History of Delaware : 1609-1888, Part 43

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : L. J. Richards
Number of Pages: 776

USA > Delaware > History of Delaware : 1609-1888 > Part 43

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Mr. Janney, in his " Life of Penn," is greatly distressed that the proprietary should have been a slave-holder In his eagerness to pal- liate the facts he is in danger of doing Penn a gross imjustire. Hle forgets that slave-bolding was not forlodden by the Quaker discipline until many years after Penn's death. Peun directed Aus slavrs to be free at bis death, but the will was never executed, nor wire its provis- ions respected. His daughter took one of the shoes, the woman "sue." His executor sold three to pay his debts Parthena was soll by Penti to Barbadoes, thus separating her from her husband, because she was thought dishonest. In writing about lus gardener and the assistants whom he was to train, Penn says, " It were butter they were blacks, for then a man lius them while he has. s." In fact, toolonly at that time had any idea of the heinoneness, indontality of crime of slavery, unless perhaps the little ther- man colony, who had l'astorions for their leader. Cox was "exercised "' about the slaves, but it was not the farted then letting in hunlige, but the way in which they were treated which troulde I hun. Poun was "exer- cised" on the sinte sulgert, and he went so far as too per-unde the Council and try to persuade the Assembly to passa low regulating the marriages of negroes, But it would be august to Pour to require hit to become an abolitionist a bundled years before there were any such. Slavery was not thought a crime in his fines, nor was the slave con- eidered unfortunate, unless be happened to have a severe master. The slave trade with Aftica was wwleed repudiated, but rather from its impolicy than its intotality. Some sort of servitude was almost um- versal, and one-half the ratly settlers in Pennsylvania, In-2-8 Were servants bought and sold by the Quakers for a terni of years. Even Indian elves were often to br unt in Phitulehdna, in spite of Poun's affection for the race, and his own Deputyduwithor, William Munk- bam owned one, betus Frankson, born in Hu, who by his will was to be free at the age of twenty-four, all his other slaves and servants being devised to his wife.

The purchase of black servants involved too great an outlay of capital to be as general as that of white servants, and they were not held in large numbers by any one master.

The practice of importing " indented servants" continued in force down to the Revolution, and although we find in the newspapers of the time, ( 1768-69) communications attacking and defending the enslaving of negroes, there seems to have been no objection to reducing white men to tempor- ary slavery. Such advertisements as the following were not uncommon : " JJust imported in the Brigantine .. . from Bristol, a parcel of healthy, likely men and women, indentured ser- vants, among which are Blacksmiths, Cuttle !-. House-carpenters, Painters and Glaziers, Bakers, Turners, Husbandmen and labourers." This was no longer the scum of the streets and jails of

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MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.

London shipped to America by the authori- th- as a safe means of riddance and for "the Mutter peopling of his majesty's colonies." Here we have honest artisans selling them- - ives voluntarily into servitude in order to at to the new land of promise. These poor s. Ilows could be transferred by one master to another, and sold like common goods or chattels, until the term of their indentures had expired. But there were cases when the master. not the servant, deserved sympathy. The thieves and rascals of every grade, who came over undet compulsion, or animated by the hope that they would find in the colonies a new field for their nefarious practices, gave no end of trouble to the unfortunate citizen who had invested his money in them ; they were continually running away, and they generally carried off all they could lay their hands on.

Duels, so frequent in England at that time, were of very rare occurrence in Delaware, yet a few did take place. It is not surprising, therefore, that some attention should have been given to the art of fencing. All gentlemen who desired to be known as fashionable and polite members of society learned the use of the sword. Feneing-masters, therefore, trav- eled from town to town and found occu- pation as well as dancing-masters, al- though they were not at first received with favor. They were tolerated at an early day, and at a later day met with no opposition.

About 1760 gentlemen's costumes suf- fered a few alterations, and these for the better. The coat-no longer of velvet, silk or satin, except for full-dress, but of strong cloth-was square-cut, with Ditto. Dec.24. 1723 some simple trimming and black lining ; the long-flapped waistcoat descending ADVERTISEMENTS. very low, and the stockings drawn very high over the and wristbands, sugar-loaf-shaped metal buttons, knee; large hanging cuff's to the coatsleeves, and lace a blue surtout coat, Nivernais hat and ruffled shirt; he also wore his hair tied behind.

ruffles. The skirts of the coat much less distended with wire ; stockings of blue or searlet silk ; square- tod, short-quartered shoes, with high red heels and small buckles. All wore wigs, but of smaller size: than before. The small three-cornered hat was laced with gold or silver galloon, and some- times trimmed with feathers. In 1760 a peruke- maker advertised that "gentlemen may be com- pletely furnished with bag-wigs of the neatest fashion, or of whatsoever fashion they choose; also scratch wigs and scratch bob wigs, cut wigs and long gristle-dress wigs, and all others, as gentlemen may choose."

In 1772 the following discription of a " dude" was published in Philadelphia:

" It Las a vast quantity of hair on its head, which seems to stand on

end and gives it the rpp-aran. of being bricht i'd. The hair is loaded with powder and po montan, al little + months, too, t . krep any degree of afe of heat in the fery los us tout ce en small pertuis walterel about in the cavities of that our sivil it covers The rest of it chilly con- Bits of firth silk, gold las, fim ". sik stakings, a hat and frather, at 1 sometimes a cockare, and , ben tre pante trust-tilde White hands. a diamond ring, a mimbbux par itet smallercourt and i came. lis pratio ment is to present hunt sapal mers, the wield that rane, to show ite white teeth ja a perpapal gelu, t. Lav oft things in every sense of the wosito lahrs, to follow them : very where like toute shadow, and to fetch ar .. tirry hke arpeniel."

The average citizen, at this time, however, was more modestly equipped. A recently-arrived Englishman is represented as wearing his hair tied la hind, well dressed in a brown broadeloth cont, lapelled jacket, and breeches of the same material, a castor hat, brown stockings and shoes, with pinchbeck buckles. while a teacher. who had got himself in some trouble with the sheriff, is described as clad in a blue coat, with a red collar

"His Day Run away from John M" Comb, Junier, an T: Indian Woman, about 17 Years of Age, Pitted in the face, of a middle Stature and Indifferent fatt having on hera Drugat, Waflcoat . and Kerfey Petticoat, of a Light Collour. If any Perfon or Perfons, fhall bring the faid Cirle to her faid Mafler, fhall be Rewarded for their Trouble to their Content

American weekly mercury May 24 1726 Servant Maids Time for Four Years to be fold by Jobn Copfon,

Ditto Jan 2 1721.

A Very likely Negro Woman to be fold, aged about 28 Years, fit for Country or City Bufinefs, Shecan Card," Spin, Knit and Milk ; and any other Country . Work Whoever has a Mind for the faid Negro may repair to Andrew Bradford in Philadelphia.

A Young Negro Woman to be fold by Samuel Kirk in the Second Street, Philadelphia,

To Ditto Oct .6 1791 "O be Sold, a very likely Negro Woman fit for all Manner of Houfe Work, as Wafhing, Starching, Ironing, &cc, Enquire of Andrew Bradford,

Broadeleths were to be had in such variety of colors as to please the most fastidious taste .- scarlet, erimson, blue, green, drab, black, white, butf, brown, light-colored and rose-colored.

Fops elung for some time to perukes, powdered heads and three-cornered hats. Elderly gentle- nien of the old school were also loth to give them up, and as late as 1800 even wore the large wigs made of gray or white horse-hair. When they gave up these they consoled themselves in the use of the queue, or pigtail, formed by twisting and tying the natural hair behind, below the back of the neek. But the middle class followed the French republican fashion, and cut their hair à la Titus, -a shock head from the forehead to the back of

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he neck. At a later period another French style was introduced-the hair combed down the fore- head to within a short distance from the evo- brows and cut straight across, was allowed to grow long on the sides and back of the head, covering the ears, en oreilles de chien, as may be seen in the portraits of General Bonaparte.

The beard during all this time was banished from good society. The cheeks, upper and lower lips, and throat were carefully and laberiously deprived of their natural growth of beard once. twice or thrice a week, and, among the highly fashionable, every day. No gentleman could pre- sent himself with decency at church of at the Assembly, or visit friends or acquaintances, unless he was serupulously shaved and was able to present a clean and respectable appearance.

The hats had narrow brims, and the erowa tapered off toward the top, not unlike the Tyrolose hat, but less elegant. They were made of beaver or of the skin- of the muskrat, the otter and the raccoon, these furs being used for body and ail in the finer hats, or the fur was felted upon wool ; coarser hats were made entirely of wool. The various furs were also used in the making of caps, or these were made of cloth ; there were various shapes of caps.

As long as stockings continued to be an outside portion of the dress of gentlemen they were objects of care, and sometimes of pride. Upon occasions of ceremony, where elegance of costume was looked for, the stockings were of silk-white among young men who coveted distinction on account of the observance of the proprieties, and black among elderly gentlemen who commanded respect on ac- count of age or social position. For those in moder- ate circumstances, and those who could make no claim beyond that of being useful members of the community, the stockings were of yarn, gray, blue or brown, according to the fancy of the good wife who knitted them. Striped yarn stockings, à la mode de Paris, were also worn with the short pantaloons not reaching to the ankles.

Low shoes, with metal buckles, remained in fashion until 1800, when they were succeeded by high boots, which were worn with the short breeches. A curious fact is that, until that time, there was no distinction made by shoemakers between the right and lett feet. The following advertisement shows the fashions in 1800:

" Plover and snipe toes, cock and hen toes, goose and gander toes, duck and drake toes, gosling toes, hog and bear snouts, ox and cow mouths, shovel and stick noses, and others too numerous to men- tion." " Suwarrows, cossacks, hussars, carrios, double-tongues, firebuckets, Bonaparts, greaves, Swiss, hunting. walking, full dress, York."

In those days there was no such thing as our modern " blacking" or "shoe polish." Liquid

blacking was first manufactured in New York 1803. " Blackbail ' was manufactured about t same time. It was composed of lampblack, mutt ; suet, or bayberry tallow, and not unfrequently : the greasy mixture which the tanners call " di. bing." This mixtare rubbed off upon the elot !. ing, and when the modern shoe blacking can . into use, the benefit of it was universally reeves- nized.

In 1771 the wits in the gazettes made fun of these etion:inate individuals who used umbrellas t . protect their heads against the fierce rays of a Juh sun. The umbrella, even as a shelter from rain. was a new article. They were heavy, clum-y things. made of oiled ligen stretched over rattan sticks, in imitation of the " quittasol" (the prede. cesser of the parasol), which came from India, and were made of oiled silk in every variety of color -. The ladies used them to keep off the rain. The men were satisfied with the protection of a heavy eloak or a sort of cape ( a French invention) called a rognclaure. Ministers and doctors, people who had to be out in all sorts of weather to call on the sick, had roquelaures of oiled linen. The useful- ness of the umbrella during a shower was acknow 1- edged, but its appearance in fair, sunshiny weather elicited the jeers of the populace and the mockery of men who should have been wiser. The doctors, however, recommended carrying an umbrella in summer as a safe protection against many diseases caused by exposure to the sun. The doctors and ministeis finally carried the objectionable umbrella through the streets at mid-day, which finally silencel the opposition.

The lady's hat for out-door wear was a very flat, round hat, worn so as to stand up perpendicularly on the right side of the head, or rather of the immense edifice of hair reared high over the head, the back and crown of which was protected by a sort of loose hood. A cloak of some bright color was worn in winter. Scarlet cloaks, when first imported, were great favorites with the leaders of fashion, but public taste condemned them, and the mode did not last. We took our fashions from England, and the ladies of Delaware, as elsewhere in the colonies, were careful to follow the direction- in the " London Pocket-Book," a manual of the period. This work said, " Every lady who wishes to dress her hair with taste and elegance should first purchase an elastic cushion exactly fitted t. the head. Then having combed out her hair thoroughly, and properly thickened it with powder and pomatum, let her turn it over her cushion in the reigning medel. Let her next divide the side - into divisions for eurls, and adjust their number and size from the same models. If the hair be not of a sufficient length and thickness, it will be neces. sary to procure an addition to it, which is always to be had ready-made and matched to every color.

EARLY COSTUMES AND HEAD-DRESSES 1789-1876.

2345.

1807

1325.

EARLY HEAD-DRESSES 1776-1825.

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MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.

During the next ten years there was as many different styles of draping the hair. Curls, crisp or long, feathers, flowers and ribbons, powder and pomatum, each had their turn, or were combined into so many enormities that they aroused the poet's sareasiu,-

" Give Betsy a bushel of horse-hair and woul, Of paste and promatum a ponnd, Ten yards of guy ribbon to deck her sweet skull, And gauge to encompass it round. Her cap flies behind, for a yard at the least, And her cul- meet just under her chin, And those curls are supposed to keep up the jest, By a hundred, instead of one pin."

In 1800 the walking dresses for ladies were in the style called a la grecque, a closely fitting garment of very plain make, with the waist as high up as it could be made; the bosoms, cut square, were gathered in surplice style, and the neck and shoulders were protected by a muslin or gauze handkerchief, crossed in front and forming a point beyond. The bonnet fitted as close to the head as a eap, and the hair was twisted or turned up high on the back of the head, while, in front, it was combed straight over the forehead, almost to the eyebrows. The evening dress, while preserving the style, was more elaborate; instead of the handkerchief a muffle was worn round the neck of the garment, descending in front and leav- ing the neck and shoulders bare. The hair was frizzled in front, and an ostrich plume fell with a graceful curve over the top-knot. Whether for walking or evening, the sleeves were short and gathered up with a band above the elbow, leaving the arms bare.

A very popular head dress for street wear in summer time was made of muslin or some other light material. It surmounted the head like a cap, and was kept in place by a ribbon of some gay color all round the crown. The light muslin, often bordered with lace, descended in graceful folds on either side of the face and on the back, protecting the neck from exposure to the sun. It was a becoming coiffure, and was further improved, after a short time, by being divided in the back and made to hang down both shoulders to the waist, the ends being finished off with a knot or tassel: The sleeves kept getting shorter, and the exposure of bare arms in the streets was disapproved by staid people and ridiculed by the wits.

A pretty fashion, introduced from France about this time, was that of carrying a rich lace hand- kerchief in the hand. It cante from the Empress Josephine; that amiable woman had very bad teeth, and as she was very gay and easily provoked to laughter, when she langhed she raised her handkerchief to her mouth to conceal this defect. Josephine was passionately fond of fine laees, and her handkerchiefs were made of this costly fabric.

The ladies of the court took to flourishing lace handkerchiefs, and they became an indispensable part of a fashionable costume.

Very little has been said of the costumes of children. During a former period, as we have seen, they wore wigs, and, from all accounts. their costume made them the miniature "counterfeit presentments " of their papas and mammas.

A great abuse and evil of the burial customs at an early day, was the feasting, eating, and drink- ing among the persons attending on these occasions. When a person of high rank died the body was kept for several days " lying in state" for the pub- lie and their neighbors to come and look at it, and also to give time for the relatives who lived at a great distance to make the journey and be present at the funeral. These visitors had to be entertained, and in course of time what had been a matter of necessity became a general custom, and there was an entertainment at every funeral, be the deceased ever so obseure. The order of march at funerals was as follows : The parson walked before the bear- ers, and if the deceased was a woman, the ladies walked in procession next to the mourners, and the gentlemen followed after them. But this order was reversed if the deceased was a man ; the gentle- men preceded the ladies. The practice of Friends was to take the body from the residence to the grave, where it was interred amid protound silence. After the burial the company adjourned to the meeting- house, where there was speaking and praying. A custom prevailed in 1773 at the funeral of young girls, that the coffin should be carried to the grave by some of the next intimate companions of the dead girl. The cu-tom of issuing special invitations to persons to attend funerals prevailed, and such importance was attached to this mark of respect to be paid the dead. that funerals were delayed, if the parties invited did not arrive at the time appointed. The cards of invitation to funerals had deep mourn- ing borders and other emblems of death. They were imported from England. In 1548 " burial biscuit " is advertised for sale by a baker in Phila- delphia, a proof that the feasting at funerals even inspired the genius of speculation. To have " burial biscuits" to dip in their wine probably intensified the grief of the dear departed's friends In 1729 the Quakers resolved against " the vanity and su- perstition of creating monuments and entombing the dead with singular notes or marks of distinction, which is but worldly pomp and grandeur. for no encomium nor pompous interment can add worth to the deceased." It ordered the erection of tomb- stones over the graves of Friends to be stopped, and the tombstones already so placed to be removed. This order, however, was not generally obeyed

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE.

CHAPTER XIV.

DELAWARE DURING THE REVOLUTION.

FROM the close of the war between Great Brit- ain and France to the Ante-Revolution epoch in which birth was being given to the forces that achieved American independence, the three coun- ties upon the Delaware approximated the happy condition of the people of whom it may be said that they had no history. The peaceful current of their lives flowed on unbroken by events which their contemporaries thought worthy of record. and not even the journals of the legislature pre- vious to the year 1762 were preserved. They were almost entirely an agricultural community, doing what little trading they required at New Castle and Philadelphia, and their polities were bound up in the strife between the " Court " party and the " Country " party. The leading members of the former were the Governor, the officers of gov- ernment and the seekers after office; the latter was composed of those who desired an independent judiciary and impartial laws. It was to a certain extent a case of the people versus the official aris- toeracy, but the excitement that the contest afford- ed was of a tepid nature. Meantime the popula- tion of the three counties was steadily growing toward 37,500 inhabitants, which it attained in 1776, and a moderate prosperity was equally diffused throughout the embryo state.

throats of other colonists. All their circumstano. tended to the side of conservati-m, and these fi .. must be kept in mind in any tair study of Dela. ware in the Revolution.

The stamp act was passed March 22, 1765. and the first authentic notice received of its pa --. age came from Boston about May 9th. It became a matter of such absorbing interest that it dwarf. ed everything else. The people of Delaware, as in the other colonies, began at once to show their determination to make it a nullity so far as revenue was concerned. On May 30th, it was announced that John Hughes, a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly, and a partisan of Benjamin Franklin. was appointed distributor of stamps. The people burnt John Hughes' effigy, and in Philadelphia the citizens surrounded his house and threatened violence. He wrote to Governor John Penn. under date of September 17, and to John Dickin- son, October 3rd, that he had not received either stamps, commission, bond or anything else inform- ing him of his appointment. When the stamps reached New Castle, how- ever, from England, he AMERICA was afraid to take po-ses- sion of them, as the people had threatened to tar and 05G DI SHE feather him, and destroy the vessel which had brought them to America. On October 5th, a mob surrounded his house in IN Philadelphia, and ob- tained a written pledge from him that he would BRITISH STAMP. not attempt to perform the functions of his new othee.

From this condition of security and peace the Delawareans were rudely aroused in 1765 by the first of the great aggressions of the British govern- ment -- the imposition of the stamp tax. To un- derstand their attitude it is necessary to glance at their domestic relations. With the exception By the time the stamps arrived a course of action had been decided upon by the colonies. Virginia took the lead ; James Otis, in Massachu- setts, hit upon the plan of a general Congress of the Colonies, to meet in New York, the second Tuesday in November. of the Swedish and Dutch element planted by the early settlers, they were purely English or of Eng- lish descent. In Kent and Sussex they prided them- selves upon the absence of foreign blood, and the admixture of it in New Castle was but slight. Here were strong reasons for a tenacious affection The patriotic sentiment of the people of Dela- ware was strong and manifested itself in response to the eall of Massachusetts for a general Congress of the Colonies to consider the encroachments of Great Britain upon popular rights. It was im- possible for the Delaware Assembly to meet in time to answer the summons, but the members in their several counties came together and appointed Thomas MeKean, Casar Rodney and Jacob Kol- lock to represent them in the Congress which met at New York in October 7th of that year. Mr. Kollock did not attend, but Messrs. MeKean and Rodney were present at the sessions. They were instructed to join with the committees sent by the other provinces in one united and loyal petition to toward the mother country, whose hostile action had, moreover, less etfeet in the Delaware counties than in any of the contiguous communities. They were a peculiarly isolated people, the great mass of them living distant from the routes of travel; and having so little to do with the commerce of the day' or with any industry outside of agricul- ture, the several taxation measures of Great Brit- ain touched them only remotely. Living and elothing themselves from off their farms, even the stamp tax reached them only in their infrequent legal transactions, and as their tea was made main- ly from the root of the sassafras, it was of no per- sonal concern to them that the home government endeavored to thrust the foreign article down the his Majesty and remonstrance to the British House

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DELAWARE DURING THE REVOLUTION

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History of Delaware : 1609-1888, Part 43

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia : L. J. Richards Number of Pages: 776

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : L. J. Richards
Number of Pages: 776