The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE  19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:         Phipps, Stephen.                                            

Title:               Bills

Dates:             1774-1796

Call No.:         Col. 402

Acc. No.:        81x411; 81x413.1-.36; 82x175; 08x153.3a-f

Quantity:        42 items

Location:        34 J 2

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

According to the Philadelphia city directory, Stephen Phipps was a tailor who worked in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the late 18th century.  He lived in Strawberry Alley (later Street).  He may have been the Stephen Phipps who was born in 1739, the son of John [or Thomas] and Deborah Phipps, married Deborah Kite in 1767, and died in 1804. 

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

This collection contains manuscript invoices and receipts addressed to Stephen Phipps of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1774-1796.  The majority are for the purchase of various types of lumber, including pine boards, sap boards, oak and poplar scantling, and cedar panels.  Phipps also purchased sand, lime, and such hardware as nails and screws.  Some bills are calculated in pounds while others indicate payment in dollars.  One bill documents carpentry work performed at his home, while another is for chimney cleaning.

           

 

ORGANIZATION

 

The items are in accession number order, and roughly 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

 

Accession 81x413 purchased from Rose Sill.

Accession 08x158.3 purchased from Stephen and Carol Resnick.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            Building materials - Prices - 18th century.

Business records - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

Carpentry.

Chimneys - Cleaning.

Hardware - Prices - 18th century.

Invoices.

Lumber - Prices - 18th century.

Receipts (Acknowledgments)

            Wood - Prices - 18th century.

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 34 J 2

 

 

Folder 1 of 1:

 

81x411            receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Edward Brooks, Jr., Philadelphia, April 24, 1789, for thumb latches, butts, screws

 

81x413.1         receipted bill, Stephen Fips [sic] paid John Britton for pine boards, June 1774, signed for by Lawrence Lawlor.  [mounted on paper]

 

81x413.2         bill to Stephen Phipps from John & William Montgomery, Philadelphia, Nov. 1784, for 120 bushels of fine salt

 

81x413.3         “a copy of a bill of scantling cut by Caleb Evans for Stephen Phipps, April 178[torn,] bill paid May 8, 1786

                        [use caution in handling: bill is in two pieces]

 

81x413.4         receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Thomas Stremback for sand, Oct. 1785

 

81x413.5         receipt, Stephen Phipps paid Jones, Clark & Cresson on account, “left with them a [illegible] to sell and give the credit for it,” June 23, 1786

 

81x413.6         bill, Stephen Phipps bought of Jones Clark [& Cresson – torn off], 1786, for scantling and shingles

 

81x413.7         receipt, Stephen Phipps paid [illegible] for stone and hauling, Oct. 1786

 

81x413.8         receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Wayne & Maxfield for pine scantling, cedar planks and panels, 1786-1787; receipt signed by Stephen Maxfield

 

81x413.9         receipt, Stephen Phipps paid Jones, Clark & Cresson on account, July 4, 1787

 

81x413.10       in case of Commonwealth vs. Barbara Greer, Stephen Phipps paid William Nichols for the carpenter, April 1788

 

81x413.11       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Bartling[?] & Sharwood[?], for scantling and boards, purchased 1788, paid Aug. 26, 1790; on back: “an omitted bill brought in August the 26, 1790,” with additional notes about account

 

81x413.12       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Stephen Maxfield for cedar and pine boards and carting, July 24, 1788

 

81x413.13       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid John Souder for boards, Philadelphia, July 8, 1788

 

81x413.14       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Leonard Culp for lime, Philadelphia, July 8, 1788

 

81x413.15       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Wetherill & Truman for cedar and pine boards and hauling “a load of worked stuff for Col. Williams’ shop to your house,” work done in Sept. 1788, paid April 1789

 

81x413.16       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Daniel Richards for plastering lath and carting, March 19, 1789

 

81x413.17       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Stephen Maxfield for scantling, pine and cedar boards, carting, work done in 1789, paid Feb. 2, 1790

 

81x413.18       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Robert Hellings for lime, April 1789

               

81x413.19       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Andrew Hall for sap board, Philadelphia, March 27, 1789

 

81x413.20       bill, Stephen Phipps to estate of Daniel Richards, dec’d., for plastering lath, March-May 1789, with notes about the account (apparently a dispute over it);

on back: “Samuel Richard account of sundry got by Samuel Shorten for himself.  A drowning man will latch at a straw.  Shorten been gone they think to draw it out of me.”

 

81x413.21       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Robert Hellings for lime, Philadelphia, April-May 1789

 

81x413.22       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Edward Brooks, Jr., for cupboard turns, Philadelphia, April 18, 1789

 

81x413.23       receipt, “rec’d of Stephen Phipps one dollar against an order drew by Samuel Shorten, [signed] Jacob Salgar[?]”; on back: Shorten’s order, rum, lime, “paid to Salger June 7, 1789”

 

81x413.24       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Harrison & McGee for shingles, July 4, 1789

 

81x413.25       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Edward Brooks, Jr., for sundries, round bolts, and screws, Aug. 7, 1789, signed by William Smith

 

81x413.26       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Harrison & McGee for boards and cartage, Sept. 7, 1789, signed by Samuel Johnson; written on back: Stephen Phipps Taylor

 

81x413.27       “David Near account, 1791, paid January 25,” receipted bill, Mr. Phiebs [sic] paid David Nier for nails, Philadelphia, Dec. 23, 1790, signed by Caty Near for her father

 

81x413.28       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Hart & Remington, for pine and cedar boards and carting, “had by Michael Maley,” work done in July 1790, paid August 27, 1791, “I believe for Third Street house”

 

81x413.29       bills, Stephen Phipps bought of John West, Philadelphia, Nov. 5, 1790, for boards, scantling, plank, carting;

on same paper: Stephen Phipps bought of Jon. & Thomas West, Philadelphia, July 6, 1789, for scantling and cedar board,

with note: “bought for stable, bill of Maxfield, bill of nails, the bill of carpenters bill,” with amounts;

endorsed on back: “John West bill of lumber paid and a recit in book 1791”

 

81x413.30       bill, to Stephen Phipps for work done by Joseph Willis, including making a spout and trunk, piecing the kitchen floor, making sash lights, making cellar door (all this done at Ann Gerviss house); also working on cellar door and window, making a shutter, making a door for necessary house, making a bench, cutting through a partition and setting a door, putting round architraves on both sides, June1791-Jan. 1792

 

81x413.31       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Wetherill & Truman for pine boards and oak scantling, Aug.-Sept. 1791

 

81x413.32       bill, Stephen Phipps bought of Wetherill & Truman, poplar scantling, May 22, 1792; the name Owen Roberts is written at bottom of bill

 

81x413.33       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Joseph Deamer for lime, Sept. 26, 1792

 

81x413.34       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Isaac Van Gorden for lime and labor, Dec. 4, 1793;

with notes on the back: “Vangordan was supposed to have overcharge me near a dollar plastering of Shippin Street house in December 1793,” and a request to the Messrs Taylor about aqua fortis

 

81x413.35       “money paid for Stephen Phipps estate in Shippen Street, 1793 and 4,” including cleaning 5 chimneys, cleaning the house and yard, lime for white washing, hauling dirt, putting in glass, latches, repairing lock and key, replacing back tenement, settled Feb. 17, 1794 with rent, with additional work noted on back: carpenter’s bill, plasterer’s bill, glass, lock

 

81x413.36       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Edward Pole for iron bolts bought at auction, May 1796

 

82x175            receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Thos. Mackie & Co., Philadelphia, Oct. 29, 1785, for green baize

 

08x158.3a       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Edward Pole for iron pot and sundries bought at auction, May 11, 1796

 

08x158.3b       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Jno. Patten for a pot and china bought at City Auction, March 2, 1789, signed by Wm. Brown

 

08x158.3c       bill, Stephen Phipps bough of J. McKnight, oven, fender, and [illegible,], June 6, 1796

 

08x158.3d       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid Arthur [illegible] and James Smith for buttons bought at City Auction, Oct. 6, 1786

 

08x158.3e       receipted bill, Stephen Phipps paid George Taylor for baking bread and meat, Aug. 18, 1790

 

08x158.3f        receipted bill, S. Phipps paid Jos. Dean & Co. for 2 dishes bought at New City Auction, Sept. 5, 1790