The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Russell & Plumb

Title: Ledger

Dates: 1823-1831

Call No.: Col. 260

Acc. No.: 61x1-3

Quantity: 3 volumes and 1 microfilm reel

Location: 4 C 8 and microfilm cabinet

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

Russell & Plumb was a silversmith and jewelry firm in Windsor, Vermont. Thomas Russell and Luke Plumb were its proprietors.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The collection consists of two daybooks, an account book, and a ledger (on microfilm only) that document the activities of Russell & Plumb from 1823 to 1831. Items sold by the firm included tea spoons, cream spoons, sugar tongs, decanter labels, "bosom" pins, shoe buckles, rings, lancets, candlesticks, snuffers, and trays. One of the volumes lists the names of Boston vendors from which many of these items were purchased for stock. Judging from an inventory of tools in one of the volumes that includes "table spoon molds" and "chasing tools," Russell and Plumb also made various silver articles themselves. The firm offered Britannia Ware and silverplated goods to its customers. Several of the entries reveal the firm's involvement in clock and watch repairs, including fixing the town clock. The account book also contains an inventory of property belonging to the estate of Luke Plumb in 1830. Other estate records deal with outstanding financial transactions at the time of Plumb's death.

The original of the ledger which is on microfilm is in the Wilbur Library, University of Vermont.

An index to the names found in the ledger book, which is on microfilm, is available at this repository.

ORGANIZATION

The volumes are in accession number order.

PROVENANCE

Volumes purchased from Charles E. Tuttle. Microfilm purchased from Microinsurance Inc.

ACCESS POINTS

People:

Russell, Thomas.

Plumb, Luke, d. 1830?

Topics:

Retail trade – Vermont - Windsor.

Silverwork - Vermont - Windsor.

Silverware.

Silver-plated ware.

Jewelry trade - Vermont - Windsor.

Clocks and watches - Repairing.

Tools.

Inventories of decedents' estates - Vermont - Windsor.

Decedents' estates - Vermont - Windsor.

Business records - Vermont - Windsor.

Ledgers.

Account books.

Daybooks.

Jewelers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 4 C 8 and microfilm cabinet

61x1 Day book, 1825-1828, listing customers, items purchased, and prices charged

61x2 List of goods purchased from other firms, mostly in Boston, 1823-1825;

inventory of notes belonging to Russell & Plumb, 1829;

inventory of balances on books, April 1829;

claims against estate of Luke Plumb, 1830;

notes due estate of L. Plumb;

list of accounts due estate of L. Plumb, July 1, 1830;

inventory of property belonging to estate of Luke Plumb, September 1830;

inventory of demands due estate of Luke Plumb, September 1830;

inventory of accounts due estate of Luke Plumb, October 1, 1830;

Russell & Plumb to T. M. Pomeroy, no year

Index to firms from which goods were purchased;

Laid in: list of names and amounts owed, 1829-1833

61x3 Day book, listing sales (no customers’ names), no year;

in back: Memo of articles sold since inventory, 1829

Mic. 462 Ledger book, 1823-1831 (see attached sheets for index to names in this volume)