The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-05-11

MR. BRUCE on DOMESTIC ECONOMY
IN TIE i7TH CENTURY.
A Large and Erpre.e ntstivo Audience Fill
ed the Hal. of the Houss nj De O.
gates TO Hear tho Address.

lectures inaugurated last fall by the As
ISOLATION for the Preservation OF Vir-
ginian Antiquities closed last evening
with the excellent address OF Mr.. Philip
A. Bruce secretary OF the Virginia HIS
torical Society. on THE Domestic Econ
omy Of the Seventeenth Century.'
Notwithstanding the uncomiortapie
temperatiye OF the night the hall OF the
House Of Delegates was filled with the
same representative audience that has
attended at each Of the preceding lee
lures.
terms by Mr.. John Randolph Tucker.
MIR. Bruce began his address In tnese
words: -
Ladies and Gentlemen: In the series OF
addresses delivered by those VINO nay
preceded me the subjects belonging 10
Nirginian history proper. winch nave
been treated, hayc related exclusively 10
the events and persons associaten WIN
the long and memorable perlon Dci"ttn
the foundation Of jamestown ana the
close Of the administration Of Spotswoou:
II has been tire political and personal
aspects of this period which 30 far nave
been dwelt upon.
Then after cnumerating the noted per-
sons and great events which had Deth
treated Of in the comprehensive addresses
delivered by his professors, the speaker
went on 10 say mat 10 was with the eco.
manic side OF the subject, which as YET
had received but little attention from
historians. that he proposed 10 deal, anu
to give some account OF the domestc
economy Of cur Nlrginlah forefainefs IN
the seventeenth century. the material or
which their houses were built. the SIZE
OF various apartments Of these houses
the furniture which filed the rooms.
the table service Of the dining-hall' me
clothing which members OF different
classes wore. the food which they ate'
and other similar matters.
When Virginia was frat settled. sail
Mr.. Bruce the lands taken up by patent
were situated on the banks Of rivers,
both because they were me Ilchest ~. IN
because the navigable streams IN that
age were The chief means of communica-
ton. Tho home Of the planter was SIT
uatcd only a short distance from me
stream.
srvTNTKENTH CENTURY EEsIDENcF
The Virginian residence OF the seven
tenth century WAS. in It's frame WORK,
the product Of colonial labor all or ms
component parts having been procured
I'm the colony, and put together there
There was not sufficient accumulation
Of wealth in Virginia at this time 10 ad-
nit of q large expenditure IN building
houses. for trained wOrkmon and costly
materials would have had 10 be trans
ported from England I'm order 10 con
struct handsome residences, ana thtsc
of even the most afslucnt OF Virginia s
population at that time. All Of the houses
Of that date were plain ana simple ana
none. according 10 records made any
pretcnsiOns to beauty or design. Brlck
was used to very limited extent i'm
their construction. all OF the bricks 10
be found IN Virginia al this period haV-
ing been manufactured there. kllns
were erected at Henrico, when that place
was selected as the site for a town ny
Dale who came over In l6l1. bringing
with him. Ia is thought. a number or
bricklayers and brickmakers. The hrst
story OF all the houses erected mere was
composed Of brick At this time there
were no houses in the other settlements
in Virginia which were built OF TINS
material. even in part the various struc-
lures at jamestown and Point Comfort
being OF wood.
In 1917. the college lands having been
laid off and wishing to have the college
erected. bficklaycrs were advertised Tot
i'm the mother country, 10y the Pupil,d'toil
of broadsidcs II is 10 be- Inferred tnat
a certain number were brought over 10
the colonies at this time. with the idea
of attracting them permanently 10 the
college lands
CURHTD HIS WE'LL.
At this time bricks had become quite
plentiful i'm the colony as is insianced
by records that show that Captain
HUGE. superintendent of the company $
lands. had the sides of his Wen castu
with them 1t IS also stated that when
the house of Ralph Hamar was attacked
hy Indians. in the massacre or lG-, tney
were driven Off with hrickbais. Bricks
formed one Of the principal articles OF
export TO Bermuda, where they were eN-
changed for the products OF tnat island
In spite of these facts there is holhliS
ia show that. IN 1924 there was single
brick house in the colony.
In 1851 Governor Wyatt was instructed
to require every land owner whose pan
fatiOn was an hundred acres IN extent
TO erect "A dwelling house OF brick or
specified dimensions; those owning LARGER
plantations 10 huild i'm proportion. ms
order was never executed on account OF
the expense and Inconvenience of OBJ
tanning the material. The typical h---se
of Virginia in the seventeenth century
was frame building OF moderate size,
with a chimney at each end. II IS PROD
able that the residences of the minister's
reprcscnted the average dimensions OF the
dwelling houses Of Virginia at this period
4 parsonage. erected IN 1000, IN one OF me
parishes OF the Eastern shore. was forty
feet i'm Width eighteen feet in depth, and
nine feet I'm the valley. In some of the
houses in York county q dining-room,
chamber. and kitchen only, are fouhd.
These dwellings were only one STORY IN
height. Tie kitchen was either aitachcd
TO The main building, or stood entirely 10
itself These apartments ia the mouse
of Colonel Thomas Ludlow, wealthy
planter. of York. consisted Of an inner
room, Il small inner room, a cnlmbeI' a
hail. buttcry. kitchen, milk-hOuse, ana
store-hOuse.