The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE 19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: C. & D.R. Williams

Title: Bills and receipts

Dates: 1807-1855, bulk 1807-1834.

Call No.: Col. 485

Acc. No.: various – see detailed description

Quantity: around 180 items

Location: 34 K 3

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

The firm of C. & D.R. Williams was probably founded by Cyrus Williams in the early 19th century. He was possibly a dry goods merchant or a general store owner in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, from ca. 1806-1834. He may have partnered with a person named Fairchild in 1826. From approximately 1834-1840, the firm was known as C. & D.R. Williams.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

This collection documents items purchased in New York City between 1807 and 1855 by the firm of C. & D.R. Williams and its related businesses. From about 1806-1818, Cyrus Williams bought large quantities of ceramics and glass, including dinner plates, muffin plates, twiflers (8 inch plates), chamber pots, jugs, churns, and tumblers, which he may have been supplying to the nearby Red Lion Inn (also called The Stockbridge House). Lamps, large kettles, baking dishes, cake pots, and spoons were also stocked in large quantities. Other items mentioned include books, paint, medicine, candles, soap, and miscellaneous items like penknives, razors, and watch keys. The 1826 bills of Williams and Fairchild note primarily glass and ceramic items, with rope, fancy chairs, and fireplace utensils mentioned as well. In 1834, Cyrus Williams purchased large quantities of such textiles as printed muslin, Grecian lace, Italian silk, worsted suspenders, chintz, and gingham. In that same year, C. & D. R. Williams also bought textiles, including plate prints. Other bills are for brass hardware, sewing notions, hand tools, books, paints, three or four gallon pots, butter pots, churns, jugs, looking glasses, carpeting, personal hygiene implements, and stationery supplies. This collection also includes several bills addressed to H.L. Plumb during the 1850s. Plumb, at one point, owned the Red Lion Inn and was responsible for its noted collection of ceramics. Most items include a description of product sold, quantity, and price, as well as address of the vendor.

ORGANIZATION

Arranged by name; subarranged chronologically. A name and object index to accession 76x396 is at the end of this finding aid.

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

The materials are in English.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.

PROVENANCE

Purchased from Rockwell Gardiner.

ACCESS POINTS

Topics:

Red Lion Inn (Stockbridge, Mass.).

Dry-goods -Prices -19th century.

Paint -Prices -19th century.

Hardware -Prices -19th century.

Books - Prices.

Notions (Merchandise) - Prices.

Silk - Prices - 19th century.

Invoices.

Receipts (Acknowledgments).

Merchants.

Wholesalers.

Additional authors:

Williams, Cyrus.

Plumb, H. L

Williams and Fairchild.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 34 K 3

Folder 1: C. & D. R. Williams, 1834

(acc. 75x241.1-.10, .12-.50; acc. 76x396.39-.45, .47-.49; acc. 77x582.1-.2; acc. 91x2)

Folder 2: C. & D. R. Williams, 1835-1840, no date

(acc. 74x269; acc. 75x241.11 and .51; acc. 76x252; acc. 266.5-.9; 76x396.46, .50-.67; acc. 76x466; acc. 79x5; acc. 79x281; acc. 81x160)

Folder 3: Cyrus Williams, 1806-1817

(acc. 76x396.1, .3-.8, .9-.12, .14-.20, .26-.30, .68-.73; acc. 79x3; acc. 79x8; and one document has only the number .282)

Folder 4: Cyrus Williams, 1818-1836

(acc. 75x240.1-.20; acc. 76x266.1-.3; acc. 76x396.13, .21-.25, .31-.38, .74-.76; acc. 83x4; acc. 05x45)

Folder 5: Williams & Fairchild, 1818-1827

(acc. 76x266.4; acc. 76x396.77-.78, .80-.85; acc. 76x463)

Folder 6: H. L. Plumb, 1851-1855

(acc. 76x266.10-.11; acc. 76x396.86-.88)

Folder 7: miscellaneous, 1817-1818, after 1872

76x396.79 receipted bill, Pease & Wiswall, Huron(?) to unknown person, but probably Messrs J. & G. Sergeant, for brush(?) set, November 28, 1818

76x396.89 receipted bill, William John & Alex Marvin, Albany, to Messrs J. & G. Sergeant, for chest of tea(?), February 13, 1817

76x396.90 print of Helmes Bros. store, furniture, carpets, bedding, wood mantels, feather bed and hair mattress, renovating by steam; after 1872

Index to acc. 76x396.1-.90, part of Col. 485

[number 76x396.2 apparently not used – nothing indexed with that number and no document found with that number]

Adam (of Forbes & Adam) .8

Bassett, Russell .10

Baston, C. S. & Co. .76

Beecher, William A. .74

Belden, Rich. .68

Boardman & Co. .82

Centisville Manufacturing Co. .64

Cheeseman (of Weekes & Cheeseman) .20, .25, .31, .34, .77

Clark (of Wolfe, Spies & Clard) .35

Clarks, Smith & Hyde .75

Cleveland & Lewis .48

Cohen & Van Cleef .12

Colgate, Wm., & Co. .33, .67

Collins, K., Jr. .55, .62

Cook, C. D., & Sons .84, .85

Crane (of Ward, Crane & Co.) .66

Curtis (of Peshine & Curtis) .36

Davis, Hopkins & Co. .73

Dufigmac, E. R. .41

Fairchild (of Williams & Fairchild) .77-.85

Ferguson, George .16

FitzRandolph, Wm. .41

Forbes & Adam .8

Greenmam (of Hyde, Hickox & Greenman) .43

Haviland, James G. .22

Helms Bros. .90

Henderson, Robt. .70

Henry's Auction .32, .81

Hickox (of Hyde, Hickox & Greenman) .43

Higgins, A. & E. S. .65

Hopkins (of Davis, Hopkins & Co.) .73

Horsfield & Mott .29

Hurlbut (of Owen & Hurlbut) .50, .52-.54, .56, .58

Hyde, Hickox & Greenman .43

Hyde (of Clarks, Smith & Hyde) .75

Jackson (of Wetmore, Jackson & Co.) .9

Judah, Moses .70

Kirby, L. & V. .45

Leavett & Lee .7

Lewis (of Cleveland & Lewis) .7

Lee (of Leavett & Lee) .7

Lorillard, George .26

Lorillard, Peter & George .15

Low (of March & Low) .19

Luffs, John N. .71

March & Low .19

Marvin, Wm. & Alex. .89

Merrill, J. T., & Co. .87

Mitchell, R. B. .88

Mix, E., & Co. .6

Moore, J. J., & Co. .57

Mott (of Horsfield & Mott) .29

Nostrand, Foster & Co. .38, .39, .41, .42, .51

Nye, John .11

Owen & Hurlbut .50, .52-54, .56, .58

Patton, James .44

Peacock, Allen .46

Pease & Wiswall .79

Peshine & Curtis .36

Peters & Gedney .1-.5

Plumb, H. L. .86 - .88

Post, J. & A. & M. B. .21

Post, J. & J., & Co. .17

Post, M. B, .21

Rogers, Winthrop & Co. .23

Roosevelt, James J. & Son .13, .14, .24, .30, .80

Rumsey, A. B. .40

Sergeant, J. & G. .89

Smith, (of Clarks, Smith & Hyde) .75

Smith (of Thomas & Smith) .78

Smith, James .63

Smith, Robert L., & Co. .37

Spies (of Wolfe, Spies & Clark) .35

Stagg, John P. & Co. .47

Stewart, Alex. T. & Co. .60

Tappan, Arthur, & Co. .49, .59

Thomas & Smith .78

Tredwell, John & George .83

Van Cleef (of Cohn & Van C1eef) .12

Van Nest, A. .72

Ward, Crane & Co. .66

Weekes & Cheeseman .20, .25, .31, .34, .77

(also spelled Cheesman).

Wetmore, Jackson & Co. .9

Whiting, F. T. .86

Williams, Mr. .69-.75

Williams,& Fairchild .77-.85

Williams, C. & D. R. .39-.68

Williams, Cyrus .1-.38

Wiswall (of Pease & Wiswall) .79

Wolfe, D. & John A. .69

Wolfe, Spies & Clark .35

Wood, Samuel, & Son .27

Woolsey, Wm. W., & Co. .18, .28

Wyke, Geo. .61

OBJECTS MENTIONED (receipts)

andirons and fireplace equipment .38, .78

bed cords, . 35

belts .60

books (grammar, spelling, atlas) .27, .50, .54, .84, .85

candles .33, .88

Chairs: fancy chairs, fancy rush chairs .81

combs .35

Crockery, china (unspecified material) glass, etc. .1-.5, .20, .25, .34, .42, .71, .77, .82, .83

fabrics and textiles .44, .45, .47,.49, .50

fans .75

gloves .46

hardware .13, .14., .18, .28, .29, .30, .35, .43

hats .37

historical charts .85 hollowware (unspecified metal, kitchen utensils) .10, .11

kettles (brass) .22, .23

looking glasses, .24, .35, .80, .41, .55, .62

medicine .17, .86, .21, .29, .74

nail rods .8

plate escutcheons .30

pocket books .70

oil cloth .65

shoes .16, .36, .61

silks .49, .59

tea .6

thimbles (silver) .68

tobacco .7

watch keys .69

whips .12