the joy of the occa- sion. Fasts and thanksgiving are yet commonly observed in New England, but not in the full spirit of the puritanic times.
Election, in old times, was a great day, when it was custom- ary to make a large quanity of cake, which was called elec- tion cake. The freemen of the colony mostly went to the seat of government to vote, and took with them a large sup- ply of the cake for provision. This was probably the object for which it was at first made, and it being found very con- venient, it soon became an established custom. It was cus- tomary when a family moved into a new house to make an entertainment, to which the neighbors were invited, which was called house-warming.
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All intercourse of society was very formal, and especial pains were taken that there should be no disorderly conduct among the "young men and maidens." No person might pay his addresses to a young woman without first obtaining the consent of her parents. The following law relating to this subject, is copied from Eaton's code. (Copy in the state records.)
Whosoever shall inveigle or draw the affections of any maide or maide-servant, either for himself or others, without first gaining the consent of her parents, or guardians, besides all damages the parents may sustain, shall pay to the plantation 40s. for the first of- fense, and for the second towards the same party, £4; for the third shall be fined, imprisoned, or corporeally punished, as the planta- tion court shall direct.
Under this law, as appears by the New Haven records, at a court held May 1, 1660,
Jacobeth Murline and Sarah Tuttle were prosecuted "for set- ting down on a chest together, his arme about her waiste, and her arme upon his shoulder or about his neck, and continuing in yt. sinfull posture about half an hour, in which time he kyssed her and she kyssed him, or they kyssed one another, as ye witnesses tes- tified. Mr. Tuttle pleaded yt. Jacob had endeavoured to steal away his daughter's affections, but yt. Sarah denied, and it did not appear to ye courte," but notwithstanding, "as they had carried it in such a wanton, uncivil, and lascivious manner," they were sen- tenced to pay, each of them, 20s. to the treasurer.
The following, copied from Lib. 2, of New Haven records, was designed to prevent "irregular conduct" among the young people :
At a general courte for New Haven, Sept. 11, 1666.
Upon consideration of much sin committed at times of husking Indian corn-It is ordered that noe single person, or persons, what- soever in this plantation, shall meet together upon pretence of husk- ing Indian corn out of the family to wch. they belong after 9 of ye clock, unless ye master or parents of such person or persons be with them to prevent disorder at such times, or some fitt person intrusted to yt. end by ye severall parents of masters. And whatsoever per- son or persons shall be found to trangress this order shall be liable to ye penalty of ye lawe agaynst night walkers .*
Young men and women were forbidden by another order
* When times had moderated some degrees, huskings were at- tended with much glee and conviviality, and many girls were gal- lanted home without the previous consent of parents. A good de- scription of an old fashioned husking, may be found in Barlow's Epic Poem, entitled Hasty Pudding.
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" to ride together from one plantation to another on pretense of attending lectures," &c."
They were particular in old times to give every man his title : ministers and magistrates were called Mr. ; church- members brethren and sisters, and the commonality, who were not in church fellowship, were simply goodman and goodwife. As in times of war and danger a military office is one of important trust, a high respect was given to military officers, and the early records abound with the titles of ser- geant and corporal. In christening children, besides Scripture names, which were the most common, the names of the vir- tues and abstract qualities were frequently used ; as, for ex- ample, for women, Content, Charity, Deliverance, Desire, Ex- perience, Faith, Grace, Hope, Love, Mercy, Mindwell, Makepeace, Prudence, Pity, Patience, Rejoice, Relief, Re- markable, Silence, Thankful, Temperance, Waitstill ; and for men, Justice, Seaborn, Praisegod, &c.
The standard of education, formerly, for persons in com- mon life, was to read, write, and cast up accounts. All the books used in schools, were the Bible and Youth's Instructor, which last was superseded by Dilworth's Spelling Book. In- stead of using an arithmetical text-book, it was customary for the master " to set sums." Before spelling they gen- erally "chose sides." The wages of common teachers was 40s. per month. The rod was used unsparingly in schools, it being the popular opinion, "that to spare the rod was to spoil the child."" The colonists had a predilection for whipping ; whipping at the post, or cart tail, being the com- mon punishment for transgressors in the small way. The whipping-post and stocks were usually placed near the meet- ing-house.
On account of a deficiency of money, wages and taxes were paid in produce or country payment, and nearly all the merchandise of the colony was transacted by the same me- dium. A correct idea of that method of trade in old times, may be gathered from the following extract from the Travels
* The strictness of those times were occasionally attended with unhappy consequences. For instance, Lazarus and Isaiah Gunn, young men, of Milford, for taking the liberty to visit " their girls" on Saturday night, were " severely" whipped by their father on the succeeding Monday, which shamed them so much that they with- drew from all company, and lived and died in single blessedness.
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of Madam Knight, a lady of rank, of such remarkable cour- age as to make the tour from Boston to New York, about 1695 :
" They give the title of merchant to every trader who rate their goods according to the time and specie they pay in, viz., pay, money, pay as money, and trusting. Pay is grain, pork, and beef, &c., at the prices set by the general court that year ; money is pieces of 8, ryals, or Boston or Bay shillings, (as they call them,) or good hard money, as sometimes silver coin is called by them; also wam- pum, viz., Indian beads, wch. serves for change. Pay as money, is provisions as aforesaid, one third cheaper than as the Assembly or generall court sets it, and trust as they and the merchant agree for time. Now when the buyer comes to ask for a commodity, some- times before the merchant answers that he has it, he sais, is your pay ready ? Perhaps the chap replies, yes. What do you pay in ? sais the merchant. The buyer having answered, then the price is set ; as suppose he wants a 6d. knife, in pay it is 12d., in pay as money, 8d., and hard money, its own value, 6d. It seems a very intricate way of trade, and what 'Lex Mercatoria' had not thought of."
The following is a facsimile of one of the Bay shillings, mentioned above :
1652
A
TS
XII
Besides shillings, were coined sixpences and threepences. They were the first money coined in New England, and from the device were usually called pine trees. The law enacted, that " Massachusetts and a tree in the centre be on one side ; and New England, and the year of our Lord, and the figure XII, VI, III, according to the value of each piece, be on the other side." They were less in size and weight than the standard of the English shilling, the reason of which was, doubtless, that they might be retained in the colony. The date when they were first issued was never altered, though more coin was stamped annually for thirty years .*
* It was the tradition, that the person who coined them made his fortune by the business, and had two daughters, whose marriage portions he paid to them all in shilling pieces.
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The following is a facsimile of a coin, or medal, in the Trumbull Gallery, New Haven :
OBS:
NEWARK
R
1646
It is evidently a relict of the revolutionary period in Eng- land, which was succeeded by the Commonwealth. Charles I., while chased about by parliament, being in want of money to pay his soldiers, cut up silver plate belonging to himself and followers, and stamped it for that purpose. After he was de- feated at the battle of Naseby, with the loss of 5,000 men, in 1646, he took refuge in the Scottish camp, at Newark, in Nottinghamshire. The next year he was delivered up by the Scotch to the parliament, for £400,000. The coin in ques- tion is doubtless to be referred to this period, and was proba- bly brought to America by some one who emigrated to es- cape the troubles of the times. The money was made in the above shape, because the plate would evidently cut in that form with less waste than in a circle. The letters OBS : it seems probable from the above facts, may be an abbrevia- tion of the Latin noun, obses, which signifies, a pledge given for the performance of covenants.
The following was the usual form in which a note of hand was executed, as appears by the ancient records. (Town Records of Milford.)
Know all Men by these Presents, that I George Clark, Jr., of Milford, in ye County of New Haven, in ye Colony of Connecti- cut in New England, Husbandman, doe acknowledge myself to owe and to be bound unto Richard Bryan, Esq., of said Milford, County and Dominion afforesaid ye full ande juste summe of one pound five shillings and tenpence in Lawful money, or in merchantable pro- vision pay at price currant; Wheat at 5s. per bushel, Indian Corne at 2s. 6d., to be paid unto ye maid Richard Bryan, his Heirs, Execu- tors, Assigns, or certain Attorney, all on or before the first daye of Maye next ensneing yp date hereof, and for ye true performance
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hereof, I bind me, myself, my Heirs, Executors, Administrators, and Assigns, firmly by these presents. In witness whereof I have here- unto set my hand and seale, this 10th daye of December, 1680, in ye 5 yr. of his Majesty's reign, James ye 2d, of England King, &c. GEORGE CLARK, JR. L. S.
Signed, Sealed, and delivered in presence of us, SAMUEL SANFORD, JOHN SMITH, (ye Smith.)
The following is the form of a Connecticut treasury note, issued during the revolutionary war, as near as can be imi- tated by the type used at the present day :
N.º 205.
SOK.
NINE PENCE.
V
T HE Possessor of this BILL shall be paid by the Treasurer of the State of CONNECTICUT, NINE PENCE, in Spanish Milled Dol- lars, at the Rate of six Shillings each, or other silver or gold Coins equiva- lent, with Interest at five per Cent. per Annum, by the 1st Day Seal of of MARCH, A. D. 1784. Connecticut. By ORDER OF ASSEM- BLY. Dated at Hartford, the first Day of JUNE, A. D. 1780. 9d.
COMMITT.
9ª.
On the back of the original of the above bill, is a heavy bor. der, and in the center the following, set in type : " ?? Nine Pence ?? June 1st, 1780. Printed by Timo. Green." On each corner, at the top and bottom, is set in capitals the word ninepence. The engraving of the borders and state arms of the bill was done by John Hallam, of New London.
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SKETCH OF OLDEN TINES.
The above is a likeness of Gov. Yale, copied from his por- trait in the Trumbull Gallery, New Haven. The object of the insertion is to show something of the style of dress in olden times. It will very much help to form just conceptions of our forefathers, and their good dames, to know what was their personal appearances. To this end, some description of their apparel will be given. The men wore three-sided, or cocked hats, with the crown round and fitting to the head. On the left side was a large wooden button, with horse hair wove around it, to which was fastened the drawing cord which held up the sides .* Until the period of the revolution every person who wore a fur hat had it always of entire beaver. They universally cost eight dollars. Every apprentice, at re- ceiving his "freedom," received a real beaver. Every-day hats were made of wool, and called felts.
At the era of the settlement of New England, it was cus- tomary with the Puritans to cut the hair "round by a cap," (or net.) Wigs were afterwards the fashion, and were worn even by boys. " Full bottomed wigs," made of long hair,
* In Milford, a company of the ton adopted the use of a white button on their hats, from which circumstance they were called the " white buttoned club."
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· curled and powdered, were worn by ministers and other pro- fessional men. They were dressed, curled, and powdered, on a block head. As soon as the wigs were abandoned and the natural hair cherished, it became the mode to dress it by plat- ting it, by cueing and clubbing, or by wearing it in a silk sack or bag back of the neck, adorned with a large black rose. Coats had a number of large plats in the skirts, were wadded or stiffened with buckram to make them stand out ; sleeves short, cuffs very large up to the elbows, open below, with short bars of lead therein for the purpose of keeping them down when the arm was raised horizontally. The col- lar was single, and usually termed a stand up collar, and so low as readily to expose the fine platted neckcloth of fine linen cambric, and the large silver stock buckle on the back of the neck. Coats were sometimes trimmed with gold or silver lace. The shirts had wide hand ruffles, (sometimes made of lace,) and sleeves finely platted and fastened round the wrist with a pair of gold or silver buttons, set with stones or paste of various colors. The vest had great depending pocket flaps, and reached nearly to the knees. The breeches were close fitted, and were short above the stride, because the art since devised of suspending them by suspenders was then unknown. It was then the test, and even the pride of a well-formed man, that he could readily keep them above his hips, and his stockings, without gartering, above the calf of his legs. The breeches were fastened on the outside of the knees with gold or silver knee-buckles, sometimes set with . stones. The coat and breeches were generally desirable of the same material- of broadcloth for winter, and silk camblet for summer. Coats of red cloth were considerably worn, and plush breeches and plush vests of various colors, shining and smooth, were in common use. Everlasting, made of worst- ed, was a fabric of great use for breeches, and sometimes for vests. Farmers and artisans usually wore sheep and buck- skin breeches. The stockings worn were of thread, in sum- mer, and woolen in winter, which were knit in ribs.
Shoes were usually made of neats' leather, for common wear, and calfskin for dress up ones. They were cut with wide straps, and were fastened with silver shoe-buckles, which were sometimes set with stones. The fashion for shoes has changed a number of times since the first settlement : first, round toed, then, as at present, square toed, which were suc- ceeded by toes pointed, and as much peaked as possible.
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Boots were not used till near the time of the revolution. The buttons formerly used were very large. It was not un- common to see real Spanish quarters, with eyes soldered on and the coinage retained, worn on coats, and " bits of 8" were used on vests and other garments. Conch shell buttons, sil- ver mounted, were sometimes used. Women, at one time, wore on their great-coats large gilt or silver plated buttons, one and a half inch in diameter.
Nothing like surtouts were known, but they had coating or cloth great-coats, or blue cloth and brown camlet cloaks, with green baize lining to the latter. In the time of the revolu- tionary war many of the American officers introduced the use of white Dutch blankets for great-coats.
After garments were considerably worn, it was customary to rip and turn them, particularly coats. A garment was only half worn when it became broken.
The apparel of women, at the first settlement, was remark- able for simplicity. Striped linen short gowns and petticoats, in summer, were worn in public-"to meeting," for instance ; and in winter, garments of linsey-woolsey cloth, home manu- factured. When calico was first introduced it was sold for 5s. sterling the yard, and the woman who had a gown of that cloth, was dressed in the first fashion. A worsted cloth, call- ed calimanco, was much used for under garments, and to wear with the short gown. Of the bonnets worn in former times, one was called the "horse hair bonnet," which was made of horse hair wove in flowers, had a very small crown and big brim, not unlike the present Leghorn flats. Another, not unlike it in shape, called a skimmer bonnet, was made of a fabric which shone like silver tinsel. Bonnets made of black satin were perhaps the most worn. The only straw worn was that called " the straw beehive bonnet," made of split straw, and fastened to bonnet-board, or milnet, with gum Arabic dissolved. Beaver hats, for a long course of years, were much worn, trimmed with black feathers. Veils were never used, except crape in mourning. The hair was dressed in various manners, at different times. Once it was the fashion to cut the hair of a proper length, and have it curled all over the head in " crisped curls," done with " curl- ing tongs." This formidable outfit of head-work was next succeeded by rollers stuffed with wool or cotton, over which the hair was combed above the forehead. These, again, were superseded by cushions and artificial curlwork, which was sent to the barber's block, like a wig, to be dressed.
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The cap worn at first was of the fashion now worn by Quaker women, made of cambric, with a strait narrow bor- der, and tabs which came down under the chin. The next fashion was the "queen's night cap," the same as always worn by Lady Washington. It was usually made of muslin, with a narrow and very scanty ruffle border, and tabs like the other.
Women once wore hollow breasted stays, set with whale bone, which were exploded as injurious to the health. Then came-the use of straight stays; even little girls wore such stays. It is hoped that every variety of lacing will soon be disused ; for setting aside the destruction of health and life occasioned by it, it is vain to attempt by art to improve the beautiful symmetry of nature. Gowns, at one time worn, had no fronts ; the design was to display a finely quilted petti- coat and a worked stomacher on the waist. Hoops were once worn at the bottom of the dress, so large, that in enter- ing a door the wearer was obliged to raise one side to get in. Next gowns with trails, or "sweep streets," as they were sometimes called, were the fashion. The end of the trail was usually carried on the right arm of the wearer, when walking, unless the person was in circumstances to have a waiter to carry it. A pair of large pockets were worn, one on each side, under the gown. These were usually made of fine linen, and on them flowers were worked with colored . worstod. The stockings worn were usually blue or green, with large red clocks at the sides. Dress shoes were made of cloth, and frequently worked with flowers, and had high wood-
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. en heels, through which was inserted an iron rivet, to keep them from splitting off. Leather shoes had also wooden heels. , Black velvet masks were worn in winter, with a silver mouth-piece to keep them on by retaining it in the mouth. Green ones were sometimes used in summer while riding in the sun on horseback. Large green paper fans, called " sun fans," were carried to shade the face while walking in the sun. The first umbrellas were introduced about seventy years ago, and at the time were considered a very effeminate thing. Parasols were not used till many years after. Women formerly wore cloaks as their chief over-coats : they were used, with some changes of form, under the successive names of roquelaus, capuchins, and cardinals. These were made of camlet and red broadcloth, and often had hoods attached to them. Spectacles were not much used in former times, and
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SKETCH OF OLDEN TIMES.
only by aged people. They had no side supporters, and were called bridge spectacles, (after common ones came into use,) being kept on solely by nipping the bridge of the nose.
Most of the cloth worn in old times was homemade, and it was the ambition of young women to have a good stock of linen and sheets spun (sometimes wove) and whitened by them- selves. When they had this and a pillow-case full of stoek. ings, they were ready to marry. It might have been as much expected to have found a family without beds as without spin- ning-wheels. The cotton gin and power loom have indeed worked wonders.
Concerning the early style of architecture, it may be re- marked, that the best houses in New England were built in the leanto form, similar to a view on page 138. It was usual to set them facing the south. The frames were made of heavy oak timber ; some of the largest pieces were full 18 inches in diameter. They were covered with rent oak clap- boards, and the roof with long cedar shingles nailed on ribs. The space between the clapboards and the interior side walls · were usually filled with clay. The rooms were only plaster- ed on the sides, the sleepers and floor above being left naked. The windows were of small diamond glass set in lead frames, and swung open each way on the outside. The shape of the whole window was about square. The height of the rooms was about seven feet ; the floors were made of thick oak boards fastened down with wooden pins. The doors were constructed of upright boards, fastened together with batten, and had wooden latches with a leathern string, which went through the door to raise the latch, instead of a thumb piece. The outside doors were made of double planks, and the nails were placed in the angles of small diamonds. They were fastened at night by a strong wooden bar placed across them on the inside. The chimney was built of stone in the mid- dle of the house, and was about ten or twelve feet square at the foundation. The principal fireplaces were so large as to admit of wood being burnt in them the length of the cart. In the fireplaces were large ovens and stock holes in the jambs. The ground floor was laid below the sills, which pro- jected into the room eight or ten inches. The apartments were two large front rooms and a long narrow kitchen in the back of the house, with a bedroom or milkroom at one end. The stairs went up beside the chimney from the front entry. The cellar was only under one of the front rooms. In the
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sitting room, on the side opposite the chimney, a large open cupboard, called a dresser, was placed, on which it was cus- tomary to set up the pewter ware. Since the leanto roof house, the first fashion, various styles of building at differ- ent times predominated, until the half house plan began to be adopted, which is now the prevailing form of country houses. It is hoped that the good taste of architects will soon intro- duce for common dwellings some design more symmetrical. The well which belonged to an old house was commonly pla- ced five or six rods from the back door. The water was drawn by means of a beam balanced on an axle at the top of a perpendicular post of suitable height, to the end of which was attached a small pole and bucket, which was let down into the well. The technical terms of the differerent parts of this drawing apparatus, were the well-crotch, sweep, and hand pole. Pumps, made of bored logs, were formerly used to considerable extent to raise water from wells. . The plan of a rope and two buckets, when first used, was called up and downs.
It was usual, in old times, to keep a large fire burning in the kitchen in summer as well as in winter. The farmer, after reaping in the wheat field, or mowing in the meadows during the day, at eventide would take his seat on the settee by the fire, while the door stood open, which gave free access to the melodies of the frog, turtle, owl, and whippowil. In winter a fire was built in the morning, which would last nearly · through the day. In the first place two or three logs, the length of the cart, were got in for back-sticks, sometimes so large that a horse was used to draw them in with. These rolled to their place, smaller logs for fore-sticks were laid on the heavy andirons, and then smaller sticks and dry kindling wood, was plentifully filled in. This pile once merrily blazing, " the tyrant Jack Frost" had to escape for his life, and the good wife and her rosy daughters, " in good earnest," set about getting breakfast. This, among the farmers, was usually very plain, and consisted frequently of salt meat soup, (then called porridge,) in which were scattered some beans, and seasoned with dry summersavory, with some meat and brown bread. Tea and coffee, at the first, were not used. Cider, or beer, was usually drank at every meal. Dinner usually consisted (paticularly in winter) of a large "Indian pudding," boiled eight or ten hours, in which were stirred dri- ed sweet apples. This was eaten with sauce made of vine-
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