Silverware (1761, 1770, 1772)

[James A. Landau]

In a message dated 4/20/2003 11:07:30 PM Eastern Standard Time,
Bapopik at AOL.COM writes:

> I don't think these are the "silverware" we all know and love (forks,
> spoons, knives), but take a look.
>
>
> (ACCESSIBLE ARCHIVES database)
> March 19, 1761
> The Pennsylvania Gazette
>
> silver, brass and Pinchbeck buckles, with sundry other <<silver ware>> ,
> and a
> variety of cutlary,

Definitely not knives, forks, and spoons.  Table knives would be included
under "cutlary".

> plat and paper hats, with a variety of other goods, suitable
> for the country

"paper hats" this early is a surprise---is it an antedating?

>
> July 5, 1770
> The Pennsylvania Gazette
>
> ON Friday, the 13th of July, will be SOLD by public VENDUE, at the City
> Vendue Store, in Front street, all the JEWELLERY, and <<SILVER WARE>> ,
> belonging to GEORGE DOWIG, Jeweller and Goldsmith; consisting of garnet
> earrings, set in gold, chrystal ditto, set in ditto, cluster ditto, set in
> silver, gold stone rings of all kinds,

definitely luxury items made of silver, not table utensils


gold locket buttons, plain gold ditto, gold lockets, best chrystal buttons,
set in
> silver, a variety of plate and buckles, likewise a silversmithflatting mill,
> all his jewellery and silversmithtools, a Negroe man, by trade a
> silversmith,

Slavery was not abolished in Pennsylvania until 1780.

It is worth noting where the slave in question is placed in the list.

How much did this slave sell for?  At least a hundred pounds, quite possibly
two hundred.

>
>
> September 23, 1772
> The Pennsylvania Gazette
>
> RICHARD HUMPHREYS, GOLDSMITH, HAVING taken the house in which PHILIP SYNG
> lately dwelt, hereby informs his friends and the public, that he now
> carries on the GOLDSMITH Business, in all its branches, at the aforesaid
> place, a few doors below the Coffeehouse, where he has for sale, a NEAT and
> GENERAL ASSORTMENT of GOLD and <<SILVER WARE>> .

again, definitely luxury items made of silver, not table utensils

>
> (AMERICAN PERIODICAL SERIES database)
> Saturday Evening Post (1821-1830), Philadelphia; Oct 20, 1827; Vol. VOL.
> VI, Iss. 0
>  EPITOME OF NEWS.; pg. 0_002, 1 pgs
> ("...breaking into a dwelling house and stealing silver ware.")
>

probably not table utensils, or not just table utensils, as a burglar would
make off with all the valuables he could find

             - Jim Landau