advantage over those of New Castle County — they were located 

 in the heart of Delaware's tanbark producing region. At Dover, 

 in 1757, "a Tanyard, with the Tan-house, Mill and Pits all new," 

 was advertised for sale or rent. This yard contained 20 vats and 

 was located "in a very flourishing Part of the country, where a 

 great Stroke of Tanning hath been carried on." The Dickinson 

 plantation had a tanyard and among its Negroes were, "Taylors, 

 Shoemakers, Tanners and Carpenters." At the main landing on 

 the Mispillion a tanner was "much wanted" in 1764, Kent County 

 being described as an area where a "great quantity of Hides may 

 be brought very reasonably" and where "Bark is [in] great 

 Plenty."^"" 



By 1810, there were fourteen tanners in southern Delaware, ^^** 

 and in the raw returns for the 1820 census the following bark mills 

 and tanneries were reported in Sussex County: ^^^ 



1 patent bark mill ... 30 vats ... 1 stone mill . . . 



Capital invested $3,500 



2 patent bark mills . . . 100 vats 15,000 

 1 Stone mill ... 15 vats 1,500 

 1 patent Mill going by Water, 1 stone mill 15,000 

 1 patent mill ... 27 vats — 



1 patent mill ... 30 vats — 



1 patent mill ... 22 vats — 



1 common mill with one stone — 



In Frederica, Thomas Clark had been in the tanning business 

 since 1792.^'-" In 1821, he tanned 500 Spanish and 500 country 

 hides a year, employed six men and two boys, operated three 

 bark mills, and had 74 tan vats.^"^ Clark estimated in 1832 

 that his profits were about ten percent on his investment per 

 year,^'^^ 



A typical tannery of the 1820-1830 period in southern Delaware, 

 again like those to the north — 



Comprised . . . a lot of ground of about one half acre. There is on the prem- 



''" See Pennsylvania Gazette, August 4, 1757, and June 23, 1763 (the property was first advertised by 

 William Walker and later by William Morris); also January S, 1764, and November 22, 1764. 



''* American State Papers . . . , Finance, vol. 2, p. 764. 



''® Census Schedule of tanneries in Dagsborough, Little Creek, Broad Creek, Baltimore, Indian 

 River, Nanticoke, and Northwest Fork Hundreds; Census of 1820. The McLane Report, vol. 2, p. 666, 

 provides detailed information about Sussex tanneries owned by Robert Houston (founded 1810); 

 John Richards (1811); Hall & Hazzard (1819); and Wilham Tunnell (1824). 



"20 McLane Report, vol. 2, p. 676. 



'-■ John and Thomas Clark, in Census Schedule 1821. 



'-2 McLane Report, vol. 2, p. 677. 



48 



