Part 3

When Jasper Dankers arrived in Boston in 1680, the captain of the packet took him to his sister’s house where he lodged. “We were taken to a fine large chamber,” he writes, “but we were hardly in bed before we were shockingly bitten. I did not know the cause, but was not able to sleep.... My comrade who was very sleepy, fell asleep at first. He tumbled about very much; but I did not sleep any the whole night. In the morning we saw how it was, and were astonished we should find such a room with such a lady.”[17]

With the present wide-spread belief in Puritan austerity of character, there is associated a conception of a simplicity of dress and manners. But the channels of information by which present day beliefs have been shaped usually have been ecclesiastical, and bias and convenient forgetfulness have been factors in outlining the composition of the picture. Human nature and human frailities were much the same in the seventeenth century as at the present time. In point of fact, our New England ancestors when viewed as a body, are found to have had standards of living far below those of today. The common speech was gross in the extreme. Crowded living led to familiarity. There was more drunkenness, profanity, loose living and petty crime in proportion to the population than at the present time, and by no means did every one go to meeting on Sunday. The ministers controlled the lawmaking body and sumptuary laws were enacted which are enlightening. Because of “newe and immodest fashions” the wearing of silver, gold and silk laces, girdles and hat bands was prohibited. It was the fashion at that time to slash the sleeves so that a fabric of another color worn beneath would show in an ornamental manner through the slash. The ministers decreed that neither man nor woman should wear clothing with more than one slash on each sleeve and another on the back. “Cuttworks, inbroidered or needle worke capps, bands & rayles,” were forbidden.[18] Ruffs and beaver hats were prohibited, as was long hair. Binding or small edging laces might be used, but the making or selling of bone lace was penalized at the rate of five shillings per yard.

But this didn’t change human nature and although from time to time offenders were taken into court and punished, the wearing of fine clothing fashioned after the London mode continued and a few years later the ministers tried their hand again. Any kind of lace was anathema and “no garment shalbee made with short sleeves, whereby the nakedness of the arme may bee discovered.” On the other hand, large sleeves were forbidden, so the maids and goodwives of the time must have been somewhat at a loss to know how lawfully to fashion their clothes.

The minister at Ipswich grew so ill-tempered over the ungodly state of the women in his town that he vented his spleen as follows:--“When I hear a nugiperous Gentledame inquire what dress the Queen is in this week, what the nudius tertian of the Court, I look at her as the very gizzard of a trifle, the product of a quarter of a cypher, the epitome of nothing, fitter to be kickt, if she were of a kickable substance than either honoured or humoured.”[19]

The minister in the adjoining town, Rowley, actually cut off his nephew from his inheritance because he wore his hair long in the prevailing fashion. Later in the century the offense of wearing long hair was forgotten in the unspeakable sin of wearing wigs. The Great and General Court again took a hand and in 1675 condemned “the practise of men’s wearing their own or other’s hair made into periwigs.” Judge Sewall in his _Diary_ alludes to the custom. In 1685 three persons were admitted to the Old South Church in Boston. “Two wore periwigs,” comments the Judge.

“1708, Aug. 20, Mr. Chievar died. The Wellfare of the Province was much upon his Spirit. He abominated Periwigs.”[20]

The Great and General Court at one time ordered that no person should smoke tobacco in public under a penalty of two shillings and six pence, nor in his own house with a relative or friend. But everybody smoked who wanted to, even the maids, and the repressive legislation in time met the usual fate of similar efforts to restrain individual liberty and manners.

It is sweet to fancy Priscilla at her spinning wheel wearing the coif and nun-like garb of the Puritan maiden of the poet and the artist. But the inventories of estates in the early years of the Colony, as well as at a later time, furnish evidence of a different character. The variety of fabrics listed is amazing and holds its own with the modern department store. There are most of the well-known fabrics of today, such as calico, cambric, challis, flannel, lawn, linen, plush, serge, silk, velvet, and many others; and there are also names that sound strangely in modern ears, viz: cheney, darnex, dowlas, genting, inckle, lockrum, ossembrike, pennistone, perpetuana, sempiternum, stammell, and water paragon.

[Illustration: JOHN WARD HOUSE, SALEM

Corner of the kitchen showing dresser with its “dress of pewter,” wash bench, meal chest, wooden ware, etc.]

As for dress,--the women wore bonnets, caps, silk hoods, coifs, forehead cloths, ruffs, and whisks. Gowns, cloaks, mantles, and muffs are mentioned frequently; as are many kinds of lace and even fans and veils. Shawls and scarfs were not unknown and there were gold, silver, and enamelled rings. At least one woman possessed a mask, and stomachers were not uncommon. Tortoise shell combs appear; all well-to-do persons wore gloves, and as for shoes--there were shoes with French heels, fall shoes, and those with silver buckles. Even shoe-strings appear in the inventories. There were silver, pewter, and steel buttons and those of gympe, thread, and silk.

Laboring men wore leather and coarse fabrics and for others there were suits, doublets, waistcoats and breeches. Trousers are mentioned; also a cane and periwigs. Of caps and hats there were a number of kinds--felt, castor, demi-castor, and even straw. Capt. George Corwin, a Salem merchant, owned a cloth coat trimmed with silver lace, a velvet coat, a tabby doublet, an old fashioned Dutch satin doublet, four cloaks of various kinds, two pairs of golden topped gloves, one embroidered pair, and a pair with black fringe. He also took his walks abroad wearing silk stockings, with a hat encircled by a silver band and carrying a silver headed cane or a plate hilt rapier, according to fashion. He possessed two silver watches. Who shall say that the men and women of the New England colonies did not dress well and live well in the early days according to their means?

What was their conduct not only in their homes but in their relations with their neighbors? Did they live peaceably and work together in building up the settlements? Did they set up in the wilderness domestic relations exactly like those they had abandoned over-seas? It was a raw frontier country to which they came and it is apparent that at the outset they felt themselves to be transplanted Englishmen. So far as possible they lived the lives to which they had been accustomed and they engrafted in their new homes the manners and customs of the generations behind them. Most of them fully recognized, however, that they were not to return; that they had cut loose from the old home ties and it was not long before the necessities and limitations of frontier life brought about changed conditions in every direction. Politically, religiously and socially, they were in a different relation than formerly in the English parish life. Many of them, especially those somewhat removed from the immediate supervision of magistrate and minister, before long seem to have shown a tendency to follow the natural bent of the frontiersman toward independent thought and action. Their political leaders made laws restricting daily life and action and their religious leaders laid down rules for belief and conduct, that soon were repellent to many. Civil and clerical records are filled with instances showing an evasion of and even contempt for the laws and rules laid down by the leaders of their own choosing. Some of it doubtless was in the blood of the men who had come in search of a certain individual freedom of action, but much of it may be attributed to frontier conditions and primitive living. There were many indentured servants, and rough fishermen and sailors have always been unruly. Simple houses of but few rooms accommodating large families are not conducive to gentle speech or modesty of manner nor to a strict morality. The craving for land holding and the poorly defined and easily removed bounds naturally led to ill feeling, assault, defamation, and slander.

It has been stated frequently that in the olden times in New England every one was obliged to go to church. The size of the meeting houses, the isolated locations of many of the houses, the necessary care of the numerous young children, and the interesting side-lights on the manners of the time which may be found in the court papers, all go to show that the statement must not be taken literally. Absence from meeting, breaking the Sabbath, carrying a burden on the Lord’s Day, condemning the church, condemning the ministry, scandalous falling out on the Lord’s Day, slandering the church, and other misdemeanors of a similar character were frequent.

A curious instance of Sabbath breaking occurred at Hampton, N. H. in 1646. Aquila Chase and his wife and David Wheeler were presented at court for gathering pease on the Sabbath. They were admonished. The family tradition has it that Aquila returned from sea that morning and his wife wishing to supply a delicacy for dinner, fell into grave error in thus pandering to his unsanctified appetite.

At the Feb. 29, 1648 session of the court held in Salem, eight cases were tried. A Gloucester man was fined for cursing, saying “There are the brethern; the devil scald them.” Four servants were fined for breaking the Sabbath by hunting and killing a raccoon in the time of the public exercise to the disturbance of the congregation. If the animal had taken to the deep woods instead of staying near the meeting house the servants might have had their fun without paying for it. Then came a Marblehead case--a man who had sailed his boat into the harbor loaded with hay that he had brought from Gloucester. This was on the Lord’s Day at the time when people were going to the morning exercises. He, too, was fined. Nicholas Pinion, who worked at the Saugus Iron Works, was presented for absence from meeting four Lord’s Days together, “spending his time drinking and prophanely,” and Nicholas Russell of the same locality was fined for spending a great part of one Lord’s Day with Pinion in drinking strong water and cursing Pinion’s wife thereby causing jealousy in the family; and the woman in question having broken her bond for good behavior, was ordered to be severely whipped. The other cases were for swearing, in which the above named lady was included; for being disguised in drink; and for living from his wife. And so the court ended.

Drunkenness was very common in the old days. Every family kept on hand a supply of liquor and wine, and cider was considered a necessity of daily living in the country, where it was served with each meal and also carried into the fields by the workers. It was stored in barrels in the cellar and the task of drawing the cider and putting it on the table usually fell to the younger members of the family. A man would often provide in his will for the comfort of his loving wife by setting aside for occupancy during her life, one half of his house, with a carefully specified number of bushels of rye, potatoes, turnips and other vegetables; the use of a horse with which to ride to meeting or elsewhere; and lastly, the direction that annually she be provided with a certain number of barrels of cider,--sometimes as many as eight.

Rev. Edward Holyoke, the President of Harvard College, was in the habit of laying in each year thirty or more barrels of cider as he had to provide for much entertaining. Late in the winter he would draw off part of his stock and into each barrel he would pour a bottle of spirit and a month later some of this blend would be bottled for use on special occasions.

[Illustration: WELLCURB AT THE JOHN WARD HOUSE

Showing wellsweep, wooden bucket and girl dressed in the costume of the late 17th century]

As an example of life and manners in seventeenth century New England, the ministerial experiences of Topsfield may be cited. It is an inland town near Ipswich and was settled in 1639. The first minister was the Rev. William Perkins who had been a selectman and representative at Weymouth and a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in Boston. Later he preached at Gloucester where one of his flock was presented at court for unbecoming speeches against Mr. Perkins, saying “if it were not for the law, shee would never come to the meeting, the teacher was so dead ... affirming that the teacher was fitter to be a ladys chamberman than to be in the pulpit.”[21] He removed to Topsfield in 1656 and before long was collecting his salary through the courts. Some of his flock retaliated and brought him into court for drunkenness, when it appeared that he had stopped at the Malden ordinary and called for a cup of sack but goody Hill told him that he had had too much already and Master Perkins replied “if you think I am drunk let me see if I can not goe” and he went tottering about the kitchen and said the house was so full of potts and kettles that he could hardly go.

In 1663 a meeting house was built in Topsfield, and the Rev. Thomas Gilbert, a Scotchman, supplanted Mr. Perkins. The new minister also had a love for good wine and after a time Mr. Perkins entered a complaint and it appears from the records that one sacrament day Mr. Gilbert entertained at dinner a number of the older men and women whose homes were distant from the meeting house. He possessed a golden cup and what was left of the sacramental wine was drunk at dinner, the cup being passed around the table at least twice, the minister drinking deeply with the not unusual result, for he forgot to give thanks and sang a psalm with lisping utterance. Mr. Gilbert was followed in his pastorate by the Rev. Jeremiah Hobart, a Harvard graduate, who, during his eight years stay in Topsfield, became a familiar figure in the courts because of suits for non-payment of salary, for cursing and swearing, and for a damaging complaint for slander exhibiting much discreditable testimony. Then came the Rev. Joseph Capen and during his pastorate of over forty years the town and church enjoyed a peaceful growth interrupted only by the witchcraft delusion of 1692 in which an attempt to appropriate land of Topsfield men played an important part.

But manners and crimes vary with the centuries as do dress and speech. In the year 1655, the following crimes were penalized in the courts of the Massachusetts Bay Colony: eavesdropping, meddling, neglecting work, naughty speech, profane dancing, kissing, making love without consent of friends, uncharitableness to a poor man in distress, carelessness about fire, wearing great boots, etc., and a few years later we find other strange misdemeanors, such as abusing a mother-in-law, wicked speeches against a son-in-law, kicking another in the street, leaving children alone in the house, pulling hair, riding behind two fellows at night (this was a girl, Lydia by name), sleeping in meeting and dissenting from the rest of the jury.

With such minute supervision of the daily life of the colonists it can readily be appreciated that it was an age for gossiping, meddlesome interference with individual life and liberty and that in the course of time nearly every one came before the courts as complainant, defendant or witness. There were few amusements or intellectual diversions and they could only dwell on the gossip and small doings of their immediate surroundings. But all the while there was underlying respect for law, religion and the rights of others. The fundamental principles of human life were much the same as at the present day, and men and women lived together then as now and as they always will--with respect and love.

[Illustration]

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AN ACCOUNT OF SUPPLIES FURNISHED BY THE COMPANY OF THE MASSACHUSETTS BAY TO REV. SAMUEL SKELTON, THE MINISTER AT SALEM.

The following account of food, fabrics, household supplies and equipment furnished by the Company of the Massachusetts Bay to Rev. Samuel Skelton, the first minister at Salem, is of much economic interest. The emigrants sailed from London about the middle of April, 1629 and reached the harbor of Naumkeak (now Salem) on June 30th. Mr. Skelton died Aug. 2, 1634 and this accounting may have been made up after his death. It begins in 1629 at the time of the departure from England and covers an indeterminate period. The increase of livestock over a period of _five years_ is described and this seems to indicate the period of residence at Salem until his death.

It is enlightening to find that the Massachusetts Bay Company seems to have maintained a company shop at which supplies of all kinds might be obtained; and it is a matter for comment that the minister’s family was supplied during the voyage and in the early days following the settlement, with such luxuries as powdered sugar, salad oil, castile soap and almonds, not to mention, also, a variety of spices, such as pepper, cloves, mace, and nutmegs.

The original of this document may be seen in the Suffolk County Court Files, Volume I.

Other interesting lists of all kinds of materials sent over by the Company, may be found in the Company records printed by the Commonwealth in 1853 (Vol. I, pp. 23-37) and also by the American Antiquarian Society (Transactions, Vol. III, pp. 5-30e).

Coppie of An Accompte of monies M^r Skelton is Creditor viz.

li. s. d. An^o 1629 Imprimis p so much w^{ch} should } haue bene paid him in England } 20-00-00 towards fitting him for y^e voy^{adg} } Item for Charges att Tillbury, Cowes, & Plimoth, being wind bound 02-10-00 Item p Twenty ^{li} p Annum for 3 years is y^e some of 60-00-00 Item for on bushell of wheat flowe^r 00-15-00 Ite. for one bushell of oatmeale 00-10-00 Ite. for one holland & 2 ordenary Cheess 00-10-00 Ite. for xx^{li} of powder sugar att 01-03-09 Ite. for one Loafe Cont 7^{li} att 1^s 6^d 00-10-06 Ite. for one sugar Loafe Cont 5^{li} att 1^s 7^d p li. 00-07-11 Ite. 6^{li} of pepper 00-12-00 Ite. Nutmeggs 4 oz 00-01-08 Ite. one oz. of Clovs, & one oz. of mace 00-02-00 Ite. iij^{li} of starch 00-01-03 Ite. xij^{li} of Rice 00-06-00 Ite. vj^{li} of Vntryed suett 00-03-00 Ite. one gall of aquavite 00-03-08 Ite. for one flitch of Bacon 00-14-00 Ite. Castle soape ix^{li} att 8^d p li 00-06-00 Ite. frute viz Rasons Corrants & pruens 00-14-00 Ite. Safron ij oz 00-05-00 Ite. five qu of stronge water 00-08-00 Ite. Almonds ij^{li} at 1^s 2^d 00-02-04 Ite. xv^{li} of tryed suett at 8^d p. li 00-10-00 Ite. one gall of Sallert oyle 00-06-00 Ite. vj^{li} of Candles 00-03-00 Ite. v geese & ix ducks 00-08-00

An^o 1630 Ite. xij^{li} of Butter att 00-08-00 Ite. vj potts of Butter Cont. vij^{li} p pott 01-08-00 Ite. ij Cheeses about x li a pc 00-11-08 Ite. half a firkin of butter of M^r Gibbs 00-17-06 Ite. one Third p^rt of a barrell of w^t biskett 00-10-00 Ite. one pott of honey vij^{li} wa^t att 00-07-10 Ite. one pott of butte^r att 00-03-00 Ite. x^{li} of Corrants att 00-05-00 Ite. [ ] Bacon 00-10-00 Ite. one doz of Candles 00-08-00 Ite. ij Cheeses att vj^d p li 00-11-03 Ite. iij Cheeses att vij p. li 00-17-09 Ite. one porkett 01-05-00 Ite. xij^{li} of tryed suett 00-08-00 Ite. vj gees & xij ducks 00-14-00 Ite. vj po: of powder suger about 20^d 00-10-00 Ite. v po: of powder suger 18^d 00-07-06 Ite. x^{li} of Loaf suger 01-00-00 Ite. Cloves & mace 00-01-00 Ite. ij oz of Nutmeggs j^s & Sinam^o 16^d 00-02-04 Ite. workmens wadges for Cutting & bringing home wood against winter about 03-00-00 --------- Suma to^{lis} 105-18-11

Item ⅌ so much p^d M^r Pearce[22] for provisions of meale, pease, Canvas, Carsey & etcr w^{th} 3^{li} 5^s 9^d after 25^{li} ⅌ Cent. & freight. I say p^d the some of 12-15-01 Ite. for 3 quarts of aquavite 00-03-09 Ite. for x^{li} of Rice att 5d 00-04-02 Ite. 10^{li} of Butt[er] att 00-06-08 Ite. 4 Chees[es] att 01-03-04 Ite. 10 peeces of pork 00-11-08 Ite. more 20^{li} of Butter 00-10-00 Ite. more 4 bushells Virginia Corne 02-00-00 Ite. soape 7^s & vinege^r 4 gall^o 8^s & 1 g^l 2^s 00-17-00 Ite. 2 pecke of w^t salte att 00:03:00 --------- Sumis 18-14-08 And on the other syde the totall some of 105-18-11 --------- Suma to ^{lis} 124-13-07

Now ye Increase

The first yeare next after the receipte of the 2 heiffers, both the Calues miscaried, one about a quarter ould dyed, the other neare upon a yeare ould lost by the woolves.

The second yeare there was a heiffer Calfe and a bull Calfe, w^{ch} heiffer is now in my hands And the Bull Calfe M^r Skelton sould att one ye^r and three quarters ould for eight pounds.

The Therd yeare was which the beginning of winter weare both eaten with the woolves. Now since the three foresaid years, the next yeare after was Twoe bull Calvs, and an heiffer Calfe, the springe before M^r Skeltons death.

And This yeare since was Three bull Calues Twoe wherof are dead the one when it was about Twenty & twoe weeks ould, the other since winter did begin. Now for the keeping of the Catle w^{ch} should haue beene att the Companyes Chardge, hath wholly lyen vpon vs.

M^r Skeltons account w^{th} the Companie M^r Skelton is D pr viz li. s. d ⅌ 14 yards of Dutch serge Rec^d att 02-05-09

It. 17 yards of ffustian att 01-07-00 It. 11 yards of w^t English ieans 00-13-09 It. 12 yards of Red p petuana 01-16-00 It. 12 yards of Greene say 01-13-00 It. 12 yards of yellow say 01-13-00 It 12 elns of lin [torn] men 00-14-00 It. 14 elns Nouess [torn] llain 01-17-04 It. 20 elns o[f loc] krum 01-05-10 It. 20 elns stript [linsey] woolsye 01-09-04 It. [ ] yards [torn] buckrum 00-05-03 It. one peece of Noridg serg 00-15-00 It. 20 elns of Lockerum 01-05-10 It. 15 yards of w^t fflannell 00-15-00 It. 20 elns of Course Canvas 01-04 [torn] It. one pound of whalbone 0 [torn] --------- 20-11-00 Item ⅌ so much p^d ⅌ M^r Renell p^rt of M^r Pearce his bill, the some of 08-00-00 Item ⅌ 9^{li} of Iron att 3^d is 00-02-03 It. ⅌ one syth 00-03-00 It. ⅌ one fishing line 00-03-00 It. ⅌ 30 pound ocum 00-07-06 It. ⅌ 2000 Nails 6^d p C. 00-10-00 It. ⅌ 600 Nails 10^d p C. 00-05-05 It. ⅌ 1 Reame of paper 00-10-00 Item, borrowed of Cp. Endicot of y^e Comp. 7 yrds of bays att 2^s 6^d ⅌ y^d is 00-17-06 halfe a elne of ffustian att 00-00-10 It. 2 yards & half of yellow Carsey 3^s 4^d 00-08-04 --------- Suma To^{lis} St. 031-19-05