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Post by spence on Mar 28, 2023 8:23:34 GMT -7
The idea that it is next to impossible to know what life in the 18th century was really like came up in a recent thread. After fifty years of making the effort, I've become convinced that is true. As I study various aspects of their world I'm constantly being surprised because something I've come across just doesn't fit what I think I know about it. Here's a good example of what I'm thinking of. I was an avid fisherman for most of my life, both fly and bait casting, and this ad for a fishing tackle shop in Philadelphia in 1776 surprised me many times, in many ways. It certainly doesn't fit my picture of 18th-century fishing.
The Pennsylvania Gazette
The Pennsylvania Packet
April 15, 1776
In genial Spring, beneath the quiv’ring shade,
Where cooling vapours breathe along the mead,
The patient fisher takes his silent stand,
Intent, his angle trembling in his hand;
With looks unmov’d, he hopes the scaly breed,
And eyes the dancing cork, and bending reed.
Our plenteous streams a various race supply;
The bright-ey’d PEARCH, with fins of TYRIAN dye,
The silver EEL, in shining volumes roll’d;
The yellow CARP, in scales bedrop’d with gold,
Swift TROUTS, diversify’d with crimson stains,
And PIKES, the tyrants of the watry plains.
POPE
FISHING TACKLE of all sorts, for use of either SEA or RIVER, MADE AND SOLD BY EDWARD POLE, In Market street, near the Court house, Philadelphia, viz.
RED cedar, hazel, dogwood, &c. fishing rods. for fly, trolling and bottom fishing; 6, 8, 10 and 12 stave pocket reels, furnished with lines, &c. trolling wheels for rock, trout or pearch, with or without mutlipliers; bottom or layout, and sea lines, cable laid, from large dolphin down to whiting, with hooks suitable from bonettar to the smallest size; best green or white hair, silk, hardest hempen, flaxen and cotton lines, for angling, trolling, deepseas and other fishing; trimmers, and man of war trimmers, and snap hooks, with or without springs, for pike fishing; a variety of cork floats of all sizes; artificial flies, moths and hackles, with suitable lines of any length; silk worms gut, in knots and quarter knots; best Indian grass; salmon, rock, jack, trout and pearch, box and plain swivels; deepseas, with or without swivels for river fishing; leads made of various patterns, for the use of Black Point, and all other fishing; all sorts and sizes of best kerby and common fish hooks, ready hung on silk, hair, silk worms gut, grass, or Indian weed; all sorts and sizes of hooks, without snooding; the best kind of fish hooks, of various sizes, made at Philadelphia; small portable boxes, completely furnished with a variety of fishing tackle; casting, minnow, landing and scoop nets. All kinds of tackle mended at a short notice; shad, herring and pearch seines ready made.
Any Gentlemen going on parties in the FISHING WAY, either to the river, capes, or Black Point, may be completely furnished with the best kind of FISHING TACKLE suitable for those places, on the shortest notice. Also WIRES and BRUSHES for firelocks, by the hundred or smaller quantity; muskets and fusees cleaned, stocked and repaired in the best manner; musket and pistol cartridges, bullets and formers, of all sizes; oil gun flints, and a variety of other articles in the military way. - A very neat silver mounted small sword, fusee and pair of pistols for sale.
Any non-associators inclinable to sell their firearms, if fit for the service may meet with a purchaser by applying as above.
Cartridges made up by the hundred at a short notice.
All orders of any of the above articles, from either town or country, will be thankfully received, duly attended to and as carefully as if the persons were themselves present.
*************
Spence
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Post by paranger on Mar 28, 2023 8:36:59 GMT -7
Now that is truly fascinating - and surprising to me, indeed! Thanks, Spence.
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RyanAK
City-dweller
Once scalped…
Posts: 973
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Post by RyanAK on Mar 28, 2023 8:55:07 GMT -7
Oh, my goodness! This will take some time to study and comment upon. As an avid student of the history of fly fishing, this is fascinating stuff. And the portions dealing with arms and cartridges, etc. considering the date of the advertisement gives us a special look at the mobilization happening early in the Revolution.
Just wonderful, Spence. More when I quash some of the chaos at work.
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Post by brokennock on Mar 28, 2023 11:58:08 GMT -7
Reading all that, my mind feels like the rest of me does when I eat too much at Thanksgiving or Easter......
Thank you very much for sharing Spence.
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Post by hawkeyes on Mar 28, 2023 12:03:18 GMT -7
Absolutely flabbergasted... Fantastic stuff!
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Post by artificer on Mar 28, 2023 16:53:37 GMT -7
Flabbergasting Spence!
It seems a "Gun and (fishing) Tackle Shop" goes back much further than I ever expected to see, though it makes sense.
I've read original 18th gunsmiths' account books and they often made their "bread and butter money" by doing general blacksmithing and different kinds of repair of household items, including pots and pans.
Doing a combination business using tools they already had or could make, they kept their "outdoor" customers coming back all year long and themselves in a steady and prosperous business. Most 18th century American Gunsmiths weren't making complete arms, though they may have stocked and even assembled guns with old or new parts or a combination of both. Naturally, there would have been lulls in how much gun business they did (outside of war time). Small town or settlement gunsmiths got their bread and butter money most often from some type of farming. Making/selling fishing tackle in a larger town was a smart thing to do to keep money coming in.
Gus
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Post by spence on Mar 28, 2023 17:06:36 GMT -7
One thing which caught my eye was the mention of "bullets and formers of all sizes." Formers for cartridge making, maybe, to wrap the paper on?
Spence
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Post by brokennock on Mar 28, 2023 17:45:33 GMT -7
One thing which caught my eye was the mention of "bullets and formers of all sizes." Formers for cartridge making, maybe, to wrap the paper on? Spence That caught my eye as well, but moreso that they offered the service of cartridges made to order. |
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Post by spence on Mar 28, 2023 18:06:42 GMT -7
brokennock said, "That caught my eye as well, but moreso that they offered the service of cartridges made to order."
Since the sentence directly above mentions the associators, aka militia, that offer of custom cartridge making may be directed to them. Most militias had requirements for a certain amount of ammo provided by each man, that would have been an easy way to comply.
Of course civilians could have taken advantage of the service, too.
Spence
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Post by artificer on Mar 29, 2023 0:29:34 GMT -7
One thing which caught my eye was the mention of "bullets and formers of all sizes." Formers for cartridge making, maybe, to wrap the paper on? Spence "Former/s" was the 18th century British Ordnance terminology for the wood cylinder to wrap the bullet and paper make cartridges according to Dr. De Witt Bailey, so you hit the bullseye with that speculation. Interesting he did not mention also selling "cartouche paper" to make the cartouches/cartridges. By far, not all 18th century paper was thick/strong enough to make cartouches and not TOO thick for the formers they supplied and still be able to fit British Arms. Even though I've been studying the "nuts and bolts" of the British Armed forces since the mid 1970's, I never thought about the paper until about 15 or more years ago. Since the British Army/East India Company was stationed all over the world since 1600, it finally dawned on me that British Ordnance probably had to supply cartridge paper along with ball moulds and formers. Otherwise, the correct type of paper might often not be available all over the world to make cartridges that would fit British Arms. Once I figured that out, I found references to British Ordnance ordering and supplying "reams of cartouche paper" from the Tower and Portsmouth (the latter for the Navy and Marines). I stopped looking when I found one reference to James Wolfe ordering Cartouche Paper when he was a Lt Col in 1748 and stationed in Scotland, as that was early enough to cover my periods of interest, though I have little doubt British Ordnance supplied cartouche paper earlier than that. Gus |
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Post by artificer on Mar 29, 2023 1:00:52 GMT -7
brokennock said, "That caught my eye as well, but moreso that they offered the service of cartridges made to order." Since the sentence directly above mentions the associators, aka militia, that offer of custom cartridge making may be directed to them. Most militias had requirements for a certain amount of ammo provided by each man, that would have been an easy way to comply. Of course civilians could have taken advantage of the service, too. Spence I may be mistaken, but if the date of the advertisement was April 15, 1776, that was only 10 months since the Battle of Breed's (Bunker) Hill and PA did not yet have a Colony wide militia, as they didn't have a history of a permanent colonial standing militia. allthingsliberty.com/2014/06/explaining-pennsylvanias-militia/Actually Mssr. Pole MAY have been hedging his bets with the way he worded the advertisement, so as either to keep the heat off him or sell to both Patriot and Loyalist Associator/Militia members. Philadelphia had a strong Loyalist percentage of their population until the British evacuated in 1778. Gus |
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Post by spence on Mar 29, 2023 8:26:32 GMT -7
Artificer said, "I may be mistaken, but if the date of the advertisement was April 15, 1776, that was only 10 months since the Battle of Breed's (Bunker) Hill and PA did not yet have a Colony wide militia, as they didn't have a history of a permanent colonial standing militia."
I find the history of the 'associators' in Philadelphia/Pennsylvania to be confusing, but as I understand it they existed at least on a temporary basis as far back as the 1740s in Philadelphia. Gus, you might find this interesting.
From Joe D. Huddleston's "Colonial Riflemen in the American Revolution," Shumway, York, PA 1960, p. 16: Silas Deane, a delegate to the Second Continental congress from Connecticut, wrote in a letter to his wife, referring to the Philadelphia Associators in 1775:
Silas Deane to Elizabeth Deane, Philadelphia, June 3, 1775
The Militia are constantly out, Morning & Evening at Exercise, and there are already Thirty Companies in this City in Uniform, well armed, & have made a most surprizing progress. The Uniform is worth describing to You. It is a dark Brown, like Our Homespun, Coat, faced with Red, White, Yellow, or Buff according to Their different Battallions, White Vest & Breeches, White Stockings, half Boots, black knee Garters. Their Coat is made Short, falling but little below the Waistband of the Breeches, which shews the size of a Man to very great advantage.
Their Hatts are small as Jesse's little one, almost, with a Red, or White, or black Ribbon, according to Their Battallions, closing in a Rose, out of which, rises a Tuft of Furr, of Deer made to resemble the Bucks Tail as near as possible, of about six or eight Inches high.
Their Cartouch Boxes are large, with the Word Liberty & the Number of their Battallion wrote on the outside in large White Letters. Thus equipp'd the[y] make a most elegant appearance, as their Cartouch Boxes are hung with a broad White wash Leather* Strapp or Belt & their Bayonette on the other side with one of the same, which Two Crossing on the shoulders Diamond fashion gives an agreeable appearance Viewed in the rear.
The Light Infantry are in Green, faced with Buff, Vests &c as the others except the Hatt which is a hunters Capp, or Jockey. These are without exception the Genteelest Companies I ever saw.
They have besides a Body of irregulars, or rifle Men, whose dress it is hard to describe. They take a piece of Ticklenburgh, or Tan cloth that is stout and put it in a Tann Fatt, until it has the shade of a dry, or fading Leaf, then they make a kind of Frock of it reaching down below the knee, open before, with a Large Cape, they wrap it round them tight on a March, & tye it with their Belt in which hangs their Tomahawk, their Hatts As the others.
They exercise in the Neighboring Groves firing at Marks, and throwing their Tomahawks, forming on a sudden into one Line, and then at a Word, break their Order, and take their posts, to hit their mark. West of this City is an open Square, of near Two Miles each Way with large Groves each side, in which, each After Noon they Collect, with a vast Number of Spectators…
Spence
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Keith
City-dweller
Bushfire close but safe now. Getting some good rain.
Posts: 990 
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Post by Keith on Mar 29, 2023 17:49:13 GMT -7
First mention of cartridges for pistols I have seen, interesting. Makes sense.
Keith.
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Post by artificer on Mar 30, 2023 3:21:04 GMT -7
Artificer said, "I may be mistaken, but if the date of the advertisement was April 15, 1776, that was only 10 months since the Battle of Breed's (Bunker) Hill and PA did not yet have a Colony wide militia, as they didn't have a history of a permanent colonial standing militia." I find the history of the 'associators' in Philadelphia/Pennsylvania to be confusing, but as I understand it they existed at least on a temporary basis as far back as the 1740s in Philadelphia. Gus, you might find this interesting. From Joe D. Huddleston's "Colonial Riflemen in the American Revolution," Shumway, York, PA 1960, p. 16: Silas Deane, a delegate to the Second Continental congress from Connecticut, wrote in a letter to his wife, referring to the Philadelphia Associators in 1775: Silas Deane to Elizabeth Deane, Philadelphia, June 3, 1775 The Militia are constantly out, Morning & Evening at Exercise, and there are already Thirty Companies in this City in Uniform, well armed, & have made a most surprizing progress. The Uniform is worth describing to You. It is a dark Brown, like Our Homespun, Coat, faced with Red, White, Yellow, or Buff according to Their different Battallions, White Vest & Breeches, White Stockings, half Boots, black knee Garters. Their Coat is made Short, falling but little below the Waistband of the Breeches, which shews the size of a Man to very great advantage. Their Hatts are small as Jesse's little one, almost, with a Red, or White, or black Ribbon, according to Their Battallions, closing in a Rose, out of which, rises a Tuft of Furr, of Deer made to resemble the Bucks Tail as near as possible, of about six or eight Inches high. Their Cartouch Boxes are large, with the Word Liberty & the Number of their Battallion wrote on the outside in large White Letters. Thus equipp'd the[y] make a most elegant appearance, as their Cartouch Boxes are hung with a broad White wash Leather* Strapp or Belt & their Bayonette on the other side with one of the same, which Two Crossing on the shoulders Diamond fashion gives an agreeable appearance Viewed in the rear. The Light Infantry are in Green, faced with Buff, Vests &c as the others except the Hatt which is a hunters Capp, or Jockey. These are without exception the Genteelest Companies I ever saw. They have besides a Body of irregulars, or rifle Men, whose dress it is hard to describe. They take a piece of Ticklenburgh, or Tan cloth that is stout and put it in a Tann Fatt, until it has the shade of a dry, or fading Leaf, then they make a kind of Frock of it reaching down below the knee, open before, with a Large Cape, they wrap it round them tight on a March, & tye it with their Belt in which hangs their Tomahawk, their Hatts As the others. They exercise in the Neighboring Groves firing at Marks, and throwing their Tomahawks, forming on a sudden into one Line, and then at a Word, break their Order, and take their posts, to hit their mark. West of this City is an open Square, of near Two Miles each Way with large Groves each side, in which, each After Noon they Collect, with a vast Number of Spectators… Spence Hi Spence, Great book, I bought my copy in the late 1970's at Friendship, IN. Yes, PA did have voluntary Militia's at that time and probably in higher numbers than ever before, but they still did not have a permanent Colony/State wide Militia Law until after the AWI and that's what I meant, though I didn't explain it well. I did find the following EXTREMELY interesting: "Their Cartouch Boxes are large, with the Word Liberty & the Number of their Battallion wrote on the outside in large White Letters. Thus equipp'd the[y] make a most elegant appearance, as their Cartouch Boxes are hung with a broad White wash Leather* Strapp or Belt & their Bayonette on the other side with one of the same, which Two Crossing on the shoulders Diamond fashion gives an agreeable appearance Viewed in the rear." The above description demonstrates Silas Deane was not a military man, as he incorrectly described Cartouch(e) Pouches as "Cartouch Boxes." (Silas was admitted to the bar in 1761 around age 24.) Since at least the 1740's, the British Military's nomenclature of a Cartouch(e) Box meant what we call a "Belly Box" today, as it was set up to be worn on the waist belt. Usually these were black painted wood blocks with cartridge holes drilled in them and a thick leather flap. As such, they were far less expensive than Cartouch(e) Pouches. A Cartouch(e) Pouch had the cartridge block encased in a leather pouch and always had an over the shoulder leather strap, often described as a "belt" in the period. My guess is Silas probably called it a "Cartouch Box" as those were far more common in Colonial Militia's for decades and thus the term was in more common use. Below is an illustration of British Soldiers from the 1750's equipped with both Cartouch(e) Boxes (we call Belly Boxes today) and Cartouch(e) Pouches. i.pinimg.com/originals/67/cc/8c/67cc8cfdcd91791624cdf6cbd2e6c789.jpgGus PS After the AWI, Cartouch(e) Boxes (Belly Boxes) went the way of the Dodo Bird, most likely because they were so uncomfortable to wear and they frequently flipped over and dumped cartridges on the ground. By the late 18th century, the term Cartridge Box became the common term for what had been called a Cartouch(e) Pouch in earlier years. Confusing isn't it? GRIN. |
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Post by paranger on Mar 30, 2023 4:00:55 GMT -7
FYI, the illustration is one of David Morier's paintings from the grenadier series, dated 1751.
The clothing warrant of 1751 superseded the warrant of 1743, and Morier's paintings depict the newer configuration.
The warrant of 1751 was superseded by the warrant of 1768.
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