sewing machines

[laxdoc]

At the plantation we have two sewing machines that seem to been at the house in the 1850s. In discribing making clothing both milatary and civilian on this forum there is no mention of the use of a sewing machine. The ladies of the plantation made clothing for ths slaves before the war and during the war made clothing for all on the plantation, So my question is while talking about the ladies in the Civil War how do I bring in the sewing machines? I know that lady church groups brought machines. My grandmothers church group had two early Singer Machines. I belive the two machines we have came from the church across the street from the plantation. The plantation has a weaving shed and a large workroom in the house. The family gave the land that the church sits on and the workroom was used as school and meeting room in the early 1800s.
So I am using this group as a sounding board to make my tours as close to the facts as possible.
Charles

[Hank Trent]

Re: sewing machines

Out of curiosity, have you definitely dated the machines to the 1850s? What manufacturer are they?

As you noted, the 1850s are very early for home (non-industrial) use of machines, though not impossible, of course. This table shows the number manufactured each year in the 1850s, according to DeBow's Review, and half of all of them were made in 1859. The numbers rose even more in the following years.

You can find a list of Wilmington NC sewing machine agents (you're near Wilmington, right?) in this 1860 city directory:

http://www.archive.org/stream/kelley.../search/sewing

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[laxdoc]

Re: sewing machines

Hank
Thanks. The machines are a Singer and Finkle with low numbers. Trying to find who brought which machine when. i know the ladies did some sewing for the troops. Mostly for family in local units.
We will be doing special subjects this year as part of NC 150th Civil War activities. As the history nut I am the researcher. So far great fun, problum sorting the info in to a good tour.
charles

[Hank Trent]

Re: sewing machines

According to Carter Bays' Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines, here are the 1850s serial numbers for Singer and Finkle:

Singer
1850 - 1
1851 - 101
1852 - 901
1853 - 1712
1854 - 2522
1855 - 3400
1856 - 4284
1857 - 6848
1858 - 10478
1859 - 14072
1860 - 25025

Finkle
1857 - 1
1858 - 201
1859 - 451
1860 - 701

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[laxdoc]

Re: sewing machines

Hank
I would love to see your libary. You must have more books than I do. As i got to old to sleep on the ground i have gone to talking history and research. So now I go to the reenactments to find the history nuts and learn more nit picky facts. My old bones like this more. So now I try to give the best tours to the school groups coming to the houses and hope to stir up interest in local history - the true local history.
Thanks again for info
Charles

[Hank Trent]

Re: sewing machines

If you get a chance after looking at the serial numbers, post how old they are! I'm really curious, especially since the one is a Finkle & Lyons, which is a somewhat less common brand but did have an agent in Wilmington around 1860ish, so that supports the story that they were purchased locally and stayed in the local area.

If the serial numbers turn out to be higher than those, the book lists serial numbers later too, I just didn't bother typing them.

As far as sewing machines during the war, I guess you've already run across the usual point that even though families had them from before the war in the blockaded south, they had trouble getting needles and machine-spun thread that would work in the machinery? For example: "All sewing-machines in our settlement were at a standstill during the period of the war, as our home-made thread was not suited to machiens, and all sewing had to be done by hand." Source.

Even the Yankees realized the Achilles heel: "Lilly's sewing-machine had disappeared, but as mother's was too heavy to move, they merely smashed the needles." Source.

That may not have been as much of a problem in a port city like Wilmington, though.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[laxdoc]

Re: sewing machines

Hank
the Singer is after 1860 by serial number. Have not found the other serial number yet. Talked with ladies from the Church accross the road. They are saying that befor the war the ladies group had an English machine and that there was a family member of one of the ladies who was crew on a blockade runner so they did get needles for the english machine and other needle out of New York via the islands.They are saying that the church had machines between 1856 and 1858. Also I am trying to run down statements saying that a number of famlies had sewing machines. Trying to nail down time frame. The owner of the plantation owned stores in Wilmington which he rented out. So have ties to stores in town.
This is like a ball of string more you untangle the more you find.
Thanks for the numbers.
Charles