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:         Thompson, William R.          

Title:               Bills

Dates:             1803-1823

Call No.:         Col. 623

Acc. No.:        01x116

Quantity:        1 folder (16 items)

Location:        34 J 4

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

William Thompson and Robert Thompson were in partnership as merchants in Philadelphia in the early 19th century.  Nothing certain is known about them. 

 

At this time in Philadelphia, there was a grocer named William R. Thompson; he had apprenticed with his uncle John Thompson before setting up his own grocery business on the northeast corner of Front and High Streets in Philadelphia in 1812.  Robert Thompson was listed as a merchant; in the Philadelphia directories, with a store on High Street. 

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

A collection of sixteen bills sent to William R. Thompson, to Robert Thompson, or to both men, 1803-1823.  The bills are for flour; cigars and twists of tobacco, including lady’s twist; fabrics, such as chambray, plaid, shirting, muslins, checks, Wilmington stripe (a fabric made in Wilmington, Delaware?), prints, gingham, flannel, holland, and silk; china items, including London and Irish painted cups and saucers, tea pots, and blue printed cups and saucers; razors, scissors, pen knives; leghorn hats; buttons; herring; salt; and hides.  The Thompsons traded with James Armstrong, Jr., Cooke & Cresson, James Lynd, Gilman & Ammidon, J. & G. L. Cash, J. & T. Wood, Nathaniel Burt, Jacob C. Jones, Amos H. Slaymaker, and others.

 

           

ORGANIZATION

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

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

           

 

PROVENANCE

 

Purchased from William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

            People:

                        Thompson, Robert, merchant.

 

Topics:

            Textile fabrics - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

            Textile fabrics - Delaware - Wilmington.

            Business records - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

            Grocery trade - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

            Tobacco - Prices - 19th century.

            Pottery - Prices - 19th century.

            Hats - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

            Grocers - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

            Bills (financial).

Merchants.     

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 34 J 4

 

 

All accession numbers begin with 01x116.

 

 

Folder 1 of 1:

 

            .1         receipt: Boude & Miller received 14 barrels of flour, the property of William Thomson, from Benjamin Narvy[?], Columbia, May 9, 1803;

                                    With bill: Thomson bought salt from Boude & Miller, no date;

                                    And more information about Boude & Miller

 

            .2         receipted bill: W. Thomson paid James Armstrong, Jr., Baltimore, Aug. 26, 1803, for cigars, small rolls, lady’s twist, a box of pipes, and something else, plus drayage

 

            .3         receipt: Samuel Miller, Columbia, April 13, 1805, received from Benjamin Narvy[?] 36 barrels of flour, the property of W. Thomson

 

            .4         receipted bill: William Thompson paid Cooke & Cresson, Philadelphia, Aug. 7, 1807, for colored something and calico pink

 

            .5         receipted bill: William Thompson paid James Lynd, Philadelphia, Oct. 29, 1812, for yards of fabric; on back: Barton[?] cotton

 

            .6         receipted bill: Robert Thompson paid Gilman & Ammidon, Philadelphia, June 13, 1815, for chambray, plaid, shirtings; on back: domestic cottons, G & Ammidon

 

            .7         receipted bill: W. & R. Thompson paid Field & Fobes[?], Philadelphia, June 14, 1815, for plaid, checks, sheeting, boxes of balls

 

            .8         receipted bill: Robert Thomson paid J. & G. S. Cash, Philadelphia, June 15, 1815, for London painted[?] and Irish cups and saucers, tea pots, china teas, blue printed cups, muffins, edged twiffles; [difficult to read part of what is on back]

 

            .9         receipted bill: Robert Thompson paid Isaac Smedley & Co., Philadelphia, June 15, 1815, for razors, scissors, pen knives; on back: Smedley

 

            .10       receipted bill: Messrs Wm. & Robert  Thompson, paid J. Dunlap & Co., Philadelphia, June 12, 1822: for padding, muslin, checks, blue cloth, Wilmington stripe, prints, gingham, vesting, cotton balls[?], some kind of book, plaid, leghorns, ruffling, and something else (maybe porterage)

 

            .11       receipted bill: Robert Thompson paid J. & T. Wood, Philadelphia, June 13, 1822, for muslin, black silk Florentine[?], white something, and white sewing; on back: J..& T. Wood

 

            .12       bill: unnamed person bought of Carter, no place, Aug. 29, 1822: handkerchiefs, ribbons, buttons, keys, a gross of something else, and p. combs [pocket combs].

 

            .13       receipted bill: Messrs Robert & Wm. Thompson, paid James Dunlap & Co., Philadelphia, Dec. 27, 1822: for vesting, book, thread, calico, blue cassimere, Holland, book muslin, velvet, suspenders, leno, handkerchiefs, Waterloo shawls, bombazet, check, flannel, plaid, olive cloth; on back: Dunlapp & Co.

 

            .14       receipted bill: Robert Thompson paid Nathaniel Burt, Philadelphia, Dec. 30, 1822, for blue cloth, domestic plaid, nuns thread, and assorted twist; endorsed on back

 

            .15       receipted bill: Wm. & Robert Thompson paid Jacob C. Jones, Philadelphia, May 15, 1823, for Leg. flats & extra crowns, bands of some sort, making Leghorns; endorsed on back: bonnets

 

            .16       receipted bill: William & Robert Thompson paid Amos A. Slaymaker & Co. no place, June 17, 1823, for salt, herring, shad, hides, whetstones; with credit given for flour and corn; endorsed on back