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.
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| 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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