Clothes for a Sailor in Late Colonial Maryland...

When looking descriptions of clothing worn by particular occupations in Late Colonial Maryland, we have a few sources for which we can look. There are the prints and drawings done principally by English artists working in London. We also have the descriptions of runaway advertisements for members of ships crew. But a third source also exists, and this is the order books of merchant firms, in this case those records from the Annapolis merchants, Wallace, Davidson & Johnson.

 Bill Head for Captain William Bonus, Slop Seller

© State Library, New South Wales

Below you will find the transcriptions of that category of clothing known as slops, which were cheap, ready made clothing specifically associated with sailors.

(from Maryland State Archives, Chancery Court (Chancery Papers, Exhibits) Wallace, Davidson Johnson, Order Books, 1771/4/25-1775/11/16. MSA S 528-27/28)  


For Wallace, Davidson and Johnson
April 25, 1771

Slops
6 sailor canvas frocks, 3 prices 2/
6 pr do trousers 3 do 2/
24 check shirts 2/6
24 blue serge waistcoats, 6 of a sort 7/
18 large blue fearnought waistcoats 5/
24 kilmarnock caps for sailors 1/3
1 doz mens great coats 9/

For Wallace, Davidson and Johnson

August 4, 1771

Slops

6 sailors canvas frocks, 3 prices
6 pr sailors canvas trousers, 3 do
24 check shirts, 4 do
24 blue serge waistcoats, 4 do
24 kilmarnock caps for sailors

For Wallace, Davidson and Johnson
November 26, 1771

Slops

£40 worth summer slops,

a quantity of shirts in them

For Wallace, Davidson and Johnson

January 23, 1772

Slops

24 great coats sorted

2 doz fearnought pea jackets

3 doz serge bays jackets sorted

4 doz thick spotted flannel do

1 doz pr thick flannel drawers

1 doz spotted swanskin

1 doz pr woolen trousers

6 doz mill'd kilmarnock caps

6 doz check shirts sorted some good

1 doz frocks sorted

1 doz pr trowsers

For Wallace, Davidson and Johnson

May 24, [1773]

Slops

24 mens great coats from 9/ to 10/

12 do from 16/ to 25/

6 do from from 27/ to 35/

36 mens fearnought pea jackets

1 doz smaller do sorted

36 mens jackets from 5/ to 7/

24 do swan skin about 4/

36 do spotted cotton do 3/

48 pr mens swan skin cotton & fearnought draws & trousers [    ] trousers long

6 doz mens shirts sorted

2 doz mens canvas frocks

2 doz do long trousers

For Wallace, Davidson and Johnson

[1773]

Slops

2 doz red & blue striped jackets partly large

2 doz striped long trousers

2 doz thin duck long do

1 doz stript cotton shirts pretty large

1 doz flock mattresses for sailors

1/2 doz better do

For William Lux & Bowly

[1774?]

Slops

1 oz fearnought great coats blue

1 doz large blue jackets

2 doz sorted spotted do

1 doz short blue serge do lined with flannell

For Wallace, Davidson and Johnson

March 19, 1774

Slops

24 mens great coats from 9/ to 10/
50 mens fearnought pea jackets
1 doz smaller do sorted
36 mens jackets from 5/ to 7/
24 mens swanskin do 4/
60 mens spotted cotton do 3/
1 doz mens great coats from 15/ to 30/
2 doz white flannel drawers
1 doz flock bed sorted
2 doz long colored woolen trousers

For Wallace, Davidson and Johnson - Nottingham Store

March 19, 1774

Slops

2 doz spotted swanskin jackets 48/
1        spotted cotton do 36/
3 mens large drab colored great coats 15/
3 do do 18/
3 do do 24/
3 do do 30/

For Archibald Buchanan

March 20, 1774

Slops

4 doz large grey fearnought jackets 5/

For Buchanan & Cowan

March 20, 1774

Slops

3 doz grey fearnought jackets 5/

For Wallace, Davidson and Johnson

[1774]

Slops

6 doz shirts linen and cotton checked & striped sorted
1 doz petticoat trousers sorted
2 doz long do do
1 doz mens frocks do
2 doz striped jackets do
1 doz small striped linen ticken & crankey mattresses with pillows sorted
1/2 doz large hair do

For Wallace, Davidson and Johnson - Nottingham Store

November 17, 1774

Slops

2 mens drab great coats 15/
2 do do 18/
2 do do 20/

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