Catherine Rathell first appears in the Virginia Gazette on April 18, 1766 when she advertises that she is "lately arrived from London and at present in Fredericksburg." In this advertisement she advertises a variety of imported good to include the best flowered and plain satins, flowered and plain modes, sarcenets, and Persians flowered, striped and plain English gauze, from 5s. 9d. to 12s. a yard, great variety of blond, minionet, thread and black lace, joining blonds for ladies caps and handkerchiefs, black and white gauze handkerchiefs, wedding and other fans from 4s. 6d. to 30s., ready made stomachers and knots, a great variety of ribands, french beads and earrings, ladies caps from 2s. 6d. to 25s., fly caps and lappets, egrets of all sorts, silk and leather gloves and mitts, summer hats and cloaks, cardinals, French tippets, black gauze and catgut love riband for mourning, silk, thread and cotton stockings, for ladies and gentlemen, gentlemens laces ruffles from 30s. to 10l., bags for wigs and solitaires, Irish linens and tapes in variety, garnet and Bristol stone and pearl sleeve buttons set in silver, garnet and gold broaches, a variety of silver shoe buckles, in the newest fashions for ladies and gentlemen, with knee buckles for the later, silver thimbles with steel bottoms, pencils in silver cases, enameled nutmeg graters, best needles sorted in due proportion from the finest cambrick to the largest darning needles, in such variety as never before imported, with some articles of stationery, viz. blank ledgers, memorandum and pocket books in great variety, and sundry articles too tedious to mention. she also advertised that she made all sort of millinery in the best and newest taste for the following prices: full dress suits 11s. 6d., laced do at 9s. 6d., plain do at 7s. 6d., also washes and makes up all sorts of laces and gauzes, so as to be little inferior to new. She also sold Dr. Anderson's pills.
Advertisement for Catherine Rathell in Fredericksburg
Virginia Gazette April 18, 1766
By the time Rathell advertised in the Virginia Gazette on October 6, 1768, she had relocated to Williamsburg. In addition to advertising that she had lodgings available for six gentlemen, she advertised a variety of imported goods to include flowered satin and spotted mode cardinals and cloaks, hats and bonnets, gauze and lace, plain, striped and book muslin, fine thick cambrick and clear lawns, fine book muslin bordered handkerchiefs, a large and fashionable assortment of ribands, caps, egrets, plumes, feathers, and fillets, exceeding fine lappet hoods, a neat assortment of garnet and paste, hoop and other rings, paste shoe, knee, and stock buckles, silver mounted morocco pocket books with instruments, and some very complete and secure with two locks, housewives for ladies with instruments, boys satin caps of all sizes, white, black, and coloured, silk hose, fine India cotton do, different sorts of cotton and worsted do., boys and girls worsted do., Didsbury's best shoes and pumps for gentlemen, red blue and yellow slippers for do., Didsbury's best and neatest black and white satin calimanco pumps for ladies, a piece of exceeding good black paduasuay, a very very neat and genteel assortment of wedding, mourning, second mourning, and other fans, cases for do., childrens shoes of all sizes, artificial hair pins, breast flowers, equal in beauty to any every imported, and so near resemble nature that the nicest eye can hardly distinguish the difference, coloured, white, and black silk French kid and lamb gloves and mitts for ladies, girls and children, buck, doe, kid, lamb, woodstock, wash leather, and white gloves for gentlemen, black silk bags and roses for do., blond silk and cotton thread for working, sewing silks of all sorts, best English pound and paper pins, needles sorted, fine plaited stocks and stock tape, quilted petticoats, red cardinals, garlands and trimmings, walking sticks, canes and ratans, skeleton and skeign wire, three for a shilling, with many other articles too tedious to insert. She also had on hand a few dozen of large and small felt hats, some pieces of German and British osnabrigs.
Advertisement for Catherine Rathell in Williamsburg
Virginia Gazette October 6, 1768
On April 13, 1769, Rathell advertised in the Virginia Gazette that she intended to leave Williamsburg for London and return in a few months.
Advertisement for Catherine Rathell's departure from Williamsburg
Virginia Gazette April 13, 1769
She did return to London to purchase new merchandise, but she did not return to Williamsburg as she had advertised earlier in April. Instead, on September 7, 1769, Rathell announced in the Maryland Gazette, that she had opened shop at the house of William Whetcroft in West Street, near the Town Gate in Annapolis. Here she advertised a variety of imported goods for sale to include white satins, India and other chintzes, calico, ginghams, muslin, cat-gut, flowered gauze aprons, cloaks, cardinals, hats, bonnets, a fashionable assortment of caps, egrets, fillets, breast flowers, a large assortment of fashionable ribands, hats for youths and boys, riding hats and feathers for ladies, gold bands, buttons and loops, silk pieces for gentlemens breeches, black, white and colored silk hose for gentlemen, spun silk ditto, superfine India cotton ditto, both for ladies and gentlemen, worsted and cotton ditto for children, a very neat paste necklace and earrings, French bead earrings and necklaces, box and ivory combs, chased and plain silver nutmeg graters, very neat enameled ditto, jet bunches, ivory cases, with smelling bottles, riband measures, kid, lamb and silk gloves and mitts for ladies, with all sorts of wedding, mourning and other fans, silk, brown thread, doe, buck, lamb, woodstock, wash-leather, and white gloves for gentlemen, neat shoes and pumps for ditto, childrens and girls shoes of all sorts, white trimmings, new fashioned riband ruffs, very fine plaited stocks and stock tape, ladies riding sticks, blond silk, and cotton thread for working, watch strings, Irish garters, garlands, feather and other muffs, pocket handkerchiefs, satin caps for boys, sewing silks, thead and tapes of all kinds, court plaisters, skeleton and skein wire, and many other articles.
Advertisement for Catherine Rathell in Annapolis
Maryland Gazette September 9, 1769
Rathell returned to London and in July 1771 left London with a very large cargo. Returning to Williamsburg, Rathell advertised on October 10, 1771 in the Virginia Gazette that she had opened a shop "where Mr. Ayscough lately lived, opposite the South side of the Capitol" as "it was impossible to get a house on the main street" and hoped "the little distance [would] make no difference to her former customers." This building is better known to visitors to Colonial Williamsburg today as the Gunmaker's Shop.
Shop Occupied by Catherine Rathell in Colonial Williamsburg from October 1771 to January 1772
Advertisement for Catherine Rathell in Williamsburg
Virginia Gazette October 10, 1771
On November 16, 1771 Rathell wrote to John Norton in London, principal partner of John Norton and Sons expressing interest in having his firm supply her with goods for her shop in Williamsburg. In this letter she placed a rather small order for good as follows:
3 Doz.n Sword Canes... 7/ ps
24 Spring Brass Candlesticks... with 1/2 half a pound of Taper Green Wax Candle on 12 of them & a pound of Do on Each of the other twelve, with 12 pound of white wax Do. in paper for a supply
2 Doz.n pair very Neat best Doe or Buck Skin Gloves
Rathell again wrote to Norton in London with another order for goods as follows:
8 pair of the very best Neat Paste Shoe Buckles from 30/ to 50 a pair
2 pair of Neat high Thread Paste Knee Do 1 3/4 Inch Long at 10 to 11/ a ps.
12 pr. of handsome New fashion Gilt Shoe Do With knee to Match but not very small
18 pair of Plaited Carved Shoe Buckles. I bought them in London last July for 2/ a pr.
1 piece of 25 yards of Irish Stout yard Wide Linen at 14d or 15 a yard
3 pair of Plaited Soop ladles
4 pair of Silver Sauce Spoons with round Bowls & Crooket handles like the Ladles
3 Good Second hand Silver Watches Cuped from 50/ to £3
3 Neat Do. ----- Do Pinch Back With plain Green & Blue fish Skin Cases
1 Gross of Bone or Ivory Bodkings
3 Dozn. of Silver ------- Do
2 pair of handsome Plaited Candle Sticks from 4 to 5 pounds
2 pair of flat Plaited Do with Snuffers and Extinguishers
24 Very Neat Moroco Pocket Books Pocket Books some with Silver Edges & Pockets at Each Ends, one End with Lock & Key, and some Stitched with Silver Wire from 15/ to a Guinea, the must be very handsome & have good Instruments
24 Smaller Do from 4/6 to 10/ with Instruments
12 Asses Sking Memordm Books in Gilt Leather Cases & Ribon to pull out
18 of the Best London Razors with Crooket Backs
12 London Do Streight Backs
6 yards of Bright Pink half ell Peeling Satin at 3/6 p yard
6 yards of handsome Blue Do ------ Do ------- at Do
36 yards of White flannell, the thickest & Best that Can be got for 13 or 14d p yd
N.B. it Must be very White as it is for Gentlemens Jackets
1 Gross of Blue Silk Jacket Buttons at 2/6 pr Gross the Colour to match the Peelg.
1 Gross of Pink Silk Buttons to Match the Pink Sattin at Do
1 Dozn. of Best and Neatest Buck or Doe Sking Gloves added to 2 Dozn. I sent to you for by Mr. Norton
2 Dozn. of Best Sham Beaver Gloves, it the are very good to send 3 Dozn.
3 Dozn. of the Neatest New fashion Gent.mens sleeve Buttons
12 Handsome Necklaces of Diferent Sorts & Coulars Set in Silver and Some with Earrings from 18 to 20/ a ps.
3 Garnet Sprigs from 9 to 12/ a ps.
all to make play purses
1 oz of Gold flat
1 os of Silver Do
1 oz of Bright Blue Silk Twist
1 oz of handsome Pink Do
1 oz of Green Do
1 Soft flesh Brush
On January 17, 1772, Rathell again wrote to Norton in London ordering the following:
6 Dozn. or Didsburys or Carpues best and Neatest Shoes, half of the Dress & the other half very Stout & Strong of Wax Leather for Wet Weather
6 Dozn. of Neat London Mead Mens shoes of all sizes at 4/ 4/6 & 5/
6 Dozn of Girls Callamco. Shoes of all Colours & from 12 years of age to one year, the very smallest first Size I have
When Rathell wrote to Norton again on January 31, 1772, she informed him that she now had a store exactly opposite the Raleigh Tavern where she hoped "to do three times the business [she] ever did." At that time she also ordered the following:
6 Dozn. of Either Didsbury or Carpues best & Neatest Shoes, half of them very stout Wax Leather, the other Dress, Stitched heels &c long hind Quarters from ye largest to the smallest size
6 Dozn. of Neat & Strong Do at 4/6 or 5/
6 Dozn. Girls black & Red Leather & Callamco Shoes Some with Cork heels to fit from the age of one year to 12, I have on hand a Quantity of the first Shoes don't want any of them
All of the Above I wrote for by post the 17th Inst.
8 pairs Tutenague Newest fashioned Salts & Glasses
8 pr. of Silver Salt Shovells for Do
9 Dozn. of yellow Gilt Leather Listing for Doors
9 Dozn. of White Silverd Do both from 4 to 6/ p Dozn
Nails to Match both
2 Dozn. of White Ribed Silk Hose , half with , & half without Flowered Clocks at 12/6 Diferent Sises or 13/
3 Dozn. of handsome Dark Coulard Ribed & plain Silk Do at 12/
4 Dozn. of Gentlemens Nicest white Kid Gloves diferent Sizes
2 Dozn. White Silk Do some very large
3 Dozn. Neat Lamb Gloves Ladies Do. at 12 or 13. pr Dozn.
2 Dozn. pair of Do Mitts Diferent Sizs at Do. at Do
2 lb of Indie Cotton in Ounces for working Muslin &c
16 Dozn. of White Neat floss Trimings at 6 & 7/6 p Dozn.
1 Dozn. of Ladies White Silk Gloves Large & small
4 Dozn. of Purple Lamb Mitts Branched
2 Dozn. Kid Do
2 Dozn. Childrens fine Cotton Hose 6 Diferent Sises to fit from 4 to 10 years old
1 Dozn. of Small Boys Gloves
2 pieces of very handsome Black & white Second Mourning Ribbon
3 pieces of Black plain Edged Sattin Ribbon for tieing hair
18 Very Neat green Leather Ladies Pocket Books silver Locks & good Instruments, 12 of them with Pockets at Each End
12 yards of neat spriged Gause undressed 4 yards of a Sort
3 Dozn. of Blond Lace for Do. from 1/6 to 2/6 p yard
6 Nice White Silver paperd Weding fans, Pierced Ivery Sticks
4 White Quilted Peeling Child Bed Basket & Pin Cushions well & Safe Packed up or the Sattin will Mildue & spot
6 Cards of Childrens very Neat Small Locket Button Set in Silver
12 Reading Glasses Set in Silver, & Cases for Do
1 Dozn. Green handle Jubily Pocket Knives & forks both in a piece
6 pound of Pigtail Tobacco in Small roles its for a Gentlemans Chewing must be the best & wrapped up very Carefully separate papers
2 pair of tutenague Snuffers & Snuff Dishes
3 pair of Plaited Do
6 Cheese Cutters
12 pair of Nail Nippers
6 Powder Machines
1 piece of the best Black Worsted peticoat Binding Broad
6 Tambore flowered with Silk Sword Knots
4 plaited Table Crosses
6 Neat Newest fashioned falling Necklaces
4 Dozn. of Essance of Pearl from Bayley in Cockspur Street
2 Dozn. Dentefrice from Do
4 Dozn. of Tooth Brushes from Do 2 of Each Sort
200 of the very long Bonnet or Hat Pins yt are 6 Inches Long
1 Lb of Caraway Seeds
3 pr of Black &
3 pr of Second Mourning Buckles Very neat Ovel
24 yards of fine Jacobs Lather [Ladder]
2 Cinder Showells for my self at 1/ each
2 pr. of fire Iron holdfasts for Do.
1 Piece of Love Ribd for to tie in Boes Stomachers & Sleeve knots
The final surviving order which Rathell placed with John Norton & Sons was in a letter dated July 22, 1772 and is as follows:
12/ in Blond Laces & Edgings, none of the Lace to Exceed 2/6 a yard & Some Edging as Low as 2/6 a Dozn. to 12/ a Dozn. With about 12 yards of flowd Gause for Suits of Linen
4 pieces of Narrow Pink Ribn
4 pieces of Blue Do
4 pieces of White Do 2d
all the Breath of the Patton, & no other Coulers
3 Dozn. of Thread hair Nets, Such as gentlemen Sleep in
3 Dozn. Bunches of Pink Sheneele & No Other Coulars
18 yards of Catgut at 14 pence a yard
4 pound of Scane wire half Corse & half fine
Advertisement for Catherine Rathell in Williamsburg
Virginia Gazette May 5, 1774
Advertisement for Catherine Rathell in Williamsburg
Virginia Gazette October 20, 1774
Advertisement for Catherine Rathell in Williamsburg
Virginia Gazette February 23, 1775
On October 6, 1775 in the Virginia Gazette, M. Brodie, at Mrs. Rathell's store, advertised the sale of all the stock in the store as well as a large bow window, with bars and windows, some show glass and glass cases.
Within sight of Liverpool on November 26, 1775, Mrs. Rathell was lost at sea when the ship she was returning to England foundered and sank.
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