The Fraunces Women

Throughout the 18th century, taverns served as public spaces where people ate, conversed, debated, heard the news of the day, picked up letters, and even organized politically. At this time, taverns were also gendered spaces. Women, most often the wife or daughter of a tavern keeper, worked in these spaces but were not allowed to be patrons. Traditionally, these were spaces with gambling, drinking, and smoking and were not considered appropriate for women during the 18th century. Tavern keeping, however, was considered a suitable profession for women, typically widows.

 

Elizabeth Dalley Fraunces

In 1789, Samuel Fraunces accepted the position of steward of the first presidential household while still operating a tavern at 49 Cortlandt Street. Not uncommon to the time, Samuel placed sole management of the tavern to his wife, Elizabeth Dalley Fraunces. As the Fraunces family lived on the top floor of the Queens Head Tavern, they likely played an active role in daily operations, preparing and serving food and drink and even managing finances. Over the last three decades, the couple operated several successful businesses together in New York City and Philadelphia. In the New York Daily Advertiser from June 1789, Fraunces informed patrons that "the business will be carried on by Mrs. Fraunces, as usual... and that they may depend on being well served, and at the cheapest rate." In typical Fraunces fashion, the tavern offered delicacies such as "oysters and lobsters, beef alamode &c."

The Legend of Phoebe Fraunces

The attempted assassination of General Washington in June 1778 is surrounded by lore and mystery. Many different versions of the Hickey Plot have been recorded. One popular version includes Samuel Fraunces, a plate of poisoned peas, and his fictional daughter Phoebe Fraunces. Samuel Fraunces had five daughters, but none were named Phoebe. The story likely comes from Benson J. Lossing's Life of Washington, who claims to have heard the story from an unnamed friend of Samuel. Certainly, in revolutionary times, rumors flared wildly, and several variations of folklore emerged about the Hickey Plot, which details are still widely unknown. Judith Berry Griffin's Phoebe the Spy is a fictional children's book that introduces the Fraunces family and their lives in New York City during the Revolutionary War and revives the legend of Phoebe.