York. Direct advertisements by hotel-keepers were rare for another fifty years, but evidence of many taverns soon appeared, through the notices of vendues, meetings of creditors, proprietors of townships, and so forth, which were customarily held at the most convenient tavern. Other occasions for newspaper publicity were sales, settlements of estates, and removals, as for instance: All persons who are indebted to Anne Jones at the Plume of Feathers in the Second Street in Philadelphia are desired to come and Settle the same, and those to whom she is indebted are desired to bring in their Accounts in order to be adjusted. She likewise designs to dispose of the Lease of her House, as also all sorts of Household Goods at reasonable Rates, she designing to go for England in a short time. The inns played their part in the excitements and mysteries of the times, and notices like the following were not infrequent: 2 If anyone can give any account of the Right Heir of One Isaac Taylor that came from Concord in New England Thirty years since or thereabouts to Ponapon in the Parish of St. Paul's in South Carolina, let them enquire at Mrs. Holm's at the Bunch of Grapes in Boston, for a letter. The colonists were always interested in expand 1 American Mercury, June 27, 1723. 2 Boston Evening Post, September 14, 1729. ing their territory, and grants of land were often made as a reward for military service. Townships were promptly organized on such land — at first, often, merely on paper — and the proprietors held meetings, annually or oftener. A popular place for these and similar functions appears in the following notice, published in September of 1740:1 These are to Notify the Proprietors of Soughegan West (number 3) that there will be a Meeting of said Proprietors at the House of Mrs. Margaret Pratt, Innholder, in Salem, on Tuesday the 7th of October next, at nine o'clock before Noon. These proprietors and the proprietors of the "Salem Canada Township" continued to meet at the Ship Tavern, as Mrs. Pratt's house was named, from 1740 or 1741 until 1765. Captain Francis Goelet, of whom more anon, mentions putting up his horses at the Widow Pratt's, while he walked about the town, in 1750.3 A notice regarding the settlement of Margaret Pratt's estate appeared in 1766.4 A Mrs. Adams kept a tavern in Salem about the same time, as a house for sale in 1770 is described as opposite Mrs. Adams's tavern.5 1 Boston Evening Post, September 8, 1740. New England Register, vol. 24, p. 57. 4 Boston Evening Post, March 10, 1766. The names of the ancient inns were often picturesque; among those kept by women may be found, besides, Mrs. Jones's "Plume of Feathers," "The Royal Standard" (Rebecca Pratt),1 "The Blue Anchor" (Widow Withy),2 "The Conestoga Waggon" (Mary Jenkins)," "The Fountain and Three Tons" (Mary Yeats), "The Three Mariners" (Margaret Berwick)," "The Rose and Crown" (Margaret Ingram) all these in Philadelphia. In 1762, Sarah Raunall of the same place published the following: 7 The subscriber begs leave to inform the Public, that she has removed from the Sign of the Siege of Louisbourg, a little below the drawbridge, Philadelphia, to the House where Mr. Murry kept the Sign of the Salutation Tavern, upon Society Hill, and next door to Mr. Neiman's, where she has a very commodious House, fit to entertain a large company of Gentlemen; likewise a very good Billiard Table. Apparently ladies did not yet constitute an important part of the traveling public; but that the conception of what constituted proper entertainment was broadening, the billiard table testifies. The vendue, as an auction was generally called, 1 Pennsylvania Gazette, June 5, 1755. 2 Ibid., March 17, 1768. Ibid., May 30, 1771. • Ibid., September 27, 1748. 8 Ibid., July 14, 1768. 5 Ibid., March 30, 1738. 7 Ibid., September 23, 1762. was an important and frequent event in colonial life. Real estate, usually of such undeveloped land as has just been referred to, and used household goods, or the stock of a shop which was closing out, were the most frequent objects of sale; but regular merchants' goods were sometimes disposed of in this manner. In times of war, particularly during King George's War, 1740-48, and the Seven Years' War, 1756-63, excitement and profit were added to colonial life by the sale at auction of prize cargoes from French ships captured by privateers. All seaport towns have records of these dashing days. Vendues were commonly held at taverns. During part of 1758 and 1759, auction sales of "a very good assortment of European goods" were held weekly at the King's Head Tavern, BostonWidow Davenport, proprietor.1 Apparently the Widow Lawrence kept a nautical tavern in New York, for a "Publick Vendue" of the cargo of prize ships was frequently held at her house "on the New Dock." In August, 1747,2 the ship also was to be sold there; in the following June, two prize ships and cargoes were on sale. An advertisement in August, 1748, is more explicit: 1 Boston Evening Post, December 4, 1758 and ff. 2 New York Gazette, August 24, 1747. 8 Ibid., June 20, 1748. 4 Ibid., August 29, 1748. A Parcel of Maracaibo and Caraccas Cocoa, Flour, Wheat, Steel, Earthen Ware, Glass, Soap, Tallow, Skins, Hats, Silks, Silver and Gold Lace, Drugs for Apothecaries and sundry sorts of other Goods. As the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle was signed on October 18, 1748, it is to be hoped that the prize ship which Mrs. Lawrence advertised on October 10, 1748, was a last effort. Although the newspapers were printed in only a few of the larger towns, notice of meetings and of vendues were of widespread interest, so that the papers chronicled those held not only in the place of publication, but in outlying towns. Taverns, also, were of greater importance to the possible traveler in another town than to the near-by dweller. Consequently we have more information about inns throughout the colonies than is the case regarding most other kinds of business. The New York papers contained advertisements or notices regarding "The King's Arms"1 in Albany, Martha Vernor, proprietor; another house in Albany kept by the Widow Brett;2 and "The Duke of Rutland," in Elizabethtown, Mrs. Johnson, proprietor. The Philadelphia papers mentioned "The Clothiers's Arms," in Bristol, kept by Mary Jackson, and 1 New York Gazette, July 6, 1765. 2 Ibid., November 28, 1748. Pennsylvania Gazette, June 5, 1755 Ibid., June 27, 1768. |