Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony

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 estate 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.

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. Women possessed masks, 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?34

In the late 1600's, and until comparatively recent times, working men very generally wore frocks, a custom in dress that dates back into the centuries. It was an almost universal custom for farmers and those employed in the mechanic trades to wear a frock. The farmer generally looked upon the frock as an outer garment – something to put on in colder weather or to slip on to protect underclothing or to conceal an untidy appearance. It was a garment to take off on coming into the house or to put on when going to the village or to market.

Carters or truckmen also habitually wore frocks. Drake, in his "Landmarks of Boston," describes the old-time trucks, not to exceed eighteen feet in length, with their loads of hogsheads of molasses and other heavy merchandise balanced on the one axle and the two horses harnessed tandem, the head horse led by the truckman. With the disappearance of these ponderous vehicles also went "that distinctive body of men, the 'Boston Truckmen,' who once formed a leading and attractive feature of our public processions, with their white frocks and black hats, mounted with their magnificent truck-horses. Hardy and athletic, it would be hard to find their equals on either side of the water. The long jiggers now used are scarcely less objectionable than the old trucks." Drake wrote this only seventy-five years ago but the "jiggers" of his time have now almost entirely disappeared.

The frock was a loose garment slipped on over the head and in length usually reached halfway between the knees and the feet. The opening in front reached from the neckband nearly to the waist and was closed by buttons, though sometimes a gathering string was used. The bottom was cut up eight or ten inches, on the sides, to permit greater freedom in walking. There were long frocks and short frocks, the latter being generally worn indoors. The frocks worn in workshops by mechanics were short.

One early source of information exists in the advertisements of runaway servants to be found in the eighteenth-century Boston newspapers. During the quarter-century following 1725, the Boston News-Letter printed thirty-seven advertisements asking for the detention of white male servants, twenty-one of whom ran away during the cold-weather months. Of the latter, six wore frocks or carried frocks in their bundle of clothing. It is fair to assume that some of these men may have taken with them only their best clothing and left working garments behind, hence the small number of frocks specifically mentioned. This possibly may have been the fact in the instance of an Irish servant, aged twenty-six, who ran away in December, 1741, from his master, James Hunt of York, Maine. He wore a broadcloth coat and jacket of a cinnamon color, a pair of orange colored plush breeches and a good beaver hat. The reward for his detention was £3.

John Davis, a servant of Mr. Okenden of Boston, absented himself from service in March, 1728, and among other clothing he took with him a brown fustian frock, and a pair of striped ticking breeches.

Frocks and "trouzers" were part of the personal effects of William Davison, a tailor, in King Street, Boston, that were advertised for sale at public vendue in November, 1729.

Charles Daly, an Irish boy, who ran away from his master in Boston, in December, 1732, wore a fustian frock and another Irish servant who ran away from a brigantine at Boston four years later, wore a new frock and trowsers.

An Irish servant of Captain Luce of Boston, a cooper by trade, took with him when he disappeared in December, 1737, a frock and a pair of "trowsers." Ten years later a negro servant who ran away from the North End of Boston, took with him a new ozen-brig frock.

The settlers came provided with English-made shoes it is likely of a quality similar to those provided by John Hewsen in 1629, the contract reading: "To make eight pair of welt-neat's leather shoes, crossed on the outside with a seam, to be substantial, good over leather of the best, and two soles, the inner sole of good neat's leather, and the outer of tallowed backs."35 In 1651, the stock of Robert Turner of Boston, shoemaker, was inventoried as follows: 23 pairs of children's shoes at 9d. per pair; 29 pairs of No. 11, at 4/4; of No. 12, at 4/8; of No. 13, at 4/10 per pair; 20 dozen wooden heels at 8d. per dozen; 14 pairs boots at 14/ per pair.

In 1672, a committee of the town of Boston, considering that people in low circumstances "will wear no other shoes or boots generally but of the newest fashion and highest price" proposed that a law should be enacted that no shoemaker shall sell to any inhabitant, shoes of 11 or 12 sizes above five shillings a pair and so in proportion as to other sizes.36

During the first half century following the arrival of the settlers, red colored stockings were much worn in New England and russet and green colored stockings were also in fashion. Stockings made of wash leather were worn. In 1675 cloth stockings sold at 14/ to 18/ a dozen pairs. In 1675 John Usher of Boston wrote to his principal in London: "Your stirrups and turn-down stockings are not salable here."

The Massachusetts Bay Company sent over in its stock, in 1629, a hundred black hats made of wool and lined in the brim with leather and at the same time came one hundred Monmouth caps, so-called from the place where they were manufactured, and valued at two shillings each. With them came five hundred red knit caps, milled, at five pence each. Beaver hats were also worn at that time and in 1634 prohibited by order of the General Court. In 1651, a shopkeeper in Boston, sold black hats at 14s. 16s. and 5s.; colored hats brought 10s. and others, 8s.; children's were 3/6; black castors, 14s. and coarse felt hats, 3s. each.

In 1675 a Bostonian wrote to a friend in London, that the local market for sugar-loaf or high-crowned hats was dull.

The Monmouth or military cocked hat, for men, began to come into fashion about 1670, with an average width of brim of six inches. Their inconvenient width led to the practice of having one flap fastened to the side of the crown, either before or behind, and then to having two flaps alike secured. During the reign of Queen Anne, the brim was caught up in three flaps, and so the triangularly cocked hat became the fashion.37

Doublets were made of leather, usually red in color, and fastened with hooks and eyes. They were large on the shoulders, having much cutwork showing the linen shirt beneath. Toward the end of the century their popularity waned and they were succeeded by the waistcoat. The jerkin was made of leather and also various kinds of cloth and sometimes is mentioned in inventories. It was worn by laboring men.

Snow Shoes were used after a great storm; "which our People do much use now, that never did before." —Boston News-Letter, Jan. 29-Feb. 5, 1704/5.

Stolen or carried privately away out of the house of Capt. John Bonner in Cow Lane, near Fort Hill, Boston, sometime before the late Sickness of his late Wife, or about the time of her decease, which was the Month of January last: the following Particulars, viz.: Of his Wife's Wearing apparel three Silk Gowns, one changable colour, a second flowr'd and the third stript; Three other Gowns, one where of a double gown, one side silk stuff the other russel, a second double Gown of silk-stuff and Petticoat of the same, the third a black Crape Gown and Petticoat of the same; Four other Petticoats, one changable colour'd silk, a second black flowr'd silk, a third plain black silk, the fourth a flowr'd Sarge, one Lutstring Hood and Scarff, three laced Headdresses and one plain, three laced Caps, two laced Handkerchiefs, three under Caps laced, three white Aprons, three pair of laced Sleves, two white Muslin Hoods, one Amber Necklace, one Muff…" —Boston News-Letter, Mar. 5-12, 1710/11.

Gloves. Mens Topt fine Kid Gloves, and womans at 3s. 6d. per Pair, fine Glaz'd Lamb and Mittens at 2s. 6d. per Pair, and Rough Lamb for Men and Women at 2s. 6d. per Pair, and further Incouragement to any that buys in Quantity: To be Sold by Mr Daniel Stevens lately come from England, At his House in Pudding-Lane, Boston. —Boston News-Letter, Sept. 3-10, 1711.

Man's Muff. Any Person that took up a Man's Muffe, dropt on the Lord's Day between the Old Meeting House & the South, are desired to bring it to the Post Office in Boston, and they shall be Rewarded. —Boston News-Letter, Jan. 9-16, 1715/16.

Venetian Silks. Imported from London in the Last Ship, and to be Sold by Mr. A. Faneuil, Merchant, at his Warehouse in King-Street, Boston, flowered Venetian Silks of the newest Fashion, in Pieces that contain enough for a suit for a woman. —Boston Gazette, Feb. 8-15, 1719/20.

Wigg. Taken from the Shop of Powers Marriot, Barber, in Boston, either on the 2d or 3d of August Instant, a light Flaxen Natural Wigg; parted from the Forehead to the Crown, the narrow Ribband is of a Red Pink Colour, the Caul is in Rows of Green, Red and White. Whoever will give Information of the said Wigg, so as it be restor'd again, they shall have Twenty Shillings Reward. —Boston News-Letter, July 31-Aug. 7, 1729.

Public Vendue. To be Sold, at Publick Vendue, by William Nichols at the Royal Exchange Tavern, in King Street, Boston, on This Day, beginning (if the Company attend) precisely at 4 o'clock Afternoon, a Variety of Merchandize; which may be seen till the Sale begins, viz:

A curious and compleat double Sett of Burnt China, Broad Cloths, Druggets, Shalloons, Cottons and long Ells, Buckrams, Scots Cloths, Dowlas, Garlixs, Hollands, Chints, Patches, Qualities, FINE NUNS THREADS, Garterings, Mens and Womens fine Hose, Mens superfine Silk Hose, fine Shirt Buttons, Womens superfine Mittens, yellow, blue and Tabby, a sattin Coverlid, curiously embroidered with Gold Lincey for Curtains, &c., some Household Goods, such as Case of Draws, Tables, Paints, Maps, Alabaster Effigies, China, &c. Sundry suits of Mens Apparel, new and second hand; sundry very good Watches, Shoes, Boots, Green Tea, Chocolate, and many other Things. —Boston News-Letter, May 18-25, 1738.

Women's Shoes. To be Sold, at the House of Joseph Henderson in Winter-Street, Boston. Women's flower'd Silk, Russell & Mourning Shoes, Cloggs and Pattoons, Lace & Eagins. —Boston News-Letter, Oct. 15-22, 1741.

Fabrics, etc. To be Sold At Robert Jenkins's on the North-Side of the Town House in King-Street, Boston, – India Damasks, China Taffeties, fine India Patches, Chinces and Callicoes, fine Cambricks, Bag and Sheeting Hollands, Huckabuck and Damask Table Cloths, with other Linnens of all Sorts, fine Plushes of divers Colours, Scarlet and other Broad Cloths, Shalloons, figured Fustians, Ratteens, Whitneys, Duffles, Camblets, Callamancoes, Floretta's, with a Variety of Haberdashery and Millinary Wares; Gold and Silver Lace, Crapes, and Sundrys for Mourning; Caps, Stockings and Gloves of all Sorts, Ozenbrigs, English Sole Leather, Hogsheads of Earthen Ware, Casks of Red Herrings, Cloaths Flaskets, China Baskets and Voiders, white Lead & Sieve Bottoms, and Sundry other Goods. —Boston News-Letter, Oct. 29-Nov. 5, 1741.

Leather Breeches. Philip Freeman, lately from London, makes and sells super-fine black Leather Breeches and Jackets, not to be discerned from the best super-fine Cloth; likewise makes Buff and Cloth Colour after the neetest Manner, also makes all sorts of Gloves by wholesale and retale. The said Freeman lives in Prison Lane, near the Town House in Boston. —Boston Gazette, June 21, 1743.

Embroidered Petticoat. On the 11th of Nov. last, was stolen out of the yard of Mr. Joseph Coit, Joiner in Boston, living in Cross street, a Woman's Fustian Petticoat, with a large work'd Embroder'd Border, being Deer, Sheep, Houses, Forrest, &c., so worked. Whoever has taken the said Petticoat, and will return it to the owner thereof, or to the Printer, shall have 40s. old Tenor Reward and no Question ask'd. —Boston Gazette, Dec. 19, 1749.

Leather Stockings. Made and Sold by Philip Freeman, at the Blew Glove next the Cornfields in Union Street; Leather Stockings of different Colours, viz. Black, Cloth colour'd, and Yellow made after the neatest manner. —Boston Gazette, June 25, 1754.

Fabrics Used in the Early Days

The fabrics included in the following list all appear in probate inventories, court records, or in newspaper advertisements.

Alamode. A thin, light, glossy black silk. Used for hoods (1676); for hat bands and covered with black crape (1702).

Alepine, Alapeen, Allapine. A mixed stuff either of wool and silk or mohair and cotton.

Algiers Cloth. Essex Co. (Mass.), Court Records (1680).

Attabanies, Silk. Boston Gazette, June 29, 1729.

Baize, Bays. A coarse woolen stuff, having a long nap, formerly, when made of finer and lighter texture, used as material for clothing. Used for a waistcoat (1634). Pepys owned a cloak of Colchester bayze (1667). Red bays was used for underpetticoats (1732). First introduced into England about 1561.

Barber's Stuff. 1¾ yards, 5/. Essex Co. (Mass.) Probate (1654).

Barley Corns, Dresden. Boston Gazette, Aug. 22, 1757; Boston News-Letter, July 16, 1761.

Barratine. A woven fabric. A black barratine mantua and petticoat (1689). Barratees (sic) from Frankfort (1745).

Barronet, Silk, query, Barrantine.

Bearskin. A shaggy kind of woolen cloth used for overcoats.

Belgrades, Silk. Boston News-Letter, Mar. 28, 1723.

Bendoarines, Striped. Boston Gazette, Aug. 22, 1757.

Bengal. Piece goods (apparently of different kinds) exported from Bengal in the seventeenth century. Bengal stripes, striped ginghams, originally from Bengal were afterwards manufactured at Paisley, Scotland. "Bengalls and Painted Callicoes used for Hanging of Rooms" (1680). There are two sorts, fine striped and plain (1696). Thin slight stuff, made of silk and hair, for women's apparel (1755).

Berlins, Double. Boston Gazette, Aug. 22, 1757.

Bezoarines, Tobine. Boston Gazette, Aug. 22, 1757.

Birds' Eyes. A fabric marked as with birds' eyes. A yellow birds-eye hood (1665). Olive colored birds' eye silk (1689).

Bombasine, Bombazeen, Bombase. A twilled or corded dress material, composed of silk and worsted; sometimes of cotton and worsted or worsted alone. In black, much used for mourning. A doublet of white bombasyne (1572). Pepys owned a black bombazin suit (1666).

Bream. 4 yards 4/. Essex Co. (Mass.) Probate (1674).

Bredaws, Silk. Boston Gazette, Aug. 22, 1757.

Broglios, Changeable. Boston Gazette, Aug. 22, 1757.

Buckrum. At first a fine linen or cotton fabric; later stiffened with gum or paste. A cross of blue buckrum for the rood (1475). Vestments of blue buckam (1552). Our gallants wear fine laces upon buckram (1665).

Burdett. A cotton fabric. A blue burdit mantua and petticoat (1710).

Cabbis. A coarse cheap serge. A carpet of cadys for the table (1536). A blue saddlecloth bound with green and white caddis (1691). The varigated cloaths of the Highlanders (1755).

Calamanco, Callimancoe. A woolen stuff of Flanders, glossy on the surface, and woven with a satin twill and checkered in the warp, so that the checks are seen on one side only; much used in the eighteenth century. Calamanco breeches (1605), diamond buttoned callamanco hose (1639). His waistcoat of striped calamanco (1693). A gay calamanco waistcoat (1710). A tawny yellow jerkin turned up with red calamanco (1760).

Calico. Originally a general name for all kinds of cotton cloth imported from Callicut, India, and from the East. Painted calicuts they call calmendar (1678). Pepys bought calico for naval flags (1666). Dressed in white cotton or calico (1740).

Cambletteens. Boston News-Letter, Dec. 18, 1760.

Camlet. Originally made of silk and camel's hair, hence the name, but later of silk and wool. Red chamlett (1413). His camlet breeches (1625). Rich gold or silver chamlets (1634). Watering the grograms and chambletts (1644). Pepy owned a camelott riding coat (1662). Camlet was also made with a wavy or watered surface. Water Chamolet of an azure color (1624). A watered camlet gown (1719).

Camleteen. An imitation camlet. Made of fine worsted (1730).

Cantaloon. A woolen stuff manufactured in the eighteenth century in the west of England. Trusses of cantaloons or serges (1711). Cantaloons from Bristol (1748).

Canvas. (1) Strong or coarse unbleached cotton cloth made of hemp or flax, formerly used for clothing. A coverlet lined with canvas (1537). (2) The thin canvas that serves women for a ground unto their cushions or purse work (1611). Working canvas for cushions (1753). St. Peter's Canvas.

Carpet. Originally a thick fabric, commonly of wool, used to cover tables, beds, etc. Lay carpets about the bed (1513). A carpet of green cloth for a little folding table (1527). A table wanting a carpet (1642). A green carpet for the communion table (1702).

Carsey, see Kersey.

Castor. Generally a hat, either of beaver fur or resembling it.

Challis. A fine silk and worsted fabric, very pliable and without gloss, used for dresses, introduced at Norwich, England, about 1632.

Checks. A fabric woven or printed in a pattern forming small squares, i.e., check Kersey. Hungarian checks.

Cheercoones. Boston Gazette, June 23, 1729.

Cheese Cloth.

Chello. A fabric imported from India in the eighteenth century.

Cheney, Cheyney. A worsted or woolen stuff. My red bed of Phillipp and Cheyney (1650). Colchester cheanyes (1668).

Cherry derries. Boston News-Letter, Dec. 18, 1760.

Coifing Stuff. 3 yards, 3⁄4. Essex Co. (Mass.) Probate (1661).

Copper plate. A closely woven cotton fabric on which patterns, landscapes, pictorial representations have been printed from engraved copper plates; much in fashion during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Dakaple, see Dornick.

Darnacle, see Dornick.

Darnex, see Dornick.

Dianetts. Boston Gazette, Aug. 22, 1757.

Diaper. Since the fifteenth century a linen fabric (sometimes with cotton) woven with lines crossing diamond-wise with the spaces variously filled with lines, a dot or a leaf. A boad cloth of dyaper (1502), a vestment of linen dyoper (1553), a suit of diaper for his table (1624).

Dimity. A stout cotton fabric, woven with raised stripes or fancy figures, for bed hangings, etc. A vestment of white demyt (1440), a hundred camels loaden with silks, dimmeties, etc. (1632). A book wrapt up in sea green Dimmity (1636). A half bedstead with dimity and fine shade of worstead works (1710). His waistcoat was white dimity (1743).

Dimothy, see Dimity.

Dornick, Darnix, Darnacle. A silk, worsted, woolen or partly woolen fabric, used for hangings, carpets, vestments, etc. Two old cushions of white and red dornix and a hanging of dornix (1527), dornicks for the master's bed chamber (1626), a darnock carpet (1672).

Dowlas. A coarse linen much used in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, originally made in Brittany. Where the said linen cloth called dowlas and lockrum is made (1536). Dowlas for saffron bags (1640). Dowlas from Hamborough (1696).

Draft. Silk and worsted. 1 piece orange colored worsted draft, £2. 5. 0. Essex Co. (Mass.) Probate (1678). 24 yards flowered silk draft at 2/. per yard. Essex Co. (Mass.) Probate (1678).

Drugget. Formerly a fabric of all wool or mixed with silk or linen, used for wearing apparel. A pair of druggett courtings (1580). A drugget suit lined with green (1675). In drugget dressed, of thirteen pence a yard (1721).

Ducape. A plain-wove stout silk fabric of soft texture sometime woven with a stripe. Its manufacture was introduced into England by French refugees in 1685. Women's hoods made of ducape (1688).

Duffel, Duffle. A coarse woolen cloth having a thick nap or frieze, originally made at Duffel near Antwerp. This fabric is also called "shag," and by the early traders "trucking cloth." Indian goods such as duffels, shirts, etc. (1695). A duffel blanket (1699). A light duffel cloak with silver frogs (1759). Duffel great coats (1791).

Durant, Durance. A woolen stuff sometimes called "everlasting," a variety of tammy. Both tammy and durant were hot pressed and glazed.

Duroy. A coarse woolen fabric formerly manufactured in the west of England, similar to tammy. Wearing a grey duroy coat and waistcoat (1722). Curley duroy.

Erminettas. Boston Gazette, May 26, 1755.

Everlasting. Another name for durant, a material used in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries for the dress of sergeants and catchpoles. In later times a strong twilled woolen stuff, also called "lasting," and much used for women's shoes.

Farandine. A cloth of silk and wool or hair, invented about 1630 by one Ferrand. Pepys mentions her new ferrandine waistcoat (1663). I must wear black farandine the whole year (1668). Peach colored farandine (1685).

Frieze. A coarse woolen cloth, with a nap, usually on one side only. A gown of green frieze (1418). A home-spun frieze cloth (1611). His waistcoat of red frieze (1627). An old calash lined with green frieze (1765).

Fugere. Red satin fuger (1465). Cover of a field bed of fuger satin yellow and red (1596). A petticoat of fuger satin laid with silver and gold lace and spangled (1638).

Fustian. A coarse cloth made of cotton and flax. His clothing was black fustian with bends in the sleeves (1450). White fustian for socks for the Queen (1502). Blankets of fustian (1558). Then shall the yeoman take fustian and cast it upon the bed and the sheet likewise … then lay on the other sheet … then lay on the over fustian above (1494).