BUNDLING

                Colonial New England had an interesting custom known as “bundling” (also called tarrying).  It was used for courting  The practice originated in either Holland or Great Britain and was brought over to the colonies where it was especially popular in Pennsylvania with the Dutch settlers..  A young couple would go to bed together, but fully clothed.  In some cases, the girl was put in a sack that went up to her waist (sometimes up to her neck) in lieu of a chastity belt.  If the parents were less than trustful, they might insist on the use of a “bundling board”, which was a stout board that would be placed down the middle of the bed to provide a physical barrier to premarital sex. With bundling,  some privacy was achieved, and no hanky-panky occurred.  Well, none was supposed to occur.  It was based on the honor system.   The custom actually had a practical origin.  When a beau would come calling, normally the courting would occur in the main room of the log cabin by the fire.  Unfortunately for privacy, the rest of the family would be availing itself of the warmth of the fire, too.  It made sense for the boy and girl to go into her bedroom and get under the covers for warmth.  Toasty warm, because they had their clothes on.  Not surprisingly, the restriction was not fool-proof, or should I say baby-proof.  Here is a poem to that effect:

A bundling couple went to bed
With all their clothes from foot to head;
That the defense might seem complete
Each one was wrapped in a sheet
But oh, this bundling’s such a witch
The man of her did catch the itch,
And so provoked was the wretch
That she of his a bastard catch’d.

A similar concept was the “courting stick”.  You had to court in order to get acquainted with your future spouse.  But privacy was a problem as the courting occurred in the living room of a colonial home.  Not only were the parents there, but the other siblings.  The courting stick was a hollow rod about eight feet long.  The couple could whisper sweet nothings in each other’s ears.  And possibly plot a way to get away and alone.

–  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundling_(tradition)

–  https://raisedbyturtles.org/the-courting-stick