quoted l)\ ll^ippcl." .No doul)t tlic houses their 

 varied in quahty, hut we may i)e sure that most were 

 crude, inexpertly built, of frame or punchcon-typc 

 construction, and subject to deterioration t)y nn and 

 insects. 



ri'RNISIIlN'OS or 1 wo SI.VRLnOROLCiIl HOUSES 



Liive Cieorne .Mason, Cieorge .Andrews ran an ordi- 

 nary at tiie port town, haxiiig been licensed in Iti'JIi, 

 and he also kept the ferry across Potomac Creek. ■*• 

 He died in 1698, leavint; the property to his grandson 

 John C;a\e. From the inventory of his estate recorded 

 in tiie StafToid County records (Appendix A) we 

 oi)tain a picture not only of the furnishings of a hou.se 

 in the port town, but also of what constituted an 

 ordinary." We arc left with no doubt that as a 

 hostelry Andrews' house left much to be desired. 

 There were no bedsteads, although six small feather 

 beds with bolsters and one old and small flock bed 

 are listed. (Flock consisted of tufted and fragmentary 

 pieces of wool and cotton, while "Bed" referred not 

 to a bedframe or bedstead but to the tick or mattress.) 

 There were two pairs of curtains and valances. 

 In the 17th century a \alance was ".A border of 

 drapery hanging around the canopy of a bed." " 

 Curtains customarily were suspended from within 

 the valance from bone or brass curtain rings on a 

 rod or wire, and were drawn around the bed for 

 privacy or warmth. Where high post bedsteads 

 were used, the curtains and valances were supported 

 on the rectangular frame of the canopy or tester. 

 .Since George .Andrews did not list any bedsteads, it 

 is possible that his curtains and valances were hung 

 from bracketed frames aboN'c low wooden frames that 

 held the bedding. .Six of his beds were covered with 

 "rugs." one of which was "Turkey work."' There 

 is no indication of sheets or other refinements for 

 sleeping. 



Andrews' furniture was old, but apparently of good 

 quality. Four "old" cane chairs, which may have 

 dated back as far as 16ti0, were probably English, 

 of carved walnut. The "old" table may have had 

 .1 inined or a joined frame, or possibly may have 



" Happei,, op. ci«. (footnolr 22), p. 186; .StafTord County 

 CVdrr B<M.k. lt)«'l |i>'M. pp. 210 •.'II. 

 '•' .Si.ilTord County Ordrr Book, I(rf»'>-I6^, p. la"). 

 «* St-ifTord Ckiunly Will Book, l-ibcr /.. pp. lt>8 U>'t. 



** .i .Wif Engluh Dullonar\ un /lulmitnl Ptirult:!f\ iflvfiilil. 



1!»28), vol. 10, pt. 2, p. IK 



been a homemade trestle tabic. An elegant touch 

 was the "carpet," which undoubtedly covered it. 

 Chests of drawers were rare in the 1 7th century, so 

 it is surprising to find one desrrilK-d here as "old." 

 .•\ "Clipboard " was probably a press or court cupix>ard 

 for the display of plates and dishes and perhaps the 

 pair of "Tankards" listed in the inventory. The 

 latter may have been pewter or German stoneware 

 with pewter mounts. The "couch" was a combina- 

 tion bed and settee. As in every house there were 

 chest.s, but of what sort or quality we can onb 

 surmise. A "great trunk" provided storag<' 



.Andrews' hospitalit>- as host is symlx)lized l)\ hi.'. 

 lignum iitae punchbowl. Punch itself was something 

 of an innovation and had first made its apf)earancc in 

 England aboard ships arriving from India early in 

 the IbUO's. It remained a sailor's drink throughout 

 most of the centuiy, but had begun to gain in general 

 popularity before 1700 in the colonies. \Vhat is more 

 remarkable here, however, is the container. Eklward 

 M. Pinto states that such lignum vitae "wassail" bowls 

 were sometimes large enough to hold five galloivs of 

 punch and were kept in one place on the table, where 

 all present took part in the mixing. They were lathe- 

 turned and usually stood on pedestals.'^ George 

 Andrews' nutmeg graters, silver spoons, and silver 

 dram cup for tasting the spirits that were jxiured into 

 the punch were all elegant accessories. 



Another resident whose estate was inventoried was 

 Peter Beach." One of his executors was Daniel 

 Beach, who was paid 300 pounds of tobacco annually 

 from 1700 to 1703 for "sweeping" and "cleaning" the 

 courthouse (Appendix B). Beach's furnishings were 

 scarcely more elaborate than .Andrews'. L'nlike 

 Andrews, he owned four bedstead.s. which with their 

 curtaiiis and tittings (here called "furniture") varied 

 in worth from l(K) to l,")00 pounds of tobacco. Here 

 again was a cuplx>ard, while there were nine chairs 

 with "flag" seats and "boarded" backs (rush-seated 

 chairs, probably of the "slat-back" or "ladder-back" 

 variety). Eight more chaii-s and five stools were not 

 described. A "parcel of old tables" was listed, but 

 only one table ap|>ears to have Ijeen in use. There 

 were pewter and earthenware, but a relatively fov 

 cooking utensils. .An "old" pewter tankaixi wa* 

 probably the most elegant drinking vessel, while one 



" KowARD II. I'isro. Tim. or Small 1 1 

 Ihr Ages (lx}i)don, I'M't). p 20. 

 '• .S«,,(Tord CV>unty Will Book. Uber Z. pp. I58-I5^>. 



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