The
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
Henry Francis du Pont
5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur,
Delaware 19735
Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF
THE COLLECTION
Creator: Thompson, William,
1785-1834.
Title: Bills
Dates: 1807-1823
Call No.: Col. 275
Acc. No.: [various – see detailed
description]
Quantity: 27 items
Location: 34 K 5
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
William Thompson and Robert Thompson (1790-1866)
were merchants in Thompsonville, Juniata County, Pennsylvania. They
frequently purchased goods from Philadelphia merchants.
Their father William
Thompson (1755-1813) founded Thompsontown.
The elder William Thompson and his wife, Jane Mitchell, had nine
children: John, William, James, Robert, Isaac, Samuel, Sarah, Jane, and
Elizabeth. Father William Thompson owned a store in Thompsontown; after his
death, the business was managed by his sons William and Robert.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
Consists of twenty-seven bills (many of which are
receipted) that document purchases made by William and Robert Thompson from Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, merchants, including a significant amount of pottery and
china. For example, on August 9, 1822,
Robert purchased 353 crocks, chamber pots, and jugs from Jonathan Neiman. In 1810, William bought such domestic
products as shaving boxes, twelve ivory combs, a coffee mill, four dozen Jews
harps, etc. from Thomas Shipley. Another
bill dated 1810 from John Gartland records eight sets of china cups and
saucers, one dozen painted tea pots, four dozen blue and green edge plates, one
dozen cruets, etc. Additional bills
document the purchase of textiles. In addition, pocket knives, chest locks,
latches, screws, nails, needles, and other hardware are represented.
ORGANIZATION
In chronological order.
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Purchased Stephen Resnick.
RELATED
MATERIALS
The William L. Clements Library at the University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, holds a collection of William and Robert Thompson Papers.
The Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg, holds
the Edward Shippen Thompson Papers, which includes papers of William and Robert
Thompson.
ACCESS POINTS
People:
Thompson, Robert, 1790-1866.
Topics:
Dry-goods.
Hardware.
Household supplies.
Kitchen utensils.
Porcelain.
Tobacco.
Spices.
Glassware.
Pottery.
Plates (Tableware)
Silverware.
Textile fabrics.
Dressmaking materials.
Wholesale trade - History - 19th century.
Business records - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.
Bills of sale.
Receipts.
Merchants.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 34 K
5
Folder 1 of 3:
1807-1810
93x52.16 receipted bill, William Thomson [sic]
paid John Gartland, Philadelphia, August 6, 1807: for table wares: dishes, plates, bowls, cups and saucers,
teapots, sugar bowls, ewers, tureens and stands, bowls, goblets, creamers,
sauce boats, wine glasses, Jefferson glasses, bottles.
94x28.3 receipted bill: William Thompson paid
Jos. & Mahlon Gillingham, Philadelphia, August 7, 1807: for textile fabrics
(including apron check, calico, black cambric muslin, etc.), thread, buttons,
ivory combs, black lace, white edging, pins, a hair trunk, and cord.
93x52.7 receipted bill: William Thompson paid
Thomas Shipley, Philadelphia, Dec. 5, 1810: for gimlets, shaving boxes, yarn
needles, ivory and mock shell combs, thimbles, Jew’s harps, awl hefts, knives,
knitting pins, sets of knives and forks, tablespoons, screws, buttons, a coffee
mill, sad irons.
93x52.10 receipted bill: Wm. Thomson [sic] paid
Caleb Peirce, Philadelphia, Dec. 6, 1810: for shovel and tons, shoemakers’ awls
and rubbers, 2 foot rules, bridle bits, pewter teaspoons, pocket knives, pen
knives, bellows, latches, pocket looking glasses.
93x52.13 receipted bill: William Thompson paid
John Wetherill, Philadelphia, Dec. 6, 1810: for glass, licorice, cinnamon,
sugar candy, cloves, pink root, castor oil, camphor, saltpeter, pumice stone,
rotten stone, glue, etc.
93x52.4 receipted bill: William Thompson paid
Harvey & Worth, Philadelphia, Dec. 8, 1810: for needles, screws, thimbles,
cut sprigs, buttons, butchers’ knives, knives and forks, razors, scissors, cocks,
ink stands, handsaw files, plain irons, mortise chisels, candlesticks, latches,
ladles and skimmers, combs, bonnet wire, blacking, shoe brushes, bed cords,
plough lines, nails, brads.
93x52.17 bill, W. Thompson bought of Johnson
& Warner, Philadelphia, Dec. 10, 1810: books: almanacs, Dilworth spelling
books, paper, David’s Psalms, copy books, bonnet boards, Watts’ Psalms, wafers,
wrapping paper, Pilgrim’s Progress, ABC books, Power of Religion, copy slips.
93x52.9 receipted bill, William Thomson [sic]
paid John Gartland, Philadelphia, Dec. 11[?],1810: for table wares: cups and saucers (china, white, painted),
teapots, cream jugs, bowls, plates (blue and green edge, white), tumblers,
bottles, jugs.
95x122.10 receipted bill: William Thompson paid Eliza
Newkirk, Dec. 1810: for straw bonnets, fancy velvet bonnets, and a box.
96x25.4 receipted bill: William Thompson paid
Peter Shade, Dec. 1810: for sweeping brushes.
Folder 2 of 3:
1812-1817
93x52.6 receipted bill: William Thompson paid
Josiah Lusby, Philadelphia, Oct. 28, 1812: for ingrain carpets. Receipt signed by J.A. McCutchun.
93x52.12 receipted bill: William Thompson paid
A. G. Richard, Philadelphia, Nov. 3, 1812: for imitation cashmere shawls and
vesting.
93x50.3 receipted bill: William Thompson paid
Abraham Moss, Philadelphia, Nov. 3, 1812: for pins and ivory combs. Receipt signed by Geo. Hriche[?].
93x52.8 receipted bill: Wm. & Robert
Thompson paid Thomas Shipley, Philadelphia, May 18, 1815: for curry combs,
sprigs, screws, latches, plane irons, tooth brushes, scythe stones, cocks,
chest and till locks, hinges, Jew’s harps, horn combs, mock shell combs, side
combs, coffee mills, candle sticks, girth web, suspenders, razors, compasses,
gimblets, thimbles, awls, needles, sad irons, augers, saws, etc.
93x52.11 receipted bill: R. Thompson paid Shaw
& White, Philadelphia, May 18, 1815, for iron and pewter spoons, knives and
forks, bed screws, brass wire.
On back: “bot at comb
factory: side shell, hair, quills.”
94x28.4 receipted bill: William and Robert
Thompson paid White & Lippincott, Philadlephia, June 13, 1816: for
handsaws, knives and forks, butchers’ knives, latches, thimbles, Jew’s harps,
shoe blacking, tobacco boxes, buttons, watch keys, pencils, bread trays,
sprigs, screws, hinges, bed screws, tea kettle, coopers’ iron brace, scythe
stones (patent and Crumb Creek [i.e. Crum Creek?]), corn and grass scythes,
nails, coffee mills. Receipt signed by
J. Hindman.
00x104.2 receipted bill: Robert Thompson paid
Kirkman & Jackson, June 15, 1816: for scotch thread, cotton hose, tambour
book, bandannas.
93x52.14 bill, R. Thompson bought of S.
Wetherill & Son, Philadelphia, Sept. 1, 1817: panes of glass.
93x52.5 bill from George Heberton,
Philadelphia, Sept. 4, 1817: for blue nankeen.
Receipt signed by Geo. Cornwell.
The bill is not addressed to anyone.
Folder 3 of 3:
1822-1823 and no date
93x52.3 receipted bill: William and Robert
Thompson paid Benedict Dorsey, Philadelphia, June 10, 1822: for teas [tea pots
or tea sets], muffins, jugs, bowls, tumblers, bottles, flasks, decanters,
coffee pots, etc.
93x52.1 receipted bill: William and Robert
Thompson paid William Rogers, Jr., Philadelphia, June 14, 1822: for keg of
gunpowder;
On back: penciled note
about handkerchiefs and other items.
93x52.2 bill: Robert Thompson paid of Jno.
Niemand, no place, Oct. 9, 1822: crockeryware: crocks, dishes, jugs, chambers.
Surname on back spelled
Neiman.
94x28.5 receipted bill: William and Robert
Thompson paid Benedict Dorsey, Philadelphia, Dec. 24, 1822: teas, plates,
muffins, bakers, chambers, bowls, mugs, flasks, jugs, vials, etc.
93x50.4 receipted bill: William and Robert
Thompson paid Charles Bartholomew, Philadelphia, Dec. 26, 1822: for tobacco,
cigars.
93x52.18 receipted bill: William and Robert
Thompson paid W. Shaw & Co., Freedom Iron Works, Feb. 15, 1823: for bar
iron and tire setts; Receipt signed by
Jno. Leaky.
93x52.15 bill, Robert Thompson bought a load of
crockeryware from Jno. Niemand, May 27, 1823.: crocks, dishes, jugs, chamber pots.
96x25.13 receipted bill: Robert Thompson paid
Thomas Cooper, no place, no date: for spectacles, tobacco boxes, screws.