The fruits of oligarchy: patronage and joinery in western Massachusetts, 1630-1730
Date
1984
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The Pynchon oligarchy and the family networks of leaders and tradesmen affected cultural choice in Hampshire County. The Pynchons’ early arrival at Springfield and their shrewd investments funded the settlement of western Massachusetts. The Presbyterianism of Solomon Stoddard of Northampton further defined the region as a separate entity by the 1680s. Deference and dependence assured the Pynchons' brokerage of patronage. Their subsidy of construction meant steady work for selected joiners whose labor was accelerated by the cycle of warfare and rebuilding. The Pynchons’ approval of workmanship and the preferences of patronized families of joiners homogenized the appearance of the built environment. ☐ The Pynchons’ power structure and its impact on joinery sixty years after settlement are understood through the study of six ledgers kept by John Pynchon. An analysis of probate inventories before and after the sacking of Deerfield in 1704 illustrates the relationship between the political climate and settlement patterns. Case studies of two masons provide insight into the working cycles of builders. Other ledgers, diaries, town records, published histories, and genealogies document the economy of superimposed family ties at the foundation of society before 1730. Finally, the study of scores of joined chests and related furniture identifies the techniques of parallel shop traditions. The physical evidence of the furniture and the careers of joiners reflect the patterns of patronage exercised by the Pynchons in Hampshire County.