YOUR QUAKER ANCESTOR
Men’s and Women’s Colonial Dress
Steven W. Morrison
5903 44th Way NE, Olympia, WA 98516
[email protected]
© 2010, Steven W. Morrison – Not to be copied without permission
QUAKERS
Religious Society of Friends
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“Quaker” used in 1650 ~ the trembling of
Friends under religious fervor
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The title “Friends” was adopted in 1652
Quaker = Friend
Friend = Quaker
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Early self references as „Children of Light‟ or
„Friends of Truth‟
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Quakers were …
 Disillusioned with the worldliness of the
new Church of England
 In English records they are called …
“Nonconformists”
Quakers in the American Colonies
What things help us distinguish Quakers from
other early settlers in the American colonies?  Unlikely to be found in records of the Church
“[In the mother country] … the English,
Scots and Irish, could all be recognized in
the street by their dress as well as by their
accent or language. Clearly … Quakers
are a separate people … [This was]
because their dress and their customs
were different from others. … Quakers
[were] … a third, another nationality of
people.”
Douglas, John M. The Beginnings of Quakerism in the
17th Century Ireland. Historical Committee of the
Religious Society of Friends in Ireland, Dublin. 2004.
Imagine playing “Where’s Waldo” in colonial
America to find your Quaker ancestor.
of England
QUAKER BELIEFS
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Post-Reformation Christians
Seeking a „True Religion‟
Sought the Holy Spirit thought the metaphor
of the „Inward Light‟
Spark of light in everyone
Meetings are in silence
Any Man or Woman might speak when they
felt the spirit
Avoided the services of a paid clergy
NO hymns, NO readings, NO liturgy, and
NO sermons
Live life as inspired by the Bible
QUAKERS …
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2. MEN’S COLONIAL DRESS
Rejected taking up arms to defend the State
Church
Rejected certain sacraments of the Church
- Baptism, and
- Holy Days
Refused oath-taking on religious grounds
Refused to give deference to upper class or clergy
- Would not tip their hat to the gentry, or
- Remove hat in a church or official building
Refused to tithe or pay assessments to the State
Church
1. QUAKER COLONIAL DRESS
The Colonial Period precedes the Friends “plain dress”
era and is from 1680 to 1775. Quakers admonished
themselves to dress plainly and soberly. Avoid all
appearances of vanity or luxury. Attire should be of
quiet dress. Elimination of applied decoration:
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Braid
Ornate Buttons
Ribbons
Plumes
Laces and
Gaudy shoes
John Parrish
(1730-1807)
Pennsylvania
Many men in the early 1700's did not own more than
about 2-4 outfits. Their clothing would usually be
made of wool or linen. It would all be hand sewn
either by a woman they knew or if they lived in or near
a city and had some money, by a tailor.
Standards of cleanliness were very different from
today. Germs had not yet been discovered. The links
between dirt, infection and disease had not been made.
This meant that clothing was not washed often. Some
items that did not touch the skin, such as a waistcoat,
might never be washed!
Layers of a Man’s Attire
Quaker simplicity and plainness did not mean
cheapness. Quakers used the best of materials, silks
and linens. These were in muted tones and without the
frills.
Quaker town dwellers felt the influence of wealth and
outside influences. Removed from worldly contacts,
country Quakers were more secure in keeping to their
gray and brown simplicity. Quakers of the world often
chose to dress more gaily (worldly), in the fashions of
the day. “Gay” Quakers vs. Plain Quakers.
Undergarments
 Shirt
 Stockings
 Garters
Foundation Garments
 Breeches
 Waistcoat
 Shoes
 Kerchief
Hair
Daily Garments
 Hat
 Coat
Outer Garments
 Great Coat
George Fox (1624-1691) Quaker Founder
YOUR QUAKER ANCESTOR – Men‟s and Women‟s Colonial Dress
© 2010, Steven W. Morrison, 5903 44th Way NE, Olympia, WA 98516
3. WOMEN’S COLONIAL DRESS
SELECTED INTERNET SITES
Colonial Clothing
www.englishcountrydancing.orgcolonial6.html
Colonial House
Martha Routh
(1743-1817)
English Quaker Minister
www.pbs.org/wnet/colonialhouse/ history/dress_up_flash.html
Colonial Williamsburg
www.history.org/foundation/journal/winter03-04/clothing.cfm
Cyndi‟s List: Quaker Sites
www.cyndislist.com.quaker.htm
Like men, women only owned 2-4 outfits. Their
clothing was wool or linen, except for the gentry
which could afford silk. Everything was hand sewn.
Memorial Hall Museum Online
www.americancenturies.mass.edu/home.html
The Quaker Corner
www.rootsweb.com/~quakers
The styles of the times dictated that elbows and knees
be covered at all times!
Clothing was seldom washed. Some items that did not
touch the skin, such as a gown, might never be
washed!
Layers of a Woman’s Attire
Undergarments
 Shift
 Stockings
 Garters
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Foundation Garments
 Pockets
 Stays
 Shoes
 Kerchief
Hair
Frost, J. William. The Quaker Family in Colonial
America. St. Martin‟s Press, New York, NY. 1973.
Fischer, David H. Albion’s Seed: Four British Folkways
in America. Oxford University Press, New York, NY.
1989.
Jones, Rufus M. The Quakers in the American Colonies.
Russell and Russell. NY. 1962.
Daily Garments
 Petticoats
 Stomacher
 Cap
 Gown
 Belt
Kendall, Joan. The Development of a Distinctive Form of
Quaker Dress. Costume, Number 19, 1985.
Outer Garments
 Hood
 Cape
 Mittens
 Basket
Lee-Whitman, Leanna. Silks and Simplicity: A study of
Quaker Dress as Depicted in Portraits, 1718-1855.
Dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, 1987.
Lapsansky, Emma Jones and Verplanck, Anne A.,
editors. Quaker Aesthetics: Reflections of a Quaker
Ethic in American Design and Consumption.
Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003.
Quaker Dress in the Historical Library. The Friendly
Word. July/Aug 1990, pg 6.
YOUR QUAKER ANCESTOR – Men‟s and Women‟s Colonial Dress
© 2010, Steven W. Morrison, 5903 44th Way NE, Olympia, WA 98516