"TO THE REMAINS OF A PAIR OF STOCKINS" -- THE WOMEN

Just a few women had their own credit-based accounts at Nicholas Dupui's general store:  Nelly Malholen, Leddia Decker, Caterin Yamler, Mary Haney, Margaret Snell, Abigail Sealy, and Catharine Snell. 

Although they made relatively few purchases, the items these women bought served to document their virtuous sense of frugality:  "To one pair of Shoes Half wore," "To the Remains of a pair of Stockins". 


Intriguingly, it appears that such credit-based accounts weren't a courtesy extended to any of the area's common wives... these accounts were instead established for reasons perhaps more prurient.

Records earlier cited indicate that young Margaret and Catharine Snell may have served as Dupui household indentured servants for a time, and that Nelly Malhollen may well have been the object of Nicholas Dupui's affection.  Also, two years after her purchase, we see that Leddia Decker was married to Jacobus Swartwout (8 June 1745), so she too was single at the time that her account was established.
In similar fashion, one sees that Mary Haney also made her purchases while unmarried, having eventually tied the knot with Edward Reynolds after the area "Indian troubles" were over.

There are, however, many other women referenced in Dupui's ledger:  Mrs. Hester Brodhead, Sarah Buttler, Granny Cole, Katharine Conaly, Jemima Depui, Elizabeth Hendy, Elizabeth Huff, Allida Kuykandal, Martha McNab, Sarah Mourn, Margaret Pugh, Katharine Rossagrance, Cornelia Tappen, Rebacka Waybrant, Lissy Wessar, and the "Negro Wench".

While these women didn't have credit-based accounts, we see many of these women functioning as signatories for the receipt of merchandise, an example being:  "To an Order at some time Produced which was signed by Mrs. Hester Brodhead for 2 Bushels of Wheat -- 9 shillings."  Here's another:  "Balance Due to Jemima Depuy from Jacob Strowd on settlement the 19th Day of April 1783".

At other times, women appear in the ledger only by their given name.  In Sander Rossagrance's account we see, for example, a reference to "a leather halter Catherine lost." 

In the aggregate, frontier women in Northampton County were tough and resilient, frugal, and willing to work for exceedingly low wages when so required:  "By 2 Days work of his daughter Margaret at 1 shilling and 6 pence per Day."