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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 1763 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 library of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association 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
• [1761-1766] [Charges for tailoring and rum partly by cash and by farm labor, presumably by Cato/Titus] 1761 Cato Cole, Titus, 1033
• [1761-1766] [Charges for tailoring and rum partly by cash and by farm labor, presumably by Cato/Titus] 1761 Cato Cole, Titus, 340
• Zadack Hawks Dr To making a Vest for King 0-2-0 1762 Jan , 1036
• To making a Coat for Lampton 0-8-0 1762 Mar , 8 1037
• To Roswell Drving Plow 6 Days 0-6-0 to Roswell Driving Plow 7 dys 0-8-6 To Roswell work 14 days att 17/0 1762 Apr Roswell, 14 6 645
• Mr. Thomas Dickinson Dr to making a coat for Hartford 0 8 0 1762 Apr Hartford, 1884
• To Roswell work 14 days [...] [0-17-0] 1762 Aug Roswell, 17 1035
• [Ashley, Jonathan acct.:] To making Leather Vest for Cato 0-8-6 1762 Nov Cato Cole, 8 6 339
• to making breeches for Umphrey 0 5 0 1762 Nov Humphry, 2150
• To 1 gill Rum /3 To Quart Rum total 3/7 plus 1/1 new total [4/8] 1762 Abijah Prince, 1034
• [Acct. of Abijah Prince Dr To Sundries 1/1 do Pitcher 1/6 [1/7] To 1 Quart molasses /9 /9 1762 Abijah Prince, 3 4 750
• Contra Cr. By making Cyder 1 Day [3/ By work part of a day 1/6 total 4/6] 1762 Abijah Prince, 4 6 644
• To making a Coat for Hartford 0-8-0 1762 Hartford, 8 343
• To Roswell 5 days at plow 2/0 1763 Apr Roswell, 1634
• Contra side for Mr. Thomas Dickinson 1763 Jun , 1888
• To making a Vest for Rose 0-3-0 1763 Jul Rose, 3 1038
• To making a Coat for Calop 8/ 1763 Sep Calab Sharp, 334
• Town Negro Dr To a pare of gloves old tenor 1-4-0 To juse [jew's] harp 0-2-6 1763 Nov Town Negro, 1 6 6 646
• Hartford Negro Dr To fore yds of Dowlas at 2/8 pr yd 0-10-8 1763 Hartford, 10 8 342
• To [ounce of snuff 0 -2-6 total 0-18-0 1763 Town Negro, 18 1039
• Cr to Cash paid by Hartford 0-2-10 To 5 Quarts of Mollas 0-3-9 1763 Hartford, 3 9 341
• Hartford Negro Dr To 2 Quarts and a point of molasses 0-1-11 Cr to Cash 0-1-4 1764 Mar Hartford, 7 346
• Hartford Negro Dr To Quart of Rum 0-1-6 To Point of Molasses 1-0-5 1764 Mar Hartford, 1 1 11 345
• To Quart of Rum 0-1-6 To Quart of Rum 0-1-6 1764 Mar Hartford, 3 347
• Hartford Negro Dr To Quart of Rum 0-1-6 Hartford Negro Dr to Cash 0-0-4 1764 Jun Hartford, 1 10 344
• [Timothy Childs acct.:] To altering a Coat for umphrey 0-2-8 1764 Jul Humphry, 6 8 604
• Titus Negro Dr To 1 Quart of Rum 0-1-6 Timothy Childs 1764 Titus, 1 6 647
• Zadack Hawks contra across from page 6 1764 , 1883
• To making a Vest for Cato 2-6 1765 Jun 8 Cato Cole, 2 6 338
• By a load of wood by Cato 1765 Dec Cato Cole, 337
• To Making a Coat Vest Umphrey [0]-12-[0] 1766 Feb Humphry, 12 1040
• Sharp Calop Dr to 4 gal of Rum 15-6 1766 Aug 25 Calab Sharp, 1885
• By 49 meals Eat hear in time of sickness candels my Time and Roswells 1-4-6 1766 Aug Roswell, 1 4 6 648
• (Leut Childs) To Roswells making up hay at Newfort 1/4 1766 Aug Roswell, 1635
• By 11 weeks and 5 days Bord @ 4/8 Bord @ 4/8 2-16-0 1766 Aug Roswell, 2 16 1041
• To my boys going twice to the falls when Leut Childs was sick [0] 4-8 ] 1766 Roswell, 1042
• To 14 meals of Veatels in May and June [-- 7- --] 1766 , 1680
• Sharp Calob Dr To 2 yd= 1/4 of Coating 7/6------16 10 To pay for Dresing the O[?]-----1 6 To 1 Bottel Snuff----3-- To 1/4 tea--- 114 To rum----2 128 To Rum-----8 1768 Dec 16 Calab Sharp, 1886
• Sharp Caleb Cr To Cash in part----3 By Cash------ By 3 Booshels of wheat-----4 By a Deerskin rut 1 lb: 5 oun---15 3 By 2 Booshels of wheat---8 13 -- Calab Sharp, 1887

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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
• Bijah Prince contra side 1768 Dec Abijah Prince, 1892
• ... To Cutting a Coat Breeches /8 1768 Dec Abijah Prince, 8 605
• To making a Coat 6/ [Other purchases of rum, molasses, thread...about these dates; purchases paid for by pigs, making cider, peas, corn.] 1769 Oct Abijah Prince, 6 1043
• To making Breeches Cato 3/4 1773 Dec 1 Cato Cole, 3 4 336
• Calob Sharp of Conway Dr (to many things, such as tobacco and rum) 1774 Aug 2 Calab Sharp, 1890
• Contra Cr By Jon o Hinsdell in full to the Date 1 8 1 1774 Aug 2 Calab Sharp, 1891
Calob Sharp of Conway Dr to 1 gallon Rum 4/ To lb of Tobacco /7 4-7 To 6 lb of Sugar /8 4/ To 1 lb of Nails/6 4-6 To 1 gallon Rum New 3/4 Dito West 4/ 7/4 To 1 gallon of Rum 4/4 4/4 2 lb of Sugar /8 1-4 To 1 Pound of Tobacco 1-2 1774 Aug 2 Calab Sharp, 349
• To mending Bree Cato 1/11 1774 Aug Cato Cole, 1 11 335
Calob Sharp of Conway Dr To 2 Quorts Rum 2-2 To 1 gallon of Molases 2-8 [total]1-8-1 1774 Sep 23 Calab Sharp, 353
Calob Sharp of Conway Dr the above account [Aug 2 & Sep 23 1774] Caried to Mr Jno Hinsdells account By His order 1775 Jun 10 Calab Sharp, 352
• Contra side for Rev Mr Ashley -- , 1889

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No Volume assigned

Entry Date AA Name AA Name(s) Owner $  £  s  p  f id
Bijah Prince Dr to Sundries 1/1 To October 1/6 (2/7) To 1 Quart molasses /9 To 1 gill Rum /3 To Quart Rum 11 (total 4/6) 1764 Abijah Prince Abijah Prince, Free None
Sharp Calob Dr To 2 yd of Coating 7/6 --16-10 To pay for Dresing the O[?] 1-6 To 1 Bottel Snuff 3 -- To 1/4 Tea1-2 To rum --2 To Rum --2 1768 Dec 16 Calab Sharp Calab Sharp, Free None