Why no hemp?

It's certainly true that hemp seems to show up in the records less than other fabrics/fibers, but it was there in a big way and in many different applications.

The Pennsylvania Gazette
October 23, 1729
At the Desire of some of our Country Subscribers, we insert what we find in Chamber's Universal Dictionary, relating to HEMP , &c. HEMP , a Plant of great Use in the Arts and Manufactories; furnishing Thread, Cloth, Cordage, &c. Hemp , by Naturalists call'd Cannabis, bears a near Analogy to Flax, Linum, both in respect of Form, Culture, and Use. The Plant is annual; that is must be sown afresh every Year. --- It rises quick into a tall, slender sort of Shrub, whose Stem however is hollow, and big enough to be charred, (i.e. burnt to Coal) and thus used in the Composition of Gun Powder. ------ Its Leaves arise by fives or sixes from the same Pedicle, and are a little jagged; yielding a strong Smell, which affects the Head. ---

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From the book "A Seedbed of the Republic, Early Botetourt"
by Robert Douthat Stoner.
"Hemp was of great importance to England because of its use in shipping -providing ropes, cloth used as bagging and as sails, and the short fibres (oakum) used to caulk vessels. (The seeds, just as flax, were crushed to render oil) Many years before the settlements in the Valley, the British Parliament had placed a bounty on hemp, and later the Virginia General Assembly added their efforts to stimulate hemp planting by providing warehouses for its reception....
In 1770, Botetourt Hemp certificates represented 170,000 pounds. The
price was 30 to 50 shillings per cwt., plus a substantial bounty paid. "

In 1784 Botetourt hemp was received and allowed to be received as payment for debts."...from a court order of March 10, 1784, providing hemp to be
received in discharge of debt . . . at 32 shillings and 6 pence cwt."

Cannibus Sativa (hemp) was called sailcloth or "canvas" due to the
bastardization of its latin name, cannabis. = canvas.

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THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAZETTE
May 25, 1734
Charleston, South Carolina
RICHARD HALL Gentleman, being lately arrived in this Province with 462 Bushels of Hemp seed, and 40 Bushels of Flax seed , agreeable to an Act of Assembly for that Purpose, Notice is hereby given by the Commisioners, that the said Hemp and Flax seed will be ready at the Publick Treasurer's to be deliver'd by Monday the 20th Inst. to such Persons who shall be desirous to cultivate the same. And for the better Encouragement to any the said Persons, it being so beneficial a Commodity, they are to have and receive from the Publick Treasurer any reasonable Quantity they shall want, only giving their Notes promissory to the said Treasurer, to return him the like Quantity for the publick Use, from the Increase of the said Seed, on or before the first day of January next.

NB. The Land proper to sow it will be dry Swamps, or rich Cow-pen'd Land, made light or mellow by digging or ploughing, and to one Acre of such Land about the Quantity of 4 Bushels is to be sowed. The aforesaid Richard Hall will be ready to give not only his Advice, on application made to him, but likewise his attendance as much as possible, to the sowing and saving the same.

The Pennsylvania Gazette
March 20, 1766
Notice is hereby given to the PUBLIC, THAT at Bethlehem, in Northampton County, the Mills for rubbing Hemp, stamping Millet, and pressing Oil, are done and set at work already. The Hemp is not rubbed with a Pumice stone in the common Way, that being attended with many Dangers, but it is stamped in particular Manner, and becomes pliabler and fitter than with the Stone. In the Oil Mill every one may also have his Flaxseed cleansed. The Mills for Groats, peeled Barley, Oatmeal and Spelt, will also be finished this Summer, and set to work in July or August next. The further Particulars may be enquired at the said Bethlehem, by JOHN ARBO.
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"Journal of William Lenoir" (part of the William Lenoir Papers in the Southern Historical Collection at UNC). This was a reminisced account by Lenoir of General Rutherford's expedition against the Cherokee in the fall of 1776. At the time, Lenoir lived on the western frontier of North Carolina (the location was present-day Wilkes County).

"I believe our whole number was between two and three thousand, with small supply of ammunition and provisions. I believe the Gen'l himself was
without a tent. A few officers and men had something like a wagon cover
stretched to keep off the rain. There were very few imported blankets in
camp, and at that time there was not a store within 45 miles of Fort
Defiance, and very few sheep in this newly settled country and no attempt to raise cotton. Our whole means of procuring clothing were of hemp, flax and tow.”

The Pennsylvania Gazette
April 10, 1746
THIS is to give Notice, That on Monday the 21st of this Instant April, will begin to be sold at Publick Vendue, at Mr. Oswald Peele's Wharff, the following Goods, taken out of the Prize Ship La belle Judith…. fine and coarse Men and Boys Hats, fine Broad Cloths, Nuns Flowers, Hemp, Tinn, Bricks and Tiles, Sugar Molds and Pots

The Pennsylvania Gazette
January 1, 1767
PHILIP WILSON, Is just arrived from London, and has brought with him a large, general and quite fresh assortment of dry goods, which are now opening at his store in Water street,... Russia sheetings, Scotch, Irish and flaxen ozenbrigs, hempen sprig, ticklenburgs, Hessen, Russia and ravens duck…

The Pennsylvania Gazette
May 21. 1747.
ABRAHAM SHELLEY, Keeper of the Workhouse in Philadelphia, continues to buy all sorts of fine grey linnen yarn, for which he gives ready money; he likewise makes and sells all sorts of fine coloured thread, hat linings, shoemakers hemp, gives out flax to good spinners,…

_Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society, Vol. 33_ Printed 1904,
pages 521-522, Inventory from Cadillac, August 1711.

2 small shirts, part-worn out.
2 small ditto of hempen cloth, half worn out.
1 1/2 dozen napkins of hempen cloth and 3 table cloths.

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hemp seeds can be eaten, also pressed for oil

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The Pennsylvania Gazette
The Pennsylvania Packet
April 15, 1776
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....best green or white hair, silk, hardest hempen, flaxen and cotton lines, for angling, trolling, deepseas and other fishing;

THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAZETTE; AND COUNTRY JOURNAL
April 18, 1769
JAMES M'CALL, Has imported in the Friendship,
CHARLES-TOWN
...bag and other fishing rods, some with 11 joints, artificial flies, tackle books, Kirby's hooks, hemp, cotton, and silk lines, floats and reels, paper of all sorts,

The Pennsylvania Gazette
June 15, 1774
JUST ARRIVED, in the Brigantine Dolphin, JOHN RANDALL, Master, from LONDON, A NUMBER of likely young MEN and WOMEN SERVANTS AND REDEMPTIONERS, whose Times are to be disposed of by Captain JOHN RANDALL, on board the Vessel, now lying off the Old Ferryhouse Wharff…. Gardiners, Gunstock makers, Grooms, Hemp and Flax dressers, Hairdressers, Sawyers, a Lapidary, Paper stainers.....

THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE
September 19, 1766
Sold at John Greenhow's store, near the Church, in Williamsburg,... Canadian beaver traps and vermin traps, cotton, wool, and clothiers cards, hemp and flax hatchels, weavers slays of most numbers, chapes and tongs for shoe and knee buckles,...

The Pennsylvania Gazette
January 19, 1730
From Boston we hear, that their Assembly met on the 12th past. Gov. Belcher's Speech is too long to be inserted, but the principal Things recommended in it, are, the Advancement of Virtue and Religion, the Conversion of the Indians to Christianity, the Regulation of the Militia, and the repairing the Forts; the laying a heavier Duty on the Consumption of distill'd Liquors; and the giving a large Bounty on Hemp, Potash, Canvas and Linen, to encourage the People to raise and produce those Things.

THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE
January 24, 1771
NORFOLK, January 14, 1771
...MARBLE FLAGS, twenty four Inches and a Half and twenty Inches square, blue and white veined; double OIL FLINTS, &c.

HEMP, WHEAT, FLOWER, and Indian CORN, taken in Payment.

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The Pennsylvania Gazette
February 16, 1769
FIVE POUNDS Reward. RUN away ... Had on and took with him, a short blanket coat; brown cloth coat, the fore part lined with flannel, the back and sleeves with striped linsey; a hemp shirt, half worn buckskin breeches, light blue ribbed stockings, half worn shoes, with a patch on the toe of one of them, and a striped linsey jacket, blue and white.

The Pennsylvania Gazette
June 2, 1768
RUN away.... He took with him a suit of new sky blue broadcloth lapelled clothes, lined with serge of the same colour, with gilt buttons, the backs of the jacket are of brown cloth, the breeches have yellow buttons, and are made with a half falling Spare; new hemp petticoat trowsers, blue stockings, and good shoes, with yellow buckles, and a good felt hat, full cocked. He is a conceited comical fellow, talks much on the Brogue, and is a great swearer and drunkard.

The Pennsylvania Gazette
November 15, 1775
FORTY SHILLINGS REWARD. RUN away from the subscriber, last night, in Strasburg township, Lancaster county, a Dutch indented servant man, named Anthony Henry Gnaigler, about 25 years of age or upwards, 5 feet 10 or 11 inches high, is a strong well made fellow, fresh complexion, fair hair, has been some time in the Prussian service as a soldier, stops often in his speech, and has a little English; had on, and took with him, one grey hunting shirt and trowsers, four hemp shirts, one lincey waistcoat, a drugget jacket, both of an ash colour, a good felt hat, blue stockings, good shoes tied with straps, &c.

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Something which we need to be aware of is that there may be quite a lot of hemp being used but unrecognized. Many fabrics which we know only by a generic name may well be partly or completely made of hemp.

From Montgomery, Florance, TEXTILES IN AMERICA 1650-1870

Ozbg Osnabrig Ozenbrg Osnaburg: Coarse unbleached linen or hempen
cloth first made in Osnabruck, Germany. Commonly used for sacking and
bagging.

Ticklenburg: A coarse rough cloth made of hemp or linen. Like osnaburg, which was less coarse, it was also named for the German town where it was once made.

Buckram: A stiff lining fabric, a coarse cloth made from hemp, or linen. Also used to wrap bolts of fine fabrics to protect.

Drill : A heavy linen cloth. (also any heavy cloth, hemp or wool)

Canvas: 1 A coarse unbleached cloth of hemp, less frequently of flax, very strong which serves as ship sails.

              2 A coarse unbleached cloth of hemp, serves to cover a woman's stays, also to stiffen men's clothes, and to make some other of their wearing apparel.
                 
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Spence