Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.
Robert Boyd Jr. - Gunsmith
Tuesday, April 12th, 250 years ago, was a busy day at the Colden store. Hugh Calhoon arrived with his assortment of fabrics and stockings in hopes that Colden would purchase them for the store's inventory. In total there were 65 transactions on this day!
Among the transactions was a sale of steel to Robert Boyd Jr.
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| Robert Boyd Jr. purchase of steel on April 12, 1768. |
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This article is one in a series of a daily accountings of Colden Store transactions. Be sure you read the first installment for an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.
The DayBook gives insights into the lives of the people in Coldengham in 1768, but it also raises many questions. For example, Robert Boyd was known to be a blacksmith of New Windsor. Why did he shop at the Colden Store? There were undoubtedly stores near the docks at New Windsor with lower prices.
Boyd only shopped at the store four times and two of those were for steel. Did Colden have a source of steel better than Boyd could find at New Windsor?
Robert Boyd's main claim to fame (or infamy) was his idea to manufacture guns for the revolutionary cause. Ruttenber in his History of New Windsor states that Boyd erected a forge on the Quassaick Creek at New Windsor in June, 1775 "...for the manufacture of guns, bayonets, etc. He obtained a contract from the revolutionary authorities of the state, by the terms of which he was to receive 'three pounds fifteen shillings, New York money, for each good musket with steel ramrod, and bayonet with scabbard.' In February, 1776, he was able to write that he had 'the best, gunsmiths' shop in the colonies,' but nevertheless its capacity was limited [. He] offered a large premium for gunsmiths to assist him, and empowered [...] agents in Europe to secure workmen... ...The provincial convention in the state were mainly armed with muskets of his manufacture."
There are many who dispute that final sentence. They say that Boyd's guns were of low quality and were never supplied in a measureable quantity to the cause.
Coldens's DayBook entry included a very interesting side note: "NB this was Chalked up on Mantle Piece to be Paid in a few Day but as it was not, now charged here." It appears the store had a chalk board sitting on the store's mantle-piece where some transactions were written before posting in the DayBook. We do not know exactly where the store was located, but now we know it had a fire-place with a mantle holding a chalked-up slate.
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