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| Gabriel Bray |
So Rather then reinvent the wheel
on this one I’m going to just gloss over some info that has been overlooked by
many folks. For example in his often quoted description of the clothing of the
backcountry (less fce it hunting shirts get all the press) J F Smythe the
mention of non “native” clothing has been overlooked:
Leather breeches, made of
indian dressed elk or deerskins, but more frequently thin trousers
Charles woodmason also had a
similar observation on the use of “thin” trousers as he traveled the Carolina back
country on the eve of the Revolution commenting that the men wear:
“frocks or shirts and long
trousers”
He is also greatly surprised that
these people show up for church wearing:
“The men with only a thin shirt and pair
of breeches or trousers on”
Trousers are often worn over breeches to act as a type of
coverall. This practice is shown in a number of runaway ads. And can be seen in
details in some images of sailors. For example a runaway from Virginia in the
1770’s sports clothing that could be common on either side of the mountains:
Twenty
DOLLARS Reward. RUN away the 20th of October last, from the subscriber in
Pittsylvania county, a mulatto man slave named James, about twenty years of
age….; had on when he went away a felt hat almost new, a hunting shirt,
leather breeches, and linen trousers over them, besides other old clothing.
Interesting
that in the first Vriginia runaway ad I have been able to find listing a “hunting
shirt” as a common descriptive term. You also find a pair of trousers:
Williamsburg,
June 16, 1768.
RUN away from the subscribers, in Augusta county, in the
forks of James river, two convict servant men, one named Israel Cowen, aged
about 27 years, about 5 feet 7 inches high, of a dark complexion, his head bald
and blind of his left eye. He had on when he went away, a new felt hat, an old
thickset coat, with tortoise-shell buttons, a blue broadcloth jacket, trowsers,
and old shoes. The other named George Wilkinson, aged about 20
years, about 5 feet 6 inches high, of a sandy complexion, and red hair. Had on
when he went away, a new felt hat, hunting shirt and callico waistcoat, with old
buckskin breeches, blue leggings, and old shoes
And
just because I think the mention of a “powder gourd” is killer and for my
farrier friends out there one more runaway ad:
Nanjemoy, Charles
County, October 22, 1771. RAN away from the Subscriber, on Sunday the 6th
Instant at Night, Two Negro Men, about 5 Feet and a Half high: Had on each an
old Cotton Jacket, a Pair of new Rolls Trousers, Roll Shirt, and an old Felt
Hat; took with them Two small Guns, One Shot-bag, a Powder-gourd with some
Powder in it, and in the Shot bag were Two Books, one of Fisher's Arithmetick,
the other a Farrier's Book.
The use
of trousers is not limited to those in the English world. George Morgan makes a
number of mentions on the use of trousers by the French at Kaskaskia in the
Illinois Country:
“A handkerchief round his head- one round his neck, a third round
the waste & a fourth in his hand or under his arm- a pair of gay striped trowsers,
buckled into their shoes- a calico jacket- a blanket coat” (note he
said calico jacket not SHIRT)
Morgan
even mentions this when sending notes back to his partners on just what IS
selling at the store.:
The cotton stripe you sent, is of the right kinds but is not wide
enough for many the French want it for—particularly trowsers which they wear
remarkably long & to buckle in their shoes—this they wear summer and winter
…The officers and soldiers as well as some of the French inhabitants
here have constantly wore our common cotton Hollands in jackets and trousers
for want of better. Without that kind of dress the summers here would be unsupportable…whereas
the muslins are wore winter and summer by men and women.
This
type of dress matches up to images of the French inhabitants of the Caribbean
nations. The Light weight cotton jackets and Trousers are a way of dealing with
the heat. Is this also why Woodmason’s Carolinians prefer “light” trousers?
Ok I
can hear the thought process now “I don’t portray a runaway” or “I don’t portray
a farmer” yadda yadda…insert rugged individual comment here. So let’s get to
the Hunters. Oznabrigs are a common
purchase by Morgan’s hunters.
Robert Smith A hunter (1767)
July 29th to 1 ell Russia sheeting 9/ Ashton’s Acct for cutting out
Pr of trousers & thread to make them .3.9
Alexander Ferguson a hunter (1768)
June 4th 1 knife 5” 1 frock
12”10
1 comb 2” 1 handkf 5”
June 5th 1 pr trousers 15”
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| Summer hunting kit Trousers and unlined calico jacket. |
So here
we have Alexander Ferguson purchasing a pair of trousers in the same year and
month that two men are running away in Wiliamsburg, Virginia are wearing what
sounds like outfits you could find on Morgan’s men. Common?
Ok, Ok
I can hear the one lone voice in the wilderness now. Morgan’s men weren’t “LONG
HUNTERS” they were Market hunters….all the real Long hunters were outfitted in
Bethabera by the moravians you know guys like the Harmons.. Well then just sit
back and relax and get ready to sport long pants
. In the Moravian Records purchases on a march day in the 1760’s (the
date is smudged) Henry Harmon purchases along with duffels, bearskin(the
wool type), Oznabrigs, Horn Buttons, Camblet….
Oznabrig
Towsers 4/-
Linnen Jacket
Crazy….Even the Harmons wore trousers and a jacket. Working
class people in common working class clothes. Did that just blow your mind? I'm not even going to start talking about "rifle trousers"...
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| Jason Melius kitted out as a longhunter based on actual purchases of Harmons |
To make
my trousers I simply tweeked the JP Ryan breeches pattern by extending the
pattern from mid thigh down. I opted to keep the pockets on them as I plan to
wear them by themselves and not over my leather breeches. But it would be a
simple tweek to the pattern to remove the pockets and go for the side slash
opening as shown in the sailor images.
I purchased the Oznabrigs
from Willaim Booth Draper. The stuff is awesome to sew as the threads allow you
to count your stitches easily (not a joke it really does) Burnley and trowbridge carries the cloth as
well and I cant recommend either of
these vendors enough.
Having
worn trousers for a number of years at events/scouts they are great in the
summer and more comfortable then even a breechclout. Make a pair out of a light
woolen cloth or linsey Woolsey for cold weather. So I hope I showed you another
option for your backcountry hunter kit that was sper common and super
practical. The one thing I’m going to fix on my pair is I’m adding horn buttons
so my trouser can match Mr. Harmons.
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| Map Cartouche image..hunting shirt and trousers |
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| Gabriel Bray Image. You can see the side slash for getting into your breeches pockets |
