A Visit to Felicity's Williamsburg Day 3: Books, Medicine, and Chocolate

Moving on after Patrick Henry...

I hear some sheep in the distance. I go to find them at the jail where they are mowing the grass.

Susanna with Leicester Longwool sheep in the distance

                                     
I want something new to read. I visit the printer to see what books are being printed now.

Susanna finds a little alphabet book at the printer's

                                                     
I can purchase my book at a store and have it bound at the bindery.

At the bindery choosing a cover for a new book

The still-fragrant bushes are making me cough and sneeze. I head to the apothecary for some licorice lozenges for my cough. The Apothecary also says I can apply lavender to my skin for stress and if I have a fever, he prescribes willow bark. If my father has heart problems the Apothecary will make medicine from a pretty, purple (poisonous) plant called Foxglove.

Susanna and the giant mortar and pestle

                                     
Remember when Felicity broke her arm at the fair? (Felicity Takes a Dare) The surgeon puts icky creatures called leeches on her arm to bring down the swelling. He puts her arm in a leather splint. I think this is a leg splint for a grown man.

At the Apothecary with the surgeon

The surgeon also hacks off limbs and other body parts! That is so gross!

Apothecary's office with human skeleton

I'm still cold. I head to Charlton's Coffeehouse for a tour and some hot, spicy chocolate. Mr. Charlton has all the latest furnishings from England and a curiosity cabinet. In the cabinet Mr. Charlton has some bones from small animals like fish, some porcupine quills and a skull.

Cabinet of Curiosities skulls, bones and quills

The chocolate tastes warm and delicious on a cold day. It's made with water as so not to disorder anyone's stomach, but if you have fine cash or ready credit Mr. Charlton will add a little something extra. I think this means he'll make it into a grown-up drink.

Sipping hot chocolate at Charlton's Coffeehouse

While I sip my chocolate I participate in some fine conversation. A news sheet prints topics for discussion for people to talk about at home or in the taverns and coffeehouses. We discuss whether it is proper to save old love letters.

Yes? No? Sometimes?  Don't you want to see where you once where and how you've changed? If your love has died, don't you want to remember them? Don't you want your family to read them in the future and see what your relationship was like? What if your second husband doesn't like it? But. what if you have children with your first husband? There isn't a right or wrong answer. What do you think?

Back outside for a walk before dinner.

That yellow carriage looks familiar

     I stop to rest on a bench and take in the fall colors.

Can you see me?

Relaxing on a crisp fall afternoon

Pray, excuse me, I have one more stop to make before returning home. Follow me and you may come as well.



                                                 

A Visit to Felicity's Williamsburg Day 3: In Which I Meet Another Famous Person, etc.

My second full day and final day visiting Felicity was full of lots of different things.

I started my day learning about the Virginia Indians! More on them later when I get to Jamestown.

Then I decided to try out the Governor's Palace maze. Felicity said it was easy. The center is to the right so I must surely keep turning right, right?

Heading into the Governor's Palace maze

Oh no! A dead end! Which way?

Dead end in the maze! Which way to the center?

Not even my guardian could help...

Huzzah! Finally found the center! Now, how do I get back?...

Finally found the center of the maze

Next up, some shopping! There are lots of toys in Market Square today.

Toys for sale in Market Square

Who's THAT? EEK! I didn't know there were witches in Williamsburg. (giggle)

A witch flies through the air 

I'm hungry. Time for a snack break. We stop at the Raleigh Tavern Bakeshop for some fresh baked ginger cakes. Felicity bakes them herself with ginger she buys at Father's store.

Raleigh Tavern Bakeshop 

Baker making fresh baked ginger cakes

I run into Patrick Henry giving a talk about his life. He's very famous. Felicity says Mr. Henry is the first elected (non-royal) governor in Virginia. He's a lawyer, patriot and founder of American independence.

Susanna sees Patrick Henry

Mr. Henry was homeschooled and studied law on his own. He became famous in '63 for calling the King a tyrant who would be disposed because the far away King refused to pass a law made by the representatives of the American people. Two years later he spoke out against the Stamp Act in the Virginia House of Burgesses. He compared King George III with dictators like Caeser and Charles I of England. Oh my! He's a very passionate speaker and got the Burgesses (representatives) all riled up because they thought his words were treason. Mr. Henry managed to win the men to his side and has begun to lead every protest for American rights and independence.

Patrick Henry answers questions

Henry was elected to the First Continental Congress in '74. On March 23, '75, Henry gave a famous speech. He argued the Congress should put together an army to fight against the British. He gave a dramatic speech, holding his wrists together like they were chained. Mr. Henry raised his wrists towards the heavens and stated dramatically “Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty” (imagine Mr. Henry bursting from his imaginary chains and grabbing an ivory letter opener) "Or give me death!" (picture Mr. Henry pretending to stab himself." Oh MY! . (Listen to him speak!) No one spoke for a few minutes. History will credit this speech with tipping the scales towards independence.

Patrick Henry  (Read a full biography of Patrick Henry)

Remember when Governor Dunmore tried to steal the people's gunpowder and Felicity warned everyone? Mr. Henry led the militia against Lord Dunmore and called for Lord Dunmore's removal.
He has children around my age. Anne is There are 17 Henry children total with two different mothers. The first Mrs. Patrick Henry became very ill after the birth of her 6th child. She stopped speaking and got so she didn't recognize her own children. Her doctor recommended she be sent to Williamsburg to the hospital here. Mr. Henry came to see he hospital and didn't like what he saw. It was too horrible and sad to consider. He made a "commodious establishment" in the basement of their home. It was not a dank, dark dungeon. His enemies made that up! Mrs. Henry had light, food, water and regular visits from her family. She suffered 4 1/2 years before she died. Mr. Henry married again after a suitable time and now he lives in the Governor's Palace with his family.

Patrick Henry didn't see Susanna there waiting to meet him

                                     
He will go on to become the longest serving governor of Virginia staring in 1776, serving five one-year terms. He'll help start the Virginia Commonwealth government, American government and win the war for independence. He is political enemies with Thomas Jefferson. Mr. Henry will argue for a Bill of Rights in the new Constitution. He feels these rights should be safeguarded and NO ONE can take them away from you.

A Visit to Felicity's Williamsburg Part 4: Make New Friends but Keep the Old

A Visit to Felicity's Williamsburg Part 4: 

Make New Friends but Keep the Old

The rain finally stopped and we can step outside.(Ignore the sign, this is clearly Mr. Merriman's store.).

Susanna at Mr. Merriman's store

We see some girls our size waving from the windows!

18 inch girls in colonial dresses

18 inch girls cry out "Come in, come in!"

Matching dresses for girls big and little

We go inside to greet them. 

Isabelle and Susanna make new friends 

They are more friends of Felicity's helping out in her father's store. What are your names, please?

Ann, Eliza, Maria... I should write these down! 

Could we interest you in a new wool cloak?

Susanna sized cloaks, muffs and bags handmade in the Mantua Maker's shop

How about a woolen muff? Winter is coming. Perhaps you need a small bag?

handmade wool muff for Susanna, Isabelle or Felicity

Do you need an apron, a cap or a pocket? 

A new straw hat?

Or a pretty new dress?

Straw hats and frocks for small girls 

We have them all here.

Beautiful handmade frocks

Straw hats with brightly colored ribbons

Fashions change as quickly as the weather. Purple is not so much in style now. I already have a frock and a hat. My cloak is supposed to be blue. The muffs look warm and it is a bit chilly but they're expensive.

We also find a book. It's called The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes published by John Newbery, a decade ago in 1765.

Susanna and Isabelle find a book

Isabelle shows off a copy of The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes

I know this book! Felicity has a copy. She let me read it. It's kind of like the fairy story about the girl who went from rich to poor, went to a ball, lost her slipper and married a prince. Goody Two-Shoes is very GOOD. Felicity's book does not have the woodcut illustrations. This one does but it costs a lot more.

It was time for Isabelle to leave. We cried and hugged each other a lot. I will miss her sooooo much!! 

Ask her teacher friend starryeyeschick to tell you more about our day on something known as Instagram, whatever that is. 

Susanna and Isabelle say goodbye to each other and Felicity outside the Merriman residence

I liked making new friends but Isabelle will always be my best friend!

p.s my new friends come from someone called Sophia who has a shop called Sophia's Heritage. 

A Visit to Felicity's Williamsburg Part 3: In Which We Try Making Clothes

A Visit to Felicity's Williamsburg Part 3: 

In Which We Try Making Clothes

At the spinning, weaving and dying house, we learn about making clothes.

I show Isabelle how they made clothes from three types of fiber: wool, flax and cotton. 

Susanna examines wool, flax and cotton

Do you know where wool comes from? 

Susanna meets a fake sheep

"Do you know where cotton comes from Isabelle?" 

"A sheep?" giggles Isabelle, knowing this is not the answer.

"NO silly, wool comes from a sheep, cotton comes from a plant! Cotton grows in warm climates like parts of Virginia but not cold places like England, or New England." 

Flax is a plant like straw or hay that has a hard outer edge. Ask Caroline to tell you how to prepare the flax to make clothes. It's not an easy job. You have to grow acres and acres of it, cut it, wet it, dry it, repeat, and then use tools to get rid of the outside edge. Be careful of the hackles, they will cut you AND the plant. Inside the plant is a soft fiber that looks like hair, called linen. 

You can spin any of those fibers into string to make clothes.

Susanna tries using a flax wheel

This lady spins wool really fast on her spinning wheel using only her hands and feet.

She can dye it with plants like madder for red and woad for blue. Green has to be dipped twice: once in yellow and once in blue. Red is for poor people and green is for rich people. Um Felicity has BOTH! What does that make her? Middling. 

Naturally dyed yarn

Now we try to weave the string into cloth. I want to weave a blanket for my doll but this looks complicated.

Susanna tries weaving a doll blanket

Isabelle tries too. Someone before us made too many mistakes!

Isabelle tries weaving on a small loom

Isabelle and I try out the big loom.

This is impossible to do when your feet don't reach the pedals and your arms don't go all the way across! 

Grown-up help is needed!

Susanna and Isabelle need help weaving

Some blankets you can make with a loom.

Woven blankets

A Visit to Felicity's Williamsburg Part 2: Friends and Fashion

A Visit to Felicity's Williamsburg

Good day! I am writing to you from the 1770s in Williamsburg, Virginia. I am meeting with my very bestest friend Isabelle to visit Felicity and her hometown.

Isabelle and Susanna Best Friends Forever in any time!

                                       
Isabelle brought along another, new friend, Mary Jane, to time travel with us. Mary Jane looks just like my guardian when she was 10! People say I look like my guardian but Mary Jane (#13) is a closer match. 

It was pouring rain so our first stop was to go indoors and learn about what to wear in the 1750s.

First: Everyone in Williamsburg bought clothes from England. What you wore depended on what you could afford. If you could afford silk then you had a silk dress. If you couldn't, you wore wool or linen or a combination of both. People in Williamsburg were rich and had fancy clothes. All clothes were dyed with plant dyes and sewn by hand. No chemical dyes or sewing machines yet.

Georgian fashions from England: a lady's gown and man's red coat, buff waistcoat, breeches and tricorn hat

Second: Portraits are not always accurate representations of what people wore or what they looked like.

There are many weird things about this painting.

Third: Getting dressed was a lot of work. I was dressed almost right in my shift, stays and frock with stockings and shoes. I left my pocket and garters at home and my frock sash went missing before I even left home. Ladies embroidered their family members' initials on their shifts so no one wore someone else's underwear! EW!

A shift with embroidered initials

A pocket (left) and stays (right). Stays give you good posture.

                                       

This dress is made from wool.
The colors reminded me of my [Elizabeth's] fashion doll Charlotte.

Fourth: We went shopping!

Isabelle and Susanna shop for new clothing at the Milliner's shop

A visit to the Milliner and Mantua maker could get you everything you needed to dress fashionably.

Williamsburg Milliner's Shop

Milliners' shops are owned by women. A milliner offers the latest in haberdashery, jewelry, hosiery, shoes "and other items too tedious to mention."

Milliner and Mantua Maker's Shop

"In a word, they furnish everything to the Ladies that can contribute to set off their Beauty, increase their Vanity, or render them ridiculous."

The mantua maker is skilled in cutting, fitting, and sewing cloaks, mantles, hats, hoods, caps, gloves, petticoats, hoops, riding costumes, and dresses for masquerades – all in the latest fashion.

The Milliner and Mantua Maker

                                       

 New fashions came from England. Before there were fashion magazines, there were pandoras or fashion babies like the one behind me. Her pretty yellow dress reminds me of my own ball gown!

What a pretty dress on the fashion doll behind me.

Fashion doll in gold gown and fancy hats

Examining the latest fashions at the Milliner and Mantua Maker's Shop.

Behind me, the little white gown, is a child's frock for Nan, William and maybe Felicity.

There will be more fashion photos later with a link at the end. Next Isabelle and I will show you how to make clothes!