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Collection

James Douglas account book, 1784-1792

1 volume

This volume contains invoices and accounts related to London-based merchant James Douglas, who shipped fabrics, woven goods, and other items between Great Britain and the United States during the 1780s. The bulk of the records document the amount and cost of goods shipped on behalf of various firms and consignment agents. Later accounts reflect the shipment of tobacco, indigo, rice, and other goods from the United States to Great Britain.

This volume (329 pages) contains invoices and accounts related to London-based merchant James Douglas, who shipped fabrics, woven goods, and other items between Great Britain and the United States during the 1780s. The bulk of the records (317 pages) pertain to shipments of cloth goods from Great Britain to the United States between April 1784 and August 1786. His goods included domestic and imported cloths, handkerchiefs, blankets, and other finished products. Daily records include the name of the ship carrying the goods from London or Liverpool to North American ports, including Charleston, South Carolina. Some records include the price of related items such as buttons and tassels. One entry concerns a shipment of books (pp. 202-204).

The remaining accounts (12 pages) pertain to shipments of tobacco from Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, to British ports between January 1, 1789, and July 7, 1792. These accounts, recorded sporadically, primarily pertain to the value of the tobacco and, less frequently, other items such as rice and indigo.

Collection

James Douglas papers, 1738-1850 (majority within 1738-1787)

26 volumes and 29 loose letters and documents

The James Douglas papers are comprised of letters, letter books, logbooks, account books, and official naval documents relating to the career of Sir James Douglas, a British Admiral who was active in European and Caribbean waters and participated in the 1745 Siege of Louisbourg.

The James Douglas papers are comprised of letters, letter books, logbooks, account books, and official naval documents relating to the career of Sir James Douglas. Douglas rose to the rank of admiral and was active in European and Caribbean waters, and participated in the 1745 Siege of Louisbourg. The collection contains 7 letterbooks, 10 logbooks, 1 orderly book, 7 prize and account books, 1 book of sailing instructions (with notations by Douglas), 10 letters, 17 financial and official documents, and 2 genealogical documents (for an itemized list of the collection, see Additional Descriptive Data).

The Letter Books, Logbooks, and Account Books series contains the collection's bound volumes.

The letter books are comprised of copies of over 1,000 letters and orders to and from Douglas and his fellow naval officers. The letter book from Jamaica (1738-1745) includes letters and orders from Edward Vernon, Sir Chaloner Ogle, Thomas Davers, and Commodore Charles Brown, mostly addressed to naval store keeper George Hinde, concerning repairing and outfitting ships. The 1755-1759 letter book contains observations on ship movements and encounters, and letters from him to other naval officers, largely concerning European waters. The letter books from 1775 to 1777 hold copies of letters from Douglas, written when he was commanding the naval base at Spithead during the Revolutionary War. The letters are primarily addressed to Sir Philip Stephens, Secretary of British Admiralty, regarding naval administration and military news during the war in America (August 6, 1775-May 27, 1777).

The collection contains logbooks for the following ships:
  • Tilbury, 1741-1742 (kept by Thomas Lempriere)
  • Vigilant, 1745-1747
  • Anson, 1755
  • Bedford, 1755-1759
  • Alcide, 1757
  • Dublin, 1760
  • SterlingCastle, 1760-1762
  • Cruzer, 1770 (kept by Midshipman James Douglas, Jr.)
  • Cerberus, 1770 (kept by Midshipman James Douglas, Jr.)

Topics of note include: an account of the British attack against the Spanish at Cartagena (Tilbury logbook, 1740-1741); the British capture of Dominica and Martinique, and the Siege of Havana, while Douglas was commander and chief of the Leeward Island Station (1760-1762 logbook); and a logbook for a captured French ship (1760-1761). The logbook of a French ship captured in the West Indies (December 16, 1761-May 1, 1762) contains sketches on the insides of the front and back covers. Depicted are fish and sea creatures; crude portraits of men and women, dressed in finery; silhouettes of faces; and drawings of two stately homes.

Account books constitute four volumes:
  • Ledger of Douglas' private accounts (1770-1771).
  • Two notebooks accounting for prizes taken by British ships in 1759 and 1762.
  • A sederunt book of the trustees, relating to the settlement of Douglas' estate, created sometime after his death in 1787.

Also of note is a printed copy of Sailing and Fighting Instructions, heavily annotated by Douglas.

The Correspondence and Documents series contains 29 letters and documents, including: 8 letters concerning naval matters; 4 letters concerning Douglas' will, estate, and genealogy; Douglas' marriage agreement; 7 signed naval promotions on vellum; Douglas' appointment as baronet (1786); 3 memorials and petitions; 2 essays; 1 speech; 1 receipt; 1 legal disposition; and two genealogical items. Genealogy records include a family tree of Douglas' ancestor Douglas of Friarshaw (d. 1388) and a facsimile of the genealogical chart of Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane's ancestors going back to the 13th century.

Collection

James L. Burkhalter account book, 1873-1875

1 volume

In this account book, James L. Burkhalter of Maquon, Illinois, recorded financial transactions for his building and contracting business from 1873 to 1875, with many appearing to relate to laborers on his projects. Occasional details hint at the types of projects and activities supporting them, like payments for work on bridges, stonework, hauling loads of stone and sand, working in quarries, and making deeds. Main projects appear to have been on Wolf Bridge and Court Creek Bridge. Several pages at the end of the volume include accounts of men getting liquor and whiskey and notes dates of when individuals got drunk.

In this account book, James L. Burkhalter of Maquon, Illinois, recorded financial transactions for his building and contracting business from 1873 to 1875, with many appearing to relate to laborers working on his projects. Portions of the volume are arranged by individual, while others are organized as a daybook, noting daily transactions. Payments were made predominantly with cash, though some entries include items like horse feed, boarding bills, lumber, whiskey, and tobacco. Credits principally relate to wages owed by Burkhalter. Occasional details hint at the types of projects and activities supporting them, like payments for work on bridges, stonework, hauling loads of stone and sand, working in quarries, and making deeds. Main projects appear to have been on Wolf Bridge and Court Creek Bridge, and several accounts detail expenses relating to them. At least three entries relate to the cost of making a coffin (see pages facing numerated pages 40, 48, and 56).

Burkhalter included several financial accounts that appear personal in nature, including several monthly tallies of expenses for foodstuffs and sundries, as well as earnings for tasks like making deeds, executions, and mortgages, filing saws and cutting frames, among others. One chart labelled "Time Book" spans October to December 1874 and tracks total days worked for several individuals and their earnings.

Miscellaneous entries include an inventory of furniture; accounts with the Maquon School District; measurements for the "North Crib," "South Crib," Littlers Creek Bridge, and South Pier. Several pages at the end of the volume include accounts of men getting liquor and whiskey and notes dates of when individuals got drunk.

Collection

James Moncrieff papers, 1710-1894 (majority within 1780-1804)

403 items (1.5 linear feet)

The James Moncrieff papers are made up of letters, documents, and reports partially documenting the military career of Moncrieff, a British engineer. In particular, the papers regard Moncrieff’s engineering work following the siege of Charlestown, South Carolina (1780 ff.), and in the West Indies in the early 1790s.

The James Moncrieff papers consist of 403 items, dated from August 2, 1710, to June 15, 1894 (the bulk dating between August 28, 1780, and April 4, 1804). The collection contains seven bound letter and account books, 38 pieces of correspondence, 244 documents pertaining to Works and Services for the Engineers Dept. of the British military, six military reports, 43 miscellaneous military documents, 10 documents pertaining to land holdings, 41 personal and financial documents, and 14 miscellaneous items.

The letterbooks and 38 individual letters pertain to the military career of James Moncrieff and regard military orders, personal purchases of Moncrieff, military purchases, military fortifications and other matters pertaining to the Engineer Corps. The 244 documents are numbered payment orders for Works Services in the Engineers Department of the British military. They include detailed lists of services and materials purchased for the operation of the Department. Each document is authorized and signed by the Commanding Engineer, James Moncrieff, by the sellers after payment, by the Paymaster, and by witnesses to the financial transactions. The 6 Military Reports (1791), initialed by G.B., G.D., B.P. and J.M., contain material regarding military engineering in the West Indies. Four of the reports contain James Moncrieff’s reports on military fortifications on Barbados, Dominica, St. Christopher’s and St. Vincent’s. The remaining reports are investigations into account fraud by bookkeepers on Barbados and St. Christopher’s.

The 43 miscellaneous military documents regard the Royal Engineer Corps. 10 documents pertain to land in Great Britain, several of which relate to the estate of George Moncrieff. The most extensive of the land documents is 13 pages in length and is titled “Search of Incumbrances on the Lands of Kingsbarns” (November 11 to November 20, 1887). The 41 documents related to personal affairs are almost exclusively accounts and receipts of James Moncrieff.

The 14 miscellaneous items include four bound volumes, including a manuscript book of poetry and notes by Moncrieff on the principles of war and on water drainage. The remaining 10 items are all undated and consist of: one printed fragment, one manuscript fragment, six unlabeled maps, one broadside and a print labeled “THE CASINO Promenade Concert Rooms.”

Collection

James Terry family papers, 1838-1953 (majority within 1879-1894)

0.75 linear feet

The Terry family papers contain correspondence, documents, and other items pertaining to the family of James Terry, Jr., who was curator of the Department of Archaeology and Ethnology at the American Museum of Natural History in the early 1890s. The materials concern Terry's lawsuit against the museum regarding his private collections, his archaeological career, and life on the Terry family farm in the 1830s.

The Terry family papers (0.75 linear feet) contain correspondence, documents, and other items pertaining to pertaining to the family of James Terry, Jr., who was curator of the Department of Archaeology and Ethnology at the American Museum of Natural History in the early 1890s.

The James Terry, Sr., Diary contains 27 pages of daily entries about Terry's farm and the progress of his crops between July 17, 1838, and September 16, 1838. The diary entries are followed by 7 pages of notes about the 1838 hay, rye, and turnip harvests, with additional references to wheat and corn. One note refers to crops planted the following spring (March 21, 1839).

Items pertaining to James Terry, Jr. , are divided into 5 subseries. The Correspondence and Documents subseries (235 items) contains letters, legal documents, and financial records related to James Terry's archaeological career, as well as drafts of letters written by Terry. From 1879 to 1891, Terry received letters from archaeologists and other professionals, such as Albert S. Bickmore and R. P. Whitefield of the American Museum of Natural History, about his work and personal collections. Correspondents also shared news related to the American Museum of Natural History and to archaeological discoveries. Receipts pertain to items shipped to the museum.

Items dated after 1891 relate to Terry's work at the American Museum of Natural History, including an agreement regarding the museum's acquisition of, and payment for, Terry's personal collection of artifacts (June 5, 1891). Correspondence from Terry's time as a curator at the museum (1891-1894) concerns the museum's internal affairs and relationships between Terry and members of the Board of Trustees; one group of letters pertains to the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 (July-August 1893). Terry received notice of his dismissal on March 21, 1894. From 1897-1898, Terry was involved in a lawsuit against the museum, and the collection contains court documents, correspondence, and financial records related to the case; the suit was settled on June 22, 1898, when the museum paid Terry $18,000. Five receipts dated 1906-1908 concern Elmira's Terry's purchases of household items. Some items were once collected in a letter book; a partial table of contents is housed in Oversize Manuscripts.

The James Terry, Jr., Diary contains 86 pages of entries from June 2, 1891-January 26, 1894, concerning Terry's work at the American Museum of Natural History. Pages 4-8 have a list of items "liable to moth destruction," including each artifact's catalog number and a brief note about their condition. The final pages contain notes related to Terry's curatorship and a copied letter from Terry to the archaeologist Marshall H. Saville (December 9, 1893). Terry's Datebook (January 1, 1883-December 31, 1833) contains notes about his daily activities. The final pages hold records of Terry's expenses.

Drafts and Reports (14 items) relate to Terry's work at the American Natural History Museum, the museum's history and collections, archaeological expeditions, and the early history of Santa Barbara, California. The series contains formal and draft reports, as well as notes.

Newspaper Clippings (50 items) include groups of items related to a scandal involving the pastor of a Congregational church in Terryville, Connecticut; to a controversy raised by German archaeologist Max Ohnefalsch-Richter about the integrity of Luigi Palma di Cesnola's collection of Cypriot artifacts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City; to controversial behavior by Columbia University president Seth Low; to a meteorite that Lieutenant Robert E. Peary transported from the Greenland to New York in October 1897; and to novelist John R. Musick's alleged plagiarism. Individual clippings concern topics such as Yale College, a dispute between Harvard and Princeton constituents (related to a poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes), and religion in New England.

The James Terry, Jr., Ephemera and Realia subseries (14 items) contains business and calling cards, promotional material for the American Natural History Museum, a black-and-white reproduction of a painting of African-American agricultural laborers, metal nameplates and decorative plates, and an engraving of the Worcester Town Hall pasted onto a block of wood.

The Terry Family series is made up of 2 subseries. The Terry Family Account Book contains 11 pages of financial records related to the estate of George Terry (April 9, 1889-June 7, 1890). An additional page of accounts is laid into the volume, and 3 newspaper obituaries for Terry are pasted into the front cover. A tax bill is affixed to the final page of accounts.

The Terry Family Photographs (90 items) include formal and informal portraits and photographs of scenery. One photograph of a summer home called "Rocklawn" is mounted onto a card with a calendar for the year 1899. Another photograph shows the post exchange at Thule (now Qaanaaq), Greenland, in September 1953.

Collection

James W. Simpson daybooks, 1847-1849, 1851-1856

2 volumes

These two daybooks contain the accounts of a general store in Craftsbury, Vermont, operated by Simpson & Smith and by James W. Simpson, 1847-1849 and 1851-1856. Entries include the name of the purchaser, good(s) and quantities purchased, and costs. The goods included foodstuffs, clothing, cloth, sewing supplies, medicines, books, writing materials, household items, and more.

These two daybooks contain the accounts of a general store in Craftsbury, Vermont, operated by Simpson & Smith and by James W. Simpson. Volume one, kept by Simpson & Smith, dates from December 13, 1847, to March 30, 1849 (428 numbered pages). Volume two, kept by James W. Simpson, dates from September 29, 1851, to January 24, 1856 (587 numbered pages). The daybook entries include the names of the purchasers, types and quantities of purchased goods, and costs. In a few cases, the store loaned out small amounts of money.

The store sold a variety of goods. A selection of them includes:
  • Foodstuffs: tea, tobacco, oats, rice, raisins, turkey, fish, eggs, sugar, salt, cloves, licorice, butter, pepper, ginger, beef, molasses, chickens, nutmeg, cinnamon, brandy, wine, rhubarb, and more.
  • Clothing, Cloth, and Sewing Supplies: buttons, calico, thread, needles, buffalo robes, buffalo coats, suspenders, lace, edging, blankets, paper pins, ribbon, boots, shawls, mittens, beads, cotton, flannel, shear, silk, gloves, canvas, card hooks, pants, tailoring, agate buttons, and more.
  • Books and Writing Supplies: pencils, chalk, pens, quires of paper, "lender" readers, W. H. Wells' grammar, arithmetics, a music book, an almanac, dictionaries, spelling books, small geographies, Smith's Quarto Geographies, "child's novels", blank books, and others.
  • Medicines: "Saluatus" or "Salvatus", sulphur, camphor, cherry pectoral (volume 2, page 529), "Moffets Pills", "Bottle Pain Killer" (volume 2, page 98), magnesia, etc.
  • Farming and Household Goods: blacking, brooms, lumber, combs, wash tubs, square glass, tallow, screws, door handles, nails, springs, kitchen wares, matches, soap, linseed oil, hairbrushes, chisels, and more.
Collection

James W. Simpson daybooks, 1847-1849, 1851-1856

2 volumes

These two daybooks contain the accounts of a general store in Craftsbury, Vermont, operated by Simpson & Smith and by James W. Simpson, 1847-1849 and 1851-1856. Entries include the name of the purchaser, good(s) and quantities purchased, and costs. The goods included foodstuffs, clothing, cloth, sewing supplies, medicines, books, writing materials, household items, and more.

These two daybooks contain the accounts of a general store in Craftsbury, Vermont, operated by Simpson & Smith and by James W. Simpson. Volume one, kept by Simpson & Smith, dates from December 13, 1847, to March 30, 1849 (428 numbered pages). Volume two, kept by James W. Simpson, dates from September 29, 1851, to January 24, 1856 (587 numbered pages). The daybook entries include the names of the purchasers, types and quantities of purchased goods, and costs. In a few cases, the store loaned out small amounts of money.

The store sold a variety of goods. A selection of them includes:
  • Foodstuffs: tea, tobacco, oats, rice, raisins, turkey, fish, eggs, sugar, salt, cloves, licorice, butter, pepper, ginger, beef, molasses, chickens, nutmeg, cinnamon, brandy, wine, rhubarb, and more.
  • Clothing, Cloth, and Sewing Supplies: buttons, calico, thread, needles, buffalo robes, buffalo coats, suspenders, lace, edging, blankets, paper pins, ribbon, boots, shawls, mittens, beads, cotton, flannel, shear, silk, gloves, canvas, card hooks, pants, tailoring, agate buttons, and more.
  • Books and Writing Supplies: pencils, chalk, pens, quires of paper, "lender" readers, W. H. Wells' grammar, arithmetics, a music book, an almanac, dictionaries, spelling books, small geographies, Smith's Quarto Geographies, "child's novels", blank books, and others.
  • Medicines: "Saluatus" or "Salvatus", sulphur, camphor, cherry pectoral (volume 2, page 529), "Moffets Pills", "Bottle Pain Killer" (volume 2, page 98), magnesia, etc.
  • Farming and Household Goods: blacking, brooms, lumber, combs, wash tubs, square glass, tallow, screws, door handles, nails, springs, kitchen wares, matches, soap, linseed oil, hairbrushes, chisels, and more.
Collection

Jewett family account books, 1692-1736 (majority within 1692-1711)

2 volumes and 1 manuscript

This collection contains 2 account books kept by Abraham Jewett and his son, also named Abraham, as well as a fragment of an apprenticeship contract. The account books primarily record the Jewetts' income from making and repairing shoes for residents of Rowley and Ipswich, Massachusetts, between 1692 and 1711.

This collection contains 2 account books kept by Abraham Jewett and his son, also named Abraham, as well as a fragment of an apprenticeship contract. The account books primarily record the Jewetts' income from making and repairing shoes for residents of Rowley and Ipswich, Massachusetts, between 1692 and 1711.

The elder Abraham Jewett began his account book in 1692, and recorded his transactions with individuals in Rowley and Ipswich. The accounts relate to Jewett's work making and repairing shoes; he received payments in cash, foodstuffs, and other items. Notes throughout the volume provide the dates of financial reconcilement with debtors. Though the accounts in this volume cover the years 1692 to 1695, most date between 1692 and 1694.

The account book of Abraham's son is similar in format and also documents his work with shoes and hides. He, too, often received payments in corn, molasses, and other foodstuffs. Most accounts date between 1700 and 1711, though some are as late as 1720, with additional brief notes in a different hand dated as late as 1736. Both father and son recorded the names of persons for whom they made shoes, sometimes including the debtors' wives and children. One note in the second volume concerns a charge for a boarder, and the volume also has a 1-page prayer about death.

The account books are accompanied by a fragment of an undated indenture binding "Abraham Jewett" as an apprentice shoemaker in Essex County, Massachusetts.

Collection

John Berry account book, 1854-1875

1 volume

John Berry, a farmer in Howard Township, Knox County, Ohio, maintained this account book from 1854 to 1875. It documents expenses related to farming operations, such as wages for hired men and women performing various tasks with crops, livestock, and the production of wool. It includes accounts for the purchase and sale of sheep, cattle, and hogs, and the breeding and insurance of horses. The accounts also relate to wool, flour, corn, oats, hay, and other farm goods, as well as various farm implements. The volume notes the erection of various buildings and infrastructure like barns and bridges, work done on the schoolhouse, and it includes documentation of exchanges with others for goods like shoes, clothing, fabric, and other items for farm and personal use. Berry documented several years' total sales and expenditures and overall assessments of his stock. He wrote a register of births for his seven children between 1850 to 1867 and listed various Biblical passages, titled "A few text of scripture for the Abolitionist to read." Recipes for keeping cider sweet and treating dysentery are also included.

Seven items are laid into the front of the volume, including an advertising brochure for the Ohio Farmers Insurance Company, an obituary for James M. Berry (1852-1923), two blank Knox County Bank checks, one Howard Township 1871 tax receipt, and two slips of paper, one listing the deaths of Lucy Berry, James Berry, and Sarah Harding.

Collection

John Berry account book, 1854-1875

1 volume

John Berry, a farmer in Howard Township, Knox County, Ohio, maintained this account book from 1854 to 1875. It documents expenses related to farming operations, such as wages for hired men and women performing various tasks with crops, livestock, and the production of wool. It includes accounts for the purchase and sale of sheep, cattle, and hogs, and the breeding and insurance of horses. The accounts also relate to wool, flour, corn, oats, hay, and other farm goods, as well as various farm implements. The volume notes the erection of various buildings and infrastructure like barns and bridges, work done on the schoolhouse, and it includes documentation of exchanges with others for goods like shoes, clothing, fabric, and other items for farm and personal use. Berry documented several years' total sales and expenditures and overall assessments of his stock. He wrote a register of births for his seven children between 1850 to 1867 and listed various Biblical passages, titled "A few text of scripture for the Abolitionist to read." Recipes for keeping cider sweet and treating dysentery are also included.

Seven items are laid into the front of the volume, including an advertising brochure for the Ohio Farmers Insurance Company, an obituary for James M. Berry (1852-1923), two blank Knox County Bank checks, one Howard Township 1871 tax receipt, and two slips of paper, one listing the deaths of Lucy Berry, James Berry, and Sarah Harding.