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John Russell Account Book

Location:
Deerfield, MA
Description:
John Russell (1731-1775) of Deerfield, Massachusetts, was a tailor and retailer who kept this account book from 1762 until his death in 1775. It documents many running accounts with residents, including transactions involving enslaved and free African Americans. Russell’s wife, Hannah, used the same account book until 1789 as she continued running her deceased husband’s business. It is part of a collection of more than 600 account books currently in the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association Library kept by local merchants, professionals, farmers, craftspeople, and business firms from the 17th - 20th centuries.

Table of contents

1763 to 1791 1763 - 1791, Vol 1

(PVMA#: PVMA 5352, Vol. 1)

Entry Date AA Name(s) $  £  s  p  f id
• To making a Coat for Harford 0 8 0 1762 Apr Hartford, 8 1884
• To making Breeches for Umphrey 0 5 0 1762 Nov Humphry, 5 2150
• To making Leather Vest for Cato 0-8-6 1762 Nov Cato Cole, 8 6.0 339
• To 1 gill Rum    3 1762 Abijah Prince, 3.0 3128
• To 1 Quart molasses  /9      9 1762 Abijah Prince, 9.0 3127
• To sundries 1/1 To 1 Pitcher 1/6     2/7 1762 Abijah Prince, 3126
• By making Cyder 1 Day 3 1762 Abijah Prince, 3 3129
• By work part of a day 1  6    4  6 1762 Abijah Prince, 4 6.0 644
• To 1 Quart Rum   3  7    1  1 ... 1762 Abijah Prince, 1034
• To making a Coat for Calop 8 1763 Sep Calab Sharp, 8 334
• To 1 juse harpe 0-2-6 1763 Nov Town Negro, 2 6.0 3131
• to a pare of gloves old tenor 1-4-0    old ten  1-4-0 1763 Nov Town Negro, 3130
• To 5 Quarts of Mollos 0-3-9 1763 Hartford, 3 9.0 3134
• To fore yrdes of Dowlis at 2/8 pr yd 0-10-8 1763 Hartford, 10 8.0 342
• Cr to Cash 0-18-0 1763 Town Negro, 18 1039
• To 1 ouns of Snuff 0 -2-6   1763 Town Negro, 2 6.0 3132
• Cr to Cash paid By Harford Dck 0-2-10  1763 Hartford, 2 10.0 3133
•  To 1 Quort of Rum 0-1-6  1764 Mar Hartford, 1 6.0 3137
• Cr to Cash 0-1-4 1764 Mar Hartford, 1 4.0 346
• To 1 Quort of Rum 0-1-6  1764 Mar Hartford, 1 6.0 345
• to 1 Quort of Rum 0-1-6  1764 Mar Hartford, 1 6.0 347
• Hartford Negro Dr To Quort of Rum 0-1-6  1764 Mar Hartford, 1 6.0 3136
• march  To point of molasses 0-0-5 1764 Mar Hartford, 5.0 3135
• To 2 Quorts and a point of molasses 0-1-11  1764 Mar Hartford, 1 11.0 3138
• Hartford Negro Dr To Quart of Rum 0-1-6 Hartford Negro Dr to... 1764 Jun Hartford, 1 10.0 344
• July To altering a Coat for umphry 0-2-8 1764 Jul Humphry, 2 8.0 604
• Titus Negro Dr To 1 Quort of Rum 0-1-6 Timothy Childs 1764 Titus, 1 6.0 647
• To making a Vest for Cato 2-6 1765 Jun 8 Cato Cole, 2 6.0 338
• By 1 loade of wood By Cato 1765 Dec Cato Cole, 337
• To making a Coat Vest Umphry 12 1766 Feb Humphry, 12 1040
• 1766 augt 25 Sharp Calop Dr to 4 gal of Rum 15 6 1766 Aug 25 Calab Sharp, 15 6.0 1885
• To pay for Drawing the Oxen  1 6 1768 Dec 16 Calab Sharp, 1 6.0 3140
• To Rum   2 1768 Dec 16 Calab Sharp, 2.0 2834
• Dec 16 To 2 yd=1/4 of Coating 7/6   16  10 1768 Dec 16 Calab Sharp, 16 10.0 3139
• To 1 Bottel Snuff  3   1 1 4 1768 Dec 16 Calab Sharp, 3 3141
• To 1/4 tea    1 2 1768 Dec 16 Calab Sharp, 1 2.0 3142
• To rum  2   1 2 8 1768 Dec 16 Calab Sharp, 2.0 3143
• By 2 Booshels of wheat---8 5     1 3 -- Calab Sharp, 8 5.0 1887
• By a Deerskin rut 1 lb: 5 oun---15 -- Calab Sharp, 15 3147
• To Cash in part----3 9 -- Calab Sharp, 3 9.0 3144
• By Cash   8    4 5 -- Calab Sharp, 8.0 3145
• By 3 Booshels of wheat 11 1   15 6 -- Calab Sharp, 11 1.0 3146

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1763 to 1791 1763 - 1791, Vol 2

(PVMA#: PVMA 5353, Vol. 2)

Entry Date AA Name(s) $  £  s  p  f id
• Dec By a pig    6 1 1768 Dec Abijah Prince, 6 1.0 3148
• To Cutting a Coat Breeches 8 1768 Dec Abijah Prince, 8.0 3157
• To 1 Quort moloses   8 1768 Dec Abijah Prince, 8.0 3156
• Dec Dito /2 1768 Dec Abijah Prince, 2.0 3155
• 1768 To 2 Quorts of Rum   1 8 1768 Dec Abijah Prince, 1 8.0 3154
• By making 2 Barrels Sider   1 4 1768 Dec Abijah Prince, 1 4.0 3149
• To 1 pt Rum   7 1769 Nov Abijah Prince, 7.0 3164
• 1769 Novr To 1 pt Rum   7 1769 Nov Abijah Prince, 7.0 3163
• To making a Coat   6 1769 Dec 4 Abijah Prince, 6 3162
• 1769 Dec 4 To 2 yds 3/8 at 7/6    17 9 1769 Dec 4 Abijah Prince, 17 9.0 3158
• To 1 stick of twist /6 to 1 Doz But 1/4   1 10 1769 Dec 4 Abijah Prince, 1 10.0 3160
• To Thred 1/8 Slaying /2    10     1 ... 1769 Dec 4 Abijah Prince, 3161
• By 1 Booshel and 5 Quorts pears  4 8      1 ... 1770 Jan 11 Abijah Prince, 4 8.0 3151
• By Corn   3   1  11  6 1770 Jan 11 Abijah Prince, 3 3153
• 1770 Januy 11th By 3 pigs wait of 29   3/4
wait of 28 1/2 wait... 		1770 Jan 11 Abijah Prince, 15 2.0 3150
• By 2 Booshels Corn   4 1770 Jan 11 Abijah Prince, 4 3152
• To 1 pt Rum /7 to Rum /10 to 6 lbs of Sugar 2/6  3 11 1770 Abijah Prince, 3 11.0 3168
• To Rum /9 To Cash 2/5     3 2   1   ... 1770 Abijah Prince, 3 2.0 605
• To Cash 12/ to flip /08 to Sugar /5   13 1 1770 Abijah Prince, 13 1.0 3167
• To 1 Dram   2   1 11 6 1770 Abijah Prince, 2.0 3166
• 1770 To 1 pt Rum   7 1770 Abijah Prince, 7.0 3165
• To making Breeches Cato 3 4 1773 Dec 1 Cato Cole, 3 4.0 336
• to 1 gallon Rum New 3/4 Dito West 4/  7 4 1774 Aug 2 Calab Sharp, 7 4.0 3171
• To 2 Pound of Tobacco   1 2 1774 Aug 2 Calab Sharp, 1 2.0 3174
• By Jno Hinsdell in full to the Date 1 8 1 1774 Aug 2 Calab Sharp, 1 8 1.0 1891
• to 1 gallon of Rum  4/4    4 4 1774 Aug 2 Calab Sharp, 4 4.0 3172
• To 1 gallon Rum 4/ To lb of Tobacco /7   4 7 1774 Aug 2 Calab Sharp, 4 7.0 3169
• To 2 lbs of Sugar /8    1 4 1774 Aug 2 Calab Sharp, 1 4.0 3173
• To 6 lb of Sugar /8 4/6 To 1 lb of Shott /6  4 6 1774 Aug 11 Calab Sharp, 4 6.0 3170
• To mending Bree Cato  /9  1/11 1774 Aug Cato Cole, 1 11.0 335
• Septr 23 to 2 Quorts Rum   2 2 1774 Sep 23 Calab Sharp, 2 2.0 3175
• to 1 gallon of moloses   2 8 1774 Sep Calab Sharp, 2 8.0 349
• 1775 Janu 10 the above accompt Caried to Mr Jno Hinsdells accompt By... 1775 Jan 10 Calab Sharp, 352

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