KERSEY! August 31, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Wednesday, August 31, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Kersey

Abraham Strickland purchased three-and-one-half yards of Kersey at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago. He also purchased buttons and mohair.

Sample of Kersey in a 1770 Commercial Sample Book.  Image courtesy of katedaviesdesigns

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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.

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Webster defined Kersey in his 1828 dictionary as 'a coarse woolen cloth.' Caulfeild defined it as a 'coarse narrow woollen cloth, woven from long wool, and usually ribbed.'

Kersey was sold on twenty-two occasions in the DayBook. Its normal price was six-and-one-half shillings per yard. As mentioned in a prior post, the local fuller (William Sears) was paid by the Colden store to full, dye, press, and shear some Kersey.

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FARRINGTON! August 30, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Tuesday, August 30, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Captain Farrington

William Thomson received a credit for a firkin of butter for Captain Farrington at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago. Thomson also received credit for the 'Cag' that contained the butter.

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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.

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The Farrington surname is mentioned only four times in the Day Book so it is presumed that this family did not live close to the store. The fact that the family head is referred to as 'Captain' may indicate that his purchases were made in an official capacity. One purchase was fifty-six pounds of butter. Today's transaction was a credit to William Thomson for seventy-six pounds of butter provided to Farrington.

The other two purchases involving Farrington were "sundries' delivered to Steven Farrington by Peter DuBois and two-and-one-half yards of Linen purchased by Margaret Farrington.

Because Farrington was acquainted with DuBois and did not appear in future assessments, suggests he may have sided with the loyalists, causing him to 'disappear' from records of the Revolution. However, the DayBook leaves proof of his existence in Ulster County (and his love for butter.)

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HUMPHREYS! August 29, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Monday, August 29, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

James Humphreys

James Humphreys purchased a hammer, a rule (Webster: 'An instrument by which lines are drawn'), and a pair of compasses (Webster: 'so named from its legs, but 'pair' is superfluous...an instrument for describing circles') at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago. At the same time, Colden lent Humphreys over four pounds cash.

Colonial hammer and compass.  Image courtesy of PlansForWoodworking  

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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.

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James Humphreys [Umphry, Umphre, Humphrys] is mentioned ten times in the Day Book. However, no Humphreys or Umphry appears in the tax assessment rolls of 1779 for Hanover or Shawangunk. If he was from from New Windsor (as is suggested below) this explains the omission.

It is likely that this James Humphreys is related to another James Humphreys (b. 1755, his son or nephew?) who was an officer in McClaughry's Ulster County Regiment of militia. James (b. 1755) was at Fort Montgomery on that fateful day in October 1777 when the British captured the two forts in the Hudson Highlands. James was taken captive and held in New York City and Long Island for ten months.

At the date of this purchase at the Colden Store, this younger James would have been just thirteen years of age. Perhaps he assisted his uncle or father in the carpentry project that required a hammer, rule, and compass.

[Note: There is quite a bit of information on this younger James Humphreys in the pension records at fold3.com.]

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JURY! August 27, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Saturday, August 27, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Jury

Colden paid Stephanis Crist one pound and five shillings for entertaining the Jury of April 8, 1768. He entered it as a credit in Crist's account in the Colden Store Day Book on this day, 250 years-ago.

August 27, 1768 entry in Colden Store Day Book for Stephanis Crist

As mentioned in an earlier blog, Colden had been appointed one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for Ulster County. No other record of his expenses in this office exist in the Day Book as they were likely kept in a separate ledger. This entry is unusual if it indeed refers to an expense incurred to 'entertain' members of the jury of the court.

As you can see from the image, the transcription is unclear and could be referring to a "Mr. Jury," but such a name does not appear elsewhere in contemporary records for this area of Ulster.

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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.

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The surname of 'Crist' is covered in a prior blog.

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PUTTY! August 26, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Friday, August 26, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Putty

Benjamin Constable purchased twenty-six panes of glass and two pounds of putty at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.

Webster defined 'putty' in his 1828 dictionary as 'A kind of paste or cement compounded of whiting and linseed oil, beaten or kneaded to the consistence of dough; used in fastening glass in sashes and in stopping crevices.'

This evidence suggests that Constable was either building or improving a home in the area. However, the 1798 map showing prominent homes in the area does not show one attributed to Constable.

'Glass Panes' are described in a prior blog.

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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.

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The surname of 'Constable' appeared seven times in the Day Book. In all cases the given name was 'Benjamin.'

The name of John Constable is found in the early records of the Town of Montgomery (future name of the area of the Colden Store) and a George Constable in the early 1800s.

Public genealogies suggest that Benjamin was born about 1712 in Hurley, Ulster, New York. He was fifty-six years old when he purchased the putty and panes of glass. He had about two daughters and four sons with his wife, Margriet Maul. His sons would fight in the Revolutionary War.

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GREEN NAP! August 24, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Wednesday, August 24, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Green Nap

Lewis Bodine purchased three-quarter yard Green Nap from the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.

Green Nap? Nap is linen used as tablecloth.

Webster's 1828 Dictionary did not include a definition of 'nap' which matched with the fabric sold at the Colden Store. He did include the noun 'Napery' which he defined as 'Linen for the table; table cloths or linen cloth in general.' Caulfeild's 1887 Dictionary of Needlework further explains that the French term is 'Nappe, a tablecloth.'

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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.

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Colden had over twenty sales of Nap (Napt) Cloth including Green (5), Blue(1), and Scarlet (1). Nap was fairly expensive at six to twenty-four shillings per yard.

The Bodine surname appeared sixty-four times in the DayBook. Two Bodine homes appear in the Galatian map of 1798. They are underlined in green below.

1798 Galatian map of Montgomery showing Bodine homes in Green.

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RASP! August 23, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Tuesday, August 23, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Rasp

Higons Conklin [Higone Conkling] purchased a rasp at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.

Rasp used to shape horse's hoof. Image Courtesy of Belinda Hankins Miller.

Webster's 1828 Dictionary defined a rasp as 'a large rough file; a grater.' A rasp found work in the carpentry trade, but because of the mention of a horse in this entry, this rasp might have been used as a farrier's tool.

The farrier or blacksmith used the rasp to trim the hooves of horses.

The Day Book only records two sales of rasps.

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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.

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Colden added a note to the sale of the rasp to Conklin: "NB he put a horse to Pasture." Could this indicate that Conklin cared for Colden's horses? Perhaps Conklin not only trimmed Colden's horses' hooves with his rasp, but provided pasture for them?

The Conklin (Conkling, Conklin, Conclen, Concklin) surname appeared twenty-eight times in the Day Book. The only given name was Higans (Heggins, Higens, Higons, Hegans). He was represented on occasion by his wife or boy.

The Conklin name was not uncommon in the Newburgh area.  Joel Campbell (eponym of this blog) served in Captain Jacob Conklin's company of Ulster County Militia during the Revolutionary War. It was known as the 'West Newburgh Company' and was recruited from those living in eastern Hanover Precinct.  The relation between Jacob and Higans Conklin is unknown to the author. Read more in my book, Yeoman of the Revolution.

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MOWING! August 19, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Friday, August 19, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Mowing

Colden paid Abraham Hennion, William Branon, and James Quigley for their labor at mowing on this day, 250 years-ago. As was common in the Day Book, he paid them not in cash, but via a credit to their store account.

Scythe Festival at Wimpole.  Image courtesy of Wympole & Wratsworth.

[Note, there is no blog for Thursday, August 18th, 1768, even though there was store activity on that day.]

The wages for this brute labor was three to three-and-one-half shillings per day (compared with seven shillings for a skilled carpenter.) Quigley was paid for five days, Hennion for eight days, and Branon for sixteen-and-one-half days.

Webster clarified what was considered 'mowing' in his 1828 dictionary.  He stated that 'In America, mow is not applied to the cutting of wheat or rye. When these are cut with a scythe, they are said to be cradled. Oats and barley are sometimes mowed.' Mowing was 'The act of cutting with a scythe' according to Webster, but apparently the harvested field was only said to be mowed if it was not wheat or rye.

It appears that 'mowing' usually referred to the cutting of grass to make hay?

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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.

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The Quigley (Quigly) surname only appeared five times in the Day Book. The given names were James (3) and Jane (2). James' son, Hugh, appeared once at the store.

The Branon (Brenan, Brenning, Brannon, Branen, Brennen) surname appeared sixteen times in the Day Book. Given names included Cornelius (1), William (14), and William Jr. (1).

The Hennion (Henyon) surname appeared forty-five times in the DayBook. See prior blog for more on this family.

Author's Note: The Store had sales on Saturday, August 20 and Monday, August 22, but there will be no blog for those days.

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LACE! August 17, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Wednesday, August 17, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Lace

Hanneas Milspaugh purchased one yard of Lace at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.

Belgian Lace, 18th Century. Image courtesy of LosAngelesMuseumOfArt

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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.

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Lace was sold on forty occasions at the Colden store. It varied in price from one-and-one-half to six shillings per yard. It must have varied from plain narrow to fancy wide.

In contrast with the Ramsay Ledger of Alexandria, Virginia , all sales were by the yard. Another difference in the two stores is the lack of descriptors (color, quality, or materials of construction) in the Colden Day Book.

Milspaugh (Millspaugh) was one of the most common surnames in the DayBook.  It appeared 459 times! The given name of Hanneas (or Honnes) Milspaugh appeared 36 times.

Hanneas bought a wide variety of items on this August visit to the store. They included other sewing items like Persian Fabric and Vest Buttons, table items (Plate, Earthen Tea Pot, Cups, and Saucers), a Primer, and Tradeware (Ragstone, Gimblet, and Indigo Dye).

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MUTTON! August 15, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Monday, August 15, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Mutton

Peter Mulender sold fifteen pounds of mutton to the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.

In 1828, Webster's Dictionary defined mutton as the 'flesh of sheep, raw or dressed for food.'

The purchase of other meats by the Colden Store was discussed in prior blogs:  Gammon (Pork) and Beef.

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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.

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Mutton was sold to the Colden Store on three occasions, twice by Adam Sensabuagh. On no occasion did the store sell mutton.

It is likely that most of the population had sheep judging from the number of sheep shears sold at the store. Sheep wool was valuable in the manufacture of woolen articles. Their skins were dressed for additional uses.

At three to four pence per pound, mutton was slightly more expensive than beef and veal (2.5-3 pence per pound). Mutton was less expensive than gammon (pork) which was purchased by the store for about seven pence per pound.

There was no activity recorded in the Day Book for Tuesday, August 16, 1768.

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SHAY! August 13, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Saturday, August 13, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Patrick Shay

Patrick Shay purchased three gallons of York Rum for ten shillings at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.

Partial summary of visits of Patrick Shay to the Colden Store as recorded in the Store Day Book.

The Shay surname appeared thirty-one times in the DayBook. Nineteen of those entries belonged to Patrick. He was represented at the store at times by his wife and son, William. John Shay appeared eleven times and was occasionally represented by his brother, William (Bil[sic]). It is unclear if John and Patrick were related.

Patrick Shay owned property along South Plank road very close to the farm of Joel Campbell's father, Samuel . [Joel Campbell is the eponym of this blog.]

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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.

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In addition to his listing in the DayBook, Patrick Shay appeared in the 1779 tax assessment of Hanover Precinct with 100 acres of land. By the 1790 census his name had disappeared, but Dennis and Thomas Shay were enumerated in the general area of Patrick's farm. Perhaps they were his sons?

By the time of the 1779 tax assessment, Samuel Campbell had deceased, and his two sons, Nathan and Levi, were farming the fifty-acre homestead. From the assessment below, it appears that Patrick Shay owned adjoining property to the Campbells.

Partial transcription of 1779 Tax Assessment for Hanover Precinct.

Sadly, I could not find much public information on this line of the Shay family. They undoubtedly knew their Campbell neighbors and had social, religious, or business interactions.

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LINIMENT! August 12, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Friday, August 12, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Liniment

Thomas Belknap purchased one-quarter ounce of liniment [lenement, leniment] at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.

Sales of Liniment at the Colden Store.

Liniments were applied to the skin to relieve pain and aid in healing.  They often contained herbal oils (camphor, rosemary, menthol), soap, alcohol, and water.

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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.

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Webster spelled liniment as 'leniment' in his 1828 dictionary. He defined it as 'An assuasive' and added that the word was not used?

One other sale of liniment was recorded in the DayBook in September of the prior year. Obviously, Colden did not sell many medicines. There were no ointments, plasters, elixirs, pills, or oils mentioned in the DayBook. There were several doctors practicing in the area including Doctor John Hill and Doctor Charles Clinton who were the likely source of most medicines.

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RHUBARB! August 11, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Thursday, August 11, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Rhubarb

Thomas Belknap Jr. purchased a dozen Rhubarb [Rubarb] for one-and-one-half shillings at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.

Day Book entry of August 11, 1768 for Thomas Belknap.

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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.

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Cultivation of rhubarb in America was rare at this date. However, the correspondence of John Bartram of Philadelphia shows that he was experimenting with rhubarb seeds as early as 1739. Bartram was a correspondent of Colden's father and had visited the Colden estate on a few occasions.

Rhubarb stalks. Image courtesy of revolutionarypie.com

Bartram also corresponded with Colden's sister, Jane, who was a respected botanist herself. In one of her letters to Bartram she apparently requested rhubarb seeds from him. Bartram (letter of January 24, 1757) responded that 'If the Rhubarb from London be the Siberian, I have it."

It is entirely possible that Colden was growing rhubarb on his estate in 1768. It was known that rhubarb made excellent tarts before other fruits for that purpose came into season. Perhaps John Belknap was to make a rhubarb tart for his tavern guests?

This mention of rhubarb is the only one found in the DayBook (95% transcribed as of this writing.).

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CLARET! August 10, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Wednesday, August 10, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Claret

David Parshel purchased a bottle of Claret for two-and-one-half shillings at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago. Claret was the term used by the British up to the 18th century to decribe a red wine of the Bordeaux region of southwest France. Webster defined it in 1828 as "A species of French wine, of a clear pale red color."

Claret, English silver bottle ticket, by Sandylands Drinkwater, circa 1740 or 1750. Image courtesy of R. de Salis, Rodolph

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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.

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Colden did not sell very much wine at his store. In the prior year he had about ninety wine transactions (compared to more than a thousand sales of rum) which were almost always sold in units of quarts or gallons. It is presumed that much of this was Madeira wine.

Today's sale of 'Claret' is the only one recorded in the prior year in the DayBook. It is also only one of three wine sales in 'bottles.'

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NICHOLSON! August 9, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Tuesday, August 9, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

John Nicholson

Thomas Nicholson, 'brother of John', bought a pair of stockings and a New England Scythe at the Colden store on this day, 250 years-ago.

Signage in front of Nicholson home on Route 208 near Maybrook.

From this entry it is apparent that John was already the most well-known of the Nicholson brothers. He is identified in the DayBook as a cooper (barrel-maker) but also operated a lime kiln.

In this year, 1768, John was on record as being one of the Precinct Assessors. He was consistently recorded as a community servant in many capacities from fence-viewer to supervisor.

Also in this year (1768), John and his wife, Betsy Moffat, had their first child, Ann. (Source: public genealogies at ancestry.com)

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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.

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John Nicholson visited the store six times. He was represented at times by his wife and 'his boy' (his slave and not his son?).

About seven years from this date, in 1775, John would captain a company in General Montgomery's failed invasion of Canada. He would return as a Colonel, but the ordeal of the Canadian winter had wreaked havoc on his health. He appeared to not have served in the remainder of the war.

Sometime during the war his wife died and he remarried Jane McClaughry, the niece of Colonel James McClaughry and widow of James McCobb.

They moved to the home that still stands on Route 208 near Maybrook (see signage above). This is believed to be the same home occupied by Colonel Malcom during the war (see blog on John Blake)

John and Jane died within months of each other in 1811 and are buried in the Neelytown cemetery.

Col.John Nicholson headstone in Neelytown Cemetery.

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DRINK? August 8, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Monday, August 8, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

The Store as Gathering Spot?

Today's sales (250 years-ago) suggest the store might have served other purposes than just a commercial one. Nine of the fifteen customers (Crawford, Waugh, Belknap, Talcott, Jager, McMullen, Mains, Beattie, and Norris) purchased only rum. The other six customers (Ellems, McKlain, Hill, Comfort,Sweesey, and McNeal) also included rum in their purchases.

Transcription of first eight purchases of August 8, 1768 at the Colden Store. All were only rum.

Although purchases of rum were very common, it was rare that so many purchased only rum. Is it possible that these men had converged on the store to socialize and the purchase of rum was secondary?

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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.

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Purpose-built stores of the day did not require a fireplace, but the Colden Store had one. That could have been because it was a retrofitted home. It would also have made it a more attractive place to gather and socialize.

Some stores of the day served as lodging for the clerks. For example, the New-York Mercury newspaper of this date (August 8, 1768) describes the clerks asleep at Henry White's store in New York City when a break-in was attempted. Did Colden's clerks lodge at his store, and did they entertain there?

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PINCERS! August 6, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Saturday, August 6, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Pincers

Hons Yurry Smith purchased a pair of pincers [pinchers] for two shillings at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.

18th Century Pair of Pincers.  Image courtesy of oldtools.co.uk 

In Webster's 1828 dictionary he defined 'pinchers' as...

"An instrument for drawing nails from boards and the like, or for griping things to be held fast."

Note that Webster used the spelling that appeared in the Daybook ('pincher') and not the modern-day spelling of 'pincer.'

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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.

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The DayBook records four sales of 'pairs of pinchers.' They sold for one shilling three pence to two shillings per pair.

Pincers were very similar to 'nippers.' In fact, Webster defined nippers as 'small pinchers.'

Hons Yurry Smith was a frequent visitor to the store. Purchases were made on his account on twenty different occasions. His wife, son, and son-in-law often took delivery of his purchases at the store.

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CASH! August 4, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Thursday, August 4, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Cash

On this day, 250 years-ago, Colden made several ledger entries in the Daybook unrelated to the day's sales.

For example, he bought cash from Anthony Stephens - the amount was illegible.

Next, Colden credited Jacob Millspaugh's account for five pounds, seventeen shillings, and two pence. This was to correct an inaccurate entry on January 27th. He settled Jacob's account to May 9th and carried forward a credit of ten shillings and ten pence. Colden debited Millspaugh's account for one pound, twelve shillings and nine pence, then credited an identical sum to Richard George. Essentially Colden had just facilitated a cashless business deal between George and Millspaugh.

Nicholas Millspaugh must have made a similar deal as Colden debited his account and made an identical credit to George.

Colden bought cash from Richard George, in addition to crediting his account with the transfers from Jacob and Nicholas Millspaugh.

Colden also settled the accounts of Johannes Youngblood and Robert DeLap on this day.

August 4, 1768 New-York Journal Front Page Header.

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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.

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The local store played an important role in the economy of these rural areas. The store was more than a place to buy imported goods. It loaned cash, acted as agent for domestic production, and facilitated transactions between buyers and sellers. Addition examples are in the blogs that describe vendues where Colden facilitated some of the sales.  Nathaniel Hill - Blog of April 7, 2018;   Horse - Blog of March 21, 2018.

The New-York Journal of this date (see Front Page above) contained an interesting observation on the dearth of cash by the editor.  He wrote:

"The great scarcity of small change in this city [New York], occasions much trouble and loss of time, while perhaps a whole neighborhood is troubled to change a bill or a dollar, which sometimes cannot be effected; and thus both buyer and seller are disappointed. To remedy this disadvantage, if a sufficient quantity of small tickets from three pence to nine pence value were issued and signed by a certain number of gentlemen of known estates in this city, I make no doubt of their passing currently, as such do in one or more neighboring governments. This scheme it is thought would be no disadvantage to those gentlemen, and would be of great benefit to the city and country in general."

Colden's store was one way in which the Precinct of Wallkill dealt with the scarcity of cash in their area of New York.

[Author's note: The DayBook entries of August 3, 1768 contained nothing extraordinary. There were no entries for Friday, August 5th. No blogs exists for those dates.]

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CANDLESTICKS! August 2, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Tuesday, August 2, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Candlesticks

William Miller of Little Britain purchased one iron candlestick from the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.

Brass Candlesticks circa 1750-1770. Image courtesy of MetMuseum

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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.

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The Daybook only records four sales of candlesticks. Each sold for about a shilling. The most expensive was the one bought by Miller on this day for one-and-one-half shillings and described as 'iron.' It does not appear that any of these were the brass, pewter, or silver candlesticks seen in more elegant households of the day.

It is also odd that the candlesticks were not sold in pairs as was common then and still is today. This is another indication that their use was utilitarian and not decorative.

In contrast, the ledger of the Ramsay store in Alexandria, Virginia of 1753-1756 records twenty-four purchases of candlesticks, mostly in pairs, selling for as much as twelve shillings.

Although most of Colden's stock was imported goods, iron candlesticks were made domestically and could have come from a forge in New Windsor or another neighboring town.

The surname of 'Miller' appears fifty times in the DayBook. As one might imagine, it was a common name. In fact, there were two Millers named 'William.' The DayBook distinguished them by the name of their hamlet: Wm. Miller of Little Britain and Wm. Miller of Wallkill. The Wm. Miller of Little Britain or his daughter appeared at the store eight times. In fact, it was his daughter who traveled to the store on this day to carry away the candlestick, one-half pound of tea, and five gallons of rum. How she transported these items back to Little Britain, about four miles distant, remains a mystery.

The store also bought and sold Beeswax which was used in candle making. See prior blog.

Colden also sold a candle mold on one occasion for two shillings.

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SILK! August 1, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Monday, August 1, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Silk

Arthur McKinney purchased four skeins of silk from the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.

The 'silk' described here is believed to be silk thread. Webster defined silk in his 1828 dictionary as:

"The fine soft thread produced by the insect called silk-worm or bombyx. That which we ordinarily call silk is a thread composed of several finer threads which the worm draws from its bowels, like the web of a spider, and with which the silk-worm envelopes itself, forming what is called a cocoon."

Silk cocoons. Image courtesy of geek.com

Webster's alternate definition for 'silk' was the cloth made of silk fibers.

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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.

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When Colden used the term 'thread' in the DayBook he was referring to linen thread.  For example, 'thread' sold to the store by local artisans was undoubtedly linen.  That happened on two occasions.

The term 'silk' implied a thread as stated by Webster above, but it was never referred to as 'silk thread' as that must have been thought of as being redundant.

The price per skein of 'silk' was much higher than all of the prices for skeins of 'thread.' In other words, silk thread was more valuable than linen thread.

The DayBook made over 200 mentions of silk. Just about all of them referred to silk thread as they were sold by the skein. On one occasion he sold 'silk' by the yard (see notes on silk fabrics below) and on about ten occasions he used 'silk' to describe a finished item, such as a Cravat, a Camblet, a Stocking, or a Handkerchief.

All silk fabrics were referred to by their 'brand' names and did not contain the descriptor of 'silk'.  For example, Persian, Taffity, Crape, Plush, Poplin, Alamode, and Gimp were all fabrics made of silk.

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