 17th Century Personal & Household Items |
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Spectacles with case The frames of these armless spectacles are horn, which has been wrapped in leather. The case is pine. |
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Constance Hopkin's Beaver Hat Steeple-crowned hats, usually with a decorative band, were popular in Western Europe for both men and women in the early 17th century. Beaver fur, imported from the colonies, was processed into felt to make hats. |
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Penelope Pelham Winslow's Embroidered Silk Shoe Thought to have been worn by Penelope Pelham at her wedding to Josiah Winslow in 1651. |
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Loara Standish Sampler Loara Standish, daughter of Captain Myles Standish, is thought to have made this sampler in her teens. It is the earliest known American-made sampler and the earliest known sampler with a verse. Samplers of the 16th to mid 18th centuries served as permanent records of stitches and designs, intended for reference, unlike later samplers that were planned for display. American samplers followed the British form, as instruction in needlework passed from mother to daughter. Typically, Loara Standish’s sampler is long and narrow (measuring approximately 7 1/4" wide x 23 1/2" tall) with patterns arranged in horizontal bands. Stitches, worked in counted thread embroidery on very fine 50-count linen, include Montenegrin cross, long-armed cross, back, outline, eyelet, double running and arrow-head. The rose, carnation, oak leaf and an intertwined "S" are among the stylized floral motifs above the verse: "Loara Standish is my name |
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Myles Standish's Cooking Pot A cooking pot was among the most practical things a family could bring on the Mayflower. Pots were used to make pottage, a staple of English diet similar to stew, made with meat and vegetables. |
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Edward Winslow's Mortar and Pestle This mortar was probably used for grinding herbs for medicinal or cooking purposes. |
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Burl Bowl Bowls such as this one were used for preparing and serving food. Burlwood bowls are exceptionally strong, as they don’t crack along the grain. |
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Lobed Delft Dish with a Swan As the 17th century progressed and the colony became more established, the emphasis was no longer merely on survival and utility. Richer, more luxurious and very colorful items such as this lobed dish reflect the improving economic situation. This dish represents a form first turned on a potter’s wheel, then molded in a two-part mold. These dishes, filled with water for rinsing hands, played an important part in table manners before forks came into general use. Delftware lobed dishes also functioned as serving plates. |
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The Standish Family's Lobed Delft Dish with Tulips Dishes such as this were first turned on a potter’s wheel and then molded in a two-part mold. Lobed dishes were used as serving dishes, or as bowls filled with scented water to rinse the hands (a necessity, before forks were common!). |
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Blown Glass Bottles Bottles of this type most commonly held spirits, which the colonists considered to be healthier than water. Bottles were sealed with corks, held in place with thread or wire secured beneath the "string rim" at the top of the bottle. |
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Allerton-Cushman Families' Wooden Cup In 1998, the family of the late Mercy Ramsey Carl of Texas presented Pilgrim Hall with a carved wooden cup which was handed down in their family, according to tradition, back to the Allerton family. The cup is made of walnut, turned on a lathe and carved with this verse: The date "1608" is carved on the bottom of the bowl. According to decorative arts historian David Bostwick, the cup is a wassail dipper cup, similar in concept to the modern glass cups which come with a punch bowl. Communal drinking of spiced wines and caudles (wine or beer mixed with egg, similar to egg nog) was a large part of the hospitality in the 17th century. The cup would have been kept on a sideboard or cupboard and used on special occasions. According to family tradition, the cup was passed down the female line to daughters named Mercy. The earliest Mercy thought to have owned the cup is Mercy Soule Cushman (b. 1741) of Middleboro, Massachusetts. Mercy descended from such Firstcomers as John Faunce, Patience Morton and Alice Carpenter Southworth Bradford. Her husband Noah Cushman descended from Mary Allerton, Thomas Cushman, Robert Bartlett and Mary Warren. It is very difficult to authenticate a "Pilgrim" object. Small wooden cups seldom show up in documents like probate inventories but, in 1633, Mary Ring left a "footed cup" to her neighbor Elizabeth Warren. Elizabeth's daughter married Robert Bartlett, and Noah Cushman was one of their descendants. This cup just might have been Mary Ring's "footed cup." |
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Peter Brown's Wooden Beer Tankard This 10" tall beer tankard is fashioned like a barrel and was probably made by a cooper, or barrel-maker. The tankard is made of oak staves fastened by birch hoops. |
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The Howland Family Teapot When the Howland family of Plymouth began using this teapot around 1690, tea was a new beverage in the colonies! The design and form of the teapot imitate popular blue and white porcelain, imported from China. |
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The Fuller Family Salt Dish Salt was a very important condiment in the 17th century, used not only for flavoring but also for preserving food. Salt was usually served in a single dish near the head of the table. This salt has scroll knobs on top so that, after the meat course was removed, a dish for fruit could be placed over the salt. |
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William Bradford's Silver Wine Cup A silver drinking cup owned by William Bradford, Mayflower passenger, second Governor of Plymouth Colony, and author of Of Plymouth Plantation. The goblet is 7" high with the governor's initials ‘W.B.’ on one side below the lip. The hallmarked silver cup was handmade in London in 1634. The Governor Bradford Cup is now jointly owned and exhibited by Pilgrim Hall Museum and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. |
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Myles Standish's Charger (Large plate) Chargers were common in 17th century households, often displayed on top of cupboards. Pewter was easy to work and less expensive than silver. Pewter often bore "touchmarks" in imitation of the hallmarks found on silver. |
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The Warren Family Porringer Porringers were used for eating cereals and stews. Blue dishes such as this one imitated French pottery, which in turn imitated Chinese pottery! Tin glaze stained with cobalt creates the blue background, while white tin glaze was spattered to create the pattern. Click here for Vertical View |
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Henry Howland's Bowl The purple manganese decoration was applied with both sponges and brushes. The "dashes" on the rim relate this bowl to "blue dash" chargers made at Lambeth, England. |
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Joseph Bartlett's Fire Back Iron backs, known today as fire backs, were set at the rear of hearths to protect the bricks from heat damage and reflect heat into the room. Iron backs were made by pressing a carved wooden pattern into sand, then pouring the molten iron into the depression. This iron back came from the house of Joseph Bartlett in Manomet (South Plymouth). The house was built in 1660, the year of Bartlett's marriage. |
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William White's Writing Cabinet Writing materials and valuables were stored in cabinets. Craftsmen often used black paint to imitate fashionable (and expensive) lacquer work. The front center drawers, as well as the door over the front, are missing. |
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Wrestling Brewster's Rushlight Holder Rushlights were the simplest and least expensive kind of lighting device. They were made from common meadow rushes which grew in the marshes. The outer skin of the rush was peeled away and the remaining pith was dried and then dipped in hot fat. After drying, the rush was placed in the jaws of the rushlight clip to burn. This particular rushlight holder also has a candle socket (on the left side in the picture), both to balance the rushlight clip and to serve, occasionally, as an additional lighting device. |
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Thomas Cushman's Claw Hammer Ownership attributed to Thomas Cushman |
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