Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.
Slate and Pencil
Johannes Krans Jr. purchased a slate and pencil at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago. The price was two shillings and eight pence.
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| 1822 pastel of “School Boy with Slate.” Gift of Dr. Richard Lodish American School Teaching Collection, 2014.0244. Image courtesy of National Museum of American History. |
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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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There were only three occasions on which slates were sold in the store. Isaac Decker purchased two in October of the prior year and William Cross purchased one in January.
The use of slates as writing surfaces dates back at least to the fourteenth century. Colonial newspapers advertised them (ie. 'Slate Memorandum Books with Pencils' Dec 21, 1769,Boston Newsletter)
Johannes Krans Jr. was married to Catherine Alsdorph (see prior blog) and they already had six children. The oldest was now twelve years old and could certainly make use of a slate to improve his writing skills. The youngest was Catharine who would be baptized in the Dutch Reformed Church on the 29th of this month.
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