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:         Grant, John E. (John Edward), 1838-1912

Title:               Papers, 

Dates:             1864-1890.

Call No.:         Col. 557         

Acc. No.:        98x66

Quantity:        65 items (5 folders)

Location:        18 I 1

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

John E. Grant was a farmer in West Wrentham and Sheldonville, both of which are part of Wrentham, Massachusetts.  He was born in 1838, the son of Miranda Cutler Craig and George Grant.  John married Elvira Sophronia Hawes (1839-1925), and they had at least two children.  In addition to being a farmer, Grant held several town offices at various times: Selectman, Overseer for the Poor, Surveyor of Highways, Fire Warden, Measurer of Wood and Bark, Assessor, Surveyor of Lumber, and Fence Viewer; as well, he was on the Board of Health.  In 1881, Grant’s property was valued at $3,465.00 and included a piano, land, livestock, and several buildings.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Collection includes blacksmiths' bills; grocery bills (listing items purchased and prices, dated 1889-1890); a letter about selling cranberries in New York; bills for painting and wallpaper; a bill from Dr. George King (possibly from Franklin, Mass.) for visits and medicine; a list of streets assigned to Grant as Surveyor of Highways in 1880; and "Hints about Poultry" (a note about how to raise chickens).  The undated property inventory, listing house furnishings and other assets, is probably of the estate of George Grant, who died in 1865.

 

           

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 Carmen D. Valentino.

           

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

People:

            Grant, George, 1798-1865.

 

Topics:

            Blacksmithing - Massachusetts - Wrentham.

Blacksmithing - Prices.

Food prices - Massachusetts - Sheldonville.

House furnishings - Inventories.

            House furnishings – Massachusetts.

            House painting - Massachusetts - Wrentham.

            Inventories of decedents’ estates - Massachusetts - Wrentham.

Medical fees.

Poultry.

Roads - Massachusetts - Wrentham.

Wallpaper - Prices.

Farmers.

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 18 I 1

 

 

All accession numbers begin with 98x66.  All are addressed to John E. Grant, unless otherwise noted.

 

 

Folder 1: 1864-1869

 

.1         receipted bill: from C.E. Aldrich, Woonsocket, Dec. 20, 1864: curtains, nappie, caster, goblets, molasses jug, plates, lamp, forks, crockery;

                        On back: a list of more goods, and prices, written in pencil

 

.2         bill, to estate of George Grant, from Charles A. Grant, April 1865-Feb. [presumably 1866, but year not stated]: shoeing horses and oxen, settings tires, sharpening teeth on harrow, bolts for sawmill, and other blacksmithing work;

Endorsed on back: R. A. Mellens blacksmith bill

 

.3         bill, to estate of George Grant, from Charles A. Grant, April-Sept. 1866: shoeing horses and oxen, setting cart tires, mending mowing machine and winnowing mill, fixing yoke, and other blacksmith work

 

.4         bill, to estate of George Grant, from Charles A. Grant, Oct. 1866-March 1867: shoeing horses and oxen, making nails and hook, lengthening whippletree, mending sythe,, and other blacksmith work

 

.5         letter, Frazier & Van Saun, New York, Oct. 22, 1867: will take his cranberries and sell them to best advantage;

                        Printed letterhead: dealers in foreign and domestic fruits

 

.6         receipted bill: Constant Taber, Wrentham, Oct. 26, 1867: for painting house and fence, panes of glass, wallpaper and border, whitewashing, paint and oil, work and paint in kitchen;

                        Part of bill was paid by Mrs. George Grant

 

.7         receipted bill: R. A. Mellen, Oct. 19, 1868: blacksmith work: mending shovel, chair, repairing wagon, shoeing oxen and horses, cutting saw, making yoke staple, setting tires, etc.

 

.8         receipted bill: R. A. Mellen, Wrentham, Apr. 1, 1869: blacksmith work: shoeing oxen and horses, hooping barrels, making mill bolts, etc.

 

.9         receipted bill: William Woodman, Franklin, June 25, 1869: paint colors, oil, japan, putty, varnish, labor

 

.10       receipted bill: George G. Green, Woonsocket, Sept. 25, 1869: tablet for Georgie, extra letters [perhaps for a grave marker];

                        U.S. Internal Revenue stamp is affixed

 

 

Folder 2: 1870-1875

 

.11       receipted bill: R. A. Mellen, Wrentham, Oct. 1, 1870: blacksmith work: shoeing oxen and horses, repairing hand cart, making cider mill and flail irons, etc.

 

.12       short letter: Ellen A. Foster, Franklin, Jan. 14, 1871, to Edwin B. Miller, Thos. B. Staples, Elbert S. Moses: request that they pay $2250 to Olney Arnold, treasurer of the Providence County Savings Bank of Pawtucket, Rhode Island;

                        Written on back: direct to J. Foord, register of deeds, Dedham, Mass.

 

.13       receipted bill: Charles A. Grant, Jan.-June 1871: for making ox sled, a neck yoke, oak planks and chestnut timber, fixing cart for horses, repairing a wheel, fixing plow

 

.14       receipted bill: Charles A. Grant, Dec. 1871-April 1872: forebridge to ox wagon, filing saw, woodwork for bobsleds, spokes and felloes for wheel, etc.

 

.15       letter: A.J. Currier, Clerk for Albion Co., R.I., April 20, 1872: pleast let bearer have the pair of cattle bought by William Carpenter for Albion Co.; will pay next Tuesday

 

.16       receipted bill: Charles A. Grant, April 1872-Feb. [1873]: splicing shaft, wheel spokes, whippletree, pole in express wagon, repairing churn, shoeing sled, etc.

 

.17       receipted bill: Dr. Geo. King: Feb.-July 1872: for visits, vaccination, medicine

 

.18       receipted bill: R. A. Mellen, Wrentham, Oct. 1, 1872: blacksmith work: setting tires, making mill bolts, shoeing horses and oxen

 

.19       receipted bill: R. A. Mellen, Wrentham, Apr. 1, 1873: blacksmith work: shoeing oxen and horses, mending pole iron and chains, making cart hook and mill dog, steeling iron bar, etc.

 

.20       letter, E.C. Craig, Walpole, June 1, 1873: asks him to dispose of some crop on the old place;

                        In pencil on back: building materials: shingles, window, spikes, nails, boards, locks and knob, hinges, window bolts, etc.

 

.21       receipted bill: J. B. Mason, Wrentham, May –Sept. 1873: blacksmith work: making and setting tires, bolts, mending chain, shoeing horses, setting axel, iron for threshold, etc.

 

.22       receipted bill: James B. Mason, Wrentham, Sept.-Dec. 1873: blacksmith work: setting tire, shoeing ox, stop cock, iron whiffletrees, mend chain, toggles and links, etc.

 

.23       receipted bill: Geo. M. Cook, May-Dec. 1873: blacksmith work: mending harrow, set of wheels, axletree, set of boxes, a spoke, whiffletrees, making pole

 

.24       receipted bill: Geo. M. Cook, Feb.-Oct. 1874: blacksmith work: bolts, filing saw, repairing gear for sawmill and lumber rack, wheelbarrow, repairing plough, axletree, felloes, fixing boxes and winnowing mill, repairing wagons

 

.25       receipted bill: A. H. Perkins, West Wrentham, Jan.-June 1875: blacksmith work: shoeing horses and oxen, fixing chain and sled, hooping tub, fixing sawmill iron, etc.

 

 

Folder 3: 1876-1882

 

.26       receipted bill: William Woodman, Franklin, June[?] 26, 1876: paint, graining color, varnish, labor

 

.27       receipted bill: G.M. Cook, West Wrentham, Mass., Aug. 1876-April 1877: blacksmith work: axletree, repairing hand sled, wood work to runners, whiffletree, evener, repairing wagons

 

.28       receipted bill: E.J. Blake, West Wrentham, April 19, 1877 (for Dec. 1876-April 1877): blacksmith work: repairing shovel, braces on hand sled, links and S hooks, ironing traverse runner, re-ironing whiffletree, shoeing horses, mill work, mending seat spring and chain, etc.

 

.29       sheet of accounts, with credits on one side and debits on other, 1877-1878

 

.30       receipted bill: E.J. Blake, West Wrentham, Dec. 3, 1877 (for July-Dec.), blacksmith work

 

.31       receipted bill: E.J. Blake, West Wrentham, Aug. 1, 1878 (for Dec. 1877-July 1878): blacksmith work

 

.32       receipted bill: E.J. Blake, West Wrentham, Oct. 1, 1879 (for April-Sept. 1879): blacksmith work

 

.33       receipted bill: E.J. Blake, West Wrentham, April 1, 1880 (for Oct. 1879-March 1880): blacksmith work

 

.34       report: “Limits of Highway District No. 2 as assigned by Selectmen of Wrentham, Mass. to John E. Grant, surveyor for 1880,” signed by the selectmen (of whom John E. Grant was one)

 

.35       bill: A. Mowry, Woonsocket, July 17, 1880: [illegible, but meal seems to be mentioned]

                        Printed billhead: dealers in flour, corn, oats, feed, cottone seed meal, feed meal, &c., &c.

 

.36       receipted bill: E.J. Blake, West Wrentham, Sept. 25, 1882[?] (for March-Nov.): blacksmith work

 

.37       statement: E.F. Crowninshield, Diamond Hill, R.I., Dec. 1882: amount on account;

                        Printed billhead: dealer in groceries and provisions

 

 

Folder 4: 1888-1889

 

.38-.50             receipted bills: G. Forbes, Jr., Sheldonville, Mass.: June 25, Oct. 1, Nov. 1,1888; Feb. 1, March 1, April 2, May 3, June 3, July 2, Aug. 2, Sept. 3, Oct. 3, Nov. 30, 1889: for a wide variety of goods, including food items (oranges, butter, sugar, beans, meal, molasses, canned goods, etc., etc.; this is the largest category of purchases); household goods (cups and saucers, tumblers, broom); textiles and sewing supplies (netting, Turkey red, spool of cotton, prints, hooks & eyes, braid, cambric, whalebones, buttons); dress accessories (shoes and slippers, overalls, mittens, hose); and such items as cotton seed, caustic, ammonia, s.b. drops;

                        Printed billhead: dealer in dry goods, groceries, flour, grain and general merchandise

                        [bills for 1890 in folder 5]

 

 

Folder 5: 1890, no date

 

.51-.59             receipted bills: G. Forbes, Jr., Sheldonville, Mass.: Jan. 4, Feb. 4, March 4, May 3, June 3, July 14, Sept. 4, Oct.7 [two with this date], 1890: see above for the kinds of goods being purchased;

                        Printed billhead: dealer in dry goods, groceries, flour, grain and general merchandise

                        [bills for 1888-89 in folder 4]

 

.60       receipted bill: A. H. Perkins, West Wrentham, Mass., April-May no year: blacksmith work

 

.61       bill: Asa Franklin bought of C.L. Norton, Sheldonville, Mass., July , no year: scythe, flour, oil, tea, starch, “goods”

 

.62       inventory, not dated, but very probably of the estate of George Grant (died 1865): lists of goods and values; includes furniture, air-tight stove and cooking stove, clock, library (presumably value of books), lamps and candle sticks, beds and bedding, crockery and glassware, silver spoons, table cloths and towels, wringing machine, balances, milk things, meal bags, , looking glass, watch; also some food items (cheese, potatoes, lard, pork, etc.); shares in Wrentham Bank, cash, debts owed to estate; carriages, harnesses, farming tools, stock and tolls in blacksmith shop; values of home place, tenements, shops, place in Franklin, pine lot;

 

.63-.64             envelopes addressed to John E. Grant, one postmarked from New York, Oct.22, sent to West Wrentham; the other postmarked Walpole, Mass., Jan. 15, sent to Sheldonville

 

.65       “Hints about Poultry”: hand-written notes