In 1728 Jane’s parents Cadwallader and Alice moved their household to Coldengham. There are various reasons given for the move including the desire to raise their children away from the temptations of the port city of New York, the need to develop the farm to help support the growing family and because of Cadwallader’s on again/off again career in politics.
According to the recent biography of Jane written by Paula Ivaska Robbins, transportation to Coldengham was difficult, depending upon the sloops that travelled the Hudson River between Albany and New York. All mail and supplies made the journey up the river and overland to Coldengham. In the winter all communication ceased. In spite of this isolation the Coldens provided a proper education for their children. Jane, and the seven siblings who survived past early childhood, learned from their parents the basic subjects of reading, writing and mathematics. In addition, books were imported from England and Europe to form a small library. The sons were groomed towards their eventual positions in government, business and the management of the family farm. The daughters were trained in the habits of virtue and economy, directed towards their futures as wives, mothers and household managers.
Jane apparently was a capable domestic manager. Her notes concerning the dairy, which was a major source of food and additional income, include detailed instructions for cheese making and a record of activities and sales. Walter Rutherfurd, a Scottish visitor wrote in 1758, “She makes the best cheese I ever ate in America.”
