Account book
mostly Bristol, R.I. 1786-1790. Small 4to, 60 leaves, the first 5 leaves on slightly smaller paper and separately bound in; in ink; contemporary limp, dirty old canvas, on the upper cover in ink is written "I. D'Wolf / 17[?] -1790." The notations often faded and stained (this looks to have made many ocean passages), and with the occasional wormtrack, so legibility is often interrupted, but 90% perfectly viable. Also, with parts of a half-dozen leaves torn out. The D'Wolf in question is likely John D'Wolf (1760-1841), son of Mark Anthony D'Wolf. Accounts herein include those with: Benjamin Bosworth, Shear[jashub] Bourn, Thomas Church, William Cox, Joseph Diman, Richard Drowne, Charles D'Wolf, James D'Wolf, Mark Anthony D'Wolf, William D'Wolf, William Hardin, William Hoar, Jeremiah Ingraham, Nathan Knox, Samuel Lee, Joseph Lindsey, F. Low, William T. Miller, Hezekiah Munro, William Parker, Jonathan Peck, Loring Peck, Thomas Reynolds, Israel Richmond, Paddock Richmond, Stephen Smith, Thomas Swan, Joshua and Moses Van Doorn, Nathaniel Waldron, Newton Waldron, Samuel Wardwell, and a Mrs. Woodbury, many of these accounts countersigned by both the debtor and creditor, and many of these names well known in the annals of Rhode Island and southeastern New England history. Merchandise accounted for, with dates of transactions, and costs, run the gamut from rum, rum, and more rum (often identified as West India or W.I. rum), sugar, and molasses, as well as bread, chestnut, pine boards, coffee, chocolate, cotton wool, bricks, stone, salted fish, salted pork, corn, chamber pots, silk stockings, wharfage, pitch and tar, bar iron, cordage, nails, hand pumps, Spanish hoops, iron hoops, white led (i.e. lead), Spanish brown, Spanish white, these last, apparently pigments for paint. Labor is sometimes included in the accounts, such as a "day's work on rigging ship," "2 days work discharging wood," "bringing vessel to the wharf," "for digging in my seller," "glazing my seller," "your carpenter worker for finishing my keeping room," "build[ing] my barn, finishing inside and out," etc. also with dates of service and charges rendered." Much of the materials are brought in by D'Wolf's ships. Those mentioned include the sloop Industry, the brig Enterprize, the schooner Nancy, also referred to as the brig Nancy. There is reference to the purchase of one-third on the Sloop Industry, and the purchase by Levi D'Wolf for 1/16 of the brig Nancy. At the back of the ledger is an "Act. of Peoples board at my house to work of brig Nancy," including Jeremiah Diman, John Diman, James Childs, and a Mr. Jones. each with number of days stayed, and rates charged. Also, "Expenses of my house," including shingles, wharfage lumber, plastering chambers, nails, iron work, salon timber, floor boards, hinges and thumb latches, digging seller, 8000 bricks, 10,000 shingles, 2000 clapboards, etc., all with date of purchase and costs affixed. Item #56521
Price: $3,500.00
