Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

This account book contains financial records for customers' purchases from Dennis Skehan's tavern from 1767 to 1772, principally of alcoholic beverages though he also sold other items. Entries that note fees for boarding and food indicate that the tavern may also have functioned as an inn. A number of entries reflect the making or repair of clothing and shoes, suggesting some tailoring work may have also been happening in the family. In addition to cash, patrons also payed via goods and labor, indicating a barter system was operating. The exchange documented throughout for grains may relate to ingredients used for the production of alcohol.

This account book contains financial records for customers' purchases from Dennis Skehan's tavern from 1767 to 1772, principally of alcoholic beverages like flip or philip, toddy, beer, milk punch, various types of rum, as well as spirits or liquor. Entries also include the amount of alcohol purchased, providing insight into how the beverages were served and consumed, using measurements such as bowls, mugs, glasses, gills, drams, nips, and others. Accounts specifying fees for boarding and food suggest that the tavern may also have been functioning as an inn. Beyond alcohol, purchases for tobacco, paper, tea, and other items are also recorded, indicating other forms of goods were on offer. A number of entries pertain to the making or repair of clothing and shoes, suggesting some tailoring work may have been happening in the family.

In addition to cash, patrons also payed via goods like fabric, corn, wheat, eggs, butter, and deerskins, or exchanged labor like a day's work, plowing, or spinning flax, indicating a barter system was operating. An account on the first page includes payments on a barrel of Rum as well as schipples (a measurement used for dry goods) of Rye "Male" and Indian "Male," likely phonetic spellings for "meal." The exchange documented throughout for grains may relate to ingredients used for the production of alcohol.

At least two entries were made out to Mary Skehan, dating after Dennis Skehan's death, suggesting she may have continued the business following his passing.

The account book includes an inscription, "Dennis Skehan's Book," dated 1765, as well as a note recording Dennis Skehan's death on October 14, 1771. Later entries dated August 1772 include copies of receipts for payments John Flynn made in New York currency to two men, suggesting he may have come into possession of the volume following Skehan's death.

Duncan Evans and J. J. Evans maintained this volume between 1852 and 1872 to document financial accounts for the sale of whiskey and cobbling work. The first portion of the volume is a daybook recording goods purchased from Duncan Evans, primarily for whiskey by the quart, gallon, and half-gallon. Beginning in 1866, the volume shifts to an account book primarily documenting services provided by J. J. Evans, such as making various types of shoes and boots, soling and repairing foot ware, and other types of cobbler work. The final page includes an entry for "making negro girl pr shoes," indicating at least one African American customer. It also includes a few accounts for materials purchased from others, like butter and meal, and a recipe for making shoe blacking.

Duncan Evans and J. J. Evans maintained this volume between the years of 1852 and 1872 to document the financial accounts for the sale of whiskey and cobbling work. The first portion of the volume is a daybook recording goods purchased from Duncan Evans, primarily for whiskey by the quart, gallon, and half-gallon. Beginning in 1866, the volume shifts to an account book primarily documenting services provided by J. J. Evans, such as making various types of shoes and boots, soling and repairing foot ware, and other types of cobbler work. The final page includes an entry for "making negro girl pr shoes," indicating at least one African American customer. It also includes a few accounts for materials purchased from others, like butter and meal, and a recipe for making shoe blacking. The volume has a paste-paper cover and evidence of pest damage on the spine.

Duncan Evans and J. J. Evans maintained this volume between 1852 and 1872 to document financial accounts for the sale of whiskey and cobbling work. The first portion of the volume is a daybook recording goods purchased from Duncan Evans, primarily for whiskey by the quart, gallon, and half-gallon. Beginning in 1866, the volume shifts to an account book primarily documenting services provided by J. J. Evans, such as making various types of shoes and boots, soling and repairing foot ware, and other types of cobbler work. The final page includes an entry for "making negro girl pr shoes," indicating at least one African American customer. It also includes a few accounts for materials purchased from others, like butter and meal, and a recipe for making shoe blacking.

Duncan Evans and J. J. Evans maintained this volume between the years of 1852 and 1872 to document the financial accounts for the sale of whiskey and cobbling work. The first portion of the volume is a daybook recording goods purchased from Duncan Evans, primarily for whiskey by the quart, gallon, and half-gallon. Beginning in 1866, the volume shifts to an account book primarily documenting services provided by J. J. Evans, such as making various types of shoes and boots, soling and repairing foot ware, and other types of cobbler work. The final page includes an entry for "making negro girl pr shoes," indicating at least one African American customer. It also includes a few accounts for materials purchased from others, like butter and meal, and a recipe for making shoe blacking. The volume has a paste-paper cover and evidence of pest damage on the spine.

Lemuel Cotton of Hiram, Maine, kept these daybooks to record the financial transactions associated with what appears to be a general goods store. Entries are made by individual days and list out customer names, purchases, and amounts owed and paid. Types of goods sold include food stuffs and spices, coffee and tea, candy, tobacco, medicine, household goods, tools, shoes, seeds, fertilizers, among other items. Some entries reveal additional elements of life in Hiram, such as charges for the use of a team at a funeral, sale of a suit of clothes and a casket, or sales of firecrackers near the Fourth of July. In addition to cash payments, some bartering appears to have been occurring, as lines of credit are noted for goods like butter, fruits and vegetables, meat, or for services like painting jobs, "picking chickens," butchering, and other day work.

Lemuel Cotton of Hiram, Maine, kept these daybooks to record the financial transactions associated with what appears to be a general goods store. The first volume spans from 1889 to 1890 and the second from 1892 to 1894. Entries are made by individual days and list out customer names, purchases, and amounts owed and paid. Types of goods sold include food stuffs and spices, coffee and tea, candy, tobacco, medicine, household goods, tools, shoes, seeds, fertilizers, among other items. Some entries reveal additional elements of life in Hiram, such as charges for the use of a team at a funeral (vol. 1, p. 39), sale of a suit of clothes and a casket (vol. 1, p. 54), or sales of firecrackers near the Fourth of July (vol. 1, p. 147). In addition to cash payments, some bartering appears to have been occurring, as lines of credit are noted for goods like butter, fruits and vegetables, meat, or for services like painting jobs, "picking chickens," butchering, and other day work.

This account book kept largely by Jacob, Anne, and Anna True consists of records relating to their family business in Salisbury, Massachusetts. The True family ran a multi-purpose organization and operated it as a tavern, inn, bank, and store for foodstuffs and other goods. The volume also contains a narration and history of the extended True family, a study of the Webster family, and a 16-page recounting of the American Revolutionary War naval battle between the Bonhomme Richard and the HMS Serapis.

This account book kept largely by Jacob, Anne, and Anna True consists of records relating to their family business in Salisbury, Massachusetts. The True family ran a multi-purpose organization and operated it as a tavern, inn, bank, and store for foodstuffs and other goods. The volume also contains a narration and history of the extended True family, a study of with the Webster family, and a 16-page recounting of the American Revolutionary War naval battle between the Bonhomme Richard and the HMS Serapis.

The volume's double-entry bookkeeping includes the name of the client, with running lists of the costs and dates of purchases of goods and services, as well as records of account credits. Sales of alcoholic beverages include rum (occasionally identified as New England or West Indies), toddies, and brandy. Rum seems to be the most frequent item offered by the Trues; at times the drink is not listed by measurement, but instead as variants of "Rum and Drink at Time Taken from the Score." They sold foods, including veal, salt, sugar, molasses, turnips, pork, fish, and more. They sold cloth, linens, and clothing, such as handkerchiefs, swanskin, sheeting, silks, thread, oznabriggs, buttons, blankets, muslin, bearskin, ribbon, "ferrit," combs, sole leather, and more. The Trues also offered services, such as augur maintenance, chair repair, clothing and shoe mending, and more.

One atypical entry is an account for debtors William Temple and Capt. Edward Emerson in 1761, pertinent to expenses for the wreck of a brig, including costs associated with ballast, clearing lumber and pumping out the ship, moving the ship to Newbury, "a Treat to the people that went Down in ye Ship," temporarily storing Naval stores, taking care and sending on the ship three weeks later, and other itemizations.

Clients paid by cash, labor, or barter. Services rendered include ship work such as planking, boring holes, and caulking, raising, and framing; a "day's work," butchering. Goods offered in trade include timber, codfish, corn, silver shoe buckles, lamb, cider, charcoal, and more. Many transactions conclude with a "Settlement" statement and the signature of Jacob, Anne, or Anna True, with the purchaser's sign-off.

The volume includes a list of the crew on board the Bonhomme Richard, including Jacob and Anne's son Jacob, along with a recounting of the engagement of the Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis. A few printed newspaper illustrations were pasted into the volume, including an engraving showing the battle and framed by snakes and a "Don't Tread on Me" banner. Another shows "The Emperor Napoleon in his Coffin."

The final pages of the volume contain genealogical information respecting the Webster family.

This volume is made up of barter records kept by "G.W." for a store in the Windsor, Vermont, area. The writer recorded the names of people, the goods they received from the store, and the goods they used to trade for them. The store sold dishes, looking glasses, foodstuffs (molasses, salt, sugar, tea, ginger, crackers, fish, rum, rice, candy, saleratus, raisins, etc.), opium, cloth, clothing, tobacco, snuff, oil, combs, ink, writing utensils, paper, and other goods. In return, customers traded butter, eggs, rags, wood, corn, apples, chickens, cheese, maple sugar, oats, and other items.

This volume is made up of barter records kept by "G.W." for a store in the Windsor, Vermont, area. The writer recorded the names of people, the goods they received from the store, and the goods they used to trade for them. The store sold dishes, looking glasses, foodstuffs (molasses, salt, sugar, tea, ginger, crackers, fish, rum, rice, candy, saleratus, raisins, etc.), opium, cloth, clothing, tobacco, snuff, oil, combs, ink, writing utensils, paper, and other goods. In return, customers traded butter, eggs, rags, wood, corn, apples, chickens, cheese, maple sugar, oats, and other items.