Young William's Departure
that would ultimately head to Scotland
As members of the middling class, the Brown family was able to pay to send their son William, aged 14, to boarding school in Scotland. After finishing his morning chores and duties with Sall, Jacob packed William's belongings in a trunk for the trip.
As he passed by the front room, Jacob saw the fancy teapot that Mrs. Brown had purchased for entertaining special guests. The Browns, like others in their social class, had increasingly begun to buy consumer goods, like china (fine dishware), furniture, and clothing imported from Europe. The front room was off limits to Jacob and the other servants. Even the Brown children were rarely invited in, as the room was reserved for their parents and special visitors to the inn.
In William's room, he packed William's breeches, stockings, and waistcoat. Since the Brown family was not from the gentry class, William only had a few sets of clothes. Clothing was very expensive then, as it either had to come from Europe or be hand-woven, and then cut and sewn, which was time-consuming. If Jacob was a highly-favored slave, he might have been given William's old clothing. “Osnaburg” was the least expensive cloth to make because it was loosely woven, so it took less work. It was often given to slaves who worked in the fields, and was worn by many free poor people.
