Notes on mittens in the 18th century

Last updated: Jan 11, 2024

18th century mittens and assorted notes on wearing (or making) mittens from 18th century documents, arranged in roughly chronological order.

• Hunterian Museum Archaeology & Ethnography Collections GLAHM E.105, a pair of mittens of black-smoked deer hide with embroidery in dyed moose hair, Huron, 18th century
• Peabody Museum 99-12-, 18th century buckskin mitten in black hide, ripped fur trim, orange and white floral embroidery, Huron, Mohawk, Iroquois?
• 18th century mittens from Scandinavian museum collections on DigitaltMuseum; most are embroidered, and some have a slit through the palm so the fingers can emerge for better dexterity
• “RUN away on the 6th Inſtant at Night from John Orr, near Skuylkill, Philadelphia, a Servant Man named James Mitchel, of middle Stature, brown curling Hair, ſmooth faced, with one black Eye by Boxing lately, about 28 Years of Age, a Cooper by Trade. Has with him a brown Kerſey Coat and Jacket, ſhort made in the Waſte; a blue grey Broadcloth Coat, plain made, with long Pockets and a black Velvet Cape; an old Great Coat of black Kerſey; fine Linen Shirts; black Broadcloth Breeches, and brown Kerſey Breeches; knit Mittens, mixt with red, blue and white; a Felt Hat, light grey Stockings and good Shoes” (Pennsylvania Gazette, November 19, 1730)
• “All sorts of Stockings new grafted and run at the Heels, and footed; also Gloves, mittens and Children’s Stockings made out of Stockings; Likewise plain work done by Elizabeth Boyd, at the Corner House opposite to Mr. Vallete’s.” (The New-York Gazette Revived in the Weekly Post-Boy, September 26, 1748, in The Arts and Crafts in New York
• “This is to give Notice, That Elizabeth Boyd, is going to remove next door to the Widow Hog’s in Broad Street, near the Long Bridge, and will continue, as usual, to graft Pieces in Knit Jackets and Breeches, not to be discern’d, also to graft and foot Stockings, and Gentlemen’s Gloves, Mittens or Muffatees made out of old Stockings, or runs them in the Heels: She likewise makes Children’s Stockings out of old Ones; at a very reasonable Rate. There is a Shop to be Lett in the said House.” (The New-York Gazette Revived in the Weekly Post-Boy, April 1, 1751, in Manual of the corporation of the city of New York)
• “I took the prisoner to the watch-house, and searched him: he pulled out a pair of silver buckles out of his mittins” (Trial of Joseph Butterworth, 19th February 1752)
• “The Indians … make mittens of skins or flannel, hung to their neck by a string, which serves them better than gloves, because the separated fingers would be more liable to freeze.” (Memoir upon the late war in North America, between the French and English, 1755-60 by M. Pouchot)
• Gants et Mitaines d’ Hommes s.n. Gantier, The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d’Alembert, 1765 (possibly made of leather; note that what Diderot calls “Mitaines de Femmes” are what we’d call mitts)
• “RUN away from his place of abode, in Eaſt-Caln townſhip, Cheſter county, and province of Pennſylvania, on the 15th of this inſtant November, a certain John Morriſon, by trade a weaver, about 5 feet 9 or 10 inches high, pretty well ſet, wore his own ſandy coloured hair, which curls pretty much, and is of a ſandy complexion; had on, and took with him, a blue broadcloth coat, trimmed with mohair buttons of the ſame colour, and a light ocloured ſaggathy ditto, and a ſriped damaſcus jacket : He likewiſe took with him a ſilver watch, and ſundry clothes not known; and a pair of blue and red mittens, knit in diamonds, with his name near the fringe”(Pennsylvania Gazette, November 29, 1770)
• Historic New England 1928.1076AB, a pair of cream mittens with shaggy looped trim at the cuffs, cross-stitched 'DW' on the back of the cuffs of both mittens, c. 1772
• “Stockbridge, June 17th, 1772. Mr. Thomas, ON Tueſday the 11th inſtant, the following very melancholy and extraordinary diſcovery was made in this place, lying near the road which leads from the meeting houſe to Col. Williams’s forge, at ſome diſtance from the town was found a human corpſe … The body was found intirely naked, and the following articles lying near it, ſome in a pack, others looſly ſcattered upon the ground, viz a beaver hat about half worn, a ſtraight bodied coat of blue broad cloth, trimmed with yellow mettle buttons, and pale blue binding; an old light coloured ſurtout, two waiſtcoats, the one double breaſted teh colour a light claret, a pair clay coloured knit breeches, not greatly worn, but had been made ſhorter by cutting off a ſtrip acroſs each knee, the pieces taken off being found in the pack; a pair of ſriped old trowſers; a pair of ribbed ſtockings : Mittens with the letters W. R. 1771, knit into the wriſt; one garter with theſe words woven into it ''theſe and the giver, 1771;'' a ſnuff box, the motto ''liberty and loyalty;'' a remnant of blue Shalloon, with part of which it ſeemed the coat had been lately mended; a ſilk cap; with ſeveral other articles leſs diſtinguiſhing and deſcriptive of him.” *Massachusetts Spy, June 25, 1772)
• “Thurſday laſt Captain Daniel Waters, of Malden, and Mr. William Euſtis, of Chelſea, being below a Gunning after Wild-Fowl, diſcovered on the Graves, Part of a Wreck, and went aſhore to ſee what it was … In hawling up one of the Anchors in 10 or 12 Feet Water, they drew up one of the People, with Mittens on his Hands, who had black Hair, and appeared to be about 19 or 20 Years of Age : He had on a blue Surtout, a Jacket, a Pair of ſtriped Trowſers, and blue Yarn Stockings, without Shoes; him they buried at Malden laſt Saturday Night.” (Pennsylvania Gazette, January 13, 1773)
• “RUN away, on Monday, the 12th of December, from the ſubſcriber, living in the Borough of Lancaſter, a German apprentice, named John Marks, by trade a Cooper, about 5 feet 3 inches high, 17½ years old, thick ſet, dark brown hair, half curled, large eyes, one dark brown the other grey, has a cut almoſt round the firſt finger of his right hand, which he got when he was young, and has very large feet for his bigneſs; had on, when he went away, a half-worn wool hat, ſtitched up with black woolen yarn, no button on it, a brown woollen handkerchief, black ground with red and white ſpecks in it, a white flannel under jacket, double breaſted, with metal buttons, hath under it a lincey jacket, lined with bed-tick and metal buttons, a new hemp linen shirt, old leather breeches, tow trowſers, blue and white mixed woollen ſtockings almoſt new, half-worn ſhoes not ſoaled, braſs buckles flowered, a pair of mittens knit with the letters C : NE : and the figures 1771 knit in it.” (The Pennsylvania Gazette, December 28, 1774)
• “RAN-AWAY from the ſubſcriber, living near Shoemaker’s mills, in Cheltſeham townſhip, the 24th inſtant, at night, a Dutch ſervant MAN, named GEORGE PHILLIP GRUBBER, about 19 years of age, 5 feet 8 or 9 inches high, light complection, round viſage, ſpeaks broken Engliſh, talks very quick, has a ſcar on the back of one of his hands, light coloured ſtraight hair : Had on and took away with him, a new dark cloth coloured coattee, with braſs gilt buttons, dakr grey ſurtout, with basket buttons, three jackets iwthout ſleeves, one a new white flannel double breaſted, with cloth coloured cloth buttons, old ſtriped linſey ditto, with cloth buttons, ſingle-breaſted, pale worſted ditto, with flowers in it, much worn, pewter buttons, a ditty old patched cloth jacket, with ſleeves, lined iwth tow linen, new blue duffil trowſers, two new brown tow linen ſhirts, the collars are of white linen, one old check ditto, two pair of coarſe yarn ſtockings, one pair of pale blue, the other pair dark brown, old ſhoes new ſoaled, ſquare ſteel buckles, a red ſilk handkerchief, felt hat bound with black worſted binding, a ſmall blue coat made Dutch faſhion, braſs buttons on the sleeves, lined with tow linen, old pair of light blue yarn mittens, and a ſhort rifle with a broken lock.” (Pennsylvania Ledger, January 27, 1776)
• “The Board I observe have not considered themselves at liberty to direct the purchase of Mittens. These in case of a late Campaign or a Winter expedition will be of great service – and I would recommend the procuring a good many.” (Letter from George Washington to the Board of War, 14 September 1778)
• “The Season of the Year, will require that all the Men of the Fleet should be furnished with Plenty of thick Warm Woolen Cloathing and Blanketts, and particularly thick milled Mittens for their Hands, without which in the cold Weather, they cannot handle the rigging.”(Letter from John Adams to Edmé Jacques Genet, 31 October 1778)
• A letter Benjamin Franklin wrote to Benjamin Vaughan in 1784, on the subject of luxury, idleness, and industry -- and how the girls of Cape May knit mittens that were sold in Philadelphia:
  
• A pair of knit mittens from the shipwreck of the General Carleton of Whitby, 1785; they “feature a wide band of checkering at the wrist. They were hand-knit in the round with what was originally grey or natural wool yarn. The points of the hands and thumbs were formed by simply dropping stitches. The wrist hem is three rows wide. The mittens’ style and construction technique bears a close resemblance to traditional Latvian mittens, suggesting they were acquired in the Baltic region by one of the ship’s sailors.”
  A news story also provides a photo of a pair of seaman’s mittens, 1785, but it is not clear where they are from.
• 18th and 19th century mittens from Latvia from the Kūlainis, pērstainis, delnainis… exhibit at the National History Museum of Latvia
• Martha Ballard’s diary has entries that reference knitting, wearing, giving, or receiving mittens on several dates from 1787 to 1811, most of which are in December, January, or February
• Skinner Auctions 2983B, Lot 129, pair of Huron black-dyed buckskin mittens with vegetal-dyed moose hair embroidery, late 18th early 19th century
• National Museum of American History 1979.0980, a pair of knit mittens with a poem and shag wrists, early 19th century