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: Trotter family
Title: Papers
Dates: 1741-1815, bulk 1788-1800
Call No.:
Acc. No.: 61x88,
67x89, 67x90, 79x103, 12x32.3
Quantity: 1 box, 2 folders
Location: 17 L 4
BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT
The Trotter family immigrated to
William (d. 1759) married Elizabeth
Hoodt (d. 1763); the two had five sons and a daughter. One of the surviving sons, Daniel
(1747-1800), the subject of the bulk of these papers, became a
cabinetmaker. Another son, Joseph,
became a chairmaker. Joseph's son,
William I. Trotter, also became a cabinetmaker.
Daniel was 12 when his father
died. Little is known of his childhood;
however, he probably attended Quaker schools and at the age of 14 was
apprenticed to cabinetmaker William Wayne.
In 1769, he was employed as a journeyman for George Claypoole. By 1771, Daniel entered into a partnership
with John Webb that lasted until 1774.
By 1775, he and an apprentice were working in a shop on
Daniel was also an active member
of the Society of Friends. He was
involved with the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery and was a
member of the Library Company of
By 1786, Daniel was one of the
most successful furniture makers in
Daniel married Rebecca Conarroe
in 1773. The couple had ten
children. Daughter
Two of William's younger
brothers, Joseph (1783-1853) and Nathan (1787-1853), joined him in the
mercantile business first as assistants and then as partners in 1809. In 1812, Joseph left the firm for a position
in the Bank of Philadelphia. William
died in 1815, leaving Nathan to carry on the business. For the next thirty-five years, Nathan ran
one of the principal metal-importing houses on the East Coast. The business, Nathan Trotter & Company,
was continued by his sons and grandsons and was still in business in 1953.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The
collection consists of a receipt book kept by Daniel Trotter from 1794 to 1799;
an account book used by him from 1788 to 1799 and by William Trotter and
Ephraim Haines from 1800 to 1810; bills rendered to Daniel Trotter and his
estate from 1773 to 1802; bills rendered by Daniel Trotter and his estate from
1780 to 1802; inventories of Daniel Trotter's business and personal belongings
at the time of his death; accounts of the administration of Daniel Trotter's
estate by William Trotter and Ephraim Haines; bonds and indemnities for
property owned by various members of the Trotter family; two letters from
Daniel Trotter to his son William; two letters from Ephraim Haines to William;
genealogical data on the Trotter family; estate inventories for Joseph Trotter,
Joseph Trotter, Jr., and Ephraim Haines; a copy of the will of Benjamin Trotter
(d.1768); and some business records of Nathan Trotter, particularly textile and
leather samples and records of shipping iron, copper, and other metals
Daniel
Trotter’s receipt book includes receipts for taxes, rent, lumber, advertising,
upholstering, carpentry work, hauling sand, and stove plate patterns. Daniel Trotter’s account book features 12
orders for furniture in a variety of forms, lists of boarders, and documentation
of the number of yards of hair cloth sold at different times. Bills rendered to Trotter primarily document
his purchase of lumber, fabrics, and services of upholsterers and furniture
painters. Bills rendered by Trotter are
for making and repairing furniture, painting furniture, and upholstering
chairs. Taken together, these items
document something of Trotter's cabinetmaking business.
Daniel
Trotter's estate records further document his business activities, particularly
his partnership with Ephraim Haines.
Inventories reveal the contents of his cabinet shop as well as his
home. Also included is a list of
furniture on hand at the time of his death and later sold at auction. Accounts document inheritance received by
Trotter's children.
ORGANIZATION
The
collection is organized into seven series: I. Daniel Trotter business records, II.
Daniel Trotter estate records, III. Bonds and indemnities, IV. Family letters,
V. Genealogy, VI. Miscellaneous estate records, and VII. Nathan Trotter
business records.
LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS
The
materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS
Collection
is open to the public. Copyright
restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Gift of
and purchased from Theodore T. Newbold,
Accession
12x32.3: gift of Jonathan Trace.
ACCESS POINTS
People:
Trotter, Daniel, 1747-1800.
Haines, Ephraim,
1775-1837.
Trotter, William.
Trotter, Joseph, d.
1770.
Trotter, Benjamin,
1699-1768.
Wright, Caleb.
Elfreth, Josiah.
Topics:
Nathan Trotter and Company.
Furniture making -
Furniture - Prices.
Furniture industry and trade -
Furniture - Repairing.
Inventories of decedents' estates -
Decedents' estates -
House furnishings.
Upholstery.
Painted furniture.
Upholstered furniture.
Textile fabrics.
Quakers -
Lumber trade -
Shoes.
Dry-goods.
Business records -
Shipment of goods.
Textile fabrics – Sample books.
Metals - Commerce.
Wholesale trade -
Leather.
Hides and skins.
Silk.
Estate records.
Letters.
Receipts.
Bills of sale.
Account books.
Bonds.
Purchase orders.
Inventories.
Bills of laden.
Cabinet-makers.
Furniture makers.
Merchants.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
COLLECTION
Location: 17 L 4
Series
I: Daniel Trotter: Business records
Folder
1: 67x89.1 Receipt book, 1794-1799, 1801.
Includes
receipts for taxes, rent, lumber, advertising, upholstering, carpentry work,
hauling sand, and stoveplate patterns.
The majority of the entries just provide amounts paid. There are references to many prominent Quaker
families in
Also on microfilm: Mic.
207.
Folder
2: 67x89.2 Account book, 1788-1799, 1800-1810.
Includes
twelve orders for furniture in a variety of forms, lists of boarders,
documentation of the number of yards of hair cloth sold at different times, and
a list of plate belonging to Dinah Trotter.
From 1800 to 1810 the volume was used by William Trotter and Ephraim
Haines to record rents.
Also on microfilm: Mic.
242.
Series
II: Daniel Trotter: Estate records
Bills
rendered to Daniel Trotter and his estate, 1773-1802:
Folder
3: 67x90.22 William Ashby, 1799, for making a coat,
linen, and other tailoring activities.
67x90.23 Joseph Bishpham for labor, 1795-1800.
67x90.24 Peter Bob, 1802. For bricks.
67x90.25 Browne &
67x90.26 Job Butcher, 1794. For sugar, molasses, coffee, etc.
67x90.27 Timothy Caldwell, 1798. For hauling, cleaning, and day labor.
67x90.28 Dr. Cathrall, 1797-1800. For attendance with advice.
67x90.29 Joseph Cooper, 1799. For four sackum bottoms.
67x90.30 Joseph Copper, 1799. For curtain, linen, thread molds, etc.
67x90.31 Jacob Downing, 1799. For a barrel of superfine, etc.
67x90.32 Downing & Slaymaker, 1799. For a barrel of superfine.
Folder
4: 67x90.33 Jeremiah Elfreth, 1794-1800. For oak, chest boards, pine boards, fabrics,
and a dough tough.
67x90.34 David Evans, 1792-1796. For making blinds, hanging paper, painting,
etc. (Most of the work was done for
others, not for Trotter.)
67x90.35 John Davis, 1786-1789. For fabrics, stuffing chairs, and other
upholstery work. A settee was stuffed
for James Bayard.
67x90.36 George Flake, 1791-1793. For painting various types of furniture.
67x90.37 John Gardner, 1787-1800. For painting, lettering, gilding, etc.
67x90.38 Hilyard & Pippitt, 1799. For pantaloons for Joseph.
67x90.39 Michael Katz, 1798-1800. For window frames, scantling, shingles, and
other boards.
67x90.40 Abraham Lower, 1800. For cups and saucers, bowls, pitches, etc.
67x90.41 Nathan Mattrian, 1794. For tailoring.
67x90.42 Philip Meeser, 1800. For bread and baking.
67x90.43 Benjamin Olden, 1795. For shoes and boots.
Folder
5: 67x90.44 John Page, 1800. For chair seats and stuffing.
67x90.45 Stephen Phipps, 1773-1776, 1800. For sundries of clothing.
67x90.46 Adam Reese, 1799. For shoes and shoe repairs.
67x90.47 John Riley, 1794-1799. For cleaning and repairing clocks and
watches.
67x90.48 William Shepherd, 1800. For altering front door bell.
67x90.49 Leon Snowdon, 1799. For bottles, etc.
67x90.50 Benjamin Thaw, 1784-1798. For a wide variety of dry-goods and for
making men’s and boys’ clothing.
(in
oversize folder on shelf).
67x90.51-.52 William Trotter, 1798-1799. For mercantile ventures.
67x90.53 George Wilson, 1795-1796. For bed lacings, tea, sugar, coffee, brandy, etc. The account was credited by a mahogany coffin
with a folding top made by Trotter & Haines.
(in
oversize folder on shelf)
67x90.54 Ellis Yarnall, 1798. For yarn.
67x90.82 Jeremiah Elfreth, 1798. Receipt for payment.
Bills
rendered by Daniel Trotter and his estate, 1780-1802:
Folder
6: Ph572 Thomas Ruchea,
1785. For mending chairs.
Ph573 receipt for payment, no year,
signed Isaac(?) Leech
Folder
7: 67x90.55 William Beavan, 1797. For mending a stand.
67x90.56 Samuel Bispham, 1780-1795. For making and repairing a variety of
furniture forms.
67x90.57 James Carman, 1783-1792. For putting rockers on a chair, mending
chairs, etc.
67x90.58 Jacob Coates, 1794. For mahogany furniture.
67x90.59 John Dowers, 1787-1790. For making and mending benches, frames,
blades, etc.
67x90.60 Jacob Downing of Downing &
Staymaker, 1797-1798. For a bedstead,
chairs, and mending chairs and bookcases.
67x90.61 Jeremiah Elfreth, 1795-1799. For bed pine, umbrellas, etc.
67x90.62 George Flake, 1789-1791. For frames, chairs, tea table, and other
pieces of furniture.
67x90.64 Ephraim Haines, 1798-1800. For boarding, portion of shop rent, debts,
etc.
67x90.65 Peter Kuhn, 1788-1790. For mending chairs, fixing window rails,
putting up a bedstead, etc.
67x90.66 George Markley [or Mankley],
1789-1793. For covering a chair with
hair cloth, mending a card table with new hinges, and other furniture repair
work.
67x90.67-.68 Philip Measer [also spelled
Meeser], 1802-1803. For ground and
cellar rent.
Folder
8: 67x90.69-.70 John Negus, 1786-1796. For a variety of mahogany furniture.
67x90.71 Stephen Phipps, 1787-1794. For making and repairing furniture.
67x90.72 Jacob Shoemaker, 1799. For lock and padding and mahogany rulers.
67x90.73 Henry Sparks, 1797. For mending chairs.
67x90.74 James Starr, 1796. For putting up a bedstead and set of castors.
67x90.75 John Stroup, 1790-1793. For mending a table and other furniture
forms.
67x90.76 Amos
67x90.77 Benjamin Thaw, 1785-1798. For a variety of furniture forms, a coffin, repairing
furniture, and painting furniture.
Other
estate records:
Folder
9: 67x90.1 Inventory of the property of Trotter and Haines, taken by
E. Haines. Includes listing of furniture
and materials in Trotter's cabinetshop, 1800.
67x90.2 Inventory of the property (furniture
on hand) of Trotter and Haines, 1800.
Note on back about Dr. Cathrall and a mahogany bureau.
67x90.3 “Ephraim’s acc’t”: list of items
sold, Trotter and Haines, 1800.
67x90.4 Goods divided before the vendue and
taken by E. Haines; also mentions Dr. Cathrall.
67x90.5 Furniture belonging to Trotter and
Haines sold at vendue. Includes both the
appraised value and amount for which items sold.
Folder
10: 67x90.6 Ephraim Haines to the estate of Daniel Trotter, “for
sundry household goods, etc., taken at the appraisement,” including table and
bed linens, books (brief titles given, one a design book), household goods,
furniture, weights and scales, tools (not individually named), and a stove with
pipe.
67x90.7 William Trotter to the estate of
Daniel Trotter for household and kitchen furniture; includes books (brief
titles given), bed, bedstead, linens, household items, mahogany table, and a
silver can.
67x90.8 List of china, monogrammed silver, and buckles.
67x90.9 Lists Daniel's children (Joseph,
Nathan, Thomas, Elizabeth, Rebecca, and Mary) and items they inherited (?),
including china, silverware (some monogrammed), books, a gun, a watch, gold and
silver buttons, furniture, etc.
67x90.10 Miscellaneous list of household items,
with notes about what Joseph and Rebecca have.
Includes money scales, linens and blankets, household goods, tools,
stove, furniture, time of two apprentices, and some books.
Folder
11: 67x90.11 Various notes and figuring of prices with comment: "the
cash received for the sale must be first deducted from the whole sum." Mentions Trotter and Haines and Ephraim
Haines.
67x90.12 List of the “proceeds of the inventory
of Daniel Trotter.” Lists furniture,
silver, notes and bonds, etc.
67x90.13 Accounts with the estate and how much
was paid to each of the children.
67x90.14 List of “things sold at private sale
belonging to Trotter & Haines.” Lists
various pieces of furniture.
67x90.63 Account between Ephraim Haines and the
estate for shop and house rent, sundries, his half of furniture sales, etc. Also a note about charges against the estate
for clothing, educating, and boarding children.
67x90.78 Account with William Trotter and the
estate, 1801.
67x90.79 "J. Williams amount against the
estate."
Folder
12: Ph580 Accounts of the administration of the estate of Daniel
Trotter, 1800-1809. Along with Ephraim
Haines' account of his interest in the estate of Daniel Trotter paid to the
heirs of Daniel Trotter; bills and receipts of money paid to the estate;
account of interest payments to the estate.
Folder
13: 67x90.80 receipt from Thomas Stewardson to William Trotter and
Ephraim Haines,
67x90.81 account of Ephraim Haines with
Trotter’s minor children,
67x90.83 receipt from Joseph Moore to Trotter
and Haines for payment of Daniel Trotter’s payments to the Abolition Society
for 1799
Series
III: Bonds and Indemnities
Folder
14: Bonds executed by Daniel Trotter, 1792-1800, all on printed forms.
67x90.16 Daniel Trotter, cabinet maker, to Dinah
Trotter, spinster [sister of Daniel], 1792, with notes of payments made
1793-1803
67x90.17 Daniel Trotter, cabinet maker, to
Devenport Marot, spinning wheel maker, 1793, with notes of payments made
1794-1800
67x90.18 Daniel Trotter, cabinet maker, to
Thomas Trotter, hatter, 1793, with notes of payments made 1794-1800
67x90.19 Daniel Trotter, cabinet maker, to
Rachel Elfrith [sic, i.e. Elfreth,] widow, 1800, with note about payment, 1800
Folder
15: 67x90.20 Bond to refund and indemnify Matthew and Mary West of
Camden, New Jersey, and William I. Trotter, cabinet-maker in
67x90.15 Receipt for payment to Matthew and Mary
West of the money due them, as mentioned in the document above.
67x90.21 Indemnity executed by Elizabeth Trotter
and William I. Trotter, 1809, for money received from estate of Daniel Williams.
Series
IV: Family Letters and other papers
Folder
16: 67x90.84 receipted bill, William Trotter bought of John Horner, cedar
rails, oak, stakes, and blocks, paid 1809.
67x90.85 receipt from Lambert Tow(?) to Nathan
Trotter for payment of 15 pounds, 5th month 14, 1747, witnessed by
Jonathan Barber.
With a later
penciled note on back, mentioning where the receipt was found and discussing
the two Nathan Trotters who were alive in 1747.
Folder
17: Ph-575 Daniel Trotter to his son, William Trotter at Joseph
Ridgway's in
Mentions
housekeeper as victim of epidemic and sends his regards to Ephraim Haines.
Ph-576 Daniel to William,
Mentions
business and return of people to the city.
Ph-577 Ephraim Haines to William Trotter,
1799.
Explains
why he could not come to
Ph-578 Haines to William,
Suggests
meeting him the next day. Mentions
spread of the fever.
Series
V: Genealogy
Folder
18: Ph-574 Photocopies of pages from the copy book of Nathan Trotter recording
family genealogy, 1747-1815.
Folder
19: Ph-579 Photocopy of the marriage certificate of Daniel Trotter and Rebecca
Conarroe,
Series
VI: Miscellaneous Estate records
Folder
20: [no number] Photocopy of the inventory and appraisal
for the estate of Joseph Trotter, July 1770.
Folder 21: Ph-82 Photocopy of the
inventory and appraisal for the estate of Ephraim Haines, 1837.
Ph-87 Photocopy of the inventory of goods and
chattel belonging to the estate of Joseph Trotter, Jr. Sept. 1770. (in oversize
folder on shelf)
Ph-562 another copy of the inventory and appraisal of the
estate of Ephraim Haines,
Folder 22: Ph1065 Photostatic
copy of the will of Benjamin Trotter, d. 1768
Folder
23: receipt signed by Daniel
Trotter, for cash received belonging to estate of Josiah Elfreth and paid on
account of the estate, Nov. 11, 1799
Series
VII: Nathan Trotter--Business records
Folder 24: 61x88.1 Account
book kept by Nathan Trotter from 1806 to 1810.
Many of the entries pertain to
Caleb Wright and the "amount of leather on hand to sell for him,"
listing the number of skins, kind of leather, number (perhaps of the color),
and cost. In addition, there are several
pages of records having to do with sheeting.
Also an envelope mentioning that
the contents (the account book?) had been found at
Folder
25: 61x88.2 Twenty samples of fine, colored leather, giving the number
and name of each color.
61x88.5 Five samples of fine, colored
leathers, two of which have tiny patterns printed on them, one a plaid, and the
other a star pattern. Other colors are
mentioned, but do not have samples. Part
of the document is missing.
Folder
26: 61x88.3 Nine samples of changeable (or shot) silks, numbered 29-37;
the name Samuel Chambers appears on the verso.
There is a blank space at number 28
Folder
27: 61x88.4 Eleven textile samples of bearskins and coatings with
numbers and yardages of each. (Note:
these bearskins are felted wool, not real bear fur.)
Folder 28: 79x103 Bill of lading, 1839.
For tin, tin plates, iron, hardware,
pig lead, and other metals shipped by Nathan Trotter on the Ship
"Spring," and consigned to Pilcher(?) & Ball of
Folder
29: 88x97.1-.7 Seven bills for shipping goods on canal
boats, trains, or by unspecified means, 1832, 1834, 1838. Two bills are decorated with pictures of
canal boats, two with pictures of canal boats and trains, and one with a
picture of a train. Among the goods
shipped are iron, zinc, tin, hardware, copper, and wire. The shippers were Chas. Humphreys & Co.,
Bonsall & Rovoudt, Hand’s Line, The Despatch [sic] Transportation Co. (John
White & Co.), Bolton & Co., John Dougherty, all of
88x98.1-.5 Six bills (three of which are attached to
each other) for shipping, 1838-1839 and 1844, and a notice of a meeting of the
Board of Managers of the Lehigh Coal ad Navigation Company, November 21,
1837. As Trotter was invited to the
meeting, he was either a manager or had business with them. All six of the shipping records are from the
Lehigh Transportation Company of
88x100.1-.3 Three bills for shipping, 1830-1831, from
the
Most of
Daniel Trotter's papers are available in microfilm for use in repository, M-207
and M-242.
Tooker,
Elva. Nathan Trotter:
Castrodale,
Anne. Daniel Trotter,
Additional
Trotter papers are in the collection of the Baker Library,
Trotter-Newbold
papers are in the Thompson collection at the Historical Society of
Pennsylvania.
Photographs
of furniture made by Trotter in the Decorative Arts Photograph Collection,
Winterthur Library.