Coat
PeriodCirca 1830
Place MadeNew Jersey, U.S.A.
MediumLinsey woolsey, glazed cotton, brass buttons
Dimensions37.5 in. (95.3 cm)
ClassificationsCostume, Men's
Credit LineGift of Dr. Daniel Hendrickson, 1937
Object number1037
DescriptionA man's coat of heavy blue and white woven linsey woolsey (linen and wool) blend fabric. The single-breasted coat has a button front closure with ten original flat brass buttons, notched collar and lapels, shaped sleeves, vented back with two brass buttons, and two large pockets at the left and right hips. The jacket is fully lined with coarse glazed brown cotton.Curatorial RemarksThis man's sturdy coat is made from a blend of blue and white linen and wool fibers, woven together to create a fabric known as "linsey woolsey." The garment's simple construction, combined with the rough "homespun" cloth, indicate that this would be the sort of garment owner Benjamin Corlies may well have worn while surveying lands in Monmouth County. The coat's construction indicates it was most likely made in the very late 1820s or early 1830s. It retains its original plain flat brass buttons and is a wonderful surviving example of garments worn while performing everyday tasks.NotesThis coat was most likely worn by Benjamin Woolley Corlies. Born in 1797 in Shrewsbury to Quakers Briton and Sarah Corlies, Benjamin was himself a lifelong Quaker. Corlies married Miriam Tilton Williams (1797 - 1876) on December 14, 1820. Benjamin Corlies was a highly successful farmer and, as an obituary notice noted, "one of the foremost surveyors of his day." Corlies and his wife lived on their farm in Eatontown and had six children.Benjamin Woolley Corlies died at the age of 87 years. The coat descended through the Corlies family until it was donated to the Association by Dr. Daniel Hendrickson, whose wife Susan Corlies Osborn (1851 - 1925) was Benjamin's Corlies' granddaughter.
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