The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware 19735

Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Roberts & Hensley (Caroline County, Va.)

Title: Papers

Dates: 1840-1882 (bulk 1840)

Call No.: Col. 78

Acc. No.: 90x30

Quantity: 59 items

Location: 34 K 3

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

According to information within the papers themselves, Roberts & Hensley operated a country store on Fork Road, one mile above Needwood, Caroline County, Virginia. It also appears that the store went out of business in 1840, and that its contents were auctioned off on 18 December of that year.

The identities of Roberts and Hensley have not been discovered. However, Hensley may have been related to that John Hensley (1795-1823) who married Lucy Terry Napier (1792-1859) in 1818 in Caroline County. Lucy Napier was the daughter of William P. Napier, and a document concerning him is part of the collection. John Hensley had two sons: William T. (1819-1888) and John Leland (born 1821). A man named Henley[?] Roberts was listed in the 1840 census for Caroline County, but nothing else is known about him.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

Consists mainly of bills and invoices from suppliers (most in Richmond, Virginia) for a wide variety of goods that the store stocked and sold, such as shoes, textiles, food and liquor, hardware, etc. These are dated 24 March 1840-21 October 1840. One fragment contains the partial announcement regarding the "Trustees sale of a valuable stock of goods" pursuant to a deed of trust executed "by Robert R. Roberts for the benefit of the Creditors of the late firm of R. + H. of Caroline County." The sale was scheduled for "Friday the 18th day of December," which date and day occurred in 1840.

There are also five documents, dated 1841-1882, with no readily apparent connection with the Roberts & Hensley papers. They consist of copies of legal documents, a bill, and a note of introduction. One of the documents relates to the Revolutionary War pension of William P. Napier of Caroline County. Another mentions the estate of Nathaniel Ellis Norment, who was born in Caroline County but died in Tennessee.

ORGANIZATION

The items are in chronological and accession number order.

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

The materials are in English.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.

PROVENANCE

Purchased from Edward J. Craig.

ACCESS POINTS

People:

Napier, William P., 1768-1848.

Norment, Nathaniel Ellis, 1783-1839.

Topics:

Business records - Virginia - Caroline County.

General stores - Virginia - Caroline County.

Bills of sale.

Invoices.

Deeds.

Claims.

Letters of introduction.

Bonds (legal records).

Retailers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 34 K 3

Note: all accession numbers begin with 90x30

Folder 1 of 1:

.1 one side: Roberts & Hensley papers, 1840s;

Other side: part of a notice from Robert R. Roberts about Trustees Sale of a Valuable Stock of Goods; mentions that the sale is of the goods of Roberts & Hensley, the location of the store, and mentions the kinds of goods to be sold: dry goods, groceries, hardware, cutlery, crockery, tinware, &c. Sale to take place on Friday, December 18, no year [but probably 1840].

Paper is torn and part is missing.

.2 various figures on both sides of paper; written twice on one side: Jno. N. Gordon and Company. No date.

.3 receipted bill from A. & A. Cushman, Richmond, for almonds and candy. No date.

.4 order for goods, from Chas. [illegible] to William Fifer Taylor, but goods were for Roberts & Hensley: whiskey, sugar, paper, tea. No date.

.5 bill, from Bray & Smith, Richmond, March 24, 1840. Includes knives and forks, pocket knives, scissors, razors, razor strops, hooks and eyes, shaving brushes, wooden combs, fishing lines, shaving boxes, locks, snuffers, knitting pins, pencils, awl blades, table spoons, augers, curry combs, a hammer, weeding shoes[?[, and a tap borer.

.6 bill from Lyell, Johnston & Lyell, druggists at James McKildoe’s old stand, Richmond, March 25, 1840. Includes castor oil, indigo, Epsom salts, magnesia, cologne water, scotch snuff, 8x10 glass, ink powder, etc. On printed billhead.

.7 bill from Peter Winston, March 25, 1840. For hats and caps, boots, slippers, brogans, cigars, flour, cheese, ginger, pepper, raisins, shoe thread, tea, nails, cord, shot, paper, gunpowder, starch, sugar, assorted dishes, plates, tumblers, etc.

.8 receipted bill, Thos. & Samuel Hardgrove [or Hargrove] paid for box of tobacco, March 26, 1840. A. J. Kuhn received the payment.

.9 receipted bill, James Evans, Richmond, paid for cowhides, marbles, looking glass, March 27, 1840. Jame R. Garrett[?] received the payment.

.10 receipted bill, B. & S. Jones paid for salt, March 28, 1840. R. M. Stratton received the payment.

.11 receipted bill, Nathaniel Ware paid for hauling a load of goods from Richmond to Needwood, April 2, 1840

.12 receipted bill, H. W. Tyler paid for tobacco, ginger, pepper, ink, etc., April 15, 1840. John W. Supple received the payment.

.13 promissory note, a promise to pay H.W. Tyler, Richmond, April 15, 1840. Name of debtor cut off, to indicate payment was made. Printed form.

.14 receipted bill, H. W. Tyler paid for whiskey, April 15, 1840. John W. Supple received the payment.

.15 bill, Peter Winston billing Hensely & Roberts for molasses, coffee, seal slippers, April 15, 1840.

.16 bill, Lyell, Johnston, & Lyell, Richmond, billing Roberts & Hensely for camphor, cologne water, wafers, cigars, calomel, soda powders, fancy soaps, etc., April 15, 1840.

.17 receipt, Lyell, Johnston, & Lyell, Richmond, received a payment from Roberts & Hensley, April 15, 1840.

.18 receipted bill, H. W. Tyler paid for super fine flour, April 17, 1840. John W. Supple received the payment.

.19 receipted bill, Nathaniel Ware paid for hauling goods from Richmond, April 22, 1840.

.20 letter from Roberts & Hensley, Needwood, to Peter Winston, Richmond, April 22, 1840. Please send the seal skin slippers, plus men’s shoes, wine, copperas, and rice. Also hat brush was not in the case with hat.

With Winstons’s reply, not dated. Will send the slippers but am not extending credit at this time, so will not send the other orders.

.21 receipted bill, H. W. Tyler paid for goods (barrel of porter[?] and three dozen of something else), May 1840. John W. Supple received the payment.

.22 receipted bill, Peter Winston paid for men’s shoes, copperas, rice, sugar, May 1, 1840.

.23 bill from William F. Butler, for tumblers, wine glasses, German ornaments, decanters, German mugs, blue plates, Persian pitchers, chambers, jugs, creams, ewers, May 4, 1840.

.24 receipted bill, B. & S. Jones of Richmond paid for bacon, May 5, 1840.

.25 bill from Peter Winston, for sugar, soap, rum, brooms[?[, hats, nails, Pumps (i.e. shoes) and boots, May 5, 1840.

.26 receipted bill, Peter Winston paid for salt and shot, May 5, 1840. Payment received by W. Wal---[?].

On back: lists of merchants and dollar amounts.

.27 receipted bill, Isaac Goodkop [endorsed on back as Godkop] paid for leather shoes, May 8, 1840.

.28 receipted bill, Robert H. Jenkins, fancy dry goods and linen store, Richmond, paid for bonnets, gloves, textiles, etc., May 8, 1840.

Printed billhead.

.29 received bill, D. H. Valentine, Richmond, paid for pins and wire, June 1, 1840.

.30 bill from Lyell, Johnston & Lyell, Richmond, for castor oil, Spanish brown, saleratus, turpentine, June 1, 1840.

.31 receipted bill, W. W. Woodridge, Richmond, paid for whiskey, June 1, 1840.

On back: list of merchants and dollar amounts, with prices for fans and almanacs, and a note about getting money back for chairs or chains.

.32 receipted bill, C. I Richards & Co., Richmond, paid for marbles, hinges, screws, hair brushes, tea kettle, looking glasses, June 1, 1840. Payment received by G. W. Harris.

.33-.34 bills from Philip August, for matches, snuff boxes, and sugar, June 2, 1840.

.35 receipted bill from Philip August, for matches and snuff boxes, June 2, 1840.

.36 letter with bill, B. & S. Jones, by R. M. Stratton, Richmond, June 6, 1840, to Roberts & Hensley. Acknowledges receipt of payment; am shipping coffee and sugar; gives price for whiskey: do they want it at that price?

Includes bill for the brown sugar and Saquira[?] coffee.

.37 bill from B. & S. Jones, for whiskey, June 10, 1840.

.38 bill from Peter August, for herrings, June 16, 1840.

.39 receipt, Bray & Smith, Richmond, received payment on account, June 17, 1840.

.40 receipted bill, Cleland paid for various books (Life of Harrison, Testaments, song books, blank books, Webster’s speller), quills, kaleidoscope [which may be a book], June 17, 1840. Payment received by I. A. Inloes[?].

.41 bill from Bray and Smith, Richmond, for knives, dressing combs, wallets, gimblets, hand saw files, chisels, thimbles, boxes of leads, screws, shoe brushes, frying pans, shaving boxes, sad irons, tacks, coffee mills, faucets, June 17, 1840.

.42 receipted bill, Kent, Kendall & Atwater, Richmond, paid for paper, handkerchiefs, thread, laces, gloves, ribbons, nankeen fabric, etc., June 17, 1840. Payment received by Mr. Ward.

.43-.44 receipted bill and receipt, Samuel Putney paid for seal and kid shoes, June 18 and 20, 1840. Payment received by William K. Watts.

.45 receipted bill, Jno. Clash paid by Robertson for whiskey, flour, etc., July 18, 1840.

Note: Although the bill is addressed to Robertson, it is endorsed on the back in the same handwriting as the bills addressed to Roberts & Hensley. Clash may have mistaken the name of his customer, writing Robertson for Roberts.

.46 bill, Lyell, Johnston & Lyell, Richmond, for glass, putty, soda powder, July 23, 1840.

.47 receipted bill, Wade W. Woodridge, Richmond, paid for candles, July 25, 1840. Payment received by R. Talvey [or R. T. Alvey]

.48 receipt for sale of one tierce of tobacco for Mr. W. P. Napier to Mr. Atkinson, with deduction for cost of coopering and selling. Signed: Benj. Sheppard by J.[or I.] A. Hicks, Sho., 12 Aug. 1840.

Endorsement on back indicates that the tobacco was credited to Roberts & Hensley on account of money loaned.

.49 receipted bill, Fellows & Sheppard paid for slippers and shoes, Aug. 12, 1840.

.50 receipted bill, Lathrop & Van Deursen[?], Richmond, paid for bobbinet insertion, calico, nankeen, Aug. 12, 1840. Payment received by James C. [illegible]

.51 bill from H. W. Tyler for sugar, coffee, raisins, whiskey, brandy, porter[?], cheese, paper, flour, tea, etc., Aug. 12, 1840.

.52 receipted bill, Robert H. Jenkins, fancy dry goods and linen store, Richmond, paid for fans and thread, Aug. 15, 1840.

Printed billhead.

.53 bill from H. W. Tyler, for herring, Sept. 11, 1840.

.54 receipted bill, Peter Winston paid for slat, leather, candles, etc., Oct. 21, 1840.

The following documents do not pertain to Roberts & Hensley, but came with the above papers.

.55 copy of a refunding bond from Samuel D. Peatross, executor of estate of Nathaniel E. Norment, to Thomas B. Norment of Tennessee. The bond was executed in Caroline County, Virginia. 1841.

[note: Nathaniel Ellis Norment was born in Caroline County in 1783, the son of Ann Nancy Johnson and Samuel Norment (1755-1811). He died in Hardeman County, Tennessee, in 1839. His son Thomas Butler Norment lived 1815-1878.]

.56 copy or draft of a legal document: deals with William P. Napier of Caroline County, previously of Goochland County, and the payment of the Revolutionary War pension to which he is entitled as he served as a private in the army during that war. Sept. 1841.

[Note: William P. Napier was born in Goochland County on Oct. 19, 1765, the son of Christiana Norvell and Booth Napier. He died in 1848.]

.57 receipted bill, S. W. Fox paid by Francis B. Morton for repairs to sleigh, wagon, and fire shovel, and for shoeing a horse, Dec. 1856-Nov. 1857.

.58 note from William Taylor, Richmond, Sept. 17, 1862: “I have known Mr. Charles Turner[?] for twenty five years. He was born in Henrico County. I have never known any harm of him.”

This note was written on back of a note from Wallace & Co. to Taylor.

.59 deed of sale, Luther K. Spilman of Richmond, Virginia, to J. H. Price of Gillespie County, Texas. Spilman selling a parcel of land in Gillespie County, Dec. 16, 1882.