9. The Skills of the Older Jamestown Brides Compared to the Younger Women
On the application, women had to talk about their different skills. The women knew these skills would help them become approved for the voyage to Jamestown. On top of this, the women also knew exactly what skills they needed in order to be accepted, and these approved skills would depend on the age of the woman. The ages for the Jamestown brides ranged from 15 to 28. Furthermore, these women were a mixed group on the social scale, ranging from sparse and average to rich and fancy.
Of course, the older women were more experienced in many of the skills the Jamestown brides possessed, such as cooking and cleaning. The older women tended to have more practical skills, which was more desirable for the small farmers. However, the younger Jamestown brides were often seen as more pleasing based on health and beauty. To be more specific, it is believed that the younger women, mainly aged 15 to 18, were more desirable to the wealthy colonists. Part of this belief stems from the younger brides were seen as more beautiful. Another part is because the younger women possessed the skills of making silver and gold lace, which was more sought-after for the rich in the colony.