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Article: English pewter at Colonial Williamsburg.
- Article from:
- The Magazine Antiques
- Article date:
- June 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Brant Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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By the time of the early colonization of North America in the first half of the seventeenth century, pewter was the metal of choice for many household goods in England. Its bright appearance, ease and safety of transport, and durability rapidly recommended its use in the colonies as well. From an early date, Virginians owned significant amounts of pewter. For instance, the 1668 inventory of the estate of Major Joseph Croshaw (c. 1612-1667), a substantial planter who lived just a few miles from present-day Williamsburg, included the following pewter objects: two candlesticks, forty-two dishes, four porringers, thirty-six spoons, one bedpan, and one still. Some of his ...