The Tory joiner of Middleborough, Massachusetts: Simeon Doggett and his community, 1762-1792

Abstract

Studies of rural artisans have emphasized how the craftsman's experience reflects the homogeneous and cyclical qualities of traditional agricultural communities. Kinship networks, bartering of goods and labor, and seasonal work rhythms have all been identified as characteristics of the archetypal rural artisan. This study examines a woodworking craftsman whose experience suggests an alternative view of the provincial artisan. The account book and papers of Simeon Doggett (1738-1823), a joiner and housewright working in Middleborough, Massachusetts, reveal, for instance, how in Doggett's case kinship connections played no role in determining patronage or master/apprentice relationships, and how a thriving iron industry transformed the agricultural economy. While some aspects of Doggett's experience remained typical of the rural craftsman, other aspects present a strikingly divergent view. In addition to account book analysis and fieldwork, this project involved probate inventory research to identify other woodworking artisans in the southeastern Massachusetts region.