Like George Mason, George Andrews ran an ordinary at the port town,
having been licensed in 1693, and he also kept the ferry across Potomac
Creek.[42] He died in 1698, leaving the property to his grandson John
Cave. From the inventory of his estate recorded in the Stafford County
records (Appendix A) we obtain a picture not only of the furnishings of
a house in the port town, but also of what constituted an ordinary.[43]
We are left with no doubt that as a hostelry Andrews' house left much to
be desired. There were no bedsteads, although six small feather beds
with bolsters and one old and small flock bed are listed. (Flock
consisted of tufted and fragmentary pieces of wool and cotton, while
"Bed" referred not to a bedframe or bedstead but to the tick or
mattress.) There were two pairs of curtains and valances. In the 17th
century a valance was "A border of drapery hanging around the canopy of
a bed."[44] Curtains customarily were suspended from within the valance
from bone or brass curtain rings on a rod or wire, and were drawn around
the bed for privacy or warmth. Where high post bedsteads were used, the
curtains and valances were supported on the rectangular frame of the
canopy or tester. Since George Andrews did not list any bedsteads, it is
possible that his curtains and valances were hung from bracketed frames
above low wooden frames that held the bedding. Six of his beds were
covered with "rugs," one of which was "Turkey work." There is no
indication of sheets or other refinements for sleeping.
Andrews' furniture was old, but apparently of good quality. Four "old"
cane chairs, which may have dated back as far as 1660, were probably
English, of carved walnut. The "old" table may have had a turned or a
joined frame, or possibly may have been a homemade trestle table. An
elegant touch was the "carpet," which undoubtedly covered it. Chests of
drawers were rare in the 17th century, so it is surprising to find one
described here as "old." A "cupboard" was probably a press or court
cupboard for the display of plates and dishes and perhaps the pair of
"Tankards" listed in the inventory. The latter may have been pewter or
German stoneware with pewter mounts. The "couch" was a combination bed
and settee. As in every house there were chests, but of what sort or
quality we can only surmise. A "great trunk" provided storage.
Andrews' hospitality as host is symbolized by his _lignum vitae_
punchbowl. Punch itself was something of an innovation and had first
made its appearance in England aboard ships arriving from India early in
the 1600's. It remained a sailor's drink throughout most of the century,
but had begun to gain in general popularity before 1700 in the colonies.
What is more remarkable here, however, is the container. Edward M. Pinto
states that such _lignum vitae_ "wassail" bowls were sometimes large
enough to hold five gallons of punch and were kept in one place on the
table, where all present took part in the mixing. They were lathe-turned
and usually stood on pedestals.[45] George Andrews' nutmeg graters,
silver spoons, and silver dram cup for tasting the spirits that were
poured into the punch were all elegant accessories.
Another resident whose estate was inventoried was Peter Beach.[46] One
of his executors was Daniel Beach, who was paid 300 pounds of tobacco
annually from 1700 to 1703 for "sweeping" and "cleaning" the courthouse
(Appendix B). Beach's furnishings were scarcely more elaborate than
Andrews'. Unlike Andrews, he owned four bedsteads, which with their
curtains and fittings (here called "furniture") varied in worth from 100
to 1500 pounds of tobacco. Here again was a cupboard, while there were
nine chairs with "flag" seats and "boarded" backs (rush-seated chairs,
probably of the "slat-back" or "ladder-back" variety). Eight more chairs
and five stools were not described. A "parcel of old tables" was listed,
but only one table appears to have been in use. There were pewter and
earthenware, but a relatively few cooking utensils. An "old" pewter
tankard was probably the most elegant drinking vessel, while one
candlestick was a grudging concession to the need for artificial light.
The only books were two Bibles; the list mentions a single indentured
servant.