Mention has been made of the fact that London-made pewter was brought into New England at frequent intervals to supply the natural demand. An invoice of pewter shipped from London in 1693 has recently come to light in the Massachusetts Archives, and is here printed as being of interest not only as showing the market prices for pewter, but also the kind of utensils in demand at that time. This particular shipment of pewter was a part of a consignment made by John Caxy of London to Joseph Mallenson, his agent in Boston. It consisted of a great variety of clothing, fabrics, hardware, implements, kitchen utensils and pewter. The part of the invoice that comprised the shipment of pewter follows, viz.:
One Drume Fatt No. 2 Containing 12 Pottle Tankards at 3s 10d ps £2. 6.0 12 Quart ditto at 3s 1.16.0 24 Midle ditto at 2/6 3. 0.0 24 Small ditto at 2/ 2. 8.0 12 doz: Large Poringers at 9s 6d p doz 5.14.0 12 doz: Small ditto at 8/ 4.16.0 3 pr New-fashon'd Candlesticks at 4s 12.0 3 pr ditto at 3s 9.0 2 pr Round ditto at 2s 10d 5.8 a Fatt Cost 7.0 One Drume Fatt No. 3 quantity 18 Large Chamber Potts at 2/10s ps 2.11.0 30 Middle ditto at 2s 8d 3.10.0 40 small ditto at 2s 3.10.0 12 doz Alcamy Spoons at 2/9 4. 0.0 24 doz Powder ditto at 2/3d p doz 2.14.0 12 Large Salts at 2s 2 ps 1. 6.0 24 Middle ditto at 20d ps 2. 0.0 48 Small ditto at 12d ps 2. 8.0 18 Basons qt 32 at 12d 1.12.6 2 doz: Sawcers at 9s p doz 18.0 4 doz Small ditto at 7s p doz 1. 8.0 2 Pottle Wine Measure Potts at 5/6 11.0 6 Quart ditto Potts at 2/8 16.0 6 Pint ditto Potts at 22d ps 11.0 6 halfe Pint ditto at 14d 7.0 6 Quartern ditto Potts at 9d p ps 4.6 a Fatt Cost 7s 7.0 One halfe Barell Fatt No 4 cont more pewter 78 dishes qt 265 at 9d-1/2 10. 9.91/2 A Fatt Cost 3s 6 3. 6 ---------- £76. 2.5-1/2
The farmers in the early days had few conveniences and comforts and were largely dependent for the supply of their wants upon the products of their farms. But little food was purchased. At the outset domestic animals were too valuable to be killed for food but deer and other wild game were plentiful. When this no longer became necessary and an animal was killed by a farmer, it was the custom to lend pieces of the meat to the neighbors, to be repaid in kind when animals were killed by them. In this way the fresh meat supply was kept up for a long time by the killing of one animal. Other parts of the meat were salted and kept for a number of months before all was eaten. Nearly every family had a beef and a pork barrel (called a "powdering tub"), from which most of the meat used in summer was taken. Meat was not found upon the table every day.