New Insight into John Hancock's Furniture

In my previous post, I wrote about John Hancock's purchase of Daniel Henchman's furniture and several household items. I came across two articles that have been very helpful in understanding the history of certain pieces of furniture that Hancock bought from Henchman's estate.

In Nancy Goyne Evans's article, "The Genealogy of a Bookcase Desk," Winterthur Portfolio, 9 (1974), 213-22, she focuses on a walnut "bookcase desk" with plate-glass mirrors that was made by the Boston cabinetmaker Job Coit and his son Job Coit Jr., and is now in the possession of the Winterthur Museum. The father and son signed their names in pencil in 1738, the son on the bottom of the hooded drawer in the main compartment, and the father on one of the  hidden drawers. Evans writes, "Although no other signed Coit pieces are known, the Coit bookcase desk represents a high point in Boston cabinetmaking in the first half of the eighteenth century. Few patrons were in a financial position to order such a large and elaborate piece" (p. 215). The main compartment of the desk folds down so that it could be used as a writing surface. With the main compartment folded down, one would be able to see a series of five sets of double drawers inside (see Evans's article for images). Above these drawers are six open compartments with arched hoods.

In the American Antiquarian Society's microfilm copy of the Daniel Henchman Papers, there is a bill from the estate of Job Coit for cabinetry work that he performed for Daniel Henchman between the years 1734 and 1740, before his death in 1741. The bill lists work that Coit performed for Henchman, including the construction and repairing of three bedsteads. These are probably the same three large bedsteads listed among the items purchased by Hancock in 1770 for £27-10s. Also, included in Coit's estate bill to Henchman is "one Desk and book Case," valued at £50.

When I read Evans's article the first time, I expected to find this "bookcase desk" listed among the assets purchased by Hancock. Evans made it clear that the desk was made of walnut. If you look at the inventory of items owned by Henchman that Hancock purchased, there are some walnut pieces, but none that match the description or price of the Coit desk. The largest and most expensive furniture pieces are stated to be made of mahogany, including a desk and some tables. The walnut pieces listed among Henchman's assets are for chairs and a table. There is a walnut table in the list, but this could not be the Coit piece since it was valued at only £3. My initial conclusion was that the Coit desk had been bought by Hancock prior to 1770, which is why it does not appear on the bill of sale.

Another article, however, convinced me that the Coit piece might be included in the list of furniture that Hancock bought in 1770. In Mabel Swan's article, "The Furniture of His Excellency, John Hancock," The Magazine Antiques 31 (March 1737), 119-121, she discusses how Hancock's house was taken over by British troops during the War of Independence. During their occupation, British troops damaged some of Hancock's possessions. After the British left Boston, Captain Isaac Cazneau wrote to Hancock on April 4, 1776 with news of the condition of his house. In the letter, Cazneau referenced a "Great Settee," a "Back Gammon Table" that had been in the library, "China and Glass Ware," and "Looking Glasses Tables Chairs &c." (pp. 119-20).
 
Both Evans and Swan note that Hancock's household furniture were put up for auction after his death in 1793, and advertised in the October 23 issue of the Columbian Centinel in the same year. The Columbian Centinel  advertisement offered "A Variety of genteel Household Furniture consisting of elegant Mahogany Chairs, nail over seats stuffed and covered with satin hair, 2 Arm do to match, mahogany 4 post Bedsteads, fluted feet pillars, 2 Easy Chairs covered with Silk Damask, pier and other Looking Glasses, desk and Bookcase, mahogany sideboard, 4 capital Blue Silk Damask window Curtains, complete, 1 suit yellow do bed curtains with Squabs to answer, plated Candlesticks with a general assemblage of useful articles" (Evans, p.219; Swan, p. 120).


Studying the list of items that Hancock purchased in my previous post, one will notice the item "1 large Looking Glass" for £50. A looking glass, of course, refers to a mirror, and the piece that Coit designed for Henchman did in fact have large mirrored doors, even if the original glass was replaced in later years. The "large Looking Glass" purchased by Hancock for £50 also happens to be the value that Coit charged Henchman for its construction. Other than the three feather beds, pairs of sheets, and curtain suit, the looking glass is the most expensive piece of furniture on that list. There are other "looking glasses" listed among the goods owned by Henchman and purchased by Hancock, but these were for lesser values of £25 and £15.

I am now wondering if the walnut "bookcase desk" described in Evans's article could be the "large looking glass" listed among Henchman's assets that Hancock bought in 1770.

John Hancock's Purchase

Lydia Henchman Hancock by John Singleton Copley

Thomas Hancock by John Smibert, 1730

Every American has heard of John Hancock (1737-1793), merchant, statesman, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Less people know of Hancock's uncle Thomas, from whom he inherited the bulk of an estate worth £70,000 at the time of his death in 1764. Even fewer people have heard of Daniel Henchman (1689-1761) whose daughter Lydia married Thomas Hancock in 1730.

Thomas Hancock and Daniel Henchman were merchants in Boston. Both sold general goods, but Henchman specialized in publishing and selling religious works. Henchman published several important works by Jonathan Edwards, including his first public sermon, God Glorified in the Work of Redemption (1731), the third edition of A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God (1738), which chronicled the revival that took place at Edwards's church in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1734-35, Edwards's funeral sermon for the New England missionary David Brainerd, True Saints, When Absent from the Body, Are Present with the Lord (1747), Edwards's call for coordinated transatlantic prayer for the continuation of the revivals, An Humble Attempt to Promote Explicit Agreement and Visible Union of God's People in Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion (1748), and Edwards's biographical Life of David Brainerd (1749).


For the past several days, I have been slowly working my way through the American Antiquarian Society's microfilm rolls of the Daniel Henchman Papers. I have looked at these reels before, but I wanted to examine them more closely for information pertaining to Henchman's involvement in the publication of Edwards's works. After several hours of staring at the microfilm reader today, I came across a very interesting account bill, two images of which the good folks at the AAS have allowed me to post on the blog.

The images above show John Hancock buying Daniel Henchman's household items in August 1770 for a total of £623-15s. in Massachusetts Old Tenor currency, valued as £83-3s.-4d. in Lawful Money (Massachusetts currency revalued by the Crown after 1750). Henchman died in 1761, and so at first it might seem strange that Hancock would be buying these goods nine years later. However, this can make sense if we take into consideration a provision in Henchman's will (Suffolk County Probate Record Books, Massachusetts State Archives, Volume 58, 206-8), stipulating that his brother Samuel could live in his house after his death. Knowing that Samuel Henchman died in April 1770, it is reasonable to imagine Daniel's brother utilizing these household items until his death, at which time they were sold to Hancock.

I remember feeling very disappointed when I finally located Daniel Henchman's estate records at the Massachusetts State Archives, and saw that he ordered that no inventory should be taken of his holdings. I gathered that he was a wealthy man, owning at least two slaves (I came across two purchasing orders today in Reel 3 for "Negros" in 1758 and 1760, and also an order for a slave named Pompey, whom his brother Samuel bought in 1737), a mansion on Tremont Street, and some unnamed pieces of furniture. Imagine my delight today when I was able to see the kinds of household goods that he owned, giving me a greater picture of the kind of wealth that Henchman had.

Rubens, The Death of Achilles (1630-35)

If you can't see the detail in the two images above, allow me to list most of the goods that Hancock acquired (all valued in Old Tenor currency): 1 large mahogany desk (£36), 1 large mahogany table (£18), 1 large mahogany tea table (£9), 1 large mahogany small table (£11-10s.), 1 couch (£6-15s.), 6 black walnut framed leather bottom chairs (£27-10s.)... 1 large looking glass (£50)... 1 black walnut table (£3)... 1/2 dozen china plates (£6), 1 large china bowl (£3), 2 blue and white china dishes (£2), 1 set of ivory handle knives and forks (£9), metal dishes, plates, bowl, etc. (£25), 1 brass kettle (£9), 1 bell metal kettle (£4-10s.), 2 metal skillets (£4), 1 steel andiron (£3-10s.), 2 copper pots (£4), 2 pairs of steel shovels and tongs (£3), 3 feather beds (£150), 1 mahogany framed armchair (£9), 1/2 dozen maple framed green bottom chairs (£18), 1 roasting meat jack (£11), 8 prints of Peter Paul Ruben's Life of Achilles (£18), 3 large bedsteads (£27-10s.), 11 pairs brass candlesticks (£4), 12 pairs of sheets (£50), 5 pairs of pillow cases (£7-10s.), and 1 [suite?] of Red Harratan Curtains (£50).