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H. J. Carter record book, 1854-1855

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Summary

Creator:
Carter, H. J.
Abstract:
H. J. Carter, liquor agent, kept this tabular record of alcohol distribution in the city of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, between May 12, 1854, and April 6, 1855. Carter's entries include names, justifications for purchase, type of liquor, quantities, and costs. The types of alcohol sold by Carter included gin, rums, brandies, Madiera, Port wine, plain alcohol, and more. Medical and health-related needs of adults and children were the most frequent justifications for liquor requests. Alcohol was also purchased for the treatment of horses' injuries and illnesses, culinary reasons, and for reasons associated with labor.
Extent:
1 volume
Language:
English
Authors:
Collection processed and finding aid created by Cheney J. Schopieray, February 2023

Background

Scope and Content:

H. J. Carter, liquor agent, kept this tabular record of alcohol distribution for the city of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, between May 12, 1854, and April 6, 1855. Carter's entries include names, justifications for purchase, type of liquor, quantities, and costs. He distributed to men, women, and the elderly who lived in Stockbridge or who were in town from elsewhere, such as Glendale, Great Barrington, Lee, Marlborough, and Tyringham. In rare cases, Carter noted information about freight, cartage, and purchases of tin measures, jugs, corks, and tin dripping pans.

The types of alcohol recorded by Carter included gin, rum, St. Croix rum, French brandy, cider brandy, "C___r" brandy, Madiera, Port wine, plain alcohol, and others. Medical and health-related entries are the most common in the volume. The variety of ailments, injuries, and treatments is significant; please see below for a partial list of relevant entries. In many cases non-specific terms were used, such as "sick" or "sickness." The purchaser in many cases was not the afflicted party and the ultimate recipients included wife, mother, brother, friend, neighbor, widow, "in family," folks, uncle, and others.

Some persons are present multiple times in the volume. Lucinda and Ira Collier, for example, received rum, brandy, and plain alcohol around 10 times over the course of the year. Ira and Lucinda were African American laborers and had multiple children. They received brandy for bathing or rubbing a child's limbs (August 15 and September 6, 1854; October 4, 1854; March 26, 1855; et al.). They received distributions for Lucinda's ague (December 37, 1854) and Ira's health and injuries (August 3, 4, and 13, et al.). On August 13, 1854, Ira's entry states "aint well any of the time." Ira also received alcohol for his labor and for injuries of another man ("at work in Lynch is well," September 18, 1854, and "for a fellow crushed," September 22, 1854).

The town selectmen had the authority to authorize distribution of alcohol to blue collar laborers, like Ira Collier. Entries state "for workmen" or specific types of work such as "bee hunting" (August 28, 1854) or haying (July 11, 1854; July 20, 1854; July 27, 1854). Special distributions were permitted after a mid-November 1854 fire and during a bridge construction project. Please see below for a partial list of relevant entries.

H. J. Carter did not specify race, ethnicity, or nationality on individuals purchasing alcohol—with the exception of several marked as Irish (July 18, September 9, and March 22, 1855, e.g.). The surname MacCabe appears on multiple occasions, though is only marked as "Irish" a couple of times.

In a few cases, buyers returned to ask H. J. Carter to replace liquor they had already purchased. The McCabe family, for example, broke a jug of gin "& lost 1st qt & had to try again" (August 4, 1854). A few other broken bottles were reported on August 17, August 22, and October 28, 1854. In one case, Mrs. Watts obtained brandy for medicinal purposes and the next day "returned the above wine not liking it" (February 23 and 24, 1855).

H. J. Carter provided alcohol to persons for use in the treatment of injured or sick horses, oxen, a cow, and a calf. For these purposes, he supplied brandy, French brandy, rum, gin, and plain alcohol. A very small number of these approximately 15 entries specify the nature of the sickness or injury. James Kilduff, for example, secured rum because "horse got into Brook" (September 18, 1854). In two cases, the occupation of the recipient was recorded. A "Book Peddler" secured rum for his horse on November 13, 1854, and "Driver" C. Fields obtained French brandy for his sick horse on July 23, 1854. Please see below for a partial list of relevant entries.

Carter was not permitted to sell any alcohol on Sundays. And, all weekdays in the volume document at least one patron. The only exception is the entry on March 13, 1855, a few weeks before the end of his one-year position. Ecstatic, he wrote: "Wonderful! Wonderful!! Health reigns triumphant not a drop of Rum called for to day The trade is ruined, & Drs. must will go mad! O! Oh!! Mercy."

The volume is a blank book, hand lined on cream paper; once the pages were filled, Carter inserted blue lined paper into the front and back, and ultimately the volume was hand sewn together, using newspaper for covers. In at least one case, Carter skipped a couple of pages, then when he noticed, he went back and filled them in. As a result, sometimes the progression of dates do not match the progression of pages.

A partial list of health-related entries include:
  • Ague in the face, ague and fever, ague and chills, etc. (December 4 and 27, 1854; March 15 and 20, 1855)
  • Asthma (rum, October 26, 1854)
  • Bathing, soaking, or topical treatments (May 22, May 26, June 9, June 10, June 17, July 18, July 29, August 10, August 11, August 14, August 17, September 27, September 30, October 4, 1854, et al.)
  • Boils (June 1, 1854)
  • Burns (October 24, 1854)
  • Cupping treatment (August 15, 1854)
  • Diarrhea (July 14, 1854)
  • Dropsy (February 10, 1855)
  • Dysentery (July 2 and 3, 1854)
  • Jaundice (June 10, 1854)
  • Back complaint (June 10, 1854; July 25, 1854)
  • Injuries, fractures, and cuts (February 28, 1855; March 1 and 14, 1855)
  • Hand and foot complaints (November 2, 1854; January 29, 1855; February 16, 1855)
  • Lame side (January 6 and 29, 1855)
  • Leg complaints (June 28, 1854; October 14, 1854)
  • Liver complaint (June 13, 1854)
  • Poisoning (June 20, 1854; September 17, 1854)
  • Rheumatism (July 17, 1854; September 2, 1854; October 7 and 11, 1854; November 24, 1854; March 15, 1855)
  • Shoulder complaint (July 17, 1854)
  • Sick from "drinkg so much water" (July 18, 1854)
  • Sprained ankle (September 11, 1854)
  • Sprained thumb and shoulder (Captain Willis, August 14, 1854)
  • Toothache (rum, November 2, 1854; December 6 and 30, 1854)
  • "Dissolve gums" (rum, August 16, 1854)
  • For a "watcher of sick" (August 27, 1854)
A partial list of culinary or ingredient entries include:
  • Bitters (November 2, 1854)
  • Cake: Mrs. Peggy Hull received Madeira Wine for a cake (July 3, 1854)
  • "Cookery": Purchase of brandy for cookery (November 9, 1854)
  • Preserves: Miss Tucker received rum for preserves (August 16, 1854)
A partial list of laborer or labor-related entries include:
  • "Bee hunting" (August 28, 1854)
  • Fire: "at the Fire", "for Mrs Joel Tuller", "at Fire", includes six recipients of alcohol. The Selectmen approved the amount used at "the Fire" and in building "the Bridge" (November 16, 1854)
  • Fire: "been watchg Fire" and Cold at the fire" (November 17 and 18, 1854)
  • "Haying," "To use in haying," and "Not well, haying" (July 11, 1854; July 20, 1854; July 27, 1854)
  • "Mechanical &c" (Sidy Rathbun, October 23, 1854)
  • Workmen and "Workmen in River" (June 21, September 12, and October 13, 1854)
A partial list of animal-related entries include:
  • Calf (June 20, 1854)
  • Cow (May 28, 1854)
  • Horses: Sick (June 19, June 29, July 23, September 1, and November 13, 1854; February 5, March 20, and March 31, April 4, 1855)
  • Horses: Wounds/Injuries (September 18 and September 26, 1854)
  • Oxen (February 5 and April 4, 1855)
A selection of unusual or unclear entries include:
  • "Back door trot!" Likely referring to diarrhea. (rum, Nick Rich, November 7, 1854)
  • "Burning" and "to burn" (August 14, 1854; November 18, 1854)
  • "Carry home" (May 30, 1854)
  • "Child lies stupid" (September 22, 1854)
  • "Essence" (June 20, 1854)
  • Hair (Peter Brewer, brandy to put on his hair, July 17, 1854)
  • Peppermint (Cyrus Miller, August 12, 1854)
  • Pregnant wife (by John McGinty for his wife, September 23, 1854)
  • Ruling paper (four quarts of alcohol, Frank Owen "for ruling paper," August 8, 1854)
  • Sacramental Madeira wine (Rev. Mr. Hiscox, August 19, 1854)
  • Underlined surname: Carter underlined four surnames in the volume without a stated reason. They are Isaac Stone (June 13, 1854), Nabobs (August 15, 1854), Mr. Rich (September 9, 1854), and Mr. Ireland (November 29, 1854)
  • Wedding (rum, Samuel Rathbun, October 14, 1854)
Biographical / Historical:

The legislature of the State of Massachusetts passed a "dry law"/liquor law in 1852, forbidding the manufacture and sale of alcohol by citizens and establishing a system of agents who would control the distribution of liquor to individuals. Distributions could only be made if the use of the alcohol was medicinal, chemical, and mechanical (except the agents could not sell on Sundays). City selectmen approved agents for one-year terms and managed license certificates. H. J. Carter served as agent for Stockbridge, Massachusetts, between 1854 and 1855. His successor was Gilbert B. Nettleton.

Acquisition Information:
2023. M-7754.1 .
Arrangement:

The collection is a single bound volume.

Rules or Conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Contents

Using These Materials

Info for Visitors

How to Request

Ordering Reproductions

Download PDF Finding Aid
RESTRICTIONS:

The collection is open for research.

USE & PERMISSIONS:

Copyright status is unknown

PREFERRED CITATION:

H. J. Carter Record Book, William L. Clements Library, The University of Michigan

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Collection

H. J. Carter record book, 1854-1855
Total components 1
Last indexed 2025-02-09