SCYTHES & RANELAGH! June 30, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Thursday, June 30, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Scythe Reprise & Fireworks in Ranelagh Gardens

There were no DayBook entries for Wednesday, June 29, 1768. Perhaps Colden had a court date in Kingston or needed to make a purchasing trip to New York City. Or perhaps it was a 'Day of Prayer' or some other community festivity? For example, the prior Friday, June 24, was the anniversary of John the Baptist. Free Masons in New York City met at their Hall in Scotch Street at 10 am and then dined at Ranelagh Gardens at 2 pm. [New-York Journal for June 23, 1768 p. 3] The area around the Colden Store must have had some sort of leisure entertainment such as horse racing, dances, or music. But none of that is revealed in the DayBook or in other local histories of this area. Apparently one needed to visit New York City to partake in theater, concerts, and fireworks. Such an opportunity was available on this day, 250 years ago. The New-York Journal of this date confirmed that the Monday/Thursday concert and fireworks at Ranelagh Gardens would continue on this evening and made a curious comment that the interruption of Monday's concert was an unavoidable accident and assured the public that at future performances "no part of the Concert will be omitted and that everything will be conducted with the utmost Regularity and Decorum."

Ranelagh (Ranelah) Gardens on 1776 British Map of Manhattan. Red notations show Hudson River on the west, current location of City Hall, and approximate location of the Gardens on a modern street grid.  Image courtesy of New York Public Library Digital Collection.

=======================================

I first wrote about scythe purchases in March when about 60% of the DayBook had been transcribed. At that point, thirteen sales of scythes had been transcribed from the DayBook. As you might imagine, scythes were a seasonal item. Most were sold at harvesting times (June through September). Now that the transcription has reached June and July of 1768, thirty-two scythe transactions have been transcribed. All but four of them were in June or July.

In fact, on this day, 250 years-ago, the store sold five scythes.

Scythe blade found at the Jenks mill site, Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, Saugus, Massachusetts. The hook on the right attached to the wooden handle of the scythe. The visible thick backbone of iron gave strength to the blade. The missing thin blade has rusted away. Image courtesy of Saugus Iron Works.

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

The first successful integrated Iron Works in America was founded in 1646 in what is now Saugus, Massachusetts. It has been rebuilt and is now a National Park. It is well worth the visit.  Even though the Works predates the Colden Store by over a century, it is proof that the colonies had long been attempting to make finished iron goods in America.

In about the same year, 1646, Joseph Jenks sought to build his own rolling mill at the tailrace of the Saugus Iron Works furnace. He specifically mentioned his intention to make scythes and other 'edge tools' using novel 'engines'. He petitioned the Massachusetts General Court for patent protection. In fact, this was one of the first recorded patents in America.

On July 7, 1768, George Field purchased a "New England Scythe" at the Colden Store. This was more than 100 years after the patent by Jenks. Could it have been of the Jenks design?

All of the other DayBook entries for 'scythe' do not specify 'New England.' Does this mean that the rest were imported from England? The answers are not revealed by the DayBook.

===============================

Search the DayBook

JAMES CAMPBELL! June 28, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Tuesday, June 28, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

James Campbell

James Campbell (Cammell, Campble, Camble, Cambel) purchased one-half gallon of New York City Rum at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago. The purchase was charged to account # 193. On prior occasions, the owner of account # 193 was described as James Campbell, a shoemaker from Little Britain.

Little Britain was the settlement of the Clinton party who emigrated in 1729. (see blogs on the Clintons, Riggs , McClaughreys). However, no 'Campbell' was a passenger on the ship, George & Anne with the rest of the Clinton party. Perhaps James had emigrated later (as had Riggs) or perhaps he had just settled in Little Britain as this more affluent community had more of a need for a shoemaker.

We know that there were Campbells unrelated to Joel (eponym of this blog) living in this area at the same time. For example, Alexander Campbell came with the Lachlan Campbell group about 1739. (See Neal Gillespie's statement to that effect in his will.)   Because James does not appear on the 1779 tax assessment, it might be presumed he was a loyalist (as was Alexander) and left the area for more hospitable surroundings.

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

The other James Campbell mentioned in the DayBook was a millwright. His purchases were assigned to account # 239.  He appears only twice in the DayBook in late 1768. Perhaps he was a recent addition to the community or was brought in temporarily to help one of the larger landowners with a mill. These hints seem to indicate that this James Campbell was also unrelated to Joel Campbell (eponym of this blog.)

As mentioned above, both of these 'James Campbells' were not enumerated in the 1779 tax assessment for Hanover. Perhaps they were enumerated in New Windsor (Little Britain was in New Windsor Precinct) for which the 1779 tax assessment has not survived.

A few months from this date, on August 2, 1768, the wife of James Campbell was ailing (whether the wife of the millwright or the shoemaker is unknown). Her treatment was chronicled by Dr. Charles Clinton in his DayBook. 

===============================

Search the DayBook

LAWN! June 27, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Monday, June 27, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Lawn

Samuel DeGrote Jr. purchased one-quarter yard of the expensive Lawn fabric (12 shillings per yard)  at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago. He also bought pins, tape, and thread, tea, rum, salt, and a scythe. In addition, he picked up snuff and pipes for James Daily. DeGrote was one of fifteen persons in the store on this day. The store sold 35 items.

Collar made of Whitework Lawn and Bobbin Lace ca. 1830-1869. Image courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum.

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

I described 'Lawn' back in a February 22, 2018 blog, but now that more of the DayBook has been transcribed, it is time for an update.

Lawn is defined in Webster's 1828 dictionary as "A sort of fine linen. Its use in the sleeves of bishops, explains the following line. -A saint in crape is twice a saint in lawn-."  Lawn at the Colden store was twelve times the price of "Osenbrigs" [Osnaburg]. Caulfeild's 1882 Dictionary of Needlework describes Lawn as "a delicate linen .. used for making of shirts, handkerchiefs, ruffles, and ruffs....resembles cambric, but thinner and finer." p321

Colden sold Lawn on at least 50 occasions and typically in very small yardages.  His customers made 9 puchases of 1/8 yard, 28 purchases of 1/4 yard, 3 of 1/2 yard, and only 10 for more than 1/2 yard.  Does this mean that most of the use was in making handkerchiefs?

Entries for 'Lawn' in the Colden DayBook never contained additional descriptors.  However, in the Ramsay Ledgers (a Virginia Store in the prior decade), 'Lawn' was described as 'plain, flowered, striped, and numbered.' The Lawn at the Ramsay store had a wider variation in price (2 to 8 shillings per yard), indicating variations in quality (thread count?). Colden's price for Lawn varied from 9 to 16 shillings per yard.

===============================

Search the DayBook

TEAPOT! June 25, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Saturday, June 25, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Teapot

Samuel Sprague's daughter brought 36 yards of her weaving to the store and sold it to Colden for £1:7:0 on this day, 250 years-ago. She also sold him two and one-half pounds of old pewter and purchased tea, indigo, and a black ceramic teapot. The total transaction resulted in a credit to her father's account of £1:4:0.

Ceramic Teapot - England 1766-1770. Image Courtesy of National Museum of American History. 

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

Colden sold at least 28 teapots over the sixteen months covered by the DayBook. One was described as 'Earling' (Earthen or ceramic) and sold for one and one-half shillings. About half of the sales were around this price, so it is estimated that half of the teapots were ceramic. One of these was described as 'Blk' [Black?] and was the one sold to Samuel Sprague's daughter on this day.

One interesting teapot of this period is shown in the image above. Even though the Stamp Act had been repealed over a year ago, it still animated much of the population. The sometimes violent protests against the act and against Cadwallader Colden's father (acting governor at the time) had certainly left a bad-taste in the mouth of the store's owner.  He would have been unlikely to stock such a teapot to sell in his store.

Three teapots sold by Colden were described as 'puter' [pewter] and sold for about seven shillings, or more than four times the cost of the ceramic teapots. Twelve teapots fell into this category.

American silversmiths, such as Paul Revere, were already making pewter teapots by this time, but it is likely that Colden's teapots were all imported. The teapot below is believed to have been one of 144 imported in 1765 to Boston from the London firm of Robert & Thomas Porteus. Perhaps it is similar to the ones sold at the Colden store.

A Scarce Footed Antique English Export Pewter Teapot by Robert & Thomas Porteus Image Courtesy of hillpewter.com 

===============================

Search the DayBook

CINNAMON! June 24, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Friday, June 24, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Cinnamon

Thomas Beattie (Beatty) purchased one-half ounce of cinnamon at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago. The cinnamon was likely in its raw form -- the dried golden inner bark of the cinnamon tree in 'curled quills.'

Cinnamon 'quills'.

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

Cinnamon was a luxury item at the Colden Store.  He sold it only on five occasions - the total amount being less than three ounces. An ounce of cinnamon fetched three shillings and nine pence...almost a day's wages.

Cinnamon sales in the Colden Store Day Book.

Most of the cinnamon at this time was grown in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and transported in bags or bales weighing about 100 pounds. [Isaac Smith Homans, A Cyclopedia of Commerce and Commercial Navigation, Volume 1, p.307]

===============================

Search the DayBook

NEEDLES! June 23, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Thursday, June 23, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Needles

Jacob Millspaugh purchased fabric, buttons, a stick of Mohair, and sewing needles at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.

Modern Sewing Needle. Image Courtesy of Thamizhpparithi_Maari 

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

Sewing needles have been a tool for thousands of years. By the 18th century, needles were made of steel and looked similar to a modern needle.

Colden sold needles on 22 different occasions in the DayBook. They were always referred to in the plural. Does that mean they were sold in a kit or as a pair?

In only one instance were needles referred to as 'soing nedells' (sewing needles), while six of the 22 entries referred to 'nitting' (knitting) needles (four of which were sold as a 'set' or as a 'pr' (pair).

===============================

Search the DayBook

PERSIAN! June 22, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Wednesday, June 22, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Persian

Alexander Wilson purchased one-eighth yard of Persian Silk (Pershen) at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago. Silk was sometimes used to make neck handkerchiefs and perhaps that is what Wilson planned to do with this very narrow strip of fabric.

Gold Persian Silk Reproduction.  Image Courtesy of wmboothdraper.com

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

The 1882 Dictionary of needlework [p. 389] describes Persian as 'An inferior description of silk stuff, thin, and designed for linings of women's cloaks, hoods, and articles of infants' dress. It is soft, fine, almost transparent, and not durable.' It seems strange to me that the price of a lining would be so high (12-19 Shillings/yard) for a fabric that is not even seen?

Persian was a very popular item at the Colden store (48 transactions), but it was purchased in small quantities -- 90% were one-half yard or less. Perhaps it was used for scarves or bonnet linings where little fabric was needed?

===============================

Search the DayBook

CALICO! June 21, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Tuesday, June 21, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Calico

Hans Yurry Haas purchased one and one-half yards of Calico at the Colden store on this day, 250 years-ago. Calico was a cotton fabric imported from India, which was often adorned with floral patterns. It was used for women's gowns and jackets, but could also be used in handkerchiefs, drapes, or quilts.

Floral Stripe Calico Reproduction.  Image courtesy of wmboothdraper.com

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

Calico was a popular fabric in the Colden Store.  He sold almost 200 yards in 90 transactions over the course of the DayBook. Calico was reasonably priced at five to seven shillings per yard (for example Osnaburg sold at 2 Shillings/yd and Lawn at 11 Shillings/yd).

===============================

Search the DayBook

FERRETING! June 20, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Monday, June 20, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Ferreting

John Gillespy purchased one and one-half yards of fereting (ferreting) from the Colden Store on this day, 205 years-ago. Ferret was a close cousin of 'tape' and 'binding.' One of Webster's three definitions for 'ferret' in 1828 included 'A kind of narrow woolen tape.' Caulfield defined it as 'a kind of tape, narrower than ordinary bindings, and made of silk, cotton, or worsted.' [Caulfeild, 1882 Dictionary of Needlework p. 204]

7/8' Dark Indigo Blue Worsted Tape (synonymous with ferreting?) Image courtesy of wmboothdraper.com

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

Colden sold ferreting on sixteen different occasions at the store, totalling about thirty yards. It must have been more elegant than normal binding and tape as it normally sold for six pence per yard compared with three pence for binding and one or two pence per yard for tape. In one instance, it was described as 'White Fancy Ferreting' which sold at a whopping two and one-half shillings per yard. That was more expensive per yard than Osnaburg fabric.

===============================

Search the DayBook

GOLDSMITH! June 18, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Saturday, June 18, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Abigail Booth Goldsmith

Abigail Booth Goldsmith, 75 years-of-age, purchased tea, indigo, a plate, a fine comb, and a linen handkerchief at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago. She would live another 25 years, just a few months shy of the century mark.

Headstone of Abigail Booth Goldsmith (1693-1793). Image courtesy of Shirley Goldsmith.

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

The surname 'Goldsmith' appeared thirty times in the DayBook. Abigail Goldsmith appeared to be a widow as she had her own account and her grandson is mentioned on her account (as is her son and James Crawford). Her account had transactions on seven occasions.  Today's purchase was the last time she was mentioned in the DayBook.

Thomas Goldsmith was mentioned twenty-one times in the DayBook. His son (name not revealed) appeared at the store several times to take delivery of his father's purchases. John Miller also took delivery for Thomas as did Jacob Lawrance who was described as a tenant on Goldsmith's land. On one occasion a 'Mr. Goldsmith' took delivery of items purchased by Dr. Hill.

In summary, the DayBook gives us some clues to this family even though it is not a genealogical record. Here is a working hypothesis: Abigail was the widowed mother of Thomas (and perhaps a daughter married to James Crawford). Thomas had a son born before 1755 and land in Wallkill Precinct.

In the 1779 tax assessment of Hanover (created in 1772 from Wallkill Precinct where the store was) Thomas Goldsmith had a large 640-acre farm and £200 of personal property. Judging from its position on the assessment, the property was close to the Goodwill Church, just south of the property owned by Joel Campbell's (this blog's eponym) father.  By 1790 the farm had been sold to others as no Goldsmith appears in the 1790 census for Montgomery, Ulster County, New York (as this area was known at the time).

Much of the genealogy on ancestry.com is questionable, but it appears the husband of Abigail died in 1743 leaving her with a large estate including 1000 acres along the Paltz River (Wallkill River) that he called Homefield. This may have been the same property mentioned in the 1779 tax assessment.  His will.  Is it possible that Thomas, her son, was a Loyalist and left the area during the Revolutionary War?

Abigail's headstone stands in the Tuthill Family Cemetery in Hamptonburgh, Orange County, New York, still within 15 miles of the Colden estate where the Store was located.

===============================

Search the DayBook

BINDING! June 17, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Friday, June 17, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Binding

Samuel Clark purchased two and one-half yards of 'Binding' at two pence per yard at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago. Binding was used to secure cloth edges in sewn garments.

Bias Tape (Binding). Image courtesy of madeeveryday.com

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

Colden sold hundreds of yards of binding at his store. Binding sold for only two to three pence per yard and was rarely described as 'worsted.'

Binding was always sold along with other sewing supplies. Webster defined it in his 1828 dictionary as "something that secures the edge of cloth." Caulfeild confirms this in her 1887 Dictionary of Needlework stating that the term binding "denotes the encasing of the edge of any material...in the folded band of tape, braid, ribbon, or of any other stuff cut on the bias..."

The last definition indicates that the term might have been used interchangeably with ribbon and tape which were items frequently sold at Colden's store. Perhaps the term 'binding' was unique to material cut on the bias (diagonal to warp and weft) and folded.

===============================

Search the DayBook

TESTAMENTS! June 16, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Thursday, June 16, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Testaments

Mattys Felter purchased two 'Testaments' at the Colden Store on this day 250-years ago. Just five days prior he had purchased an additional two Testaments.

Colden also sold 'Bibles' at about twice the cost of a 'Testament' indicating that the latter probably contained only what is referred to today as the New Testament chapters.

Harwood's New Testament, 1768.

In 1768, Edward Harwood published his translation of the New Testament which became quite popular. You can view Harwood's New Testament as a free e-book here.  It would be a coincidence if this was the version of the New Testament purchased by Felter, but it confirms that single testaments were sold at this time.

About twenty Bibles or Testaments were sold over the sixteen months covered by the DayBook.

Why Felter needed four copies of a Testament remains a mystery. Was he purchasing them as a church official? Were they gifts for family members? Was he using them to educate his children in reading and writing? Felter's motives remain unanswered, but we know that for some reason the two testaments purchased five days prior were not adequate and two more were purchased on this day.

==============================

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.

===============================

Search the DayBook

TAPE! June 15, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Wednesday, June 15, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Tape

James Daily purchased one piece of tape at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago. 'Tape' as it is used in the DayBook is believed to be as described by Webster in his dictionary of 1828: "A narrow piece of woven work, used for strings and the like; as curtains tied with tape."

Tape Loom.  Image courtesy of readingeagle.com

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

Caulfeild describes tape in her 1887 Dictionary of Needlework as "narrow bands of linen or cotton, employed as strings...employed by tailors to bind buttonholes and selvedges." The low cost of the Colden Store tape (1-2 pence per yard) suggests that the tapes may not have been as decorative as the image above, but a more practical item in sewing as described by Caulfeild.

Tape was sold on more than sixty occasions at the store. Sometimes it was sold by the piece (about 25 times) at over a shilling per piece. At other times (about 25) it was sold by the yard at one or two pence per yard. On rare occasions it was described as worsted, crepe, cap, or stay tape.

===============================

Search the DayBook

SEARS THE FULLER! June 13, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Monday, June 13, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

William Sears - Fuller

The account of William Sears was credited for the "Fulling, Dying, Pressing, & Shearing" of thirty-nine yards of Kersey on this day, 250 years-ago. Kersey was a course woolen cloth. He was paid at the rate of one shilling per yard. The total paid (£1:19:0) was about a week's wages for a laborer.

Schematic of fulling mill. Image courtesy of torwenb.wordpress.com

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

This entry confirms that the community had the capability to make their own finished woolen fabrics, despite the large selection and sales of imported fabrics at the Colden Store. We know the community raised sheep and had them sheared.  They carded the wool and dyed and spun yarn. They weaved 'homespun' on their looms. Lastly, the crude homespun was 'fulled, dyed, pressed, and sheared.'

William Sears operated a fulling mill. This was a water-powered hammer which beat the cloth in a vat of detergent (see schematic above). The beating forced the fibers into a tighter and more random matrix that gave a thicker, softer, and more wear/water/wind resistant material. The wefts and warps of the weaving process became almost invisible in the final felt-like material.

Cloth before and after fulling.  Image courtesy of interweavestore.com.

After fulling, the cloth could be dyed, then 'pressed' between wooden plates to flatten.  The last step was 'shearing' to remove the nap and fuzz, yielding a soft smooth finish.

William Sears appeared four times in the DayBook and was referred to as 'fuller' or 'the fuller.' Sears must have done most of his shopping elsewhere (New Windsor or Newburgh) as his purchases at the store were few... 2 Hats, 20 pounds of Lead, one-half gallon of West Indian Rum, and 16 yards of fabric.

===============================

Search the DayBook

WOOD FAMILY! June 11, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Saturday, June 11, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Theophilus Wood

Theophilus Wood purchased one-half gallon of rum for widow McClean (McKlain?) at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

The surname of 'Wood' appeared 29 times in the DayBook. In five instances, Benjamin Wood picked up items on the account of Josiah Talcott (Talket). Talcott was a carpenter in demand at many of the larger homes in the area. In one of those cases, Benjamin Woods picked up shalloon, binding, and mohair.  The entry read "for the use of Benj^m Woods." Perhaps he was an carpenter's apprentice under Talcott?

'Theophilus' was the most prolific given name, appearing 17 times. The entries also referenced his daughter and son. Other given names of the Wood family (and relatives revealed by entries) were Silas (6; a brother, son), Silas Jr. (1; a daughter), Benjamin (1), Isaac (1), Elizabeth (1).

The August 24, 1767 entry for the account of Silas stated that his brother picked up rum, paper, and sugar for the vendue of the widow Wood. The next day, Elizabeth Wood, picked up another gallon of rum at the store...Did they run out of rum at the vendue? From family genealogies it is plausible that the 'brother' was Theophilus and that Elizabeth was the wife of Theophilus.

In 1771 (a few years from this date) Benjamin Wood purchased land adjacent to the Samuel Campbell farm. At this point the Campbell farm was probably being farmed by Samuel's son, Daniel, (brother of Joel Campbell, eponym of this blog) who was living on it in 1774 when Samuel's will was written. In a 1784 deed, Benjamin Wood transferred the land to, Abraham Wood. From family genealogies, this was his brother.

Three members of the Wood family were admitted to the Goodwill Church in 1778: Theophilus, Elizabeth, and William. Presumably this is Theophilus Jr who is living close to the property described in the prior paragraph.

The 1779 tax assessment for Hanover Precinct listed Benjamin's property as 50 acres, with Theophilus Wood adjacent with another 50 acres. The neighboring Campbell farm was being farmed by the younger brothers of Daniel and Joel (namely Nathan and Levi), each taxed for 25 acres. [A William Wood is also in this assessment with no land and personal property of £30, but is not enumerated in the same neighborhood.]

Researching this family presented me with some challenges.  I doubt much of the data on ancestry.com and this family has a relatively common surname and recycled given names. Please do not take the following as facts, but it appears that Theophilus and Silas were brothers, aged about fifty years at the time, who also had sons with the same names. Theophilus' sons included Benjamin, Abraham, and Abner (who would marry a Campbell). That Campbell was presumably a neighbor...a daughter of Nathan or Levi?

I hope to do a future blog on the Revolutionary pension files of Abraham and Benjamin. Benjamin is described as a carpenter which connects him with the Benjamin Wood of Wallkill Precinct who appears to be a carpenter's apprentice in 1768, but he says he lived in Cornwall during the war. He also does not mention his brother, Abraham, in his pension deposition, which seems odd.

The lives of the Colden Store customers were connected in many ways.  They would intermarry, mourn deaths together, and fight side-by-side during the revolution.

Search the DayBook

PUNDERSON! June 10, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Friday, June 10, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Mr. Punderson

Samuel Sly deposited 40 shillings at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago. In addition, he deposited four shillings "for use of Mr. Punderson to go to England." That second part of Sly's transaction was crossed out.

Colden DayBook Entry for Samuel Sly on June 10, 1768. Image Courtesy of New-York Historical Society.

This cryptic mention of the name 'Punderson' hints of a story relating to the community. The remainder of the blog is mostly speculation regarding that story, but I hope you will find it interesting.

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

My suspicion is that the Mr. Punderson mentioned in this entry was thirty-three-year-old Ebenezer Punderson Jr. of Norwich, Connecticut. Punderson was not a common name and Ebenezer was a member of the Punderson family acquainted with the Coldens.

Colden's father had admitted Punderson's father as Rector of the Parish of Rye, New York only five years earlier. Perhaps they were also acquainted through the common artistic interests of Colden's sister, Jane, and Ebenezer's wife, Prudence Geer.

Punderson's father had died a few years earlier and was a well known itinerant (traveling) Episcopalian minister in Connecticut and New York from 1732 to 1753. Perhaps he had preached at St. Andrew's Church in Wallkill, the home congregation of Cadwallader Colden Jr.?

Reverend Ebenezer Punderson (1705-1764) graduated from Yale in 1726 and served as a Congregational Minister in Groton, Connecticut before he conformed to the Church of England and began his twenty years of itinerant preaching.  In 1753, he settled in the Episcopal Church at New Haven (his home). Shortly before his death in 1764, he moved to the congregation at Rye, New York. [O'Callaghan, Documentary History of New York, Vol. 4, p334.   ]

His son, Ebenezer Jr., was also a graduate of Yale. He is described later in life as a merchant, but Yale was predominantly a training ground for ministers, so I suspect Jr. was also a minister for a while. The DayBook entry seems to support that as Episcopal ministers often needed to be sent to England as part of their training. The four shillings paid by Samuel Sly is a tithe of the forty shilling he deposited. Of course these could just be coincidences.

I could not find any records of Ebenezer Jr.'s activities until April 27, 1775 (about seven years after this date at the store) when he published a plea in the Norwich Packet newspaper. He had been censured by the Committee of Observation at Norwich for violating the boycott of British Tea and speaking ill of the Continental Congress. This plea was his public request for forgiveness, apparently done out of fear for his family's safety rather than a true expression of a political change of heart. He would later seek safety in New York City with the British (as did Colden) eventually spending most of the war in England. After the war he returned to claim parts of his confiscated estate. He died in 1809 in Preston, Connecticut.

Gravestone of Ebenezer Punderson (1735-1809), New Poquetanuck Cemetery, Preston, New London, CT Image courtesy of WMitch6

===============================

Search the DayBook

SCISSORS! June 9, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Thursday, June 9, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Scissors

Haneas Wm. Youngblood purchased a pair of scissors at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.

Small Scissors.  Image courtesy of ramsay.arthistory.wisc.edu

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

In the prior eight months, Colden sold at least six pairs of scissors. [About 20% of the DayBook has not been entered in the database.] The price ranged from 12 pence to 18 pence with the majority sold for 15 pence.

A 1753-1756 ledger from the store of William Ramsay of Virginia also records the sale of scissors. Ten pairs of scissors sold at his store in Alexandria for a price of 5 to 9 pence. That is about half the price of the scissors sold in the Colden Store. The Ramsay ledger precedes the Colden Daybook by about a decade, and its prices are generally less for similar items. More on the Ramsay Ledger can be found at this link: https://ramsay.arthistory.wisc.edu/about/

===============================

Search the DayBook

JUGS & BOTTLES! June 8, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Wednesday, June 8, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Jugs and Bottles

Christian Young purchased one Jug and an One-quart Bottle from the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.

Jug.  London, ca. 1770. Salt-glazed stoneware. H. 13 5/8". Image courtesy of chipstone.org 

18th Century Bottles.  Image courtesy of the-saleroom.com

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

Colden often bought and sold containers at this store. When he purchased Butter by the cag [keg] or firkin, he purchased the containers separately.

He also sold Hogsheads (a large barrel) and Barrels (see the blogs on Hogsheads and Coopers).

Colden sold jugs on 29 different occasions. They varied in size from one-quart to three-gallon, but most of the time the size was not given. The three-gallon jug sold for four-and-one-half shillings (about a day's wages), a two-gallon jug for two-and-three-quarters shilling, a one-gallon for one-and-three-quarters shilling, and a one-quart jug for three-quarters shilling. Ten of the jugs with no size-descriptor were sold for about two shillings, so they were probably one-gallon jugs.  My estimates of the sizes and numbers are shown below. Sometimes the customer would fill the jug with rum or molasses at the time of purchase.

Size---------	Cost (£ S d)	Number Sold
1 Quart	0 0 9	3
1/2 Gallon	0 1 6	4
1 Gallon	0 1 9	12
2 Gallon	0 2 9	9
3 Gallon	0 4 6	1

Colden also sold bottles on 25 occasions. The bottle descriptors included quart (7), pocket (3), and earthen (1). The bottle was sometimes filled on site with rum (7), wine (2), or molasses (1). Most bottles were priced at 8 or 9 pence, supporting the conclusion that they were all the same size or one-quart. The pocket bottles were priced at 4 to 6 pence as would be expected for a smaller item.

===============================

Search the DayBook

GILLESPIE! June 7, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Tuesday, June 7, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Gillespie

Robert Gillespie purchased sewing goods and one-half gallon of York Rum at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.  He also picked up a pair of buckles for his brother, Matthew.

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

The Gillespie surname (Gillespey, Gillespy, Gillaspy, Gillaspey) appeared 91 times in the DayBook. Given names included (with # of occurances and relationships revealed) Neal (15 - son Neal, daughter, boy), Neal Jr. (16 - wife), Daniel (17 - wife, brother, sister-in-law, boys), Samuel (3), James (6 - wife),  Matthew (2 - brother Robert), William (4 - mother), Mary (1 - son William), John (10 - cousin Robert G., wife), Robert (4), George (12 - son, daughter).

Here is the genealogy that is fairly certain (thanks largely to Neal Gillespie's will of 1769 just a year from this date).   The elder Neal Gillespie emigrated in 1739 from Scotland with the Lachlan Campbell party. Neal Jr. had a wife in 1768 according to the DayBook, but other sources have him marrying Mary Van Winkle in 1770. Could they have the date wrong? Daniel (17 store visits) was also a son of Neal Sr. The other child mentioned in the will is Catty Goodjion, the wife of William Goodjion mentioned in a prior blog. These Gillespies had property in Argyle, Washington, NY where they eventually removed.

The ancestry of Samuel Gillespie (1742-1815) is provided by Gillespie family records. Their family cemetery is in Pine Bush, Orange, NY which is within the area known as Wallkill Precinct, Ulster County at the time of the Colden Store. Samuel supposedly had brothers James, William, and Matthew, which match names in the DayBook. They appear to be a line of Gillespies unrelated to Neal and Neal Jr.[http://www.yesteryours.net/gillespie/docs/CaseStudiesOct2012-Gillespie-3.pdf]

In the 1779 tax assessment for Hanover Precinct, James Sr., James Jr. and Samuel Gillespy are all located together, suggesting a relationship. Listed separately is Captain John Gillespy, mill owner. The assessment for Shawangunk Precinct contains a William Gillespy which includes the area of future Pine Bush.

John Gillespie is likely the officer of Revolutionary War reknown. The Daybook states that he is the cousin of Robert and Matthew. Does that refer to the Matthew that is the brother of Samuel above? It appears not as that line of Gillespies does not refer to a brother named Robert.

Lastly, George Gillespie's relationship to all of the others is not easily revealed by the DayBook.

Of most interest to me was the revelation in Neal Gillespie's will that he was the one who convinced Alexander Campbell to relocate to America with the Lachlan Campbell group in 1739. This confirms that this Campbell of Wallkill Precinct was NOT related to Joel Campbell (eponym of this blog) who also lived in Wallkill at the same time and whose great-grandfather emigrated from Scotland in 1685 to New Jersey.

===============================

Search the DayBook

VEAL! June 6, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Monday, June 6, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Veavell?

The handwriting and spelling in the Colden DayBook can be a challenge. The styles and spellings are relative consistent for a given scribe, but there were at least three scribes.

Today, 250 years-ago, the store purchased '3/4 Veavell from Mickell Johnston for £0:6:8.' See first item below.

Colden DayBook entry of June 6, 1768 for Mickell Johnston.

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

I am not a handwriting analyst, but I believe it was Colden himself who made this entry. His script is quite legible, but the item name (Veavell) is not a word recognizable to me (or to Webster or google).

One hint is the rate of '@2 1/2d.' The 'd' is the superscript above 2 1/2 that looks like an 'l' and stands for 'pence.' If that rate is applied to the total price, the number of units is calculated to be 32.  That is 32 x 2 1/2 = £0:6:8.  But the number of units is given as '3/4'?

The rate and the number of units is similar to what Colden paid for 'Veal' on other occasions.  On one occasion he bought 57# of veal @2 1/2d. On another he bought 31# of veal.

My interpretation of this entry is that Colden bought 32# of veal which was 3/4 of the calf. Other ideas are welcome.

===============================

Search the DayBook

GOODJION! June 4, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Saturday, June 4, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

William Goodjion

Colden credited William Goodjion's (Goodjohn, Goodgion, Goodjoin) account with £47:18:6 on this day, 250 years-ago. This was a large amount of money. It was three times the amount Colden paid the Master of the Colden Academy, Edward Riggs, just a few weeks ago. The entry specified only that the payment was "for work." Presumably Goodjion was a craftsman who had worked on Colden's newly constructed home as Colden deducted the cost of two planes and a broad axe from the credit. The amount was about six months' wages for a craftsman.

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

William Goodjion's name appeared 38 times in the DayBook. The name of his brother, Robert, appeared six times. The DayBook also reveals that William's sister, mother-in-law, son Robert, and his wife were all living in the same area. One entry was for 'William Jr.' -- probably another son of William.

In addition to settling his account with Colden on this day, William's wife took possession of twenty pounds of wool. This sale of wool was unique. The only other cases of wool sold in units of '#'s were one and three pounds of 'Cotton Wool.' This day's sale was twenty pounds. One explanation is that this was wool from Colden's sheep and Goodjion's wife was to card it and spin it.

On August 17, 1771, the Goodwill church recorded the death of Catherine Goodjion, wife of William.  [Foley, Early Settlers of New York, Vol. III No. 3 p.38] This loss to William's young family was certainly a set-back.

William appeared in the 1779 Tax assessment of Shawangunk Precinct with only two acres of land valued at £100 and personal property valued at £50. This scarcity of assets made him one of the poorest residents of the Precinct.

When William prepared his will in 1811, he had no land to bequeath. (This could be the will of his son, William). His son's, William and Robert, were to split his carpentry tools, confirming his trade as carpenter. The will detailed the possessions he had: a horse, two cows, one cupboard, one chest,... He left no money, and who knows what debts he had.

Today, June 4th, 1768, he may have had the biggest payday of his entire life.

P.S. Today was the 31st birthday of King George. In New York City the soldiers paraded in Fort George and fired celebratory volleys. The festivities carried on into the night with illuminations and toasts. Perhaps part of the six and one-half gallons of rum sold by Colden this day was toasted to the King?

===============================

Search the DayBook

COMFORT! June 3, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Friday, June 3, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

William & John Comfort

Yesterday, 250 years-ago, the brothers, William and John Comfort, made purchases at the Colden store.  They purchased fabric and needles, rum and molasses, salt and pepper, a comb and snuff, an empty keg and indigo, a pound of lead and a spelling book.

William Comfort was also involved in a land purchase from Colden. In his will of 1796 he describes a 150 acre parcel purchased from Cadwallader Colden.

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

Technically there was no store activity recorded in the DayBook on this day, 250 years-ago. As I mentioned in the prior blog, entry dates were often not written down or entered in error. Yesterday's entries were more numerous (47) than usual which may mean some of today's (June 3rd) entries could have been mislabeled as June 2nd? In other words, the Comfort brothers may have actually shopped today (Friday, June 3, 1768) which gives me an excuse to slip in their story on this date.

John and William were 43 and 40 years of age respectively and were married to the Moul (Maul or Mould) sisters, Annetje and Elisabeth. The Comfort brothers appeared to be loyal to the Presbyterian congregations at the Brick Church and Goodwill Church while their wives attended the Dutch Reformed Church. By this date, John had five daughters, all baptized in the Dutch Reformed Church, while his sons were baptized at the Goodwill Church. Just a few weeks ago, on April 30, 1768, John's fifth daughter, Deborah, had been baptized. Likewise, William's two daughters to-date had been baptized in the Dutch Reformed Church.

John and William were in their 50s during the Revolutionary War.  They were in the local militia, but it was their sons who likely found themselves on expeditions to New York City, Fort Montgomery, West Point, and the 'frontier' (Peenpack).

When they wrote their wills in the 1790s, they were approaching 70 years-of-age. In the wills they named sixteen children between the two of them. They were still living in the same general location, now known as Montgomery, Orange County, New York, USA. John's will.  William's will.

The Comfort surname appears 33 times in the DayBook: John (15 instances; more than one person was named John... 1) John the brother, 2) John, the son of John 3) John, the "son of Robert"); William (10 instances); Benjamin (5; another brother?) Only John and William are mentioned in the Hanover Precinct (former Wallkill) Tax Assessment of 1779.

The story of John Jr., who came of age during the Revolution, is not totally clear, but what we do know is fascinating. He was deployed at age 18 with the Ulster militia, but at some point defected to the British. When the war ended, returning to Ulster, New York was not an option, and he chose Nova Scotia as his adopted home. He returned to New York in about 1790 only to leave again for Canada in 1812.

But on this date, 250 years-ago, John Jr. was a 10 year-old lad who accompanied his father to the Colden store.

The major source of the genealogy is here: https://johnblythedobson.org/genealogy/ff/Comfort-Robert.cfm#n_1-138

===============================

Search the DayBook

KIDD! June 2, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Thursday, June 2, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Alexander and Mehitable Kidd

The 'wife of Alexander Kidd' (Mehitable Haines) appeared in the Colden Store on this day, 250 years ago. She purchased a pair of wool cards on her husband's account. Then she charged to her own account two fabrics (Chints and Lawn), and a bit more than a yard of fancy lace.

==============================

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 an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

===============================

Yesterday, June 1, 1768, 250 years-ago, there were 28 items sold at the Colden Store to eight different customers. It was a relatively normal day at the store in terms of customers and items. In fact, I found nothing extraordinary to write about for that day...so that brings us to today, 250 years-ago, and the purchases of Mehitable Kidd.

The Kidd surname appeared over 33 times in the DayBook, the majority (25) were identified as 'Alexander.' In one case, Alexander was specified as 'Junr.' Alexander was represented at the store by 'his son Robt,' 'his son Alexander,' his son,' and 'his wife.'  James Kidd appeared five times at the store, Andrew Kidd appeared twice, and Robert Kidd shared a single entry with Alexander.

In most cases, it is not clear whether a specific entry for 'Alexander Kidd' was the father (58 years old) or the son (22 years old). Because the son did not have a family yet, any mention of a son (13 entries) would indicate that the entry was for Alexander Sr.

Just six weeks prior, on April 14, 1768, Alexander Jr. married Mehitable Haines. So it is possible the person in the store on this date was Mehitable, but it could also have been the wife of Alexander Sr.

The brothers, Alexander Sr., Robert, and Andrew Kidd, were Scotch-Irish and emigrated to this area of New York in about 1736. [Pioneer Families of Orange County, New York, Martha & Bill Reamy] Alexander was listed as a member of the Wallkill Precinct militia in 1738. He had children including Robert, Alexander Jr., James, Anna, and Hannah.

The Kidd family homes were near the falls of the Wallkill River at what is now the Village of Walden, New York and for a while was known as Kiddtown. James Kidd built a grist mill on the river that was eventually sold to Colden's son in 1789.

1798 Map of Montgomery, New York showing location of A. Kidd and I. Kidd homes at the falls on the Wallkill. Note that the road southward to the Goodwill Church would take the Kidds through the farm owned by Samuel Campbell from about 1765-1793.

It is possible that Alexander Jr. (1746-1822) was represented at the store on this day by his new bride, Mehitable Haines (1749-1815). They were active in the Goodwill Church where Alexander served as an Elder. And that is where they are buried, their lichen-covered stone markers barely legible.

Headstone of Mehitable Haines Kidd, wife of Alexander Kidd, in Goodwill Church Cemetery. Image courtesy of Katacomb.

Headstone of Alexander Kidd in Goodwill Church Cemetery. Image courtesy of Katacomb.

Goodwill Church Cemetery Plot Map showing location of Kidd markers. Image courtesy of Katacomb.

===================================

The dating of the entries in the DayBook is often hard to determine. In many cases the scribes made errors. In other cases it appears that someone retrospectively inserted a date on the page header. Often the header date is the date of the majority of entries on the page and has been written over. Because the header may have been written days or months after the fact, it is less accurate than dates on individual entries.

There are no entries for Friday, June 3rd, (tomorrow) which seems odd. The entries for Thursday were more numerous (47) than usual which may mean some June 3rd entries were mislabeled as June 2nd? At any rate, the store appeared to be closed on Friday, opening again on Saturday, then closed on Sunday.

===============================

Search the DayBook