Hunting Shirts in the Carolinas - Part 1

 

Museum of the American Revolution

I'm going to preface this blog post with the following........

Sharing is caring and that I am no means an expert when it comes to Hunting Shirts however, I'm sharing what research I have found and by putting the information out there in a blog post will hopefully bring more awareness to these items and their significance in material culture.

Hunting Shirts

In my opinion the leading expert in hunting shirts is Neal Hurst.......and I will bow down to the King of Hunting Shirts (that's my nickname I have given him as a sign of reverence). Attached is Neal's thesis on hunting shirts in America for those who haven't read it.  It's a great resource.  https://www.academia.edu/3336557/_kind_of_armour_being_peculiar_to_America_The_American_Hunting_Shirt?source=swp_share

Now back to our normal schedule.....

Hunting shirts appear in the backcountry of North Carolina in early 1760s.  This was the first one that I found in NC.   It is in the inventory of Daniel Prichard who died 1763 but his estate was not sold off until 1765.  Underlined is the hunting shirt he had in his estate which was sold for 7 shillings and 2 pence.  Also within in estate was a pair of leather breeches which sold for 11 shillings and several Indian blankets and linen leggings which is listed on this page and sold for 2 shillings.

Daniel Prichard estate sale 1765 Burke County, NC - Source: North Carolina County, District and Probate Courts. Burke County Wills and Estate Papers

Here we have another estate record with reference to a hunting shirt "hunten shirt" being sold in the estate of Nicholason Ross of Mecklenburg, County, North Carolina in 1774.   Hunting shirt sold for 4 shillings, 8 pence. 

Sale of Nicholason Ross estate, Mecklenburg County, NC 1774: Wills and Estate Papers (Mecklenburg County), 1663-1978; Author: North Carolina. Division of Archives and History (Raleigh, North Carolina)

Then we have the 1777 inventory of John Williams of Mecklenburg County where they list a variety of clothing including leather breeches, cloth and leather leggins and then we have a hunting shirt.  What I think is interesting is the value of the shirt at 1 pound and 11 shillings.  Much more valuable than the shirt seen only 3 years earlier.

 Sale of John Williams Estate - Mecklenburg County, NC 1777 - Wills and Estate Papers (Mecklenburg County), 1663-1978; Author: North Carolina. Division of Archives and History (Raleigh, North Carolina)

Inventory of John Williams, Cumberland County, NC 1779-80:  Wills and Estate Papers (Cumberland County), 1663-1978; Author: North Carolina. Division of Archives and History (Raleigh, North Carolina)

Then we have the estate sale of John Matthews from Cumberland County, NC 1779-80.   This is the further east I have seen reference to a hunting shirt listed.    It took me a minute to figure out that "Shourt = Shirt"   I also conferred with Neal Hurst and he agrees that it's a hunting shirt. 

And our final hunting shirt comes out of an inventory in Lincoln County, NC in 1782.  It belonged to John King.   This time the hunting shirt along with a pair of stockings sold for 9 shillings.

1782 Estate of John King - Lincoln County, NC Estate Records, Killian, Andrew-Kistler, Elizabeth, 1824-1964; 1772-1964; 1735-1914

To be honest, I am surprised that I have found this many hunting shirts listed in North Carolina estate records.  Also the range in value of the hunting shirts from 4 shillings up to 1 pound and change.  It makes you wonder how elaborate the hunting shirt that sold for 1 pound 11 shillings looked like.  

Runaway Ads

Since we are talking about the Carolinas (North and South Carolina) - this is (I believe) the only reference to hunting shirts in South Carolina newspapers.  (Again in the newspapers - not in estate or inventory records).   Listed on a runaway enslaved man named Jack from near Charleston SC in 1769.  Note he is wearing just the hunting shirt and no other shirt or jacket with it.

The South-Carolina Gazette; and Country Journal

Tue, Nov 14, 1769 ·Page 3

Then we have this 1773 runaway advertisement for a free man of color named Peter who was from Edenton but ended up in the Duplin County jail.   Peter is wearing an onzabrigs hunting shirt over his clothing.

North Carolina Gazette & Wilmington Weekly Post Boy: Wilmington NC Dec 29, 1773

Then we conclude with this runaway ad from 1777.   This is for a man named Leiw who belonged to a man from John Wilson in Charlotte, NC.   Leiw was wearing a white hunting shirt, pair of tow breeches and a half worn racoon hat. 

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"Virginia Gazette" Williamsburg, VA, June 1777

I wanted to add information about the use of hunting shirts in North Carolina during the Regulator movement (1771) and then the use of them by North Carolina Brigade during the American Revolution but figured it would be too much so there will be a part 2 of Hunting Shirts soon.