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:         Johnson, John 

Title:               Bills and receipts

Dates:             1811-1818

Call No.:         Col. 528

Acc. No.:        80x156

Quantity:        26 items (one folder)

Location:        34 J 3

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

John Johnson was a ship captain, apparently on a schooner named Governor McKean.  Although some of the bills are dated from Baltimore, research found a War of 1812 privateer named the Governor McKean sailing out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.   

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Collection contains bills and receipts addressed to Capt. John Johnson between 1811-1818.  Items mentioned include taxes; such clothing as cambric shirts, coats, and boots; food and liquor; a book, and a magazine subscription.  Other bills and receipts are for wages, including services for work on a barn, and manufacturing yards of blankets.  Also noted are cordage, spikes, and stone ballast.

 

           

ORGANIZATION

 

The bills and receipts 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 Edward Craig.

           

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            Shipbuilding.

            Ships.

            Schooners.

            Food prices - 19th century.

            Clothing and dress - Prices - 19th century.

            Invoices.

            Receipts (Acknowledgments).

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 34 J 3

 

 

All accession numbers begin with 80x156.

 

 

Folder 1 of 1:

 

.1         receipt: Capt. John Johnson paid John Cass[?], Baltimore, May 10, 1811, for Cass’ wages and services on the schooner Gov. McKean;

                        page was torn from another sheet; on back: mathematical calculations

 

.2         receipted bill: Capt. [blank] paid James Belt[?], Baltimore, May 15, 1811, for peach brandy, whiskey, tumblers, mustard, and a book[?]; money received by [illegible initials] Belt;

                        written on back: Paid

 

.3         bill from John Craig, Baltimore, May 17, 1811, to schooner Governor McKean and owners, for 1 scow load of stone ballast

                        written on back: Paid

 

.4         receipted bill: Capt. [blank] paid James Piper, Baltimore, May 19, 1811, for a coil of cordage; money received by J. Starr[?]

                                    written on back: Paid

 

.5         receipted tax bill: John Johnson paid county, city, poor, and health taxes in North Ward for 1811, dated Dec. 19, 1811, signed by Richard Truman, collector

 

.6         receipted bill: Capt. Johnston paid E. & D. Abrams, Philadelphia, May 25, 1812, for coffee, sugar, starch, and a bushel of fine salt;

                        With math calculations on front and back of bill;

                        written twice on back: Paid

 

.7         receipt: John Johnson paid McCormick Rogers in full for all debts, August 21, 1813;

                        written on back: Paid, also Febray

 

.8         bill, from Ann Pusey to Captain Johnson, October 1813, for sawing feet of lath;

                        On back: note from Ann Pusey to Johnson, Jan. 1, 1814, requesting that he paid the bill to Samuel Wilson.

                        also written on back: Paid

 

.9         bill, from S. Livingston to John Johnson, for spikes and “clips & gugins to roler,” Dec. 1813;

                        written on back: Paid; also subtraction of money

 

.10       bill, from Rudbys[?] Buckins & Co., to Capt. Johnson, Aug.-Dec. 1813, for many, many pounds of beef;

                        marked Paid

                        [see also .11 below]

 

.11       bill, from Peter Buckins & Co., to Capt. Johnson, 1813-1814, goods not specified, but apparently belongs with .10 above;

                        written on back: Paid; also Capt. Johnson, and monetary calculation

 

.12       bill from John C. Kein, to Capt. John Johnson, February 2, 1814, for days of carpenters work on a new barn;

                        written on back: Paid; Captn. John Johnson’s Bill;

                        paper watermarked with three-leaf clover

 

.13       receipted tax bill: John Johnson paid county, city, poor, and health taxes in North Ward for 1813, dated Aug. 20, 1814, signed by Jno. Pecken, collector

 

.14       receipted bill: Capt. J. Johnson paid Samuel Reynolds, [place illegible], Sept. 23, 1814, for pair of blue cloth talavera[?], making and trimming jacket for the Marines, and for buttons; payment received by Joseph Roberts

 

.15       receipt: Jno. Johnson paid E. Bronson, Philadelphia, Aug. 23, 1815, for a subscription to the United States’ Gazette for the Country;

                        Printed form; numbers on back

 

.16       probably a tax bill, to Joseph Johnstone, from city for 1815 N. ward

 

.17       receipted bill: John Johnson paid Thomas Glenn, February 3, 1816, for unspecified work done since February 1813; Glenn signed with his mark;

                        written on back: Paid;

 

.18       receipted bill: Captain Johnson paid R. C. Green, February 8, 1816, for boots bought in December 1815

 

.19       receipted bill: John Johnson paid David Stilwell, Mary 19, 1816, for various goods [the handwriting is not clear];

            written on back: Captain Johnston, Paid Sam. Stilwell;

 

.20       receipted tax bill: Joseph Johnson paid 1815 county and poor taxes for estate in North Ward, paid February 17, 1815, signed Jno. Pechen, collector

                        written on back: Paid;

 

.21       bill from Joseph Hunt & Co., Hulmevill[?], March 29, 1816, to Capt. John Johnson, for manufacturing 25 yards of blankets;

                        written on back: Paid; Cap John Johnson

                        [there is a Hulmeville in Bucks County, Pennsylvania]

 

.22       receipted tax bill: Robert L. Lindsay paid 1815 city tax for N. Ward for estate of Jos. Johnson, May 6, 1818, received by Wm. Stevenson Senr., collector

                        written on back: Paid;

 

.23       receipt: John Johnston paid J. [illegible], August 17, 1816;

                       

.24       receipted tax bill: J. Johnson paid 1816 county tax for N. Ward, paid July 9, 1817, signed Jno. Pechen, collector

           

.25       account of credit by cash received by Thomas Foster from John Johnson, July 4-December 15, 1818: Johnson paid for corn, wheat flour, apples, oats, pork, pigs, potatoes, buckwheat; account continues on back

 

.26       receipted bill: Capt. Johnson paid Abigail Wells for thread, buttons, and making shirts, on date