From my readings and research about colonial Virginia and 16th and 17th-century England, most people were pretty filthy and smelly. I would think that any household slaves/servants would be about as clean as their employers/masters. -- Melinda C. P. Skinner Richmond, VA -------------- Original message ---------------------- From: Ed Truslow <[log in to unmask]> > Has anyone come across any documentation about Sally Hemings' personal hygiene? > If not, then all this speculation is not worth the trouble to discuss. Citing > perceived notions of a group's hygiene or lack thereof hardly counts as evience > as it applies to a specific individual in any time period or place. > > Edward Truslow > Williamsburg, VA > > >From: Melinda Skinner <[log in to unmask]> > >Date: 2008/05/16 Fri AM 07:15:12 CDT > >To: [log in to unmask] > >Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] NY Times essay and Gen John Hartwell Cocke > > >That is a non-argument. Unless Jefferson (and Franklin) were OCD, I doubt they > would be bothered by cleanliness when looking to hook up. How many cultured, > powdered and wigged men consorted with pretty unkempt/unclean women of the night > everywhere in the "civilized" world? > > > >-- > >Melinda C. P. Skinner > >Richmond, VA > > > > > > -------------- Original message ---------------------- > >From: [log in to unmask] > >> Exactly, and to suppose that an educated, cultured and abnormally hygienic > >> man of Jefferson's stature hung out in the slave quarters to satisfy some > >> middle-aged sexual urge is ridiculous on its face, at least to another > educated, > >> cultured, middle-aged hygienic man. > >> > >> J.D. Southmayd > >> _www.southmayd.net_ (http://www.southmayd.net) is my web site. > >> > >> > >> > >> In a message dated 5/15/2008 3:39:03 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > >> [log in to unmask] writes: > >> > >> Jeffrey -- > >> > >> I am well aware of the appalling hygiene and diseases of slaves in > >> the 18th century, but that is hardly the limit. As I have written > >> elsewhere I think one of the things that brought Franklin and > >> Jefferson together was their personal cleanliness, which was notable > >> in an age when even the wealthy stank. Going to a gathering even of > >> the mighty must have been like sticking one's head in the laundry of > >> a basketball team after the game. Franklin who, to me, is the most > >> interesting of all the Founders was, at one point reputed to be the > >> only man in Philadelphia who bathed daily, and certainly one of the > >> very few who actually had a purpose built bathtub. Slaves, being at > >> the bottom of the social hierarchy naturally got the least, and > >> suffered the most. But disease and death were commonplace whatever > >> one's rank. Just look at the number of 18th century planters who had > >> multiple wives, because so many women died in childbirth. The common > >> state of hygiene in the colonies was far worse, and the medical > >> options less, than would have been found in a comparable setting in > >> the Roman empire. > >> > >> -- Stephan > >> > >> > >> On 15 May 2008, at 13:41, [log in to unmask] wrote: > >> > >> > Stephan; > >> > > >> > I am not sure that you found offensive about my post. Perhaps you > >> > should > >> > read the following on slave hygiene to get a better feel for my > >> > point vis-a-vis > >> > Mr. Jefferson and Ms. Hemmings: > >> > > >> > > >> > The Health of Slaves on Southern Plantations (Louisiana State > >> > University > >> > studies) by William Dosite Postell; and > >> > > >> > > >> > (http://www.amazon.com/This-Species-Property-Culture-Galaxy/dp/ > >> > 0195022459/ref=sr_1_31?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210873126&sr=8-31) This > >> > Species of Property: > >> > Slave Life and Culture in the Old South (Galaxy Books) by Leslie > >> > Howard Owens; > >> > and > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > Medicine and Slavery: The Diseases and Health Care of Blacks in > >> > Antebellum > >> > Virginia (Blacks in the New World) by Todd L. Savitt. > >> > > >> > > >> > J.D. Southmayd > >> > a/k/a J South > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > **************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists > >> > on family > >> > favorites at AOL Food. > >> > (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001) > >> > > >> > ______________________________________ > >> > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the > >> > instructions at > >> > http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > >> > >> ______________________________________ > >> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at > >> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> **************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family > >> favorites at AOL Food. > >> (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001) > >> > >> ______________________________________ > >> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at > >> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > > > >______________________________________ > >To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at > >http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > > ______________________________________ > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at > http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html