The Old Furniture Book, with a Sketch of Past Days and WaysMoore, N. Hudson
History
The Old Furniture Book, with a Sketch of Past Days and Ways
Moore, N. Hudson
Furniture
There are chests which are peculiar to certain localities, notably in
New England, which were doubtless made by a single cabinet-maker, his
workmen and apprentices. They are almost entirely confined to these
localities, and are therefore of less interest to the collector in
general than such pieces as are more widely distributed. Under this
head comes that style of receptacle known as the Hadley Chest, and the
Connecticut chest shown in Chapter V. The Dutch chests were often of
pine, painted, only the choicest ones being of walnut. One inventory
records a "chest brought from Havanna,"--probably Spanish.
After matters became a little less anxious for the early settlers,
personal comfort began to be thought of more, and such colonists as had
brought no chairs began to send for them to England or have them made
in America. Every ship from England took out fresh comforts, and the
dignitaries of the colonies had substantial household gear. Tables,
chairs, beds, and carpets,--these latter not for floors, but for use as
table-covers,--are mentioned with great frequency in the inventories,
and the settlers' house, albeit many of them boasted of but four rooms,
had more than a modest degree of luxury.
[Illustration: Figure 7. TURNED CHAIR WITH LEATHER COVER.]
The New Haven Colony--as indeed did all the Colonies--had, as her
chief officers, men used to the best that England afforded, and
the following inventory speaks for itself. John Haynes, governor of
Connecticut, in 1653 left an estate at Hartford valued at £1,400. In
his hall, one of the most esteemed parts of the house at this period,
were,--
5 leather and 4 flag-bottomed chairs 1 table and 3 joined stools
1 tin hanging candlestick 7 cushions
1 firelock musket 1 matchlock do.
1 carbine 1 rapier
1 pr. cob-irons 1 iron back
1 gilded looking-glass 1 smoothing-iron
--the whole valued at £8 13_s._ 10_d._ The parlor had velvet chairs and
stools, also Turkey-wrought chairs, and a green cloth carpet valued at
£1 10_s._ There were also curtains of say, curtain rods and "vallants,"
many napkins, as these were necessary from lack of forks, and much
Holland bed and table linen. There were many chests and "lean-to" or
livery cupboards.
"The men's chamber," had "a bedstead with two flock beds; one feather
boulster, one flock do.; one blanket; one coverlet." His best rooms had
feather beds. In the cellar were many brewing-vessels and wooden-ware,
while the kitchen had a complete "garnish" of pewter, but not a single
piece of crockery. Brass candlesticks, iron possnets and porringers,
and the useful brass warming-pan were here also. Theophilus Eaton, also
governor of Connecticut, left in 1657 an inventory of goods of even
greater value.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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