Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.
James Crawford
James Crawford (of Wallkill) purchased two Rum Hogsheads for sixteen shillings at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago. A Hogshead was a barrel containing about sixty-four gallons. Clearly they were empty or they would have been much more expensive. Rum sold for three to six shillings per gallon.
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| A Hogshead for dry goods. Courtesy of Natasha at owlcation.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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What was Crawford doing with two large barrels? Was he manufacturing his own rum or beer? Or did he have some other purpose for what appears to be the depleted barrels in which Colden ordered rum for the store. There are no other instances recorded in the Day Book detailing the sale of empty Hogsheads.
The Crawfords were an influential and prolific family in the area of the Colden store. Their name appeared seventy-one times in the Colden Day Book.
James must have had a substantial home as he purchased twenty-four panes of window glass. James was identified as a cooper (barrel maker) which makes it even more curious that he purchased Hogsheads when he could have made them himself.
Another James Crawford born February 10, 1765 in Wallkill Precinct (three years prior to the purchase of the Hogshead) served in the revolution and has a lengthy and interesting pension file as did a Samuel Crawford. Were these the sons of this James?
Five Crawfords appear in the 1779 tax assessment of Hanover Precinct (the area of the Colden Store): James (350 acres), Joseph (148), Samuel (120), Robert (100), and Alexander (0). Strangely, no Crawford homes appear on the 1798 map of the new Town of Montgomery (which consisted of most of the former Hanover).
The Town of Crawford, New York is named after this influential family who shopped at the Colden Store.
[Author's Note: The Day Book recorded no sales on Thursday and Friday, September 22nd and 23rd. There will be no blog for those days.]
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