Pair of Colonial Snowshoes c.1700-1780 (right)
Loan Hollis Brodrick
Snowshoes were used by Native American in some form for centuries and were adopted by European settlers of the area for woodlands warfare. Local militias recognized the need for snowshoe proficiency by the end of the 17th century when they began to raise special companies of snowshoemen to combat the Indian enemy in winter.
Native American Mud or Marsh Shoe c. 1700 (left)
Loan Hollis Brodrick
This rare marsh shoe was found with a chunk of dugout canoe in the Mascoma River (NH) after a 1951 hurricane. They enabled Wabanaki men to run across marshes and swamps without getting bogged down.
Tin Lantern, c. 1700-1730
Loan Hollis Brodrick
An extremely rare survivor of the early 18th century. The glass let in with lead came and it originally had 4 ball feet, two of which survive.
Belt Buckle, c. 1670-1710
Loan Hollis Brodrick
Used by the English to support a belt for cartridge boxes, pistol, knife. This one is forged iron as was the norm.
Bottle, c. 1690-1710
Loan Hollis Brodrick
English export wine bottle. Bottles usually arrived empty and owners filled with wine from casks as needed.
Coins, 1652-1737
Loan Hollis Brodrick
Coinage used in colonial America. Because the English colonies were not allowed to manufacture their own coins, specie was always lacking. European coins, especially those minted by Spain in the South American mines, were the most common. Early pieces of eight were primitive looking coins grossly out of round which lent themselves to crooked people clipping off small chunks. Perfectly round coins were finally developed to end the clipping problem. This group of coins includes a piece of eight or $1 and then fractions of a dollar produced by dividing coins into smaller pieces, the smallest ones being 1/8 of a dollar or 1 bit hence the explanation for two bits being a quarter of a dollar.
Cartridge box c. 1690-1715
Loan Hollis Brodrick
Made of leather and wood. Identical cartridge boxes have been found in the wreck Elizabeth and Mary from Sir William Phipp's fleet attack on Quebec 1690. Another identical box was found in the wreckage of the pirate captain Bellamy's ship the Whydah sunk in 1717 off Cape Cod. These wrecks provide us with a date range of these, the first cartridge boxes made in New England. Microanalysis determined that all three examples are made of American wood.
Pistol c. 1670-80
Loan Hollis Brodrick
Made in England and restocked using maple in New England 1700-1720. It has been cut down since the restocking. Early settlers used these for self defense; men usually carried these in their belt.
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