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18TH CENTURY LIVING HISTORY IN AUSTRALIA.

Saturday 19 January 2013

French Clothing in the New World. Part Eight.


o    1. BLANCHET
o    The word blanchet, which originally referred to a white woollen cloth, was applied subsequently to a sleeved camisole (camisole à manches). [109] The latter sense was the one retained at Louisbourg where it was apparently worn over a shirt. It took the place of the vest and could be worn with breeches, as is suggested by the expression "four changes of Blanchets and Breeches"; [110] the fact that there were matched suits, such as a blanchet and breeches of brown Mazamet (Mazamet brun) confirms in this hypothesis. [111] We cannot consider a blanchet simply as a type of vest (veste) or waistcoat (gilet) since there are records of a blanchet "and vest" [112] or "and gilet". [113] They were often made of wool or simple fabric (étoffe), but sometimes of cotton, and the colour was not always white. (See Table No. 7)
o    This garment was common among fishermen, [114 ]and also found in the possessions of a ship's carpenter. [115] It was never found in the inventories of richer men, except those of merchants. Two of them had five [116] and nine [117] blanchets respectively. These quantities indicate that they were probably articles for sale. Consequently their usage must have been fairly widespread.
o   
o    TABLE N0. 7: FABRICS AND COLOURS OF BLANCHETS
PERIOD
COTTON
WOOL
SILK
OTHER
COLOUR
1713
to
1758
1 dimity


 
2 mazamet
1 thick flannel (molleton)

 
-


 
étoffe
1 grosse étoffe
1 tick
1 "cordeillac"
2 white
2 brown
1 cinnamon
1 blue
TOTAL
1
3
-
6
-
o    DOCUMENTATION: 1713-1758:
o     
o    46 references to blanchets with: 10 specifying fabric
o                                               6 specifying colour
o    Most of the specifications are prior to 1745, in such a way that a chronological cross-section cannot be made.
o   
o    2. BOUGRINE
o    Although we have not traced the contemporary definition of the term bougrine, this garment was used from the middle of the 18th century. It appeared only once in our research, in a list of "Supplies furnished to the crew" (Fournitures faites à l'équipage).[118] In this context, it must refer to a seaman's garment, possibly a capot or cloak.
o    3. CAPE
o    The wearing of capes was not popular among the men of Louisbourg, for of all the inventories examined, only one referred to capes. [119] It included two, one of them "an old worn out cape". Could this actually refer to a capot? That is plausible, because the same individual also had a vest and breeches of leather as well as a casaque, which were, like the capot, garments for fishermen.
o    4. CAPOT
o    The capot "is a garment in the form of a hooded robe, which sailors put over their ordinary wear to protect them from the weather". [120] All information gathered, about capots at Louisbourg confirms this definition. Except for a merchant's brown camlet capot, [121] they all belonged to fishermen, [122] a beach master, [123] and a schooner captain. [124] In the last case, the garment was specified as a shipboard capot (capot de bord). That of the beach master was a capot provençal. This phrase is repeated in two other instances, [125] but there is no detail as to its definition. Other than the merchant's capot, they were all made of "moresque" (also written mareiquemoreiqueMarecque or maraye), a fabric about which we have no information.
o    5. CLOAK
o    The cloak (la casague) was not by definition a garment worn only by fishermen. It was "a type of long overcoat worn over other clothing".[126] However its use at Louisbourg was closely related to the fishing industry. "
o    Moresque" which generally was used for making capots also went into "casaquin"[127] which suggests the two garments were related. Nevertheless the casaque was a special type, for it was always made of leather. It was undoubtedly popular with seamen for its waterproof quality. [128] It is noteable that two cloaks for a "fisherman by profession" [129] were described as for fishermen. A merchant had six goat skin casaques "for fishing". [130] Finally, it is interesting to note the relationship between breeches of leather [131] and toile [132] and cloaks. The fact that these garments are mentioned together provides some confirmation that the former were fishermen's breeches.
o    6. WAISTCOAT
o    The waistcoat (gilet) had neither tails nor pockets and was not lined. It was distinguished from a vest, as in references to "a vest and a waistcoat", [133] but the difference may have been small for there is mention of "a waistcoat or vest of blue fabric". [134]  There were gilets with [135] and without sleeves. [136] Several were made of wool, and others, simply referred to as "fabric" (étoffe) were probably of the same material. (See Table No. 8) "Needleworked" [137] may mean that the waistcoats were knitted, but most, tailored from woven fabrics, were sewn.
o    There is no doubt that this garment was worn by sailors, for once again the owners included fishermen, [138] ship captains, [139] ship's
o   
o    TABLE N0. 8: FABRICS AND COLOURS OF WAISTCOATS (GILETS)
PERIOD
COTTON
WOOL
SILK
OTHER
COLOUR
1713
to
1745
3 dimity
3 cotton
1 striped cotton


 
11 mitte
3 thick flannel (molleton)
2 mazamet
1 flannel
1 frieze (frise)
1 brocaded wool
-




 
11 étoffe
2 petite étoffe



 
12 white
2 red
1 gray


 
TOTAL
7
19
0
13
-
1748
to
1758
1 Indian cloth


 
3 wool
2 needleworked wool
2 thick flannel (molleton)
2 frieze (ratine)
-
étoffe
grosse étoffe
dourgne
 
2 white
2 blue
2 red
 
TOTAL
1
9
0
10
-
GRAND TOTAL
8
28
0
23
-

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