to partake with true clerical appetite. At this feast, all sorts of New England dainties were served, together with a liberal supply of cider, punch and grog. The bowls of punch were mixed on the very doorstep of the church, and beer was also brewed to complete the feast. "In addition to this, portable bars were sometimes established at the church door, and strong drinks were distributed free of charge to the entire assemblage."'

As late as 1825, at the installation of Dr. Leonard Bacon over the First Congregational Church in New Haven, free drinks were furnished at an adjacent bar to all who chose to order them, and were paid for by the generous and hospitable society. Our forefathers verily had ways of warming the blood more direct than by means of sinful fires in the meeting house. It is amazing to us It is amazing to us to see how hard drinking was tempered by religion. For New England was a God-fearing land where men lived in terror of death and the judgment.

At last the Sunday school came as a blessed relief from the sermon that had in some places grown to a three-hour length. In a certain Vermont town it was necessary to shorten the sermon for this milder form of service. The people seem to have carried the measure in this case; but the incensed parson took the pulpit Bible with him to the noon house, and so preserved it from the hands of "profaning teachers."

Bronson Alcott, addressing the centenary meeting at Wolcott in 1873, says it was the custom for children to repeat at home the text of the sermon, giving chapter and verse, and often the whole chapter was then read in the family. In the same town, under the ministry of Mr. Keys, a cultivated scholar, a Sunday school service was held for two summers. Addresses were

others. The children repeated texts of scripture and answered questions from the catechism. Each child received credit in mills for every ten verses recited and was paid at the close of the season by a book equal in value to the credits received. This prize was "Doddridge's Principles of the Christian Religion" in verse, for the use of children. One of these hymns begins with: How glorious is our heavenly King Who reigns above the sky : How shall a child presume to sing His dreadful majesty. ·

Mr. Keys also catechized the young people at home and in the district schools, using two catechisms, and questioning the Episcopalians from one, while his own flock was instructed from the other.

Half a century ago it was customary for the family to stand during grace at table. At morning and evening prayers the head of the family always stood, in token of reverence to the Supreme Being. I well remember the deep and solemn tones of my grandfather's voice as he began his address to the Almighty in some noble scriptural phraseology. One form in particular thrills me to this day as I recall the words of the Prayer of Moses, in that solemn sacrifice at the home altar:

Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. (Adding): And of thy years there is no

end.

Campbell, in his book on the "Puritan in Holland and America," says:

"The Puritans were great enough and have done enough for humanity to stand forth and like Cromwell be painted without the concealment of a defect or the exaggeration of a virtue. They had but faint ideas of civil or religious liberty, but men must get liberty for themselves be

P

EWTER-to what extent was it used in the homes of our ancestors in Colonial and Revolutionary times?

In trying to answer this question, I have ascertained a few facts that may be of interest, and I give them to you very informally:

It is not probable that the chests that came over in the "Mayflower" contained a single article of earthen ware among the worldly possessions of the Pilgrim mothers. The utensils of the kitchen and table were then of wood, iron and pewter. Occasionally a silver tankard was brought over from England via Holland. At first, pieces of boards were used for plates; later they were turned out of wood. Next we find that pewter in various forms came into use. Alice Morse Earle says, in her interesting book, "Customs and Fashions in Old-New England:" "The time when our country was settled was the era when pewter had begun to take the place of wooden ware. The first mention made of pewter is in 1430, when a permit was given for a vessel to carry some from England to Scotland for King James the First." Shakespeare, in his play of Henry the Second, speaks of "The motion of a pewterer's hammer." That would be nearly three hundred years earlier, but the "permit" is authentic as to date-1430.

A word as to the metal itself and the method of manufacture: Pewter

and copper. The dull, soft-looking pewter is of tin and lead, and most of that made in this country during the Colonial and Revolutionary days was of that sort. That made in England was generally of the harder variety-tin and copperthat would take a fine polish almost equal to silver. equal to silver. France regulates by law the amount of lead that may be used-15 parts out of 100.

The trade of pewterer was an influential one in England and became so in this country; the number increasing as the country grew.

Of course, the first articles were brought from England. From the earliest wills of the colony down to nearly the close of the last century we find articles of pewter mentioned and from them can make out quite a list of articles, at first rare, but that became the property of almost every New England family later.

One of the earliest wills in the New Haven Probate Court, dated 1647, has on the inventory list: "Pewter valued at £5. S. 7."

Theophilus Eaton, the first Governor of the New Haven Colony, who died 1657, had a "pewter cistern," probably a large flagon or tankard. Later we find: Estate of Samuel Smith, one tankard, basin, porringer, six platters, five plates and other pewter.

As late as 1773 we find, on inventory list of estate of Eben Clark, thirty-one and one-half pounds of

A complete list of articles obtained in this way shows that it includes most of the needs of a primitive household in the way of kitchen and table furnishings, except cooking utensils, which were of iron. The list includes round and oblong platters, plates of different sizes, bowls, cups or mugs, porringers of all sizes from two inches in diameter to nine or ten inches. A posset (variously spelled) was like a small porringer about three inches in diameter and was used to heat medicine and serve pap to infants. Flagons, or "cans'' as they were often called, were used for cider. Bottles; Governor Endicott speaks of receiving one from England in 1629, but they were never common. Early lamps; when whale-oil began to be used the lamps were almost exclusively of pewter. Candle-sticks; though before they be came common, a contrivance called a "Betty-lamp" was used. This was a shallow receptacle of pewter, circular or oval in shape, with a projecting nose an inch or two long. Grease was put in the cup part and the wick of twisted rag had one end in the grease, the other, lighted, rested on the nose. When Governor Endicott arrived in Massachusetts he wrote at once to his wife to bring some candles when she came, he evidently did not like the Betty-lamp. Candles were for a long time costly luxuries in New England, for there were not enough cattle from which to secure the fat. It is said that often during the long prayer at the close of the day the candle would be extinguished. Some of our Yankee ancestors must have invented what was called a "save-all"-an addition to a candlestick, also of pewter, consisting of several rings with iron pins to hold up the last bit of the candle. Molds for candles were made of pewter, generally in bunches of six. Then there were "trencher-salts"

Spoons of various sizes were made in brass molds, the two parts fitting very closely together and were rubbed with oil or white of an egg before the melted pewter was poured in. Wornout platters and plates were often cast into spoons.

Plates and shallow dishes were made by hammering, and jugs and bowls were pressed into shape by a revolving wheel. revolving wheel. A friend in New Haven has a communion set of pewter consisting of a flagon, three cups and a baptismal bowl.

A set of pewter platters, plates and dishes was called a "garnish of pewter," and was a source of great pride to the Colonial housewife and her daughter of revolutionary days. A "garnish" was a favorite wedding present.

The smaller pewter articles were hung on hooks on the front of the dresser that stood by the kitchen wall, while the plates and platters stood in rows on the dresser shelves.

Dingy pewter was considered a disgrace. Addison says: "The eye of the mistress made the pewter shine." shine." A Virginia housekeeper wrote in 1728: "A good housekeeper may be known by her bright pewter." The same thought may be found in a rhyme of that day:

The porringers, that in a row

Hang high and made a glittering show.

Longfellow says:

The pewter plates on the dresser, Caught and reflected the flames as shields of armies the sunshine.

Much time and labor were devoted to polishing the pewter and the better variety was made to shine like silver. A plant of the equisetum or horsetail family was used for this purpose, and is still familiarly called "scouring-rush."'

One naturally asks, What has become of all this pewter? Here and there are a few pieces, but nothing in comparison with the amount that

P

BY

EWTER-to what extent was it used in the homes of our ancestors in Colonial and Revolutionary times?

In trying to answer this question, I have ascertained a few facts that may be of interest, and I give them to you very informally:

It is not probable that the chests that came over in the "Mayflower" contained a single article of earthen ware among the worldly possessions of the Pilgrim mothers. The uten

sils of the kitchen and table were then of wood, iron and pewter. Occasionally a silver tankard was brought over from England via Holland. At first, pieces of boards were used for plates; later they were turned out of wood. Next we find that pewter in various forms came into use. Alice Morse Earle says, in her interesting book, "Customs and Fashions in Old-New England:" "The time when our country was settled was the era when pewter had begun to take the place of wooden ware. The first mention made of pewter is in 1430, when a permit was given for a vessel to carry some from England to Scotland for King James the First." Shakespeare, in his play of Henry the Second, speaks of "The motion of a pewterer's hammer." That would be nearly three hundred years earlier, but the "permit" is authentic as to date-1430.

A word as to the metal itself and the method of manufacture: Pewter

and copper. The dull, soft-looking pewter is of tin and lead, and most of that made in this country during the Colonial and Revolutionary days was of that sort. That made in England was generally of the harder variety-tin and copperthat would take a fine polish almost equal to silver. France regulates by law the amount of lead that may be used-15 parts out of 100.

The trade of pewterer was an influential one in England and became so in this country; the number increasing as the country grew.

Of course, the first articles were brought from England. From the earliest wills of the colony down to nearly the close of the last century we find articles of pewter mentioned and from them can make out quite a list of articles, at first rare, but that became the property of almost every New England family later.

One of the earliest wills in the New Haven Probate Court, dated 1647, has on the inventory list: "Pewter valued at £5. S. 7."

Theophilus Eaton, the first Governor of the New Haven Colony, who died 1657, had a "pewter cistern," probably a large flagon or tankard. Later we find: Estate of Samuel Smith, one tankard, basin, porringer, six platters, five plates and other pewter.

As late as 1773 we find, on inventory list of estate of Eben Clark, thirty-one and one-half pounds of

Can

A complete list of articles obtained in this way shows that it includes most of the needs of a primitive household in the way of kitchen and table furnishings, except cooking utensils, which were of iron. The list includes round and oblong platters, plates of different sizes, bowls, cups or mugs, porringers of all sizes from two inches in diameter to nine or ten inches. A posset (variously spelled) was like a small porringer about three inches in diameter and was used to heat medicine and serve pap to infants. Flagons, or “cans” as they were often called, were used for cider. Bottles; Governor Endicott speaks of receiving one from England in 1629, but they were never common. Early lamps; when whale-oil began to be used the lamps were almost exclusively of pewter. dle-sticks; though before they became common, a contrivance called a "Betty-lamp" was used. This was a shallow receptacle of pewter, circular or oval in shape, with a projecting nose an inch or two long. Grease was put in the cup part and the wick of twisted rag had one end in the grease, the other, lighted, rested on the nose. When Governor Endicott arrived in Massachusetts he wrote at once to his wife to bring some candles when she came, he evidently did not like the Betty-lamp. Candles were for a long time costly luxuries in New England, for there were not enough cattle from which to secure the fat. It is said that often during the long prayer at the close of the day the candle would be extinguished. Some of our Yankee ancestors must have invented what was called a "save-all"-an addition to a candlestick, also of pewter, consisting of several rings with iron pins to hold up the last bit of the candle. Molds for candles were made of pewter, generally in bunches of six. Then there were "trencher-salts"

Spoons of various sizes were made in brass molds, the two parts fitting very closely together and were rubbed with oil or white of an egg before the melted pewter was poured in. Wornout platters and plates were often cast into spoons.

Plates and shallow dishes were made by hammering, and jugs and bowls were pressed into shape by a revolving wheel. A friend in New Haven has a communion set of pewter consisting of a flagon, three cups and a baptismal bowl.

A set of pewter platters, plates and dishes was called a "garnish of pewter," and was a source of great pride to the Colonial housewife and her daughter of revolutionary days. A "garnish" was a favorite wedding present.

The smaller pewter articles were hung on hooks on the front of the dresser that stood by the kitchen wall, while the plates and platters stood in rows on the dresser shelves.

Dingy pewter was considered a disgrace. Addison says: "The eye of the mistress made the pewter shine." A Virginia housekeeper wrote in 1728: "A good housekeeper may be known by her bright pewter." The same thought may be found in a rhyme of that day:

The porringers, that in a row

Hang high and made a glittering show.

Longfellow says:

The pewter plates on the dresser, Caught and reflected the flames as shields of armies the sunshine.

Much time and labor were devoted to polishing the pewter and the better variety was made to shine like silver. A plant of the equisetum or horsetail family was used for this purpose, and is still familiarly called "scouring-rush."

One naturally asks, What has become of all this pewter? Here and there are a few pieces, but nothing in comparison with the amount that