Scriniary

Misc. Research

This page is about life in Colonial America, primarily New England, in approximately 1700. It exists primarily so I don’t lose my research notes. I am not a scholar; this is not an extensive discussion of the topic and the sources given at the bottom are by no means a comprehensive list. (I’m aiming for a plausible pseudo-colonial background.) Feel free to notify me of glaring errors and bad sources.

Lighting

The first lights were pine torches: pine wood in thin slices that burned and made tar.[1]

In 1634, candles cost 4 pence, so were expensive luxuries.[1]

New England had no tallow until cattle became more common, and fish oil was seldom used. They also got tallow from deer, moose, and bear fat.[1]

Wax was taken from beehives.[1]

The bayberry bush was another source of tallow. It grew in wet soil, thriving near the sea. The berries were gathered in the fall and boiled. The fat was skimmed off the top. The tallow was pale green. In 1687, the town of Brookhaven forbid picking berries before Sept. 15.[1]

Lamps (no date given) burned whale and fish oil but weren’t used much. Made of pewter, iron, brass.. [1]

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Law Enforcement

In 1658, New York City had 10 watchmen (night only?). The constables and the watch were appointed by law. Boston and Salem had 13 men in the night watch (no year given).[2]

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