A Place by the Fire

by Ian Mumpton

It’s getting colder here in Albany; time to stoke up the fire! In the 18^th century, the Schuyler family used a variety of methods to keep warm throughout the long winter months. Brussels carpeting, foot warmers, woolen clothing, bed warmers, fire-screens, and many other objects would have been used to control the temperature of the home, but the primary source of heat came from wood-burning fireplaces in every chamber of the house.

The library fireplace with andirons, shovel, and tongs.

Today, the fireplaces of the restored home are furnished with andirons, fire shovels, and tongs. Most of these are period pieces, and some of the andirons are believed to be 19^th century family pieces, descended from the children of Philip and Catharine Schuyler. One particularly fine example of a period shovel and tong set is on display in the library in the south west corner of the house. Made of iron with ball-headed brass handles, these tools were both decorative and practical. While it is unclear if they are original to the household, they date to approximately 1790, and are appropriate to the style Schuyler would have purchased.

Brass-handled shovel and tongs, circa 1790, maker unknown.

Family records specifically mention tools of this sort on several occasions. For example, in 1803, Philip Schuyler paid a total of fourteen shillings to a Peter Furlong for repairing a fire shovel , tongs, and a pair of andirons. In the same year, Furlong also altered iron curtain rods and hooks for the family. 

An image of an 18th century tavern fireplace with shovel and tongs.
Detail from "Tavern Interior", 1762, by John S.C. Schaak.

While curtains were reserved for decoration in the best rooms of the house, each chamber featured double-hung shutters on the windows. These shutters could be folded back into the walls to let in the maximum amount of daylight, but in colder months could be fully or partially closed as needed to keep in warmth. Furlong is also listed as having repaired a coffee mill for the family. Fire, curtains, and coffee? It sounds like Peter Furlong was the guy to have around during a long New York winter.

The regular tour season may be over at Schuyler Mansion, but our staff will be posting regular articles on a variety of topics over the coming months. Restoration efforts have redoubled as well, so check back often for images and articles on that topic, as well our other series. Lastly, while our regularly scheduled tours may be over until Spring, the site is offering tours by pre-registration on Thursdays and Saturdays over the Winter. Visit the Friends of Schuyler Mansion website or check us out on Facebook for details about tour times and other exciting events. 

A Child Named Hanover

by Ian Mumpton 

 I Philip Schuyler of the City of Albany Esquire do hereby in pursuance of the act in such case made and provided, Certify that Since the fourth day of July last a negro male Child named Hanover was born to whose Service I am entitled now aged Eight months and fifteen Days dated this 15^th Day of May 1801- From the Albany Manumission Register

In September of 1800, a baby boy was born to a woman named Silvia, one of the enslaved servants of the Schuyler family. It appears that Hanover was her third child; her others were named Tallyho and Tom. Because Silvia was herself enslaved, Schuyler claimed ownership of her children as well, including young Hanover. Silvia and her children would have worked for the Schuylers in the attached courtyard behind the mansion, and likely in the home as well.

It is unclear who Hanover’s father was. It is possible that he was one of the enslaved men at the Mansion - perhaps a man named Toby, purchased by Schuyler in 1797 at the same time as Silvia and her two older children. However, the father may have lived elsewhere, possibly as a freeman but more likely enslaved himself. The pattern of slavery in New York at the time involved a large number of people owning only a few slaves each. This led to the break-up of many families, with husbands and wives, parents, children and siblings being frequently sold away from each other. Nevertheless, some enslaved families found ways to stay in contact with their loved ones, and even (albeit infrequently) managed visits despite being separated by many miles in a society which severely restricted the mobility and independence of the enslaved. For instance, in 1774 a man named Mink stood as a baptismal sponsor for a child named Henry, along with a free woman of African descent named Sara Speck. Henry was the son of a man named Bill, an enslaved servant of a Schuyler relative, and Brit, a woman enslaved by Abraham Ten Broeck. Mink himself was enslaved by Philip Schuyler. Despite being enslaved by different families, these individuals were able to forge a wider kin-group amongst the enslaved and free population of Albany.

When Silvia was purchased by Philip Schuyler in 1797, she had little reason to think that she or any of her children would ever have the chance to escape from bondage. However, in 1799, New York State passed a Gradual Emancipation act which stipulated that any child born into slavery after July 4^th of that year would be freed upon reaching the age of twenty eight for men, or twenty five for women. Until that age, they were still considered the legal property of the family who had enslaved them. While this did not affect Silvia, Tom, or Tallyho, it would have ensured the eventual freedom of the youngest child, little Hanover - albeit only after the Schuylers had claimed the labor of his early adult years. In accordance with the law, in May of 1801 Philip Schuyler legally certified that Hanover had been born after the 4^th of July, 1799, but made certain to claim “[the] Service I am entitled”, referring to Hanover’s twenty eight year “indenture” as Schuyler’s legal property.

When studying the history of slavery, it is rare that we find “victories”. While it brought the prospect of freedom closer for many, the Gradual Manumission Act was still only a minor victory and, and like full abolition in New York in 1827, came too late for many. Occasionally though, it is possible to catch a glimpse of light in an otherwise discomforting past. One month after Philip Schuyler’s death, on December 15^th of 1804, Philip’s two surviving sons, Philip Jeremiah and Rensselaer, as well as his sons-in-law John Church and Stephen Van Rensselaer, appeared before the mayor of Albany to officially, “manumit, remise, and forever set free” seven of the people enslaved by Philip Schuyler. Those named in the document include Silvia, Tom, Tallyho, and Hanover. Toby is not listed in the manumission record, and may have died or been sold away prior to this date. Silvia was approximately thirty years old when she gained her freedom. Hanover was just over four years old, the youngest of those freed. It is unclear what happened to this family after they gained their freedom, or to the three others manumitted in the same document; a woman named Phoebe, a man named Stephan, and a man named Tone, the oldest of the seven, who found freedom at the age of forty eight.

For further reading about the Gradual Manumission Act of 1799, click here or visit  your local library. Shane White’s, Somewhat More Independent: The End of Slavery in New York City, 1770–1810, is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to learn more about slavery and racial politics in late 18^th/early 19^th century New York City and New York State.

To learn more about the history of slavery and the enslaved at Schuyler Mansion, check out other articles in this series by clicking here, or visit the site Wednesdays through Sundays between 11:00am and 5:00pm to continue your exploration. Call us at (518)434-0834 for tour times!

Welcome to the Northern Department

by Ian Mumpton

         Dear Sir

I do myself the Honor to inform Your Excellency of my Arrival at this Place early this Morning… Not one earthly thing for offence or defence has been done… About ten last night I arrived at the Landing place the north end of Lake George; a post occupied by a Captain and 100 men. A Centinel on being informed I was in the boat quitted his post to go and awake the guard, consisting of three men, in which he had no success. I walked up and came to another, a serjeant’s Guard. Here the centinel challenged, but suffered me to come up to him, the whole guard, like the first, in the soundest sleep. With a penknife only I could have cut off both guards, and then have set fire to the blockhouse, destroyed the stores, and starved the people here.

Major General Philip Schuyler, from a miniature by John Trumbull.

Original in the  Yale University Art Gallery.

Philip Schuyler penned the above message to General Washington upon his first arrival at Fort Ticonderoga on July 18^th, 1775, barely a month after being commissioned as a Major General in the Continental Army. What he found frustrated him, to say the least. Schuyler was already a man of military experience, having served as a provincial officer during the French and Indian War, and he expected high levels of professionalism from his men. Instead he found discipline lax, the department’s organization in shambles, the troops poorly equipped, ill, and underfed, and the general state of fortifications under his jurisdiction abysmal. He set out to rectify the situation, sending dozens of letters to other officers, military suppliers, and the Continental Congress. Elisha Phelps, the commissary at Albany, was ordered to send six grindstones to Ticonderoga, as well as nails and other building materials to put the garrison in order.

Embezzlement was another issue which Schuyler sought to address. Shortly after arriving at Ticonderoga, he issued a general order that, “All person whatever are strictly forbid from embezzling any of Colo. Skene’s Effects…at their peril.” Philip Skene was another former British officer, in this case a loyalist, whose nearby estate had been pillaged prior to Schuyler’s arrival. Schuyler similarly sought to end the embezzlement of supplies, ordering the commissaries to, “…pay great attention to the stores under their Care that they be not damaged by the weather  or other wise nor embezzled as a strict enquiry will be made from time to time by officers to inspect their proceedings.”

Schuyler also set an intelligence gathering network in place; identifying trustworthy and capable couriers tasked with conveying letters to Canada and returning with intelligence on the enemy.  Major Samuel Elmore at Crown Point was one of his subordinates charged with engaging “…a proper person to convey a Letter safely into Canada…[furthermore] any other intelligence You may receive from Canada You are immediately to communicate to me.”

Throughout all of this, Schuyler did not forget the underwhelming levels of discipline exhibited by the sentries who first greeted him at the Landing. Several of his orders specifically exhorted the troops of the Northern Army to show special diligence in their watch, including another letter to Elmore insisting that he, “… keep a small scout to the Westward lest any enemy should pass undiscovered and fall on our communication at the Landing or elsewhere- I have the fullest confidence that you will keep up strict discipline…”

Despite these early obstacles, Schuyler entertained an optimistic opinion of the troops under him, closing his report on the garrison by saying, “The officers and men are all good looking people, and decent in their deportment, and I really believe will make good soldiers as soon as I can get the better of this non-chalance of theirs. Bravery I believe they are far from wanting.”

You can read the original letter in its entirety here, through the National Archives.

This is the first of a series of posts focusing on Philip Schuyler’s military career during the American Revolution, so check back throughout the season for more Notes from the Northern Department!

An Overview of Slave Trade in New Netherland, New York and Schuyler Mansion

by Danielle Funiciello

“Slaves? In New York?” - It’s not an uncommon question on tours of Schuyler Mansion. 

Actors portraying Schuyler's enslaved workers and freemen
during Schuyler Mansion's "The Accused" Focus Tour (2014)

We are often led to believe that slavery was, more or less, “a problem of the South”, when in fact, slavery was an integral and inseparable part of the Dutch, Colonial and Early-American economy throughout the New World. Drawing from census records, receipts and Schuyler letters, we can piece together that between 8 and 13 people were enslaved under Philip Schuyler at the Albany estate over the years. An additional population at Philip’s Saratoga estate brought the total to at least 30. In his writings, Philip Schuyler most often referred to his enslaved workers as “the servants”. We intend to bring some of these individual “servants” into the spotlight throughout the season here on our blog, but let’s begin with a more general history of Slavery in New York and Albany.

Slavery was a nearly immediate truth of New Netherland. The Dutch West India Company was granted access to the Americas and West Africa as part of the same charter in 1621. They began a fur trade in New Netherland and a slave trade mainly operating out of Angola. In the early years, slaves were brought over direct from Angola to build the infrastructure that allowed the fur trade to operate and paved the way for Dutch settlement.

By the 1650s, when Philip’s great-grandfather Philip Pieterse Schuyler was settled in New Netherland, the preference had shifted to importing enslaved people from the Dutch Caribbean rather than from Angola, because Africans who had already worked the sugar plantations were “broken-in” and thought easier to control.

This trend would carry forward as the English take control and rename the land New York in 1664. Under English Colonial rule, New Yorkers often opted to pay more for African, Native or mixed-race individuals who were already enslaved, since they had valuable skills sets and were already privy to the customary rules of their white owners.

By 1790, when the first census was taken, Albany held the highest slave count of any county in the state with 3,722 residents living in slavery – 572 just in the city of Albany itself, out of a total city population of 3,498. Schuyler claimed 13 enslaved persons on this census record. Even those households which did not own slaves were engaged in the trade in other ways. Boatmen trafficked human cargo upriver from NYC, bankers and lawyers brokered deals exchanging human property, citizens who could not afford slaves of their own rented their labor from their masters, and the products of farms and mills were traded downriver to New York and from there to sugar plantations in the Caribbean. This included produce from Schuyler’s mills in Saratoga.

Meanwhile, on Schuyler’s Albany estate, the enslaved population seems to have been made up of a handful of men, several women and their children. The farm land was largely worked by white tenant farmers, so the majority of enslaved men were engaged in moving materials between Schuyler’s properties, working with the animals, operating mills and other skilled and semi-skilled labor. Under Catherine Schuyler’s direction, enslaved women tended to household tasks such as cooking, washing, and perhaps helping tend to the children. Evidence suggests that enslaved children were trained to serve as wait staff within the home. Several enslaved people made attempts to escape from the Schuyler property over the years.

Manumission efforts in New York did not truly begin in New York until after the American Revolution. In 1788, the slave trade was banned in state, though loopholes could be found and slave owners kept title to those under their enslavement. In 1799, New York passed “An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery” which allowed for the manumission of slaves dependent on their age and date of birth. In 1827, slavery was outlawed entirely, but even under these laws many slave owners were able to transfer their enslavement into indentured servitude or otherwise devise unfair working conditions for “freemen”. Slavery may have functioned differently in the North, but it was the economic base on which New York and Albany were built.

We intend to discuss all aspects of life at Schuyler Mansion for the enslaved population in greater detail moving forward, but we hope this article gives you a framework for understanding the world in which Philip Schuyler and his enslaved population lived and worked.

Sources (in addition to the collections at Schuyler Mansion) and further reading:

http://slavenorth.com/index.html

http://exhibitions.nysm.nysed.gov//albany/census1790.html

http://www.slaveryinnewyork.org/history.htm

The Family's Fire Buckets

by Rebecca Kurtz

When taking a tour of Schuyler Mansion, you will see, in the yellow parlor as well as nearly every other room, black buckets that read : “P. Schuyler” and a number. These are fire buckets, which were commonly found in households during the eighteenth century.

In 1733, Benjamin Franklin, upon observing that fires in Philadelphia were extinguished primarily by groups of well-meaning citizens, suggested that a “Club or Society of active Men belonging to each Fire Engine; whose Business is to attend all Fires with it whenever they happen " should be formed.

Benjamin Franklin

Thus, throughout the 1700’s, early incarnations of fire departments were developing throughout the United States. These primal versions of fire departments still, like all other citizens, relied on wells and water pumps as a source of water. Therefore, to increase the probability of having enough water to douse fires, homeowners were mandated to have leather fire buckets in the houses.The number of fire buckets per household was determined by the amount of fireplaces in the house. For example, Schuyler Mansion has eight fireplaces (one in each room of the house) so the Schuyler family would have been issued eight fire buckets. When there was a fire, each household would be expected to fill their fire buckets with water from the well (or have their slaves or servants do it) and throw them on the fire, forming citizen bucket lines. 

When the fire was extinguished, the buckets would be collected, distinguished by the names painted on them, and returned to their owners.  If a household’s fire

Citizens working together to extinguish a fire with buckets

buckets were not found (or not all of them were found) it would be known that that family did not adequately participate in the effort to put out the fire, and they would face repercussions that could include exclusion from the service. 

The fire buckets that are currently on display at Schuyler Mansion are reproductions. Oftentimes, when visitors see the fire buckets on tours, they ask whether they would have sometimes contained sand as well as water. The answer is yes, they would have. Not only would the Schuyler family have utilized their fire buckets in order to contribute to the community effort to extinguish fires, but they also would have used them to put out fires in their own fireplaces. It would often be easier to store sand in the buckets, which we kept nearby fireplaces, because, unlike water, sand did not evaporate.

Come see the fire buckets today at Schuyler Mansion! Our final day of the season, October 31st, is just over a week away!

Courtly Carpeting in the Schuyler Home

by Rebecca Kurtz

Detail of the Brussels carpeting in the Yellow Parlor

Last week, you were introduced to the Yellow Parlor, a room at Schuyler Mansion that epitomizes just how English the Schuylers considered themselves to be. We previously discussed the history surrounding the sophisticated flocked wallpaper that bedecks the walls of the yellow parlor. This week, however, we will focus on the Brussels carpeting that covers the parlor’s floor.

During the eighteenth century, the wealthiest in the colonies imported Oriental rugs from Asia known as Turkish carpets. However, English carpets were popular as well and, since they were not nearly as expensive as their Asian counterparts, they were more common in the colonies. Philip Schuyler chose Brussels carpets over the other English styles at the time, which were Ingrain, Wilton, and Axminster.

Brussels Carpeting

The Brussels carpet, a loop-pile, wool carpet with a linen warp that contained five colors, was originally created in Brussels circa 1710. England began producing them around 1740, and continued until the 1930’s. Many carpets during the eighteenth century were purchased in long, narrow strips that needed to be sized and sewn together. The same is true of the reproduction that is displayed in the yellow parlor today.

The reproduction Brussels carpets that are in Schuyler Mansion today (in Philip and Catherine’s bedchamber as well as the yellow parlor) were constructed by John Burrows, the founder of J.R. Burrows & Company, which produces period floor coverings.

So, come to Schuyler Mansion for a tour, and when you are in the yellow parlor and Philip and Catherine’s bedchamber, take a moment to appreciate the beautiful Brussels carpeting. There are just three weeks left of our 2015 season- so hurry! If you want to take a look at some of John Burrow’s work during the off-season, some can be found in the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

An Introduction to the Yellow Parlor: Welcome and Wallpaper

by Rebecca Kurtz

Right across from the Best Parlor at Schuyler Mansion, on the opposite side of the center hall, is the Yellow Parlor. The yellow parlor was a space where the Schuyler family and their more intimate guests would have gathered to converse, read from the Bible, and enjoy activities such as playing cards and viewing prints. This room was less formal than the Best Parlor. It is called the ‘Yellow Parlor’ because early in the eighteenth century rooms were often named after their location in the house (northeast) or by their color (yellow).  Although we refer to the room as the yellow parlor today, it is likely that, by the 1780’s, the term ‘sitting room’ was being used to describe the room’s function.

In the 1760’s, while Schuyler Mansion was being constructed, Philip’s superior from the British Quartermasters during the French and Indian War, John Bradstreet, sent him to England to tie up some loose ends. Philip took the opportunity to purchase a number of fashionable items while abroad to decorate his new Georgian home. These items included flocked wallpapers, Brussels carpets, and worsted fabric.

Today, the yellow parlor is decorated much more comprehensively than the parlor on the other side of the hall. This is largely due to the fact that we are still in possession of Schuyler’s receipts from when he was in England. These receipts give some indication of the types of items he purchased,

The flocked wallpaper adorning the yellow parlor

particularly the colors. Based on Philip’s receipts and the fashions that were used in decorating rooms in the mid to late eighteenth century, a monochromatic scheme was utilized during the most recent restoration of the parlor. Thus, the reproduction fabric, carpet, and wallpaper all contain shades of yellow.

The wallpaper currently adorning the yellow parlor is a reproduction of yellow flocked wallpaper. Flocked wallpaper was popularized in the eighteenth century by England and France, but may have been developed Italy as early as the fifteenth century. Prior to the Seven Years War (1754-1763) blue flocked paper from England was considered to be most fashionable. However, in order to meet demand for the paper in their country, France began producing flocked wallpaper as well. Additionally, these wallpapers regained their popularity throughout the 1970’s.

Flocked wallpaper gets its name from the fact that powdered textiles, such as wool, in the case of the wallpaper at Schuyler Mansion, were glued onto the paper in a printed design. Most wallpaper was imported and expensive during this time period. Thus, by displaying flocked wallpaper in his home, Philip Schuyler was able to express to his visitors that he not only had excellent taste in home décor, but also the money to afford it.

The yellow parlor is not the only room in Schuyler Mansion exhibit flocked wallpaper. Currently, there is red flocked wallpaper in the dining room, green in Philip’s library and Philip and Catherine’s bedchamber, and blue in the boy’s bedchamber. The reproductions that now adorn the mansion were installed within the first decade of this century.

Come to Schuyler Mansion and see these beautiful flocking patterns for yourself! Also, be sure to follow this blog, as next week we will be discussing more of the reproduction pieces that enhance the experience of visiting the yellow parlor!