Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.
Inkhorn
250 years ago today, Thomas Goldsmith (page 197-01) purchased an "Inckorn" for two Shillings at the Colden Store. This was undoubtedly an "inkhorn", a small portable container fashioned from cattle horn to carry ink solution. The purchase of inkhorns, paper, ink powder, bibles, almanacs, and primers begs the question...what was the literacy of this community around the Colden Store?
Search the DayBook
This article is one in a series of a daily accountings of Colden Store transactions. Be sure you read the first installment for more of an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.
I have read that the literacy in the New England colonies at the time of the Revolution was higher than in the mother country. Some articles say that the literacy at that time was higher than the USA today! [See one such article here.]
I am not totally convinced based on the lack of signatures on deeds from this area. Many deed-signers simply left their "mark" which was usually an unimaginative "x".
On the other hand, many items sold at the Colden store indicate his clientele could read and write. In the prior six months he had sold 13 Almanacs, 32 quires of paper (a quire is 24 sheets), four bibles, eight units of ink powder, and two primers. [Ink was made by mixing "ink powder" with water or wine.] And now an Inkhorn!
I am a bit surprised that there is no record of any books or newspapers [other than the bibles and almanacs] being sold at the store.
The DayBook gives some insight into the literacy of the community, but the actual reading and writing abilities of the average resident, will remain a mystery.
===================
Search the DayBook
No comments:
Post a Comment