The Winterthur Library

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: Wing, Abraham R.

Title: Bills,

Dates: 1830-1831.

Call No.: Col. 441

Acc. No.: 68x86

Quantity: 26 items

Location: 34 J 2

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

Abraham R. Wing lived in Sandwich, Massachusetts, during the 1830s. From the quantity of goods he was purchasing, he probably had a store. He was a Quaker.

A Quaker of that name was born in Sandwich, Mass., in 1805, moved to Chicago in 1859, and died there in 1881. This man was listed in the 1850 census as a merchant in Nantucket, and in the 1860 census as a banker in Chicago. He was the son of Anna Rogers and Samuel Wing, and married Mary Swain Gardner. Nothing was found to state that he was a merchant in Sandwich in 1830, but he was listed in the census as living there at that time.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

These bills document purchases of dry-goods, fancy goods, handkerchiefs and braces, shoes and boots, watch parts, and hardware by Abraham R. Wing in 1830 and 1831. Items mentioned include spectacles, hats, boots, slippers, various types of hardware, snuff boxes, scissors and knives, gilt keys, razors, chains, thimbles, flour, children’s chairs, and such dry goods as buff gingham, Britannia, printed cotton, and kersey. All but one of the bills are on printed billheads.

ORGANIZATION

Bills are 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 from N. D. Scotti.

ACCESS POINTS

Topics:

Clothing and dress.

Dry-goods.

Hardware.

Household supplies.

Shoes.

Invoices.

Merchants.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 34 J 2

All accession numbers begin with 68x86. All bills addressed to Wing, unless otherwise noted.

.2 bill from Leverett & Johnson, importers of hardware, Boston, Aug. 13, 1830: teapots, snuff boxes, percussion caps, spectacles and cases, lead pencils, knives, scissors, screw plates, needles, watch files, etc.

Printed billhead

.3 bill from Amasa Walker, commission merchant, Boston, Aug. 13, 1830: hats of various kinds, nailed boots, infant something, morning slippers[?], thick hide shoes, and many other goods [handwriting difficult to read]

Printed billhead: dealer in boots, shoes, hats, cards, and feathers

.5 bill from John B. Jones, Boston, Aug. 14, 1830: plated keys and seals, lacquered safe chains, hard enameled dial, carnelian key, hooks, paste pins, beads, thimbles, tea spoons, ribbons, steel rings, timepiece movements, etc.

Printed billhead: importer of clocks, watches, jewelry; plated, japan, and Britannia ware; fine cutlery; watch materials; bronze, gilt and fancy goods; and manufacturer of rich silver plate and fine jewelry

.14 from Milton Johnson, importer of hardware, Boston, Sept. 16, 1830: knives and razors; with note: if the knives are not what Wing wants, please return;

Printed billhead

.7 receipted bill: John B. Jones, Boston, November 1830: was paid for various kinds of chains, thimbles, gilt keys, hair rings, ear wires, pearl pins, hair pins, gold pins, ribbon, salt spoons, etc.;

.9 receipt: Jabez Hatch, Jr., auctioneer and commission merchant, Boston, Nov. 1, 1830: was paid for knives;

Stenciled billhead

.8 receipted bill: Amasa Walker, commission merchant, Boston, Nov. 2, 1830: was paid for various kinds of shoes, various kinds of boots (nailed, long, short, etc.), pumps, shoe punch;

Printed billhead: dealer in boots, shoes, hats, cards, and feathers

.1 receipt bill: Milton Johnson, importer of hardware, Boston, Nov. 17, 1830: paid for razors, strops, some kind of rings;

Printed billhead

.26 receipted bill: Amasa Walker, commission merchant, Boston, Dec. 4, 1830: paid for shoes,

Printed billhead: dealer in boots, shoes, hats, cards, and feathers

.6 receipt bill: Milton Johnson, importer of hardware, Boston, Dec. 15, 1830: paid for knives, with credit for returned razors;

Printed billhead

.26 receipted bill: Amasa Walker, commission merchant, Boston, Dec. 28, 1830: paid for boots; with note: if they don’t suit, please return;

Printed billhead: dealer in boots, shoes, hats, cards, and feathers

.18 receipted bill: John B. Jones, Boston, June 7, 1831: paid for files, watch chains, watch dial, rings, and something else;

.24 bill from Wm. S. Russell & Co., American, European and India Goods, Boston, June 7, 1831; for English thread[?];

Printed billhead

.12 receipted bill: J.C. & W.H. Hicks, dry goods, Boston, June 7, 1831: paid for prints, buff gingham, brittania, braces, gloves, ribbon, belting, etc.

Printed billhead

.11 receipted bill: Eben May, Boston, June 7, 1831: was paid for children’s chairs[? Spelled chares] and a wash board; with extra charge for a warming pan

[not a printed billhead]

.19 receipted bill: J.C. & W.H. Hicks, dry goods, Boston, June 13, 1831: was paid for pink batiste, with credit given for buff gingham;

Printed billhead

.16 receipted bill: Isaac H. Cary & Co., comb, jewelry, and fancy goods store, Boston, July 14, 1831: was paid for phosphorous lights, watch ribbon, bunch of seed beads;

Printed billhead

.20 receipted bill: J.C. & W.H. Hicks, dry goods, Boston, July 21, 1831: was paid for plate prints and brown prints; with added note: sending a new style of print;

Printed billhead

.25 receipted bill: Amasa Walker, commission merchant, Boston, Sept. 22, 1831: was paid for various kinds of shoes, boots, pumps;

Printed billhead: boots, shoes & hats adapted to the country trade; also live geese feather, Russia and common ditto

.10 receipt: Griggs & Weld, Boston, Sept. 22, 1831: was paid for flour

Printed form

.17 receipted bill: Wm. S. Russell & Co., American, European and India Goods, Boston, Sept. 22, 1831; was paid for satinet, shirting, plate prints, checks, prints in various colors, handkerchiefs, braces, thread, buttons, rolls of paper, etc.

Printed billhead

.15 receipted bill: John B. Jones, Boston, Sept. 22, 1831: was paid for gold hands, main springs, silver thimbles[?];

.1 bill from Wm. S. Russell & Co., American, European and India Goods, Boston, Sept. 29, 1831; for drab kersey and sheeting; with note: mixed kersey not yet received, will send it soon;

Printed billhead

.22 bill from Wm. S. Russell & Co., American, European and India Goods, Boston, Oct. 19, 1831; for mixed and dark brown kersey;

Printed billhead

.23 bill from Wm. S. Russell & Co., American, European and India Goods, Boston, Oct. 27, 1831; for satinet, sheeting, Hamilton super shirting, burlap;

Printed billhead

.21 receipted bill: Wm. S. Russell & Co., American, European and India Goods, Boston, Dec. 12, 1831; was paid for mixed kersey, handkerchiefs, gilt jacket buttons, sewing cotton, etc.;

Printed billhead