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:         New-York Agricultural Society

Title:               Papers

Dates:             1793-1819, bulk 1793-1796

Call No.:         Col. 490

Acc. No.:        76x45

Quantity:        11 items

Location:        34 J 3

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

The New-York Agricultural Society was listed in the New York City directory for 1794.  It promoted agriculture, manufactures, and the arts.  Officers in 1794 included Samuel Jones and Samuel L. Mitchill; Samuel Bard was the representative for News York City, and Ezra L’Hommedieu was the representative for Suffolk County.  No attempt was made to trace the society through the directories, and nothing else was learned about it.

 

The Albany County Agricultural Society sponsored its first fair in 1813 or 1819 (both dates were found).

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

This small collection primarily consists of bills addressed to the New-York Agricultural Society between 1793-1796.  Most are for beer, pipes, tobacco, candles, door keeping services, and the publication of notices; all of these relate to the society’s meetings.  Other bills are for engraving a seal, a model of a thrashing machine, and for making a plow.  A certificate of membership for John Lamb in the Albany County Agricultural Society, dated 1819, has an engraving of farm animals and various agricultural implements.

 

           

ORGANIZATION

 

The items 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 J. S. Newman.

           

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            Albany County Agricultural Society (N.Y.)

            Agricultural implements - Prices - 18th century.

Agriculture - Societies, etc.

Associations, institutions, etc. - Records and correspondence.

Beer - Prices - 18th century.

            Societies - Records and correspondence.

            Bills.

            Membership certificates.

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 34 J 3

 

 

All accession number begin with 76x45.

 

 

.1         the Agricultural Society, March 9, 1793, orders its treasurer to pay Mr. Bicker, the door keeper, for articles furnished to the society and for his services; signed S. Jones, Jun.;

 

.2         receipt: Victor Bicker acknowledges receipt of payment from Samuel Jones, Jr., on behalf of Samuel Jones, treasurer, New York, March 17, 1793;

 

.3         receipted bill: the Agricultural Society paid Victor Bicker for beer, pipes, tobacco, and his services, 1794

 

.5         receipted bill: Samuel Jones, Jr. paid Geo. Bunce & Co., for publishing notice of Agricultural Society, Feb. 16, 1795

 

.6         receipt: James Harvey was paid for a model of a thrashing machine which he made for the Agricultural Society, March 17, 1795;

 

.7         receipt: James Shields was paid for making a plow for the Agriculture Society, New York, March 30-April 1, 1795;

 

.4         receipted bill: the New York Agriculture Society paid Victor Bicker for pipes, tobacco, candles, and his services, June 1795 [date on back]

 

.9         Samuel Bard, Peter De Labigarre, and Samuel L. Mitchell pledge to pay B. C. Verger for engraving a seal for the Society for Promoting Agriculture, Arts, and Manufactures; also signed by Samuel Jones, treasurer; March 1, 1796;

                        On back: Verger’s receipt for payment, March 5, 1796; written in French,

 

.8         receipt bill: John Conran, New York, March 16, 1796 was paid by the Agricultural Society for candlelight and attendance;

                        On back: a note that something was audited and examined by Samuel L. Mitchell;

 

.10       receipted bill: Bartholomew Skaats was  paid by the Agriculture Society for attendance, beer, candles, pipes, tobacco, and cock for the beer barrel, bill datd April 5, 1796;

with a note from Ezra L’Hommedieu dated March 5, 1796 requesting that the bill be paid

 

.11       membership certificate: The Albany County Agricultural Society for Promoting Agriculture and Domestic Manufactures admitted John Lamb of Albany, Oct. 12, 1819; signed by the secretary Louis Van Vechten, and the president Stephen van Rensselaer;

                        Printed form published and sold by Rawdon & Balch, engravers, Albany; illustrated with an eagle on top of a shield, and with a vignette of a milkmaid approaching cows under a tree, with a farmer plowing, and a hear of sheep, and some produce